What are travel credit cards, and how do they work?
Travel credit cards are financial products that offer various rewards and benefits geared towards frequent travelers. They typically earn you points or miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases. These rewards can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Travel credit cards may also include perks like travel insurance, airport lounge access, and no foreign transaction fees.
How do I choose the best travel credit card for my needs?
Choosing the best travel credit card depends on your travel habits, spending patterns, and preferences. Consider factors like the type of rewards offered (points, miles, or cash back), the card’s annual fee, sign-up bonuses, earning rates, redemption options, and additional travel perks. Analyzing these features will help you find a card that aligns with your lifestyle and offers the most value.
What are the benefits of using a travel credit card over other types of credit cards?
Travel credit cards provide unique advantages for travelers, such as earning rewards specifically tailored to travel expenses. Additionally, many travel credit cards offer travel-related perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and travel insurance. Some cards also waive foreign transaction fees, making them ideal for international travelers.
What is a sign-up bonus, and how can I qualify for it?
A sign-up bonus is a promotional offer provided by the credit card issuer to entice new cardholders. To qualify for a sign-up bonus, you usually need to meet specific spending requirements within a certain timeframe after opening the account. The bonus can be in the form of points, miles, or cash back, and it’s a great way to jump-start your rewards earning.
Do travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees?
Not all travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees. Many of the top-tier travel cards waive these fees, making them ideal for international travel. However, it’s essential to read the card’s terms and conditions to confirm this before using it abroad.
How can I maximize the rewards earned with my travel credit card?
To maximize rewards, use your travel credit card for everyday expenses and large purchases. Take advantage of bonus categories and special promotions to earn more points or miles. Consider combining your travel credit card with loyalty programs to stack rewards and get even more value out of your purchases.
Kenya is the stuff of travel dreams. Its sprawling savannahs, teeming with the world’s most sought-after wildlife, and kaleidoscopic tribal culture make it a destination unlike any other. But finding flights to Kenya that don’t break the bank can be an adventure in itself.
While Nairobi airport is by no means a quiet hub, it’s considerably smaller and less connected than comparably popular destinations in Europe and Asia. This means flights to Kenya are less frequent and usually require at least one layover. If you’re hoping for direct flights to Kenya, your only hope is in New York City, where you’ll hop on a 14-hour flight with Kenya Airways.
But just because a place is more challenging to get to doesn’t mean we can’t work some points magic. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to use points for cheap flights to Kenya.
Finding the best programs for points flights to Kenya
Currently, there’s only one direct flight from the US to Nairobi. Unless you’re from NYC or happy to do a positioning flight, the rest of the flights to Kenya will require a layover. It’s a good idea to do a traditional search in Google Flights or Skyscanner and see where most of the flights route through.
A quick search for flights to Kenya shows places like Doha, Amsterdam, Addis Ababa, and Istanbul as major layover spots, so it’s a good idea to look for points and miles that can get you flying with those hubs’ big airlines. Here are a few of the options.
Using Virgin Atlantic for flights to Kenya
Virgin Atlantic offers one of the best redemption offers for flights to Kenya. Utilizing its partners Kenya Airways and KLM, it’s possible to fly from New York to Nairobi for as little as 24,000 points. You will have to pay around $200 in taxes and fees, as is normal with Virgin, but it still works out to be a tremendous deal.
To redeem the same flight in cash one-way could be around $676, so you get almost 2 cents per point with this redemption. With just one layover in Amsterdam before heading south, it’s not a terrible route.
How to earn enough Virgin points
The good news is that Virgin points are incredibly easy to earn. Most of the major credit card issuers allow transfers to the airline’s loyalty program, so you don’t need to worry about flying with the British carrier regularly. Best of all, Virgin regularly runs transfer bonuses, giving you even better value for your redemptions.
Here are some cards you could open to cover your flights to Kenya.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an outstanding product to have in your wallet. Not only is its 75,000-mile intro bonus capable of flying you to Kenya and back but its earning potential and travel perks will make it a valuable tool long after your trip. To earn the bonus, you must spend $4,000 within three months of opening the card.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
75,000 Bonus Miles
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
The Capital One Venture X is a direct competitor to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and for many seeking a simpler earning scheme with premium perks, it could be the better option. But the Venture X truly shines with one benefit in particular: four free authorized users. Not only can they all use the card and earn miles, they all receive a Priority Pass membership which allows themselves and two guests access to airport lounges. In a highly improbable situation, that means you could technically bring 15 people into a lounge with you.
PROS
- Its solid intro bonus of 75,000 miles is worth well over $1,000 when transferred to partner airlines and hotels, or a flat rate $750 when redeemed on the Capital One Travel Portal.
- Cardholders get a bonus of 10,000 miles each year after their first account anniversary, which is nothing to shrug off, especially when a little bit short of that business class flight. It’s worth almost $200 depending on how you use it.
- The $300 annual credit for purchases made on the Capital One Travel Portal, combined with the yearly free miles, more than annul the $395 annual fee.
- Four authorized users can be added for free.
- The cardholder is entitled to a Priority Pass membership and entry to Capital One Lounges, even the authorized users.
- A generous offering of travel insurance, protections and reimbursements round out an excellent array of benefits.
CONS
- The $300 credit is a bit less flexible than the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s comparable benefit.
- Miles earning is the same as the Sapphire Reserve on portal-based purchases, but less on general travel spending.
- Capital one transfer partners are solid, but still don’t include any US-based airlines or hotels.
Annual Fee: $395 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card is among the best cards on the market. Boasting a generous 60,000-point intro bonus, earned by spending $6,000 within six months of opening the card, it’s also a stellar earner for foodies with an amazing 4x points per dollar rate at restaurants.
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months of card membership
The American Express® Gold Card gives your munch more punch with an outstanding 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x). For some context, if you spent $8,400 a year on eating out and groceries, which is roughly what the average American spends, you’d have enough points for a roundtrip flight to Hawaii. That’s not even factoring in the huge 60,000-point bonus worth over $1,000.
PROS
- Huge returns on popular spending categories like dining at restaurants, takeout and delivery in the U.S .and U.S. supermarkets
- Solid earnings on travel purchased via Amex or directly with an airline
- Solid intro bonus of 60,000 points worth over $1,000
- Up to $120 in Uber Cash for rides and food delivery, and up to $120 in statement credits for selected dining outlets including the GrubHub food delivery app, Shake Shack, Wine.com, and more
- Nice, but pointless in the grand scheme of things, customizable card designs
CONS
- $250 annual fee
- No major travel perks like its bigger sibling, the Amex Platinum
Annual Fee: $250 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
Using United for flights to Kenya
If your goal is avoiding a cash payment altogether, United has you covered. While its points requirement is slightly higher at 49,000 points, it only requires a maximum of $12.60 in taxes and fees, depending on the airline you fly. This makes it, objectively speaking, the cheapest option for flights to Kenya. You’re still getting around 1.4 cents per point, too.
The best news about this? That rate applies to almost the entire country, whether you’re in Los Angeles or New York. Expect a longer travel day if you’re coming from the West Coast.
How to earn enough United MileagePlus Miles
Unless you fly regularly with United and its partners or have a co-branded card, there’s only one company capable of transferring points to United, and that’s Chase. Luckily, they have multiple excellent cards to choose from. Here’s the pick of the bunch.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best mid-tier products out there. It’s running a 60,000-point intro bonus, earned after spending $4,000 within three months of opening the card. That’s enough for your flight there with 10,000 to spare. If you can find another 15,000 points, you could transfer those to Virgin and cover the whole trip.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 Bonus Points
after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the ultimate all-around travel credit card—it fits perfectly into almost any points-earner’s wallet. Points novices can enjoy a significant intro bonus and easy to grasp spending categories with an approachable annual fee. The more experienced can utilize its high value earning potential as a secondary card and also gain access to Chase’s strong travel booking portal.
PROS
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. The 60,000 points, for example, are worth $750 toward travel.
- The $50 dollar hotel credit for stays purchased on the Chase Travel Portal already cuts the already approachable $95 annual fee significantly.
- A 10% annual points bonus is tacked on every year, adding a little more value.
- A free year-long Doordash DashPass membership is also thrown in, which gives you free delivery and some extra discounts. It’s a solid perk if you order food delivery at least semi-frequently (Activate by 12/31/2024).
- Along with all of the above, cardholders also have access to a string of travel protections like rental coverage, cancellation insurance, and purchase protection.
CONS
- Maximizing the value of Chase points can still be complicated for complete novices.
Competing cards like the Capital One Venture have a better earning rate for non-bonused spend.
It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So, if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
Annual Fee: $95 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you’re a small business owner, you have another option–the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. It’s currently boasting a mammoth 100,000-point intro bonus after spending $8,000 within three months of opening the card. If your business expenses could hit that threshold, you’ve got a free trip to Kenya!
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
100,000 bonus points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
The Ink Business Preferred Business Card pulls attention with its big intro bonus, currently sitting at 100,000 points.That’s worth in $1,000 cash back, $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, or even more when transferring to Chase’s travel partners like Hyatt, United Airlines, British Airways and more. But the card shows its real value with its high-earning bonus-spending categories. Freelancers and business owners alike will earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year.
PROS
- Simply put, for small business owners and freelancers it’s one of the best cards for turning business spending into valuable travel. The bonus alone is worth $1,000 cash back, $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, or potentially more when transferring to Chase’s travel partners like Marriott or Air Canada.
- It also offers some stellar protections including a comprehensive reimbursement on damaged or stolen cellphones and primary rental car coverage
- It has a reasonable $95 annual fee.
- If you have another Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, or even a cash-back earning Chase card, you can pool your points and make them more valuable.
CONS
- It does lack some of the juicier benefits attached to other business credit cards likes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. But with the low fee, it’s hard to argue with its value proposition
- It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
Annual Fee: $95 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
Using KLM/Air France Flying Blue for flights to Kenya
Our third option is Flying Blue, the loyalty program shared by Air Frace and KLM. With redemptions from the West Coast as low as 38,000 points and the East Coast for a brilliant 30,000, you’re in good shape for getting cheap flights to Kenya.
As with Virgin, there are fees in the realm of $160 to $180, but again, the value of your points is high. And let’s face it, $160 is better than $700.
Keep an eye out for the airline’s monthly miles deals, too!
How to earn Flying Blue Miles
Earning Flying Blue points is easy. American Express, Citi, Bilt, and Capital One are all transfer partners, giving you plenty of scope with multiple products.
Flying Blue also runs regular transfer bonuses to help maximize your redemptions, so make sure you double-check before moving your points across.
The Bilt Mastercard is a unique product in the points and miles world. It’s the only card designed to earn rewards on rent. You can earn up to 100,000 points every year at a rate of 1x point per dollar, so while it may not cover your whole trip, it can certainly supplement your store of points.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Amex’s most premium product, The Platinum Card, is a stellar option for the serious traveler. Its current 80,000-point intro bonus is enough to cover your entire trip with points to spare. Just ensure you can hit the $8,000 spending threshold within six months of opening the card.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of card membership
The Amex Platinum was once the sole dominating force in the luxury credit card space. While it now faces some stiff competition, it still offers unbeatable perks like unprecedented airport lounge access, elite status at Hilton and Marriott, and some outstanding statement credits making the mammoth $695 worth it for some.
PROS
- The Amex Platinum’s typical intro bonus of 80,000 points is massive in itself. It’s worth $800 when spent directly through Amex’s travel portal on flights and hotels, which is already stellar. But when transferred to a partner, it’s very possible to squeeze over $1,600 or more in value.
- The Platinum has a slew of top-tier benefits, like Priority Pass, which gives the cardholder access to thousands of airport lounges and restaurants around the world, as well as Amex’s own Centurion lounges which are known for the high-quality (and free) food and cocktails. Other perks include up to $200 in Uber credits, up to $200 in airline fee credits (given in statement credits), up to $240 in digital streaming credits, up to $200 towards hotel bookings (given in statement credits) with Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts (2 night minimum stay required), and more. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
- A number of statement credits spanning multiple industries can build even more value into the card, including free stays when applied strategically.
- The Amex concierge is an underutilized benefit that can transform a trip by helping book hard-to-find dinner reservations or show tickets.
CONS
- The $695 annual fee is brutally high. Too high for many that can’t, or don’t want to take full advantage of its benefits.
- Points-earning rates are low unless spending directly on flights or with the Amex Portal.
- Some of the benefits, like travel credits, are more limited and are harder to use than competing cards’ offerings.
Annual Fee: $695 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The point
Despite being a more complicated airport to visit, there are still plenty of redemption options available for everyone. It’s more than possible to cover your flights to Kenya with each of these cards.
by travelers, for travelers.
