What Are the Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards?
What are the best cards to use to accrue travel rewards? Here’s a hint: It’s not the airline branded cards. Read the full article from Fortune Magazine here: The Good Life: Best travel reward cards - Apr. 5, 2006
If you want to get on the travel rewards gravy train, here are link to applications for the top travel rewards cards as recommended by Fortune magazine:
Starwood Preferred Guest American Express
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. Apply now.
Issuer: American Express
Annual fee: Free the first year, $30 thereafter
Airline partners: More than 30
$1 = 1 point
The gold standard for rewards credit cards, the Starwood card gives you the most flexibility for business and leisure travel. Not only can you get a room in a Starwood hotel for as few as 2,000 points (no blackout dates), but you can also transfer those points to any of more than 30 airlines. And best of all, for every 20,000 points transferred, you get a 5,000-point bonus.
Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card
Click here to apply for the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card card
Issuer: Visa
Annual fee: $65
Airline partners: more than 25.
$1 = 1 point (5 points per $1 spent at Marriott locations; 2 points per $1 on airline, dining and rental car purchases.)
If you’re looking for free hotel rooms, this card is worth a close look. While it has no bonuses for transferring points into miles, Marriott (Research) and its partners have the most locations (more than 2,600) and include the luxurious Ritz Carlton chain.
American Express Membership Rewards
Apply for the American Express® Rewards Green Card
Apply for the American Express® Rewards Gold Card
Annual fee: $110
Airline partners: More than 10 (Doesn’t include American, United or Northwest)
$1 = 1 point (double points on purchases at supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, the U.S. Postal Service and on wireless phone service)
One of the most popular rewards programs, American Express prides itself on having the largest catalog of items that members can redeem their points for — from CDs to golf clubs to airline tickets. However, the domestic airline choice is limited and some of the conversion rates for other products can be pricey.