Treat yourself this holiday season with the gift of free travel

With Christmas approaching and gifts being bought for loved ones, why not show yourself some love with the best gift of all? I’m talking about free travel, of course. I have reviewed dozens of credit card offerings to bring you the best sign-up bonuses available to help you reach your bucket list destination in 2022. Now is the best time to sign up for one of the credit cards below because you can use your holiday shopping to help meet any spending limits the cards may have before receiving the large sign-up bonuses.

Here’s how you know you are getting one of the best credit cards – There are many ways people use to evaluate the value behind a certain credit card. I try to take the advice of K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Steve. I evaluate how many points I’ll receive from the sign-up bonus, multiply that by the value each point has, then subtract any annual fees. That will give the me base monetary value this card has for me in the first year. Then I add on any added values the card adds such as free travel or rental insurance, free Uber rides, free airline ticket or hotel credits, and more.

Without further ado, here are my top 4 travel credit cards available right now that are not business cards:

1. American Express Platinum Card – American Express has always had the premier travel cards, and it continues to offer the strongest value, in my opinion. The 5x points on airfare and hotels make this card a traveler’s best friend.
What is the value of the sign-up bonus? – The Amex Platinum offers 100,000 points to new members who can spend $6,000 on the card in the first 6 months. After multiplying that by the value of the points ($0.02) and subtracting the annual fee ($695) you will be ahead $1,305. Add the $200 hotel credit, $155 Walmart credit, $180 CLEAR credit, $200 Uber credit, and $200 airline fee credit, and this card has an astonishing value of $2,240!
Where can those points take me? – 100,000 Members Rewards can get you a minimum of 1 round trip plane ticket anywhere in the world by transferring to one of Amex’s airline partners. 100,000 Membership Rewards can also get you 4-10 nights in thousands of hotels around the world.

CLICK HERE to see more details and apply. 

2. Chase Sapphire Preferred – If Amex is the King of travel credit cards, Chase is the prince ready to take over the throne. In the past five years, Chase has significantly boosted the value of their points, the number of travel partners you can transfer to, the ways in which you can redeem your points, and the sign-up bonuses on their cards. Chase Sapphire boasts an impressive 5x back on airfare, car rentals, hotels, and Lyft, while also offering 3x back on dining and streaming services.
What is the value of the sign-up bonus? – The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 60,000 Ultimate Reward points to new members who can spend $4,000 in the first 90 days. After multiplying that by the value of the point (0.025) and subtracting the annual fee ($95) and you will be ahead $1,405. Add the $50 annual hotel credit and the 10% anniversary point bonus, and this card has a value of $1,475-$2,000.
Where can those points take me? –  60,000 miles is not enough to guarantee a roundtrip anywhere in the world, but it is close. If you include the 10% annual bonus, or the ability to book your travel through the Chase Portal with each mile being worth $0.0125 and it looks a lot better. Expect to be able to book an economy flight anywhere in the world with the right transfer partners, or potentially a business class flight to Europe or the Caribbean if you find a good deal.

CLICK HERE to see more details and apply. 

3. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card – This is a brand-new card that was just released November 9^th and is turning a lot of heads with the incredible sign-up bonus, multipliers such as 10x on hotels and car rentals and 5x on airfare, but also with the list of transfer partners Capital One has accrued to increase the value of their program. It’s too early to make the call yet, but this may be a strong contender to win the Credit-Card-Superbowl this year.
What is the value of the sign-up bonus? – The Capital One Venture X Reward Credit Card offers 100,000 Capital One Miles to new members who can spend $10,000 within the first 6 months. After multiplying that by the value of the point ($0.01) and subtracting the annual fee ($395) you will be ahead $605. Add the $300 travel credit, 10,000 bonus miles annually, free priority pass ($300), and $100 credit for TSA precheck or Global Entry, and this card has a value of $1,405.
Where can those points take me? – Capital One Miles are only valued at $0.01 each because of their cash redemption value, but you can get a much better return if you transfer to one of their airline or hotel partners. With 100,000 miles, you can expect an economy class ticket to any destination in the world, and a business class ticket to Europe, South America, or the Caribbean.

CLICK HERE to see more details and apply. 

4. Citi Premier Card – Citi Thank You cards (such as the Citi Premier) are great because they have a range of interesting and advanced airline partners that you can transfer your points to for some of the best deals in the industry. These partners include airlines such as Avianca, Turkish, and Cathay Pacific. This card is recommended for travelers with more experience using points and miles, or use a service like our Points Simplified program to book your travel. Citi also offers 3x multipliers on air travel, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.
What is the value of the sign-up bonus? – The Citi Premier Card currently offers 80,000 to new cardholders who can spend $4,000 in the first 90 days. After multiplying the miles by the value of the point ($0.015) and subtracting the annual fee ($95) and you will be ahead $1105. Add the $100 hotel credit, and this credit card has an initial value of $1,200 to sign up.
Where can those points take me? – This is where Citi’s Thank You Points really shine. Although their transfer partners will not be easy for domestic flights (United, Delta, Southwest, and American), their international redemption value is second to none. With the help of an industry expert (such as the ones here at Executive Travel), you can find unbelievable deals on flights such as North America to Hawaii in business class for 37,500 miles using Etihad, or using 15,000 miles for domestic flights by leveraging Turkish miles. If you are creative and know the tricks of the trade, 80,000 Thank You points can get you anywhere in the world in style.

CLICK HERE to see more details and apply. 

Let us help give you the gift of travel – During this special season where your attention and focus is directed at those close to your heart, take a moment to imagine your dream destination and let Executive Travel help make that Christmas wish a reality for you.

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