My Favorite Credit Cards to Save Money on Travel, Travel for Free

I travel at least once a month, so I’m always looking for savvy ways to fly in style and upgrade my trips without breaking the bank.

Although it sounds surprising, one way I do this is by spending almost a thousand dollars on credit card fees each year. As a frequent traveler, I like how the cards’ perks help elevate my trips and believe they’re a good value.

I pay $940 annually for three travel rewards cards: American Express Platinum, United Explorer, and Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Here are four of my favorite benefits that easily justify the cost of every premium credit card in my wallet.

Unlimited airport lounge access is my favorite perk

There’s nothing I value more than airport-lounge access on long travel days. I’ve visited dozens of lounges last year alone, whether flying through Dallas, Rome, or Seoul.

My American Express Platinum card gets me access to over 1,400 airport lounges around the world. At a bare minimum, most of these lounges provide complimentary food and drinks, showers, and comfortable seating.

Some offer more unique features, including massage chairs and outdoor terraces. The VIP Lounge in Punta Cana even has a pool.

Although the card’s $695 annual fee isn’t cheap, I find lounge access is basically priceless as a frequent traveler.

It’s far better than waiting in a crowded, noisy terminal, and I never have to buy expensive food in the airport. Convenient access to a shower is also invaluable after a long flight.

I also love the Amex Platinum’s $200 hotel credit

Another American Express Platinum card perk I use each year is my $200 hotel credit, which can be used on bookings through the American Express Travel Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

I love any excuse for a discounted getaway, so this is one of my favorite features of the card.

When booking through the Amex travel portal, cardholders may receive early check-in, late checkout, complimentary breakfast for two, and a $100 experience credit, among other perks.

One year, a friend and I booked a luxury stay in Sydney using my card. We saved $200 on the room and used our $100 experience credit for drinks at the hotel’s bar, which had stunning views of the nearby harbor.

My United Airlines card includes free checked bags

The most recent addition to my wallet is the United Explorer card. At $150 a year, the card’s benefits quickly surpass the annual fee.

To start, cardholders receive two complimentary visits to the United Club each year along with priority boarding on United flights.

The most notable benefit, however, is a free checked bag on every United flight. When using the card to book a flight, cardholders receive a free checked bag for both themselves and a companion.

The savings almost pay for themselves. If I and a guest checked a bag each way on a round-trip United flight, we’d pay $160 — more than this credit card’s annual fee!

I fly United several times a year, so adding the card to my wallet was a no-brainer.

I’ve booked flights using only points with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card

My most utilized travel card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. For me, the $95 annual fee is well worth the point-earning opportunities.

Cardholders earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming, and online grocery purchases, and 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases.

By using this card for everyday transactions, I quickly rack up thousands of Chase Ultimate Rewards points on a regular basis.

In the past year, I’ve used points to cover the entire cost of flights to countries like Japan and Italy. I’ve also redeemed points for a handful of domestic flights within the US.

It’s hard to beat traveling for free, and my Chase Sapphire Preferred makes that a whole lot easier.

Rates, fees, and offers in this post are accurate at the time of publishing on May 16, 2025.