Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits [2024] Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits [2024]

Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits [2024]

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$200 hotel credit offered with The Platinum Card® from American Express applies to prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings made via American Express Travel®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.

Benjamin Franklin famously noted that nothing is certain except death and taxes. But, recently, we feel like another that can be added to the list: a continued rise in airline fees and charges. In 2023 alone, U.S. airlines took in over $8 billion in just baggage and reservation change fees, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Credit cards that offer airline and travel credits can help you counteract these insidious fees on everything from carry-on bags to choosing to sit with family members. While Amex premium cards were the first to offer these credits, numerous banks now offer airline incidental fee credits. Since these credits don't work the same across these travel rewards cards, it can be confusing for consumers.

The art of award travel is to reduce costs as much as possible. However, the rise in taxes, fees, and incidental charges means frequent flyers need to adapt their redemption strategies.

So, how can we keep award redemption costs to a minimum and pay the lowest possible price on cash fares when all these extras aren't included in your booking? The answer is using credit cards that offer travel credits and airline incidental credits for expenses like seat selection, checked bags, upgrades, and more.

Restrictions on Credit Card Travel Credits

It’s worth noting that not all credit card travel credits are created equal. Most travel credits have restrictions on what cardholders can claim. Some require cardholders to manually request to use the credit, while others cover almost any travel-related expense and will credit automatically.

To complicate things further, some card issuer credits apply only to a selected airline or only to bookings made within the bank's own travel portal.

While we cover the basics for each card, reading your card's guide to benefits will give you a much greater understanding and possibly save you hundreds of dollars over your card's lifetime.

Credit Cards That Offer an Airline Fee or Travel Credit

Here are the best credit cards with travel credits and airline incidental credits:

For good measure, we'll also group an additional three cards together. While they don’t offer travel or airline credits, their earnings can be used for statement credits toward travel expenses made in the past 90 days. Because it works as a statement credit, any payment that codes as travel from the merchant qualifies on these cards:

So, no, these aren't airline fee or travel credits. Still, the rewards you earn can offset the sting of fees or travel purchases nonetheless.

American Airlines planes at DFW Airport.
Credit: David Sphyers/Unsplash

Related: How To Use The Platinum Card® from American Express Airline Fee Credit

Final Thoughts

Airline and travel credits are a great way of reducing your out-of-pocket expense for traveling. Yes, most cards charge a hefty fee for the privilege. But they also offer a huge range of benefits for the annual fee, such as lounge access, elite status with hotel chains, and trip insurance. These benefits will drop your travel expenses over the long term.

Which travel credit is best? All things considered, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) has the most valuable travel credit. It's worth up to $300, as opposed to $250 for the Prestige Card and up to $400 on the Amex Platinum (which has many more restrictions), it also has the widest definition of claimable expenses, covering anything from train tickets to highway tolls, online travel agencies to subway rides.

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees)

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