Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits [2023] Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits [2023]

Best Credit Cards with Travel Credits and Airline Incidental Credits [2023]

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Offers for The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card are not available through this site. All information has been independently collected by AwardWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers.

Offers for Bank of America cards mentioned in this post have been updated as of 08/26/2023

All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by AwardWallet

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

Benjamin Franklin said that nothing is certain but death and taxes, but I'll add another to the list: a continued rise in airline fees and charges. In 2018, U.S. airlines took in almost $8 billion in fees, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Credit cards that offer airline and travel credits have become a popular method of counteracting these insidious fees on everything from carry-on bags to choosing to sit with family members. While we first saw this with American Express' premium cards, it's now spread across numerous banks. And the travel credits don't work the same across these cards, which can be confusing for consumers.

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

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

Credit Cards That Offer an Airline or Travel Credit

It’s worth noting that not all travel credits are created equal. Some have a number of restrictions on what cardholders can claim and require cardholders to request to use the credit. Others cover almost any travel-related expense and will credit automatically. And there are other credits that apply only to one airline, which you must select in advance, or only to bookings made within the bank's own travel portal.

While we cover the basics for each card, reading your card's terms and conditions will give you a much greater understanding, possibly saving hundreds of dollars over the life of the card.

Credit CardAnnual CreditEligible PurchasesAnnual Fee
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit cardUp to $100 airline incidentals credit on U.S. domestic airlines onlyPreferred seating upgrades, ticket change/cancellation fees, checked baggage fees, in-flight entertainment, onboard food and beverage charges, and airport lounge fees affiliated with eligible airline carriers$95
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card$300 airline incidentals credit on qualifying U.S. domestic airlines onlySeat upgrades, baggage fees, airline preferred seating upgrades, ticket change/cancellation fees, checked baggage fees, in-flight entertainment, onboard food and beverage charges, and airport lounge fees affiliated with eligible airline carrier fees and in-flight services$550
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express$200 airline incidentals credit on one airline - chosen annually

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Baggage fees, booking fees, change fees, in-flight food, and lounge admission$695 - Rates & Fees
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card$300 travel credit that applies to bookings with Capital One Travel onlyFlights, hotels, and car rentals$395
Capital One Venture X Business$300 travel credit that applies to bookings with Capital One Travel onlyFlights, hotels, and car rentals$395
Chase Sapphire Reserve®$300 travel creditAlmost any travel purchases$550
Citi Prestige® Card$250 travel creditAirlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel agencies/travel aggregators/tour operators, commuter transportation, ferries, commuter railways, subways, taxis/limousines/car services, passenger railways, cruise lines, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, and bus lines$495
Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card$350 airline incidentals credit on U.S. domestic airlines onlyTicket change/cancellation fees, checked baggage fees, in-flight entertainment, onboard food and beverage charges, airport lounge membership fees and day passes, onboard wireless charges, and TSA PreCheck membership application fee
EXPEDIA®+ VOYAGER CARD from Citi$100 airline incidentals credit on qualifying U.S. domestic airlines onlyChecked bags, inflight entertainment or refreshments, inflight Wi-Fi, and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck$95
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card$250 airline incidentals credit on one airline - chosen annually

$250 Hilton Resort Statement Credit

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Baggage fees, booking fees, change fees, in-flight food, and lounge admission

Eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts, including charges made at restaurants, spas, and other establishments within the hotel property if charged to your room and paid for with your card
$450
PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express® CardUp to $100 airline incidentals credit on U.S. domestic airlines only

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, airport lounge day-passes, pet-kennel fee, and phone reservation fees$0
The Platinum Card® from American Express$200 airline incidentals credit on one airline - chosen annually

$200 hotel credit on select prepaid hotels with Amex Travel (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay)

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Baggage fees, booking fees, change fees, in-flight food, and lounge admission

Applies only to Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings
$695 - Rates & Fees
The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card$300 airline incidentals credit (not applied automatically; you must call or send a secure message to request credit)Non-ticket airline purchases including baggage fees, in-flight entertainment, food, lounge passes and memberships, and upgrades$450
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card$75 Southwest Airlines Annual Travel CreditAll Southwest purchases (excluding Upgraded Boardings and inflight purchases)$149
U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card$325 travel creditAny merchant classified as travel$400
U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card$25 airline incidentals credit with each redeemed airline awardIn-flight food or drinks, seat upgrades, and baggage fees$85

We'll group another 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:

Related: How To Use The Platinum Card® from American Express Travel 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. Perks can include lounge access, elite status with hotel chains, and trip insurance that will drop your travel expenses over the long term.

Which travel credit is best? All things considered, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® 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: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)

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