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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.
Upon first glance, credit card fees north of $400 might not make sense to many points and miles enthusiasts. Why would you pay $400 or more per year for a card that earns fewer points per dollar on daily spending than other low- or no-annual-fee cards from the same rewards family? It’s not until you look beyond the simple points-per-dollar equation that the value of a premium travel rewards card becomes apparent.
Premium cards offer a host of perks that outshine any spending category bonuses and the number of points earned. Standard perks include lounge access, elite status, and the very best travel insurance. Depending on the card, cardholders also can look forward to travel and airline credits, free nights or companion passes, and more. Each of these benefits not only helps offset the cost of holding the card but can elevate the way you travel, providing added luxury and protection.
Here's how these premium cards stack up against one another.
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What Makes a Travel-Focused Rewards Card ‘Premium’?
To qualify as a premium travel rewards card, the card needs to provide a combination of several benefits. These should include lounge access, noteworthy travel, and rental car insurance, some form of elite status, and Global Entry/TSA application fee credit. Of course, they also typically have a high annual fee. Premium cards that offer transferrable points usually also have a travel portal that offers luxury hotel benefits. These often include perks such as space-available upgrades and resort credits. Finally, they also offer some form of high-ticket perk like the fourth night free on the Citi Prestige® Card.
Related: 21 Credit Card Benefits Every Traveler Should Know About
In this post, we’ve focused on the following cards we think fit the premium description, splitting them into three tables. One covers cards earning flexible or transferable points and the remaining two cover premium co-branded airline and hotel credit cards that earn miles in a single program.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) : Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Citi Prestige® Card: No longer accepting applications
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
- The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees) : Limited-Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card: No longer accepting applications
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Premium Rewards Credit Cards Earning Flexible Points
The four most popular premium cards on the market earn transferable points. They're not tied to a particular hotel or airline program but rather offer their own points currency. They all offer lounge access in some form, a range of options travel insurance and purchase protection, travel credits, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
| Benefits | The Platinum Card® from American Express | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Citi Prestige® Card | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $695 (Rates & Fees) | $795 | $495 | $395 |
| Authorized User Fee | $195 for each additional Platinum Card for Authorized Users (Rates & Fees) | $195 | $75 | $0 for up to 4 authorized users |
| Welcome Offer | As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. | 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit Ultimate Rewards points | Not accepting new applicants | 75,000 Capital One miles |
| Travel Credit | • $200 Airline incidental credit (with a pre-selected, preferred airline) • $200 pre-paid hotel credit (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay) | $300 Travel credit | $250 Airline credit (includes airfare) | $300 annual travel credit for bookings made with Capital One Travel |
| Category Bonus | 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com | Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases | • 5x points on air travel and at restaurants • 3x points at hotels and on cruise line purchases • 1x on all other purchases | • 2x miles per dollar on all eligible purchases • 5x miles per dollar on flights when booking via Capital One Travel • 10x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel |
| Priority Pass | 1 guest (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | 2 guests or immediate family, including access to PP restaurants | Unlimited guests (subject to space limitations at each lounge) |
| Other Lounges | • Centurion Lounges • Delta Sky Club® (when traveling same day on Delta) • Select Lufthansa Lounges • Airspace & Escape Lounges • Plaza Premium Lounges (Guest policy varies) | • Chase Sapphire Lounges • Chase Sapphire Terrace | N/A | Capital One Lounges |
| Elite Status | • Hilton Honors & Marriott Gold • Avis Preferred® • Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® • National Emerald Club Executive | National Emerald Club Executive | • National Emerald Club Executive • Sixt Platinum | Hertz President's Circle (through December 31, 2024) |
| Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit | • Every 4 years for Global Entry • Every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck | Every 4 years | Every 5 years | Every 4 years |
| Trip Delay | • 6 hours • $500 | • 6 hours • $500 | As of 09/22/19, Citi no longer offers this benefit | • 6 hours • $500 |
| Baggage Delay | N/A | 6 hours $500 | As of 09/22/19, Citi no longer offers this benefit | N/A |
| Auto Rental CDW | Secondary up to $75K | Primary up to $75K | As of 09/22/19, Citi no longer offers this benefit | Primary up to $75k |
| Additional Perks & Benefits | • Up to $200 annual Uber Cash • Up to $199 CLEAR® Plus membership fee reimbursement • Up to $300 Equinox credit •$300 SoulCycle credit •Up to $240 in digital entertainment credit | Up to 2¢ (depending on the specific redemption) | Free night on hotel bookings of 4 nights booked through ThankYou.com — up to twice per year. | • Access to Capital One Premier Collection of luxury hotels with perks including free breakfast and resort credits. • Use miles at 1¢ apiece to offset recent travel purchases made with your card. |
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
When comparing the premium cards, it's important to note the recent changes to Priority Pass access for cardholders. After June 30, 2024, the only card on this list that will still have benefits at Priority Pass restaurants and markets will be the Prestige Card. The others will continue to have access to Priority Pass Lounges and “other select airport experiences.”
Premium Rewards Credit Cards Earning Airline Miles
Unfortunately, many of our favorite frequent flyer programs don’t offer a top-tier rewards card. Only the three biggest legacy carriers have premium credit card options.
| Benefits | The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees) | Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $695 | $595 | $650 (Rates & Fees) |
| Authorized User Fee | $0 | $175 for the first three authorized users, then $175 each | $175 (Rates & Fees) |
| Welcome Offer | Limited-Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. | Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. |
| Bonus Earnings Toward Elite Status | Earn 1 PQP for every $15 spent (up to 28,000 PQP spent in a calendar year) | 10,000 Loyalty Points boost after earning 50,000 Loyalty Points in a single year, and another 10,000 after earning 90,000 LP. | • 2,500 MQDs head start each year • 1 MQD for every $10 spent on the card each year |
| Category Bonus | • 4x miles on United purchases • 2x miles on dining • 2x miles on all other travel • 1x on all other purchases | • 10x at aa.com/hotels and aa.com/cars • 4x on American flights (plus, after you've spent $150,000 on eligible purchases, earn 5x on AA purchases through the end of that calendar year) • 1x on all other purchases | • 3x on Delta purchases • 1x on other eligible purchases |
| Lounge Access | • United Club (1 adult and dependent children under 18 years of age) (Authorized users do not get their own membership) | • Admirals Club (+ 2 guests or immediate family) (AU cardholders also get access via their own membership) | • Delta Sky Club® & international partner lounges when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed/operated flight • 4X one-time guest passes for complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club • The Centurion Lounge - When flying a same-day Delta-marketed/operated flight paid for with a U.S.-issued American Express rewards Card Reserve Card members get 15 Delta Sky Club visits yearly. Spend $75,000+ on the card in a calendar year for unlimited visits - Learn more.) |
| Elite Status | • Avis President’s Club membership • IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status | N/A | Hertz President's Circle Status |
| Free Checked Bags | • 2 each for you and a companion on the same ticket • Ticket must be purchased using this card to qualify for the benefit | • Free first checked bag for cardholder and up to 8 companions • Adding your AAdvantage number to the reservation triggers the benefit | • 1 each for you and up to 8 companions on the same ticket • Adding your SkyMiles number to the reservation triggers the benefit |
| Companion Flight Ticket | N/A | N/A | • Domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip companion certificate each year in First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin upon renewal of your Card • Pay just taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) |
| In-Flight Benefits | • 25% back (as a statement credit) on food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases on board United- and United Express-operated flights | • 25% off in-flight purchases on AA domestic flights, which comes as a statement credit • Applies to food and beverage purchases only, not Wi-Fi | • 20% discount on pre-purchased meals and in-flight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets • Comes as a statement credit • Does not apply to WiFi purchases |
| Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit | Every 4 years | Every 4 years | • Every 4 years for Global Entry • Every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck |
| Trip Delay | • 12 hours • $500 | • 6 hours • $500 | • 6 hours • $500 |
| Baggage Delay | • 6 hours • $100 day up to 3 days | N/A | N/A |
| Auto Rental CDW | Primary coverage and provides reimbursement up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less. | Secondary in the U.S., primary outside the U.S. for up to $75K | Secondary up to $75K |
| Additional Perks & Benefits | • Expanded award availability • Premier Access (priority airport services) • Close-in award fees waived • Complimentary Premier Upgrades on award tickets •Instacart+ Membership • Various statement credits including rideshare, rental cars, and Instacart+ | • Priority check-in, airport screening, and early boarding • Up to $120 in annual credits with Avis and Budget on prepaid rentals • Up to $120 in annual Lyft credits • Up to $120 in annual Grubhub credits | • Priority boarding • Up to $200 Delta Stays credit annually • Up to $120 Rideshare credit annually • Up to $240 Resy credit annually |
NOTE: A significant and important differentiator to know about with the Delta Reserve is that it only provides access to a Delta Sky Club when traveling on Delta that same day. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card members get 15 Delta Sky Club® visits per Medallion® Year when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 on the card each calendar year. Learn more about Delta's status changes for 2024.
Unlike those listed in the transferrable points table, you should only get a premium co-branded airline card if you regularly fly that airline. Paying a yearly annual fee of $650 (Rates & Fees) for the Delta Reserve with all its Delta perks wouldn't be nearly as valuable if you seldom fly with the airline.
Premium Rewards Credit Cards Earning Hotel Points
There are three co-branded hotel cards that we would consider premium rewards cards: the Hilton Aspire, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, and the Ritz-Carlton Card (which, although not open to new applicants, is available if you product change from another Marriott credit card).
| Benefits | The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $450 | $550 | $650 (Rates & Fees) |
| Authorized User Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 (Rates & Fees) |
| Welcome Offer | No longer open to applications. Product Change from Chase Marriott cards. | Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025. | Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. |
| Category Bonus | • 6x at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy • 3x on dining, car rentals, and airline purchases 2x on all other purchases | • 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio • 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants • 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card | • 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties • 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery • 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines • 2X points on all other eligible purchases |
| Annual Free Night Rewards | Annual free night award worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points | Annual free night reward on your account anniversary, valid at nearly any property (on a standard room) | Annual free night award worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| Lounge Access | Priority Pass Select (+2 guests, and Authorized Users also get a membership) | Depends on when you enrolled, but this benefit will end by November 1, 2024 for all cardmembers. | Priority Pass Select (+ up to 2 guests) |
| Elite Status | • Automatic Gold Elite status • Spend $75K on your card in a calendar year for Platinum Elite status. | • Hilton Honors Diamond Elite • National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status | Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite |
| Travel Credits | • $300 airline incidental credit (based on a calendar year) • $100 hotel credit on paid Ritz-Carlton stays of two nights or more | • $200 annual flight credit • $250 Hilton resort statement credit • $100 Waldorf Astoria and Conrad credit when booking Aspire Card package | $100 hotel credit on paid Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis stays of two nights or more |
| Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit | Every 4 years | N/A | Every 4 years after applying for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck |
| Trip Delay | • 6 hours • $500 per trip | • 6 hours • $500 per trip • 2 claims per 12-month period | • 6 hours • $500 per trip • 2 claims per 12-month period |
| Additional Perks & Benefits | • 3 Club Level upgrades each year on paid stays of up to seven nights • 15 Elite Night Credits annually | • Second free night reward after $30K spend per calendar year • Additional free night reward after $60K spend per calendar year | • Up to $300 dining credit each calendar year (available as up to $25 monthly) • 25 Elite Night Credits annually |
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Who Should Get a Premium Rewards Credit Card?
Premium cards are not for everyone. When deciding if you should apply for a premium card, consider the following:
Am I ok with spending big on an annual fee?
All of these premium cards come with big annual fees. While the benefits can usually make up for the cost of the card, it isn't worth it for everyone. If the idea of spending hundreds of dollars per year on a card fee makes you ill, premium cards may not be your cup of tea.
Related: These Credit Cards Earn Transferable Points With No Annual Fee
Can I maximize the benefits?
Be realistic with yourself. How many lounges will you visit his year? Am I willing to be loyal to one particular brand, such as Marriott or American Airlines, or do I value flexibility more than elevated benefits? As you consider the benefits, remember that a benefit you can't use isn't of any value, no matter how luxurious it sounds on paper.
Can I pay my balance in full every month?
If the answer here is no, these are not the cards for you. Not only do these cards carry high annual fees, they also tend to have high interest rates that will outweigh any benefit you might get from them.
Do I have a good credit score?
Most premium credit cards require good to excellent credit scores to qualify. If your credit isn't at least in the good range, you may need to wait and build up your credit a bit before considering one of these cards.
Related: How To Check Your Credit Score for Free
Final Thoughts
If you've decided that a premium card is worth the high cost, you'll next need to decide which card is the right one for you. That depends on several factors. Before pulling the trigger on a premium rewards card, think about where you live and how you travel. Do you tend to travel with kids in tow? If so, consider the perks that will most benefit traveling as a family. If you’re contemplating the Amex Platinum, for example, is there a Centurion Lounge at your local airport? Will you be able to max out the Uber credits? Do you want trip delay and baggage insurance coverage? Or do you need protection for baggage delays, which this card doesn't offer — meaning another card is better for you?
Each card offers value in some unique ways while perhaps falling short in another area. First, decide how you would use the card and whether it will provide enough value to warrant paying the high annual fee. If the numbers stack up, you may have a winner.
If you have any questions about the cards or benefits listed, please get in touch in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to answer.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
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