Luxury travel is elegant, but it doesn’t have to be ultra expensive. Not if you take advantage of rewards programs that help you earn free flights, hotel stays and rental cars among other perks.
To find the most ideal rewards programs for your lifestyle, consider your nearest airport and hotels that are found in your preferred destinations.
Here are some options that stand out because of the convenience, reward options, good bonus offers, perks and VIP treatment they offer:
Chase Sapphire Preferred℠ Card
For example, if you spend a minimum of $3,000 within three months of signing up, you can earn 40,000 points, which counts as $500 towards a flight. By using the card, you accumulate two points for every dollar you spend on travel and restaurants. When you book a hotel or flight through the card’s Ultimate Rewards program, you earn an extra point for travel expenditures. You receive one point for all other purchases. The card allows you to transfer points to participating mileage and hotel reward programs such as United MileagePlus®, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, Marriott Rewards®, and Hyatt Gold Passport®. There is no annual fee for the first year, and then a $95 annual fee for subsequent years.
American Express® Starwood Preferred Guest Card
After your first purchase, you receive 10,000 Starpoints. If you spend as much as $5,000 in six months, you are credited with an extra 20,000 Starpoints. The card gives you one Starpoint for every dollar spent on most purchases and five Starpoints on every dollar spent on Starwood Preferred Guest hotels.
You can transfer Starpoints to more than 30 airlines. For most airlines, the conversation rate is one to one, which equates to one mile per one Starpoint. If you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flier program, you will receive 5,000 Starpoints. There is no annual fee for the first year, and then a $65 annual fee for subsequent years.
Blue Sky from American Express®
This one has no annual fee, and you receive 7,500 bonus points upon spending $1,000 in the first three months. That translates to a $100 credit toward flights and hotel stays among other travel expenses. You receive one point for every dollar you spend.
The card also provides discounts from partner retailers like Hertz, Alamo, and 1-800-flowers.com. You also receive access to a 24/7 emergency assistance if you’re more than 100 miles from home.
Hilton Honors Program
This program is convenient because Hilton hotels are located around the country and the globe, and the list of air partners is expansive. You can also earn points for Amtrak train travel.
The program offers a generous 10 points for every dollar spent, and thanks to what Hilton terms Double Dipping, you can earn varying amounts of hotel points and air miles for every qualifying dollar you spend.
Marriott Rewards
Like Hilton, there are a multitude of hotels in the Marriott family, so there are many options to earn Marriott points. The program also features a wide selection of airlines, and you can get 10 points per qualifying dollar you spend or as many as two air miles for dollar.
Wyndham Rewards
The number of hotels in the Wyndham family is long as is the list of air partners with which you can accumulate points.
Wyndham has a partnership with Amtrak, which is another avenue for you to earn hotel points. Vacations and cruises can also be booked through Wyndham to stockpile points. You get up to 10 points for each qualifying dollar you spend or 500 air miles per stay.
Star Alliance
If you prefer a frequent-flier program that offers rewards that are redeemable on numerous airlines, Star Alliance is ideal. Among the 27 airlines that are part of Star Alliance include United, US Airways, Lufthansa, Continental and Air Canada.
Priority Pass
When you have a layover at an airport, it sure is more comfortable when you have access to a private lounge. For around $100 annually, Priority Pass offers access to about 600 lounges.
Author: Don Miller is the VP of Marketing and Consumer Advocacy at CreditCardForum.com, which is a leading card comparison site that is regularly featured in leading business publications and websites. Click here to see Don’s favorite cash back cards for 2013.
