For all those who travel frequently know that credit cards are an extremely useful resource for booking and paying for your trip. The best American Express credit cards do not only offer cashback, points, or miles incentive but they come with a complete package of perks to upgrade your trip from basic to bougie without spending an extra dollar.
The travel card features are nearly standard across the board and include the following, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, and multiple travel credits. The best American Express Credit Cards for Travel take things to the next level by offering lounge access and additional credits for a fast airport security process. In addition, the rewards can offset a large portion of your out-of-pocket expenses, and the best ones will save you from headaches and save all the additional charges. For the ease of frequent travelers, we have rounded the best American Express Credit Cards for Travel based on their perks and drawbacks so that you will find the best as per your budget and needs.
Table of Contents
Summary – Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel
- The Platinum Card® from American Express – Best travel card for lounge access and a statement credit for Global entry
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express- Best hotel card with luxurious stay at Hilton hotels
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card – Best card for hotels with greater points for dollars spent at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express Card- Best card to escape in luxurywith 3X points on flights and restaurants
- American Express® Gold Card- Great option for travelers who love to dine out
Charting the Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel
| Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel | Best for | Annual fee | Benefits |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Lounge access and statement credit for Global Entry | $695 | Access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and up to $200 in annual airline fee credits. You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar on eligible flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com, and on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. |
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express | A luxurious stay at Hilton hotels | $495 | Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status, which includes perks like free breakfast, upgrades, and waived resort fees. Earn 7 points per dollar on eligible Hilton hotel purchases, and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card | Hotels with greater points for dollars spent at Marriott Bonvoy hotels | $0 | Earn 3 points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. You’ll also receive a free night award each year after your account anniversary. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express Card | Escape in luxury with 3X points on flights and restaurants | $650 | Complimentary Platinum Elite status, a free night award each year, and 6 points per dollar on eligible Marriott Bonvoy purchases. You’ll also earn 3 points per dollar on dining worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. |
| American Express® Gold Card | Travelers who love to dine out | $250 | Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery), and 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. You’ll also receive a $10 monthly Uber Cash credit and up to $120 in annual dining credits (enrolled in The Dining Collection by American Express® program). |
Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel
1. The Platinum Card® from American Express
| Best Feature | Access to 1,300 airport lounges across the world |
| Credit Needed | Excellent /Good (700-749) |
| Annual Fee | $695 |
| Reward rate | 5x points on flights that are booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, 5x points on prepaid hotels booked on amex travel.com |
This card is the no 1 choice among the best American Express Credit Cards for Travel due to its luxury travel benefits. With access to best-in-class airport lounges, hotel elite status, and great value in annual statement credits, this one is the most lucrative card to keep in your wallet. You can easily earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar with flights booked either directly through airline or Amex Travel along with prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. It is important to mention here that the benefit is limited to $500K in per purchase annually. With rich set of luxury benefits, the staggering annual fee is justified.
Reward Details
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8000 on purchases in the first 6 months of your new card.
- Earn 5x Membership rewards for flights booked through American Express Travel or directly with the airline. Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per year and earn a further 5 x Membership points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
- Get up to $ 200 in statement credits per year on prepaid hotels and resorts
- Get up to $20 in statement credits each month for digital entertainment with payment made through Platinum Card
- A total of $155 Walmart credit per year with your Platinum Card®.
- Get up to $200in statement credits per year when the incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum card.
- Get up to $200 Uber cash on rides or other orders in the US annually.
- Get up to $300 per year on Equinox club membership and Equinox membership.
- Get upto $100 statement credit every 4 year for Global Entry application fee or a statement credit of $85 every 4,5 years for TSP PreCheck.
2. Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
| Best Feature | Earn two free weekend night reward with spending of $60,000 per year |
| Credit Needed | Excellent /Good (700-749) |
| Annual Fee | $450 |
| Reward rate | 14X Hilton Honors bonus points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts that fall under the Hilton portfolio, 7X points on flights booked directly with the airline or amextravel.com |
The flagship card among the best American Express Credit Cards for Travel is a viable option for all the big spenders. It is a premium hotel card jam-packed with ample of benefits. Hilton cobranded this card with American Express to offer huge perks like 14 points per dollar at participating Hilton hotels. This card gets you amazing annual rewards with a free of charge night each year, airline and resort credits along with travel goodies that are fit for Hilton loyalists.
Reward Details
- With one of the Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel you can earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus points after a total purchase of $4,000 in the first 3 months of Card membership.
- Earn 14x Hilton Bonus points while you make eligible purchases on the card at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio
- Earn 7x Bonus points on eligible purchases or flights that are booked directly with the airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals, and U.S restaurants.
- Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus points for all other eligible purchases on the card.
- Get up to $250 in statement credits every year of card membership when you stay at resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Enjoy complimentary Diamond status with the greatest and Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel
3. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
| Best Feature | Automatic elite status and great sign-up bonus |
| Credit Needed | Excellent /Good (700-749) |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
| Reward rate | Upto 3 X reward rate with 3 points per dollar spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in the Marriot Bonvoy program, 2 points per dollar on travel purchases |
Loyalty at a lower price? Yes, you heard it right. This card is perfect for all those who want large sign-up bonus along with great rewards for spending at Marriott Bonvey Hotels. Surprisingly being in the list of best American Express Credit Cards for Travel it is one of the few cards that charges no annual fee. The card is declared as the smart entry-level card for travelers to earn greater rewards and enjoy Silver Elite status. Though it lacks an anniversary night but fit for budget-conscious travelers seeking $0 annual fee with frequent stays at Marriott properties.
Reward Details
- Earn 30,00 bonus points after spending $ 1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- With one of the Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel enjoy hotel perks with no annual fee and earn 3x points per dollar spent at 7,000 hotels that are participating in the Bonvoy Hotel Program
- Get up to 10x points from Marriott only for being a Morriot Bonvoy member
- Get 15 elite night credits annually to gain silver status
- 1x points on every $1 spent on all other purchases
4. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express Card
| Best Feature | Elite status, multiple credits, and lounge access |
| Credit Needed | Good (690-850) |
| Annual Fee | $650 |
| Reward rate | Upto 3 X reward rate with flights booked directly through the airline along with restaurants, 6 points on each dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriot Bonvoy program |
As one of the elite cards among the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, this card offers luxurious benefits for all frequent travelers. Although the card has hefty annual fee the perks are for sure the game changer for all those who want to take advantage of the extras it provides. Being one of the elite and best American Express Credit Cards for Travel it has a great welcome offer that earn you a total of 95,000 Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months. One of the greatest benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is that it offers Platinum Elite status for as long as you are a card member.
Reward Details
- This card is included in the list of best American Express credit cards for travel as you can easily earn 6 points for every dollar spent on Marriott purchases
- Get 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline and on Us restaurants
- Earn 2 points per dollar on other purchases
- Enjoy complimentary Marriott Platinum Elite Status for being a card member
- Get up to $300 in statement credits per year for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
- Enroll in Priority Pass Select for unlimited access to lounges worldwide
- Receive a total of 25 Elite Night Credits towards the next level of Marriot Bonvoy Elite Status
- Reimburse the cost of a damaged or stolen cellphone with a maximum of $800 per claim and 2 claims per year. To avail, this cellphone should be listed on the wireless bill and prior month’s wireless bill would be paid by an Eligible card account. $50 will be deducted for each approved claim.
5. American Express® Gold Card
| Best Feature | Bonus rewards on dining and certain travel |
| Credit Needed | Excellent/Good (700-749) |
| Annual Fee | $250 |
| Reward rate | Upto 4X rewards on U.S restaurants and supermarkets, 3x membership rewards on flights that are booked either directly or with amextravel.com |
For all those who love to dine out while traveling The American Express Gold Card is a favorable choice. With this card, you can easily earn up to 4x points at a reasonable annual cost. The Amex Gold offers an intriguing sign-up bonus of 60,000 Membership points after you spend a total of $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months. The Amex Gold rewards are impressive when it comes to bonus categories and long-term earning potential. Although you won’t get greater benefits like The Platinum Card , the card comes with travel insurance perks and hotel credits.
Reward Details
- With the viable option among the Best American Express credit cards for Travel you can easily earn 60,000 membership rewards after eligible purchases of $ 4,000.
- Earn 4x Membership rewards at US supermarkets ( up to $25,000 per year) and earn 4X membership rewards at restaurants too
- Get 3x Membership rewards on flights that are booked directly through the airline on amextravel.com
- Get $10 in UberCash for Uber Eats orders all across the US
- Get a total of $120 dining credit to satisfy your cravings with the Gold card.
- Get $100 experience credit when you book the hotel collection through American Express Travel. The minimum stay in the hotel should be two nights.
