Travel Credit Card Perks: Beyond Points and Miles
While earning and redeeming points and miles is the primary focus of many travel rewards cards, the most valuable perks often go beyond a simple rewards currency. These benefits, ranging from airport lounge access to comprehensive travel insurance, can enhance your travel experience and save you money. For a complete understanding of all travel credit cards, including types and redemption strategies, read our hub article A Complete Guide to Understanding Travel Credit Cards. Leveraging these additional perks is key to maximizing your travel card's value.
Airport lounge access
One of the most sought-after perks of premium travel cards is access to airport lounges:
- What it is: Provides access to exclusive lounges at airports worldwide, offering a quiet, comfortable space with complimentary food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and other amenities.
- The benefit: Makes long layovers or delays more comfortable. Access can be through a specific airline, a network like Priority Pass, or the issuer’s lounge network.
Travel credits and reimbursements
Premium travel cards often include annual statement credits or reimbursements to help offset the annual fee:
- Annual travel credits: Statement credits for general travel purchases, including flights, hotels, or other expenses.
- Expedited security screening: Reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees, allowing faster airport security processing.
Enhanced travel insurance and protections
Many travel cards include robust insurance and protection benefits that can save money and provide peace of mind:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Protects nonrefundable travel expenses if you must cancel or interrupt a trip for a covered reason.
- Baggage delay and loss insurance: Covers essential purchases for delayed bags and reimburses for permanently lost luggage.
- Rental car insurance: Provides secondary or primary collision damage waiver coverage, potentially saving on rental company insurance fees.
Free checked bags and priority services
For frequent flyers or loyal airline customers, these perks are highly valuable:
- Free checked bags: Common perk of co-branded airline cards, saving money per flight, especially for families.
- Priority boarding and services: Early boarding and sometimes priority check-in or other services.
Hotel elite status and benefits
Hotel-branded cards can upgrade your stay experience:
- Hotel elite status: Automatic elite status provides perks such as late checkout, room upgrades, and free breakfast.
- Annual free night awards: Often worth more than the card's annual fee.
Making the most of your travel card's perks
To maximize value, a strategic approach is essential:
- Understand your card: Read the fine print to know benefits, spending requirements, or registration processes.
- Use the benefits: A premium card is only worth the annual fee if you use its perks.
- Look for overlaps: Some benefits, like rental car insurance, may overlap with existing coverage. Prioritize the option that provides the best protection.
By leveraging perks and protections beyond points and miles, you can significantly enhance your travel experience and unlock more value from your card.
Related credit card articles
- A Complete Guide to Understanding Travel Credit Cards
- How to Choose the Right Travel Credit Card for You
- Maximizing Transferable Points for Travel and Other Redemptions
- Navigating Co-Branded Travel Cards
Examples of Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Below is a list of Travel Rewards Credit Cards available to apply for online.
Citi Strata℠ Card
- Earn 20,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 18.49% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
Citi Strata Premier® Card
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
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Experian Boost: A Comprehensive Guide to Boosting Your Free Credit Score
FICO® Credit Scores
FICO® Score Ranges:
- Exceptional: 800–850
- Very Good: 740–799
- Good: 670–739
- Fair: 580–669
- Poor: 300–579
What is a Credit Score?
A credit score is a three-digit number, typically ranging from 300 to 850, that predicts your creditworthiness—how likely you are to repay borrowed money on time. Lenders use this score to assess the risk of lending to you and to determine the interest rates and terms of any credit you might receive.
Why is a Credit Score Important?
A credit score is important because it acts as your financial reputation. Lenders, landlords, insurers, and employers use this single number to quickly judge how reliable you are with money. A higher score helps you qualify for loans and credit cards, often securing lower interest rates that can save you significant money. Conversely, a poor credit score can lead to application denials or much higher costs for borrowing, making it a key factor in your overall financial opportunities.
FICO® Credit Score Facts
- Three-Digit Number: Like other credit scores, FICO® Scores are a three-digit number that summarizes a consumer's credit risk.
- Range: Most standard FICO® Scores range from 300 to 850. Higher scores indicate lower credit risk.
- Data Source: FICO® Scores are calculated using data from your credit reports maintained by the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Your score may vary slightly depending on which bureau's data is used.
- Industry Standard: Lenders rely on FICO® Scores for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards because they provide a consistent, statistically sound assessment of the likelihood that a borrower will repay their debt.
Note: Credit scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any credit card product.
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