5 Credit Card Perks That Cut the Cost of Summer Vacation
Whether you’re traveling by plane, train or automobile, rising fuel costs could make your summer vacation more expensive this year.
Global jet fuel prices are about 80% higher than they were a year ago, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, and many U.S. airlines are turning to price hikes to cover these costs. On top of this, there’s one less budget-friendly travel option available to consumers with the recent shutdown of Spirit Airlines.
Regardless of your mode of transportation, there’s a chance your credit card could be hiding complimentary perks for your travels — from TSA application credits to rental car protections. CNBC Select takes a look at some easy-to-forget credits that can help you save money during your summer vacation.
Check your card for these travel perks
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application credits
Most cards only credit you for one or the other, not both, so carefully consider which program you’d use the most. TSA PreCheck offers expedited security screening, but Global Entry can help those returning from abroad.
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card comes with a $0 annual fee and offers a statement credit to cover the application fee of either your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application. It also comes with a 12-month Priority Pass Select membership, which can help you access lounges (even if you do still have to pay a fee).
- Intro APR for balance transfers
- Global Entry and TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
- Limited to four free lounge visits per year
- You cannot transfer points to travel programs
Trip cancellation and interruption coverage
You could be covered with trip cancellation and interruption coverage just by paying with the right travel credit card. While the insurance provided by your card isn’t the same as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance, it typically covers a wide range of qualifiers — from a simple cancellation to sickness, severe weather or other covered situations.
You’ll have to make your travel purchases either partly or fully with the card that has the coverage, and since each card’s policy may vary slightly, it’s best to read the fine print before assuming you’ll always be covered.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) has some of the best travel protections, all wrapped up in a $95-annual-fee card. It comes with trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and travel and emergency assistance. If your trip is cut short for a covered reason, you can get reimbursed up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip (for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses).
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
It’s worth noting that the insurance provided by cards typically only covers basic protections such as emergency medical benefits, trip cancellation and interruption insurance; they may not cover more in-depth situations, like pre-existing medical conditions. Plus, the limits on these coverages are often lower and might not cover 100% of the expense, depending on your needs.
Annual travel credits
Many travel cards offer credits of varying sizes to be used while you travel, typically on hotels or flights, but credits are open-ended. Travel cards with lower annual fees might have credits of just $50, but credits can range well into the hundreds of dollars for more premium cards. Further, some credits require you to stay at specific locations or book via the issuer’s portal, while others are more open-ended and cover anything that “codes” as travel, like train tickets, taxi fares or even hotel room service.
If you’re looking for a card loaded with these travel credits, the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card could be a good fit. Its $595 annual fee is lower than some of the highest premium cards and comes with a handful of credits:
- Up to $300 in annual hotel credit: Book two or more nights at a hotel through CitiTravel.com, once per calendar year
- Up to $200 in annual Splurge Credit℠: Choose up to two eligible brands (including American Airlines, 1stDibs, Best Buy, Future Personal Training and Live Nation) to receive a combined reimbursement of up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year
- Up to $200 in annual Blacklane Credit: Book premium global chauffeur service Blacklane and receive up to $100 in statement credits between January and June and another $100 between July and December
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- 6X on restaurants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- Up to $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- 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
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Free checked bags and priority boarding
While a free checked bag perk is commonly featured on co-branded airline credit cards, if you don’t travel frequently, you might have forgotten they exist. Many airlines have recently increased the prices of checked bags, so you’re likely to pay $45 per checked bag or $90 roundtrip.
For instance, a standard checked bag at United Airlines costs $50 one-way. With the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees), you and one companion on your reservation will each get a free checked bag, round-trip, which could save you $200. The card also waives its annual fee for the first year, so only in year two will you be charged the $150 annual fee.
The United℠ Explorer Card is worth it even if you only fly with United Airlines once or twice a year because you can take advantage of two United Club℠ passes per year when the primary cardmember or authorized user is traveling and you can receive free checked bags.
- No annual fee for the first year
- Unlocks upgrades for elite members on award flights
- Two free United Club airport lounge passes every year
- Valuable United Airlines perks, such as in-flight purchase discounts and the ability to earn elite status credit through credit card spending
- First checked bag free benefit requires you to pay for the flight with the card
- United Airlines has a dynamic award chart which can limit the value and flexibility of your miles
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn up to 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- NEW! 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag – a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year – over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- NEW! Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
Rental car status and coverage
Elevated status with a rental car agency is typically reserved for more premium travel cards, while rental car coverage is a more widely available perk. Elevated status can unlock perks like faster pickup, better vehicle selection and other upgrades, and rental car coverage is what covers you if you actually get in an accident.
Depending on the exact card, your coverage could be primary or secondary. With primary coverage, your card’s insurance will kick in before your personal insurance; however, secondary coverage only applies after your personal auto insurance.
If you’re in the market for a card that provides both benefits, consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It offers complimentary Hertz President Circle status*, which unlocks the widest selection of available rental vehicles, a complimentary car-class upgrade and more. The Venture X’s rental insurance is primary (as long as you waive the rental company’s collision damage option) and reimburses you for damages caused by theft or collision, up to $75,000.
One thing to be aware of: The card isn’t the greatest for extended trips. It only covers rental periods of 15 consecutive days (within your country of residence) and 31 consecutive days outside your home country; longer periods will not be covered.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter!
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up to date.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
<
