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Spring is nearly here. That means it’s time to start planning summer travel before the most coveted award tickets and hotel reward nights are taken. Fortunately, there’s still an entire season to rack up points so you plan your dream getaway on points and miles.
This month’s top seven cards will help boost your balances, thanks to attractive welcome bonuses and great multipliers on spending. Of note, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card continues to court new cardholders with a 75,000-mile welcome bonus and provide benefits competitive with premium Chase and American Express cards. (Plus, it grants double miles on every purchase.) Alternatively, the lower fee Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers fewer travel perks, but the same 75,000 miles introductory bonus.
Meanwhile, several cards are coming into spring 2024 with best-ever welcome offers. On the hotel side, this includes the no-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card with 100,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $2,000 in six months and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card with 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first six months of card membership. On the airline side, Delta SkyMiles AmEx cards are granting higher introductory offers until March 27, 2024, in conjunction with several new perks (and increased annual fees). Among Delta’s AmEx portfolio, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card reigns supreme with 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Find out more about why these cards—and a few others—are the seven best travel credit cards to consider applying for this March.
1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best for: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is best for those who want an excellent travel credit card that pays for itself through credits, benefits, lounge access, and a rewarding earnings structure—while also offering flexibility in redeeming points.
Why now? Capital One is going all-in on travel for its Venture X cardholders, rolling out its own collection of airport lounges for cardholders, its Premier Collection (offering special perks at hundreds of top hotels globally), and its Lifestyle Collection (granting cardholders benefits at boutique hotels worldwide).
Welcome offer: With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $395
Earn points: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel. All other purchases earn 2 miles per dollar spent.
Credits: When booking through Capital One Travel, receive $300 in credits each calendar year. Get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit once every four years (up to $100). Receive 10,000 bonus miles annually after your account anniversary.
Key perks: Access Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Plaza Premium lounges at airports. The card is also smart for those who plan to add cardholders to their accounts. Up to four can be added at no cost. Priority Pass lounge membership and access to Capital One and Plaza Premium airport lounges extends to each of these additional cardholders at no extra cost. As far as redemptions go, miles transfer to 16 airline and hotel partners.
2. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Best for: The midtier card of the Capital One Venture portfolio, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers just enough travel perks for the casual traveler and has a low annual fee.
Why now? The card is currently offering a huge bonus for a low-fee card. Cardholders also get two entries annually at Capital One’s growing collection of airport lounges or Plaza Premium lounges, plus access to Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection (granting cardholders benefits at boutique hotels worldwide).
Welcome offer: With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Earn points: Earn five miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and two miles per dollar spent on everything else.
Credits: Up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
Key perks: Get two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges in 2024, plus access to the Lifestyle Collection when booking on Capital One Travel.
3. Hilton Honors American Express Card
Best for: The Hilton Honors American Express Card is best for those who stay in hotels just a few nights per year but want to get some big benefits.
Why now? The Hilton Honors American Express Card has a best-ever welcome offer of 100,000 points yet no annual fee.
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership (terms apply).
Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees)
Earn points: The card earns seven points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases, five points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and three points per dollar on other eligible purchases. So, no matter what you charge to the card, you’ll earn a minimum of three points per dollar spent.
Key perks: Cardholders receive automatic first-rung Hilton Honors Silver status. While all Hilton Honors members can get the likes of free Wi-Fi nowadays, Silver status brings added benefits, such as a 20 percent points earning bonus on stays, free bottled water, and the ability to participate in Hilton Honor’s “Fifth Night Free” program, in which your fifth night is no cost when booking four nights with points. Plus, the card comes with no foreign transaction fees for when cardholders travel abroad.
4. Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
Best for: The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card is best for travelers wanting to accrue hotel award nights quickly and automatic Gold Status without paying a high annual fee.
Why now? When the card launched in September 2022, it wooed customers with a 125,000-point introductory bonus, which later dropped to 85,000 points. Now, the introductory offer has been raised to a best-ever 155,000 points.
Welcome offer: With the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card, earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $250 (see rates and fees)
Earn points: Earn six points per dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, four points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year), and double points on all other purchases.
Credits: None
Key perks: Cardholders do receive automatic Gold Status and earn a Free Night Award (worth up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points, not 85,000) after making $15,000 in purchases per year.
5. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Best for: The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card is best for Delta loyalists and big spenders who want to boost elite status through credit card spending and who want to take advantage of the card’s upscale perks, including the valuable Companion Certificate.
Why now? This premium card comes with the best perks portfolio of all Delta consumer cards. With its recent revamp, the new benefits outweigh a hefty annual fee. Plus, the welcome bonus is the best the card has ever seen.
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees)
Earn points: Earn three miles per dollar on purchases made with Delta and one mile per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin domestic (including Hawai‘i and Alaska), Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flights to select destinations each year upon renewal of your card. Get up to $120 in rideshare credits annually (allotted as $10 back monthly after purchases), up to $240 in Resy credits annually (allotted as $20 back monthly after purchases), and a $200 Delta Stays statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Receive 15 percent off Delta SkyMiles redemptions with the TakeOff 15 benefit. Also, get a credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee (worth up to $100) once every four years. Enrollment required for select benefits; terms apply.
Key perks: On Delta flights, expect one free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight travel companions on the same itinerary plus priority boarding. Cardholders gain access to Delta Sky Clubs at no cost when traveling on a Delta-marketed or -operated flight and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when booking your Delta flight on the card. Cardholders also receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. Effective February 1, 2025, Reserve cardmembers will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. Cardholders can earn unlimited Club access after spending $75,000 on their eligible card in a calendar year, valid for the year in which the spending is achieved plus the following calendar year.
6. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Best for: The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is best for casual Delta fliers looking for free checked bags and a boost to their SkyMiles balance.
Why now? This is a best-ever bonus offer for the card, plus there’s no annual fee for the first year.
Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Annual fee: There is no annual fee the first year, then it’s $150 (see rates and fees).
Earn points: Earn two miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases as well as at restaurants worldwide, including on eligible delivery services in the United States, and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn one mile per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Get a $100 Delta Stays statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Receive 15 percent off Delta SkyMiles redemptions with the TakeOff 15 benefit.
Key perks: Cardholders and up to eight companions can check a bag for free when flying Delta and enjoy priority boarding. Get 20 percent back on in-flight purchases of food and drinks.
7. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Best for: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is best for Marriott loyalists who can take full advantage of Platinum Elite Status, which usually requires 50 nights per year and comes with benefits like lounge access, enhanced room upgrade, and 4 p.m. late checkout, all subject to availability.
Why now? The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card comes with Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status and an annual anniversary Free Night Award, up to 85,000. The card’s current bonus—185,000 points—is one of its best offers yet.
Welcome offer: Earn 185,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in six months from your account opening.
Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees)
Earn points: Earn six points per dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, three points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines, and double points on all other purchases.
Credits: Earn up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (rationed as $25 back per month) for dining purchases at restaurants worldwide. This credit replaces the previous annual $300 in statement credits for Marriott Bonvoy hotel purchases. Get up to $100 in statement credits once every 4 years toward the application fee for Global Entry, or up to $85 once every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck.
Key perks: Cardholders receive automatic Platinum Status and automatically bank 25 elite night credits per calendar year (which is the level for Gold but a boost to your balance for climbing the elite ladder). Get one Free Night Award each year after your card renewal month that can be used for one night, up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Obtain complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership (enrollment required), granting access to the cardholder plus two guests to more than 1,400 airline lounges worldwide.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
Paul Rubio
Paul Rubio is an award-winning travel journalist and photographer. His byline appears in AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler, Fodor’s, LUXURY, MSN, NerdWallet, Palm Beach Illustrated, Yahoo Lifestyle and more. He has visited 133 countries (and counting) over the past 20 years and won 27 national awards for his writing and photography. When he’s not plotting out his next trip, Paul loves to spend time at home watching reruns of Portlandia and Parks and Recreation with his husband and rescue dog, Camo.
