Best Travel Credit Cards for Summer 2019

Saving money on travel during the busy summer travel season may not be an easy feat, but you'll get more bang for your buck if you pick up a travel credit card early on. These rewards credit cards can help you earn points and miles you can redeem for free travel or cash back, and some offer big signup bonuses right off the bat.

Geared at millennials, the Wells Fargo Propel from American Express offers an enticing number of bonus categories with no annual fee. This card offers 30,000 points worth $300 in cash back after you spend $3,000 within three months, plus 3x points on dining, gas, rideshares, transit, flights, hotels, homestays, car rentals, and popular streaming services. You also get 1 point per $1 on all regular purchases.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 2x "miles" for each dollar you spend along with 50,000 bonus miles after you use your card for $3,000 in purchases within three months of account opening. This card is popular because you can redeem your "miles" to cover any travel purchase at a rate of one cent per point.

Consistently named as one of the best travel credit cards in the business, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has been popular for years. This card offers 2x points on dining and travel and 1x points on all other purchases. You also get 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on your card within three months of account opening.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also doles out points in the popular Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which lets you transfer 1:1 to airlines and hotels or book travel directly. While this card has a $450 annual fee, you can earn a big signup bonus. You also get a $300 travel credit each year, a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, a TSA Precheck or Global Entry credit, and other valuable perks.

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard is another travel credit card that offers fixed travel credit you can redeem for any travel purchase over 10,000 miles (or $100). This lucrative card also grants you 70,000 bonus "miles" worth $700 in travel after you spend $5,000 within 90 days of account opening.

If you're eager to earn points with the new Marriott Bonvoy program, make sure to check out the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card. This card offers a sweet signup bonus worth 100,000 Marriott bonus points after you use your card for $5,000 in purchases within three months of account opening. You also get a free night on your account anniversary and automatic Silver Elite status, among other perks.

If you want to earn flexible points you can use to book travel directly or transfer to airlines and hotels, consider the Citi Premier Card. Not only are the points you earn flexible, but you can earn 50,000 bonus points after you sign up for the card and spend $3,000 within three months of account opening.

This Uber Visa Card is a cash-back credit card that makes it easy to earn rewards you can redeem for travel expenses. This no-fee card offers a $100 signup bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 90 days of account opening. You also earn four percent back on dining, three percent back on hotels and airfare, two percent back on online purchases including Uber rides and one percent back on all other purchases.

If you love flying Delta Air Lines, you'll want to check out the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. For a limited time, you can earn 60,000 miles after you spend $2,000 on your card within three months of account opening. You also get a $50 Delta statement credit when you make a Delta purchase within three months and 2x points on Delta purchases made with your card.

Hilton Honors points are valuable all over the world, and that's true whether you're craving a luxury trip to Europe or an all-inclusive stay in the Caribbean or Mexico. The Hilton Honors American Express Ascend card can help you build your stash since it offers 125,000 points after you spend $2,000 on your card within three months of account opening.

While the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is a card for small businesses, it's also one of the top travel credit cards available today. Once you sign up, you can earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 within three months of account opening. You also earn 3x points per $1 in popular business spending categories and 1x points per $1 on other purchases.

If you want to earn free flights around the United States, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, it can pay to sign up for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. Currently, you'll earn 40,000 bonus points after you sign up and spend $1,000 on your card within three months of account opening.

American AAdvantage miles are lucrative for domestic flights, and the program's off-peak rates to the Caribbean are hard to beat. Sign up for this card and you can earn 50,000 miles after you spend $2,500 in purchases within three months of account opening. That's enough miles for two round-trip SAAver Awards within the U.S.

United Airlines is another popular carrier that can help you fly nearly anywhere in the world. With the United Explorer Card, you can also earn 40,000 miles after you sign up and spend $2,000 on your card within three months of account opening. You also get a $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck Credit and 25 percent back on in-flight purchases in addition to other perks.

If you have a small business and want to earn American AAdvantage miles, you should also consider signing up for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard. The current offer on this card is for 60,000 bonus miles - 50,000 when you spend $3,000 within three months and another 10,000 miles when you spend $10,000 in purchases within 12 months of account opening.

We love the Capital One Spark Miles for Business because it doles out 2x miles for every dollar you spend. You can also earn 50,000 miles after you spend $4,500 on your card within three months of account opening, and you can redeem your miles for any travel purchase at a rate of one cent per point.

Hilton enthusiasts should absolutely consider the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card this year. Not only do you earn 150,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening, but you get automatic Hilton Diamond status, a $250 annual resort credit, a $250 annual airline credit, a free weekend night, and many other perks. A $450 annual fee does apply.

After making the Citi Prestige unavailable for new signups for part of 2018, Citi came out with a new offer on this card early this year. There's a $495 annual fee, but you'll earn 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. You can also earn a whopping 5x points on flights and restaurants and 3x points on hotels and cruises along with 1x points on all other purchases.