Travel Rewards Strategies for an Epic Memorial Day Vacation

Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner, yet it's not too late to plan an epic vacation somewhere new with credit card rewards. These travel credit cards and trip ideas can help you get away from it all for a price you can afford.

Southwest Airlines offers one of the best airline loyalty programs for families since there are no blackout dates and the airline offers fare-based redemptions and frequent sales. Sign up for a co-branded Southwest Rapid Rewards airline credit cards to earn a big signup bonus good for flights to U.S. destinations like Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, New York City, Chicago, and Orlando.

Angling for a vacation that's on the tropical side? Don't forget that Southwest Airlines lets you redeem points for flights to popular Caribbean destinations like Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Punta Cana, Montego Bay, and Grand Cayman. You can use rewards provided there is a seat on the plane, and you get two free checked bags to boot.

If your goal is earning rewards you can use for any trip you want, check out the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard. This rewards card lets you earn 2x miles on every purchase and 70,000 bonus miles after you sign up and spend $5,000 on your card within 90 days of account opening.

The best part about the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard is how easy rewards are to redeem. You can cash in your miles for any travel expense over $100 (10,000 miles), which makes this program ideal for an inexpensive family cruise. Book any cabin and itinerary you want, then simply redeem your rewards to cover part of the expense.

Need some excitement this Memorial Day? Cash in your Capital One miles for one cent each at a hotel near any theme park of your choosing. Visit Dollywood in Tennessee, a Six Flags in your area, or even Disney World in Orlando and cover part of the cost with your miles.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is another flexible card anyone could benefit from this year. Not only does this card offer 2x miles on everything you buy, but you score 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on your card within three months of account opening.

Because miles earned with the Capital One Venture Rewards Card can be redeemed for any travel at a rate of one cent per point, these rewards were practically made for all-inclusive resorts. This Memorial Day, shop around for a sweet deal on a Caribbean all-inclusive stay that includes your room, food, and fun for one low price.

It's not too late to sign up for the Hilton Aspire Card from American Express and still benefit this year. While you'll pay a $450 annual fee, you'll get a $250 airline credit, a $250 annual resort credit, a free weekend night every year, and 150,000 bonus Hilton Honors points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.

Looking for a sweet way to redeem your free Hilton weekend night and points? Hop on a flight to Maui to stay at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. This property boasts waterfront rooms with amazing views, a sprawling pool with a lazy river, a hidden grotto bar, and proximity to all Maui has to offer.

Also remember that Hilton Honors has numerous resorts in the Caribbean, many of which you can book for less than 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Consider Hilton resorts in destinations like Barbados, Curacao, Jamaica, and Aruba for a warm weather getaway you'll never forget.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is consistently named the top credit card for travel despite its $450 annual fee. Not only does this card come with a $300 annual travel credit good for any travel expense, but you get 3x points on dining and travel, a large signup bonus, airport lounge access, and Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit, and plenty of other perks.

One of the biggest benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is the fact you can book travel through the Chase travel portal and get 50% more travel for free. Use this portal to score cheap Memorial Day weekend flights or a fun hotel stay close to home.

If your goal is getting to Europe this Memorial Day, try transferring your Chase points 1:1 to Air France/Flying Blue. This airline loyalty program offers round-trip flights to Europe for less than 50,000 miles on select dates, and award availability tends to be generous to most destinations - even for families.

Another Memorial Day strategy involves transferring Chase points 1:1 to the World of Hyatt program. This program offers beautiful resorts worldwide, including all-inclusive luxury properties in Mexico and Jamaica. The best part? All-inclusive Hyatt stays with double occupancy start at just 20,000 points per night.

If you're unsure where you want to travel but want some cash back rewards to cover your trip, pick up the Wells Fargo Propel card from American Express. For a limited time, you'll earn 30,000 points worth $300 after you spend $3,000 on your card within three months and another 20,000 points after you spend $15,000 on your card within 12 months of account opening.

The new Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is shaking up the scene with an initial signup bonus of 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months. Since Marriott has merged with the Starwood Preferred Guest program, you can now use your points worldwide at more than 6,700 hotels across dozens of hotel brands.

Want to fly somewhere on the cheap? Consider earning American AAdvantage airline miles with the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard. For a limited time, you'll earn 60,000 American AAdvantage miles when you spend $3,000 on your card within three months of account opening.

If you're curious where 60,000 American AAdvantage miles can take you, keep in mind it's enough miles for a round-trip award to Europe. Since MileSAAver domestic awards cost only 12,500 miles to most destinations, you can also cover two round-trip flights within the U.S and still have miles to spare.