Best American Express Travel Credit Cards for January 2023
American Express, Member FDIC, has a long history of offering travel-related services, so it should be no surprise that it offers an excellent range of travel credit cards. Some cards are affiliated with other banks or credit unions, making them an obvious choice for those customers, while others provide a variety of benefits for both travel-related and general spending.
5 Best American Express Travel Credit Cards
To see which card might be a match for your needs, take a look at this overview of the best American Express travel credit cards.
| Credit Card | Best For | Features |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank customers | – APR – $85 annual fee – Earn 30,000 bonus FlexPoints after spending $2,000 within the first four months – 5x FlexPoints on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked via the FlexPerks Rewards Center – 3x FlexPoints at restaurants, including takeout and delivery – 2x FlexPoints at gas stations, EV charging stations and airlines – 1x FlexPoint on all other eligible purchases |
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| Travel-oriented Membership Rewards points | – APR – annual fee – Earn 45,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months – 3x points at restaurants and on transit and travel – 1x points on all other purchases |
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| General spending | – APR – annual fee – Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first six months – 4x points on restaurants — including takeout and delivery in the U.S. — and U.S. supermarkets up to $25,000 per year – 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com – 1x points on all other purchases |
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| Navy Federal Credit Union customers | – APR – No annual fee – 3x points at restaurants and on food delivery, at supermarkets and on gas and transit – 1x points on everything else |
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| Frequent Delta Air Lines flyers | – APR – annual fee – 90,000 bonus miles after you make $4,000 in purchases in the first six months – 3x miles on purchases made directly with hotels and on Delta flights and vacations – 2x miles at restaurants — including takeout and delivery in the U.S. — and U.S. supermarkets – 1x miles on other purchases |
Best for: U.S. Bank customers
If you’re a customer of U.S. Bank, you might find the U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold® American Express card to be a good option for you. Unlike other American Express cards, this one pays rewards in the form of U.S. Bank FlexPerks, which can be redeemed for airfare, car rentals, hotel stays and more at a rate of 1.5 cents per FlexPoint.
This makes the card’s welcome offer of 30,000 FlexPerks after $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first four months worth $450, which offsets the annual fee of $85 for a full five years.
The U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold® American Express card is also generous in terms of earning FlexPoints. The card pays five times the FlexPoints on prepaid hotels and car rentals, three times the FlexPoints at restaurants, two times the FlexPoints at airlines and gas stations and one FlexPoint per dollar on everyday spending.
In addition to FlexPoints rewards, this card also has a host of attractive features, including no foreign transaction fees, an automatic statement reimbursement for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry, complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi and flexible points redemption for merchandise, travel, gift cards or even cash back.
Best for: Travelers seeking Membership Rewards points
Frequent travelers who like to rack up Membership Rewards points will enjoy the features and benefits of the American Express® Green credit card, which carries a annual fee.
The card provides triple Membership Rewards points on global restaurant spending and all travel charges, including hotels, flights, tours and taxis. An additional 1 point per dollar spent is earned on all other expenses.
The perks of the card are also tailored to travelers and include no foreign transaction fees, a $100 annual LoungeBuddy credit, a $189 annual CLEAR credit and a free Baggage Insurance Plan. New cardholders can earn 45,000 Membership Rewards points by spending $2,000 in the first six months of card membership.
Best for: General spending
If you’re looking to rack up Membership Rewards points through your general everyday spending, you might have a match in the American Express® Gold credit card, which carries a annual fee.
Nearly everyone spends money on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and this card rewards that spending with an exceptional four Membership Rewards points per dollar, up to $25,000 per year in supermarket purchases. Additionally, cardholders earn three points per dollar spent on all air travel when booked directly with the airlines or amextravel.com. Couple that with the $100 hotel credit for stays of at least two nights with the Hotel Collection and the lack of foreign transaction fees, and it’s clear that travelers can benefit handsomely from this card.
Additional perks that should appeal to all potential cardholders include a 60,000-point welcome offer for spending $4,000 in the first six months, $120 in Uber Cash annually and a $10 monthly dining credit at specific locations.
Best for: Navy Federal Credit Union customers
As the name would imply, the Navy Federal Credit Union More Rewards American Express® credit card is tailored to the needs of Navy Federal Credit Union members.
One of the best features of the card is its high earnings rate, at three points on a wide variety of spending categories, from supermarkets and gas to restaurants, transit and food delivery. The card delivers one point per dollar on all other purchases.
The card also provides members with tremendous savings in the form of fees. There are no annual fees, foreign transaction fees, cash advance fees or even balance transfer fees with the card.
Even if you carry a balance, the card can save you money with some of the lowest APRs on the market at APR.
Best for: Frequent Delta Air Lines travelers
If you like to fly Delta Air Lines and you’re looking for some credit card perks, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum® American Express card should be near the top of your list, especially right now.
Currently, the card is offering a 90,000-mile welcome offer for spending $4,000 in the first six months of card membership. Additionally, cardholders can earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after spending $25,000 in purchases in a calendar year — up to two times.
Delta flyers will also enjoy priority boarding and a free checked bag every time they fly, in addition to 20% back on in-flight purchases and discounted access to the Delta Sky Club, at just $39 per visit per person. No matter what airline you fly, this card will also grant you a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Plus, each year upon renewal, you’ll receive a domestic round-trip companion certificate.
Earnings levels on the card are good for travelers, as the card pays three miles per $1 on Delta flights and vacations and on purchases made directly with hotels. Two miles at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants and one mile on all other purchases also come with this card, which carries a annual fee.
Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Jan. 10, 2023.
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