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Welcome to the wonderful world of Miles & Points! In this post, we will list five of our favorite credit card bonuses to kick start your travels.
To apply for the offers listed below or others, use the links provided. If those do not work, check the Top Offers tab in our menu bar. This should get the ball rolling for you. Before applying for any of the cards, I highly recommend opening a Credit Karma account. This account is free and 100% secure. It will give you an estimate of your credit score from 2 credit bureaus without a “hard credit pull.” If your score is below 660, you have a lower chance of approval and may want to wait. Otherwise, let’s get going…
Rules of the Game
The first thing you should know is that different banks have different application rules and timeframes.
- Chase will only consider your application if you have opened fewer than five credit cards in the past 24 months (known as the 5/24 rule).
- American Express limits you to one bonus per product per lifetime.
- Citi only allows you to receive one bonus per brand of card every 24 months.
Many of the top credit card offers are from Chase, so we recommend starting with their cards first.
Must Have Cards
The first two cards listed earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These are some of the most valuable points in the game, because they can be transferred to many valuable travel partner airlines and hotels. Additionally, if you can redeem these points directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 – 1.5 cents per point, depending on which card you hold.
Chase Sapphire Reserve – application link
- 50,000 Ultimate Rewards (UR) point sign-up bonus if you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- $300 travel credit annually (based on calendar year)
- $100 Global Entry fee credit
- Global Lounge Access for card holder and guests through Priority Pass
- 3pts per dollar spent on travel and dining
- Redeem UR points for 1.5 cents each through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
- No foreign transaction fees
- Points can transfer to 13 airline/hotel partners
- $450 annual fee NOT waived
This card is an absolute heavy hitter! The 50,000-point sign up bonus is excellent, and these points can be redeemed for $750 worth of travel through the Chase Travel portal. Additionally, the $300 travel credit can be used twice during your first year as a card holder. Once during the first calendar year and again during the next.
These bonuses alone have a cash value of $1,359 in the first year, before considering lounge access or transferring to travel partners. These benefits are well worth the $450 annual fee. If you do not want to pay the annual fee for the second year, simply call in and downgrade to the no-fee Chase Freedom card. Definitely our #1 recommendation!
Chase Sapphire Preferred – application link
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- 50,000 UR point sign-up bonus if you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 5,000 UR point bonus if you add one authorized user. I recommend a spouse, parent, or trusted friend, and you can do this when you apply.
- 2pts per dollar spent on travel and dining
- Redeem UR points for 1.25 cents each through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
- No foreign transaction fees
- Points can transfer to 13 airline/hotel partners
- $95 annual fee IS waived for first year
If you are not comfortable paying a $450 annual fee yet for the Sapphire Reserve, you can grab the Sapphire Preferred.
Learn how either one of these cards can earn you TWO ROUND TRIP TICKETS TO HAWAII!
Sapphire Card Restriction
Chase limits cardholders to one Chase Sapphire product per person. However, if you apply for both cards at the same time, you have the chance to get both. This is the only way to get both of these bonuses.
Southwest Companion Pass Strategy
A great option for your final two Chase cards is to go for the Southwest Companion Pass, which we consider to be the best perk in any frequent flyer program! This pass allows you and a companion to fly for free on Southwest Airlines flights for up to two years. For more information, see here.
Chase Southwest Premier – application link
- 50,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards miles if you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months
- $99 annual fee is NOT waived
Chase Southwest Plus – application link
- 50,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards miles if you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months
- $69 annual fee is NOT waived
Southwest Card Restriction
Chase announced on April 5, 2018, that cardholders will only be eligible for one Southwest Personal credit card. Just like the Sapphire cards, you should be able to apply for both cards simultaneously.
Closing Thoughts
Feel free to start as fast or as slow as you like. I generally recommend getting a single card to start and getting comfortable with hitting the spending goal.
If you have any additional questions, check our FAQ page or post in the comments below. For inspiration on your using your points, visit our Trip Reports. We also offer two e-mail lists here at Loophole Travel. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, and/or get a notification each time we publish a post by entering your info in the form on the sidebar. Good luck, and again, welcome to the wonderful world of Miles & Points. Cheers!
