I opened my first credit card -- a store card at Lazarus (now Macy's) -- when I was just 18 years old. I mostly used the card to get discounts while financing clothing purchases. Because I always paid my credit card bill by the due date, I did raise my credit score, which helped me qualify for a traditional credit card.
I wasn't savvy about my credit card choices after that. I opened a card that didn't earn rewards throughout my early 20s, and when I finally made the plunge into rewards cards, I selected a card that earned grocery certificates at Kroger.
I shudder to think about how much I spent on my Kroger credit card (now called the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard®) during the years I used it, mostly because I could only redeem my points for more food and toiletries at Kroger stores. Plus, I only earned 1% cash back and near zero benefits.
Finally, in my late 20s, I realized I wasn't maximizing credit card rewards, and I turned to travel credit cards to help earn points and miles on flights. Travel cards have allowed me to travel to more than 50 countries with my husband and children, including Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar.
While I have had a ton of travel credit cards over the years and currently have six that I use regularly, my top card for the last six years has been the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. And I wish I would have opened it sooner. Here's why.
Highlights of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
How I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve® for most of my family's regular spending and bills, with some exceptions. I do this because Chase points are worth 50% more when you redeem them for travel through Chase Travel℠ and sometimes even more when you transfer them to eligible airline and hotel partners.
I mostly transfer points to my favorite airline partners, including Air France / Flying Blue, Southwest Airlines and United MileagePlus. Doing this helps me cover my family's flights and use the rest of my travel budget to pay for lodging, food and fun.
I also occasionally book hotels through the Chase travel portal, especially when we have a quick stop to make or before and after a cruise. We recently traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota for a concert, and I used 12,000 of my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Paul Downtown.
You can also use Chase points to book experiences -- think snorkeling excursions, museum tours and cooking classes. For example, we have used Chase points to book pizza- and pasta-making classes in Italy, tours of the Vatican Museums and catamaran boat tours in Greece and the Turks and Caicos islands.
I'm also a frequent user of the Global Entry program, which saves us time in customs and airport security lines, and the Priority Pass airport lounge program, which features more than 1,300 lounges in airports worldwide. Both my husband and I have Priority Pass membership through the Chase Sapphire Reserve and can bring in two guests each, which usually ends up being our kids on family trips. I can't emphasize how nice it is to have a quiet place to enjoy drinks and snacks during a long layover, especially compared to the loud, crowded and uncomfortable airport gates.
Credit card features to consider when choosing a travel credit card
If you're looking for a travel credit card that can help you get out and see the world, here are the factors I think are most important to weigh:
Rewards
Find a travel credit card that offers the best points ratio for the categories where you spend the most. You can even pair several cards to maximize your rewards.
For example, I pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited® with my Chase Sapphire Reserve. I use the Freedom Unlimited for regular, non-bonus purchases since it earns 1.5% cash back (which is earned as 1.5 points per dollar). To earn even more rewards, my husband and I also charge business spending to different Chase business cards, including the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. From there, we pool all our points to my Chase Sapphire Reserve® account for convenience and the added 50% more value we can get when booking travel through Chase Travel.
Intro offers
If you're opening a new card, a welcome bonus is a nice way to earn extra rewards quickly. Right now, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® lets you earn 60,000 points (worth $900 in travel when redeemed through the Chase Travel portal) after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. Just make sure you can easily meet the minimum spending requirement with regularly planned purchases and bills -- overspending can offset any rewards earned otherwise.
Travel benefits
If you're primarily using your rewards for travel, don't overlook travel credits and benefits. In most cases, the travel cards with the best benefits charge higher annual fees, so weigh the benefits you're getting to ensure you don't overpay for a card.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a steep $550 annual fee. But I more than cover this with rewards and travel benefits. I get a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select membership, credits for Global Entry and other travel-specific benefits. But if you can't take advantage of these same programs, there are lower-cost cards to consider, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The Sapphire Preferred only costs $95 per year and comes with benefits like a $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit, 25% more value when booking travel through Chase Travel with points and a range of valuable travel insurance protections.
Redemptions for rewards
Before applying for a credit card, review its redemption options. The value of your points may change depending on how you redeem them. I like earning Chase points from premium cards to redeem as cash back, gift cards, statement credits, travel through Chase Travel or transfers to airlines and hotels.
However, other card providers offer similar ecosystems, including the American Express Membership Rewards program, the Citi ThankYou program and the Capital One Miles program.
If you're considering a travel credit card, don't wait
Over the last 12 months alone, my family has traveled to several countries in the Caribbean, Mexico twice, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, England, Scotland and Norway. For fall break this year, I'm taking my kids to Italy and Greece before embarking on a Greek Islands cruise that also tours Israel and Turkey.
Not only will we enjoy perks like Global Entry and airport lounge access, thanks to travel credit cards, but our rewards have also helped pay for airfare, hotels, tours and more. That's something you just can't get with a cash-back credit card and definitely not a grocery store card.
But you won't get the most out of your travel credit card unless you pay your balance in full each month to avoid interest. If you're already comfortable managing your credit card balances and want to make travel more affordable, don't hesitate -- get a travel credit card right away.
