Are you a frequent traveler? Do you want to earn points quickly while enjoying awesome travel perks? If so, there are 3 top cards worth considering: Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Capital One Venture X.
All 3 of these credit cards are premium travel cards that offer lounge access, travel insurance, great point/mile programs, and more. But which one is the best?
It’s time to battle it out.
We’ll explore each card's features, benefits, and terms to determine, once and for all, which premium travel rewards card is the best.
Quick Card Overview
Before we launch into our credit card showdown, let's take a quick look at each of our contenders.
Amex Platinum
Touted as the card that “makes each day an adventure,” the Amex Platinum card is a premium travel rewards card chock full of perks. From lounge access and TSA PreCheck credit to Uber Eats credit and Walmart+ membership, this card needs to offer a lot of features to live up to its hefty $695 annual fee.
Here are some quick facts about the card.
Intro Offer: 150,000 points when you spend $8,000 in the first 6 months
APR: 21.24%–29.24%
Annual Fee: $695 plus $195 for each authorized user
Earning points on travel: 5X on flights and hotels
Notable Features: Amex estimates the value of card perks to be at least $1,500
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the best-known names in the travel rewards community. At up to 10X points for travel purchases, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card has the highest potential earning rate for these valuable reward points. Plus, the card comes with other great travel rewards and partner perks.
Let’s take a look at some of the basic features of the card.
Intro Offer: 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
APR: 22.49%–29.49%
Annual Fee: $550, plus $75 for each authorized user
Earning points on travel: 10X on hotels & car rentals and 5X on flights, 3X other travel
Notable Features: Get 1 year of complimentary DashPass and Instacart membership
Capital One Venture X
Arguably the youngest contender on our list, the Capital One Venture X card was launched in late 2021. This card has solid travel benefits and great point earning at 2X-10X, all for a relatively affordable annual fee. That said, the program is newer, and the rewards may not be as valuable as the competition's.
Here’s a quick look at the card’s basic terms and features.
Intro Offer: 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
APR: 19.99%, 26.24%, or 29.99%
Annual Fee: $395, $0 for authorized users
Earning points on travel: 10X on hotels & car rentals and 5X on flights
Notable Features: Annual $300 travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles
Capital One Venture X
75,000 Capital One Miles after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. Great Premium Card!
Which Card Has the Best Travel Perks?
When evaluating premium travel credit cards, it’s all about the perks. What features and benefits does the card offer to frequent travelers? Below, we’ll take a look at travel perks that come with each of the top 3 premium travel cards.
Lounges Access
All 3 of our competitors offer lounge access through Priority Pass Select, but each also provides lounge privileges at co-branded locations as well.
Amex is the clear winner in this category. The American Express Global Lounge Collection has over 1,400 lounge locations, including Priority Pass Select lounges, The Centurian Collection, Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa lounges, and more.
Chase and Capital One offer Priority Pass Select along with access to their own cobranded lounges. For Chase, this includes cardholder benefits at 8 Sapphire Lounges (4 open, 4 coming soon). For Venture X cardholders, amenities are available at 3 Capital One Lounges (Dallas, Denver, and Dulles airport) as well as Plaza Premium lounges.
Expedited Airport Security
Slogging through airport security every time you fly can be a drag. But you can skip or jump the line when you use TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or another trusted traveler program.
Each program has unique criteria and requires an application fee, and all 3 of our premium travel cards offer credit toward this fee.
Below are the different trusted traveler programs each of our premium travel card contenders support.
| Amex Platinum | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Capital One Venture X | |
| Clear | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
| TSA PreCheck | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Global Entry | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nexus | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
CLEAR credit is issued yearly, while the others only renew every 4 to 5 years.
Amex and Chase are tied in this category, each supporting three trusted traveler programs, while Capital One only supports two.
Travel Insurance & Protection
Nobody wants to be left out of pocket when things go wrong while traveling. Luckily, all three of our competitors offer travel protection. Below is a breakdown of the various policies and limits.
| Insurance Type | Amex Platinum | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Capital One Venture X |
| Car rental insurance | Secondary insurance | Primary insurance | Primary insurance |
| Trip delay insurance | $500/trip, 2 claims/year | $500/ticket | $500/ticket |
| Trip cancellation & interruption | $10,000/trip, $20,000/year | $10,000/trip, $20,000/year | $2,000/person |
| Travel accident | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Travel and emergency assistance helpline | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lost Luggage | $3,000/person | $3,000/passenger | $3,000/trip |
| Roadside Assistance | None | $50/incident, 4/year | Yes |
| Cellphone protection | Up to $800 | Up to $1000 | Up to $800 |
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also advertises baggage delay insurance, emergency evacuation insurance, and emergency medical/dental coverage.
It's worth noting the difference between primary and secondary car rental insurance. Secondary coverage only pays out after your regular insurance does, meaning it usually only reimburses you for your deductibles.
Primary rental car insurance means you don’t have to use your regular insurance. Considering this, Chase and Capital One are the winners in this category.
Other Travel Credits & Perks
There are several travel benefits exclusive to each of our premium travel card competitors, from anniversary rewards and complimentary memberships to travel credits and more. Here are all of the additional travel perks unique to each card.
Amex
- $200 hotel credit
- $200 airline fee credit (seat fees, onboard amenities, etc.)
- $200 Uber credit issued at $15/month (use for rides or Uber Eats)
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Hilton Honors Gold status
- Upgraded status with Avis, Hertz, and National car rental companies
Chase
- $300 annual travel credit
- Complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership
- $100 hotel credit plus other perks when you book through The Edit collection
- Status upgrade with Avis, Hertz, National, and Audi on Demand
Capital One
- $300 annual travel credit
- 10,000 bonus miles each year
- $100 hotel credit when booking through the Premier Collection
- $50 credit when booking through the Lifestyle Collection
- Complimentary PRIOR subscription
- Hertz President’s Circle status
Which Card Earns the Most Rewards?
From 1X to 10X, each premium travel card competitor offers various point/mile earning rates for different purchases. Most high-value categories revolve around travel, especially travel booked through each card’s travel website.
Let’s take a look at the rate categories for each card.
Amex Platinum
- 5X airfare & hotels
- 1X everything else
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 10X hotels, car rentals, and Lyft
- 5X airfare
- 3X dining, grocery delivery, and travel
- 1X everything else
Capital One Venture X
- 10X hotels and car rentals
- 5X airfare
- 2X everything else
As you can see from the above breakdown, the Sapphire Reserve has the most boosted point-earning categories, while the Venture X has the best base rate of 2X. But what does that mean when it comes to actually using the card?
Point Earn Comparison
Let’s take a look at an example spending scenario and see how each card compares.
Over the course of one year, you spend $17,000 total on each of the following
- $4,000 on airfare
- $2,000 on hotel stays
- $1,000 on car rentals
- $1,000 on other travel (i.e., travel not booked through credit card website)
- $3,000 on dining out
- $1,000 grocery delivery
- $5,000 everything else
With the above example spend, you’d earn 41,000 points with the Platinum card versus 70,000 points with the Sapphire Reserve or Venture X.
The Amex is definitely the loser when it comes to long-term point earning, while the Sapphire Reserve and Venture X are about break-even.
Sign Up Bonus
Aside from everyday spending, you also earn points/miles when you sign up for one of these travel cards. Each one has a different bonus promotion.
- Amex – 150,000 points after spending $8,000 in 6 months
- Chase – 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in 3 months
- Capital One – 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in 3 months
When it comes to the sign-up bonus, Amex is the clear winner, with twice the number of bonus points. This, in part, helps balance out the card's lackluster point-earning rates.
Which Card Has the Best Redemption Options?
The other half of maximizing travel card rewards is redeeming your hard-earned points/miles. Let’s explore the redemption options each of our contenders offers.
Point Transfer Partner Comparison
Often, the best way to get the maximum value from your points is to transfer them to an airline or hotel partner. This allows you to take advantage of transfer bonuses and reduced-price mile redemptions. Below is a list of each card's transfer partners and ratios.
Airline Partners
| Amex | Chase | Capital One | |
| AerClub | 1:1 | 1:1 | N/A |
| AeroMexico | 5:8 | N/A | 1:1 |
| Air Canada | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | N/A | N/A |
| Avianca | 1:1 | N/A | 1:1 |
| British Airways | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific | 1:1 | N/A | 1:1 |
| Delta Skymiles | 1:1 | N/A | N/A |
| Emirates Skyward | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | N/A | 1:1 |
| Eva Air | N/A | N/A | 4:3 |
| Finnair Plus | N/A | N/A | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Hawaiian | 1:1 | N/A | N/A |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 | 1:1 | N/A |
| JetBlue | 1:1 | 1:1 | N/A |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | N/A | 1:1 |
| Qatar Airways | 1:1 | N/A | N/A |
| Scandinavian Airlines | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Southwest | N/A | 1:1 | N/A |
| Tap Miles & Go | N/A | N/A | 1:1 |
| Turkish Airlines | N/A | N/A | 1:1 |
| United Plus | N/A | 1:1 | N/A |
| Virgin Atlantic | 1:1 | 1:1 | N/A |
| Virgin Red | N/A | N/A | 1:1 |
Hotel Partners
| Amex | Chase | Capital One | |
| Accor | N/A | N/A | 2:1 |
| Choice Privileges | N/A | N/A | 1:1 |
| Hilton Honors | 1:2 | 1:1 | N/A |
| Hyatt | N/A | 1:1 | N/A |
| Mariott Bonvoy | 2:3 | 1:1 | N/A |
| Raddison Rewards | 1:3 | N/A | N/A |
| Wyndham | N/A | N/A | 1:1 |
Amex has the most transfer partners, with more than 20 airline and hotel partners. Chase has the fewest transfer partners but has the most straightforward rate of 1:1 with all partners. Capital One is somewhere in the middle but is the only brand that doesn’t have a U.S. domestic airline as one of its partners.
Other Redemption Options
While point transfers are one of the best values for your credit card miles/points, they are not the only option. Here are the other redemption options supported by each brand.
| Amex | Chase | Capital One | |
| Gift to another person | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cover recent purchases | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Statement credit | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Book travel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Check/ACH | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Shopping | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Gift cards | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Experiences | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
Other Credit Card Features
These premium cards focus on travel, but many come with additional benefits and non-travel-related perks. Below is a breakdown of the other notable features for each card.
Amex Platinum
- $240 entertainment credit – $20/month towards streaming services and news subscriptions
- Walmart+ membership – $12.95/month statement credit
- $100 Saks 5th Avenue credit – $50 credit every 6 months
- Pay Over Time & Plan It – pay off large purchases with fixed fee installments
- Purchase protection – along with return protection and extended warranty
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- DashPass – 1-year complimentary membership
- DoorDash credit – $5/month
- Instacart+ – 1-year complimentary membership
- Instacart credit – $15/month (expires July 2024)
- Peloton – earn 10X points on purchases
- Chase Pay Over Time – pay off large purchases with fixed fee installments
- Purchase protection – along with return protection and extended warranty
Capital One Venture X
- Price protection – get a $50 credit when flight price drops
The Winner Is…
So, which card has won the battle for the best premium travel rewards card?
Each card has areas where it excels and others where it falls short. Let’s take a look at what each card is best and worst at.
Amex Platinum is the Best Travel Perks Card
For frequent travelers, a card that can make their lives easier is appealing, and Amex Platinum does just that. The perks and benefits of this card can help remove the stress of travel.
- Get through airport security faster with credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or CLEAR
- Relax in one of more than 1,400 airport lounges
- Get to your destination worry-free with Uber credit
- Unwind and watch your favorite shows or keep up-to-date on current events with entertainment credit
- Never worry about incidentals with a $200 annual airline fee credit
- 150,000 signup bonus worth more than $1,500 in free travel
That said, there are some significant downsides to this card, including
- $695 annual fee – you’d need to max out most of the travel perks each year to make up for the cost
- Low point earning with the highest category at 5X
- Authorized user fee of $195/each (companion card free)
If you like all of the perks and want a card with a bit of prestige, then the Amex Platinum might be a good fit for you.
Chase Sapphire Reserve is the Best For Earning Rewards
With the Sapphire Reserve card, you can earn up to 10X on all travel-related purchases, and this is the only premium card to offer 3X on dining and grocery delivery.
Revisiting our earlier point-earning example, the Sapphire Reserve card earns almost twice the number of points compared to the Amex Platinum. Over the course of 3 years, the difference would be 87,000 points, which is worth $870+.
Plus, when it comes to redemptions, Chase has a solid selection of transfer partners and point redemption options and one of the highest credit card point valuations, at more than 2 cents a point, according to The Points Guy.
Points aside, this card has a few significant drawbacks, including
- Authorized user fee of $75/year
- Poor sign-up bonus – the 60,000 bonus, value-wise, barely covers the first year’s annual fee
- Restricted lounge access
If your sole goal is to maximize your point earning and redemption, then the Sapphire Reserve card would be a good fit.
Capital One Venture X is the Best Affordable Premium Travel Card
If you’re looking for a premium travel card that won’t break the bank, then the Venture X card is probably your best bet. This card has the lowest annual fee of all three, at just $395, plus authorized users are free, and you get anniversary gifts of 10,000 miles and $300 travel credit each year.
The Venture X card is also a good point earner, with the lowest rate being 2X: this, plus the anniversary gifts, more than covers the annual fee.
But it's worth noting that you get what you pay for. Compared to the competition, the Capital One has card several disadvantages, including
- No domestic airline transfer partners
- Lack of travel perks and extra card benefits
- Newer program with lower point valuation
If you are newer to traveling and unsure how much you’ll spend or use other travel perks, then the Venture X can be a good intro choice.
Final Thoughts
When looking at all three cards, the overall winner is probably the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It has solid travel perks and a great point-earning/redemption program. But, it won’t be the best fit for everyone. For those who like luxury and perks, Amex might be better, while those who prefer a no-frills card might prefer the Venture X.
The true winner of our showdown is the card that is best for you.
