Earn points and miles with a credit card travel rewards can be confusing. How can you know how much those rewards are actually worth? We decided to take the guess on travel rewards by investigating the value of the main card travel rewards. Our 2015 Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis compared the cost of travel rewards currency against the real monetary value of hotel stays and flights in the summer and autumn months. The end result was the dollar amount of rewards a user to gain after spending $ 100 on their travel card. The results were then ranked by Rewards of flight, hotel and average awards Flight & Hotel Rewards.
The three different test categories allow users to find the highest value card that meets their needs. For example, someone who needs a travel map for flights and hotel stays could be better with a card that offers a cash reward for the two options. Someone who is more interested in free flights should consider the best-rankers in the category Flight Rewards, and if you are more concerned with free stays, the hotel reward category is a good place to start. Note that some cards offer only a flight or a hotel redemption, but not both, so that is something to consider.
?What makes our analysis so special
Unlike other personal finance websites that say they post the best credit card offers for consumers, our analysis included all travel rewards major credit card offers - not just those who advertise with us. This means that several cards listed on other sites are still considered NextAdvisor.com, and were included in this study.
Which cards took the top spots?
Namely, more Barclay Arrival World Elite MasterCard landed first place in the flight & hotel Average Marriott Rewards category with a flight and hotel average $ 2.10 for every $ 100 spent. Second place went to Capital One Venture Rewards credit card with an average value of $ 2.00. Both cards allow users to easily redeem their miles as a statement credit against travel expenses on the card. This flexibility means you can book your travel as you wish (by phone, online or with a travel agent), and regardless of the airline, hotel or cruise you prefer.
Virgin America Visa Signature Card has taken the No. 1 position for flights on a very strong $ 2.51 for flight redemption value for every $ 100 spent. Although the flight value for this card was great, you can not redeem your rewards for hotel stays or other travel options. Starwood Preferred Guest American Express credit card (a NextAdvisor seller) was the favorite in the Hotel Rewards category with high cash value of $ 2.30 hotel and an average value of 1.31 $ for flights.
If you are in the market for a travel rewards card, or simply interested to see how your current card has, in 2015 travel rewards credit cards analysis can provide surprising information. It is an excellent starting point and an independent view of the loyalty redemption values for most of the major travel cards in the market today.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This content was accurate at the time of this post, but the terms and conditions of card can change at any time. This site may be compensated by the sending credit card affiliate program.