Travel Hacks - What’s In Our Wallets
Following up on our recent post around how to maximize the value you receive from each transaction with credit cards, and which ones brought us the most value over the past few years, here is a look at what’s in each of our wallets in 2024.
We have one shared credit card, our American Express Platinum Card, but we also have several other credit cards in each of our individual wallets. In this post I’ll talk about why we’ve kept them and what value we get from each one. The two overarching reasons we’ve kept these other cards is because they often provide more value on transactions than the AMEX card or offer a no-fee option when establishments do not accept AMEX.
Now for what we actually have in our wallets: I have five other credit cards in my wallet, Sarah has three, each with their own specific purpose and benefits. Our Goldman Sachs Apple Cards and my Citi AAdvantage MileUp and Bank of America Cash Rewards cards have no annual fee, but the rest all have annual fees between $85 and $99, meaning we have to make sure we’re getting at least that much value from them in any given year to ensure they’re each a net positive for us.
Shared Wallet
American Express Platinum Card - $695 Annual Fee + $195 Annual Fee for 1 Additional Member
With all of the flying we are routinely doing, we’ve gotten tremendous value from using the American Express Platinum credit card, especially from enhanced travel protection and the complimentary Priority Pass membership. With Priority Pass, we’ve already had access to some incredible lounges, where a shower and a hot meal has helped us survive long travel days. We signed up for this card when American Express was offering an elevated 125,000 point bonus introductory offer, worth $1,250 if redeemed directly through the AmEx travel portal or up to $3,500 if maximized by transferring to some of their travel partners. While this card does have a very high annual fee at $695 (plus $195 for each additional full-benefits user) we consistently recoup this cost.
This year we’ve gotten $240 in statement credits for streaming services we have like Disney+ and Netflix, a $100 statement credit for Sarah’s Global Entry application fee, $200 back on a hotel booked through AMEX’s Fine Hotels Collection, $200 in Uber cash, and our complimentary Priority Pass membership which otherwise would cost us $469. This all adds up to $1,209, already covering the $890 annual fee for both of us and this is before we account for the significant sign-up bonus’ value. We also place tremendous value on the enhanced travel protections that the card provides like Trip Delay, Interruption, and Cancellation insurance alongside the Premium Global Assist Hotline which provides emergency coordination and assistance services when we travel 100+ miles from home.
Card Highlights for Travel:
100,000+ Bonus points sign-up offer
Complimentary Priority Pass membership, valued at $469 in 2024
$200 Hotel credit per year
$200 Airline fee credit per year
$20 Digital entertainment credit per month
$189 Clear plus credit per year
Applicant fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
Hilton Honors Gold Status
No foreign transaction fees
Car rental privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National
Premium Global Assist Hotline
Trip delay insurance
Trip cancellation or interruption insurance
Jackson’s Wallet
Everyday Cards
Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard - $99 Annual Fee
I’ve had this card since 2020 and due to the long-standing relationship I have with American Airlines, it’s always been one of the most important cards in my wallet. For most of the past 4 years it’s been my primary AAdvantage credit card, as it comes with a number of benefits. These benefits began with the massive sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus miles, which were available after I paid the $99 annual fee and made my first purchase. Those miles alone are worth $1,020, according to Nerdwallet’s 2024 valuation of an AAdvantage mile, so are enough to cover the first 10+ years of account annual fees. To put a real world value on them, our domestic flights in Australia with Qantas for our trip have cost us only 10,000 AAdvantage miles each, so this card's sign-up bonus alone has paid for 3 domestic tickets for each of us.
This is also one of our two backup cards when a certain transaction cannot be made with AMEX, as Mastercard is more widely accepted at many of our destinations. With this card we get 2X miles on any American Airlines booking and I earn a $99 companion ticket for domestic travel after qualifying purchases in each member year. We’ve used that companion ticket to save up to $350 on a last minute flight from New York to Los Angeles, again covering the cost of the card’s annual fee. The card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, premium benefits when traveling on American Airlines, and great travel coverage when needed.
Card Highlights for Travel:
60,000+ Bonus mile sign-up offer
2X Miles on any American Airlines purchase
First checked bag free on domestic US American Airlines trips
$99 Companion ticket for US domestic travel each anniversary after hitting spending minimum
No foreign transaction fees
Trip cancellation and interuption coverage
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card - $95 Annual Fee
This is our primary hotel credit card, which we use for any Marriott transaction. It came with a tremendous initial sign-up bonus of 250,000 Marriott points. These points have covered 5 free nights for us, allowing us to both significantly lower our per-day cost in some of our destinations and enjoy a night of mild luxury during our backpacking journey. The sign-up bonus requirements for a card like this is typically quite easy to attain. For example, our requirements were to spend $5,000 in the first 3 months after account opening. We were easily able to reach this within a month and a half by using it to pay for all of our accommodations, food & groceries, and everyday miscellaneous spending. If you are a renter and are able to pay your monthly payments with a credit card, doing so can be another way of quickly reaching your minimum spending requirement in a fairly short time period.
This card also has incredible enhanced earning rates with up to 17X points on any Marriott transactions, 3X points on the first $6,000 spent on grocery stores, gas stations, & dining in a card year, and 2X purchases on all other everyday purchases. Additionally, as long as you are a cardmember you’ll receive a free night award each card anniversary, worth up to 35,000 Marriott Points. The card also elevates the member to instant Silver status with automatic Gold status after $35,000 in spending on the card in the calendar year. These benefits together all easily outweigh the $95 annual fee and make it a great choice for a hotel co-branded credit card.
Card Highlights for Travel:
150,000+ Bonus points sign-up offer
17X Points earned on any Marriott transactions
3X Points earned on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
2X Points on all everyday purchases
Free night award each card anniversary
Automatic Silver Elite Bonvoy status
Less Used, Single Purpose Cards
Citi AAdvantage MileUp Card - No Annual Fee
As my backup AAdvantage card, I’ve really only kept it for 2024 because it has a great credit limit and no annual fee. I used to have the Citi AAdvantage Executive Mastercard, which I was using as my primary AAdvantage card and for access to Admirals Clubs, but it comes with a $595 annual fee that I could no longer justify after adding the American Express Platinum card to my wallet in late 2023. Instead of simply closing this account, I changed the product to the MileUp card to keep the high credit limit this account has in case of emergency.
This card does have fees for foreign transactions, so I just use it to pay my US based cellular plan each month to retain that credit limit if needed. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this card to most people, it’s a good introductory AAdvantage card and does offer some perks like 2X miles earned on groceries, as well as 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases when flying on American Airlines. However, I believe most people will find more AAdvantage value with the Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard or Citi Platinum Select Mastercard.
Card Highlights for Travel:
15,000 Bonus mile sign-up offer
2X Miles earned on American Airlines andgrocery transactions
25% Savings on inflight food and beverage purchases
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card - No Annual Fee
This is my oldest credit card, so I mainly keep it to lengthen my credit history and grow my US credit score. This card does offer good cashback options with 2% on grocery stores & wholesale clubs and 3% on a category of spending that you can re-select each month. I have my 3% category set to online spending and use this card for one or two transactions per month to maintain a great credit balance on the card, therefore improving my overall credit score by always paying it off on time. Again, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this credit card, as there are other cash back options that earn a higher percentage on everyday transactions, but for existing Bank of America customers looking to start their credit journey like I did, this card can be a great option.
Card Highlights for Travel:
3% Cashback on one spending category of choice
2% Cashback on all grocery store and wholesale club spending
Goldman Sachs Apple Credit Card - No Annual Fee
I use this card exclusively for my Apple transactions because it earns 3% cash back on any Apple purchase, and 2% cashback when used via ApplePay with no annual fee and offers some flexibility for paying for any Apple items I need. I use it only to pay for my Apple Care+ Theft & Loss coverage for my iPhone and my iCloud storage each month. While I could theoretically get the same 3% cash back with the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card I talked about above, having this card grows my total available credit and is another easy way to demonstrate I can consistently pay off all of my accounts each month, again raising my credit score. I would only recommend this card if you spend a lot of money with Apple or are looking for added flexibility in paying for Apple items over time.
Card Highlights for Travel:
3% Cashback on transactions with Apple or select retailers
2% Cashback when used to pay for anything with ApplePay
Sarah’s Wallet
Everyday Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - $95 Annual Fee
This card is Sarah’s primary card when not using the American Express Platinum Card and the reason is pretty simple: it’s probably the best all-around credit card on the market today. The card starts off great from day 1 with a strong sign-up bonus, typically north of 80,000 and a low annual fee of $95, meaning you can cover the first 10 years of card ownership just with the value of the bonus. The card continues its strong performance from there, with elevated earning on many purchases, including 5X points on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3X points on dining, grocery stores, & streaming services and 2X points on all other travel purchases. To take these points even further you see additional value when using them to book travel directly with Chase thanks to a 25% bump in value when redeemed through Chase Travel Plus.
Yet, even with all of the earning potential listed above, there is still more value that you can extract from this card, starting with a haul of 10% bonus points based on your previous years spending. Beyond the Chase ecosystem this card also offers great benefits similar to those from other financial institutions with strong Airline and Hotel points transfer partner offers, no foreign transaction fees, and enhanced travel & purchase protection. We highly recommend this card, and I think it’s the strongest everyday card for most people. There are airline or hotel specific cards, or premium credit cards that may make sense for your unique situation, but the Sapphire card is always a strong addition to anyone’s wallet.
Card Highlights for Travel:
60,000+ Bonus point sign-up bonus
$50 Statement credit each anniversary year for hotels purchased through Chase Travel
5X Points on transactions made through Chase Travel
3X Points on dining, streaming services, and online grocery transactions
2X Points on all other travel purchases
Point transfer to airline and hotel partners
Travel coverage
No foreign transaction fees
Barclays Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard - $89 Annual Fee
This is Sarah’s other everyday card where AMEX is not accepted, and it also offers some great benefits when it comes to Lufthansa flying and miles redemption within the Star Alliance. This card typically has a strong sign-up bonus, north of 60,000 miles, but does not have very strong earning past there, with 2X on Lufthansa member airlines and only 1X on all other purchases. However, where this card redeems itself is its two best benefits, 2 Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Vouchers annually and a companion ticket after each account anniversary. When used well, these two benefits alone will cover the cost of the annual fee, and the best part is they don’t even have a minimum spending requirement to attain. This means you can have this card in your wallet, earn the sign-up bonus, then only make purchases with it sparingly to take advantage of these two outstanding benefits.
Card Highlights for Travel:
60,000+ Bonus mile sign-up offer
2X Points earned on all Lufthansa member transactions
2 Lufthansa Business Class Lounge Vouchers when traveling in any class on a Lufthansa group flight
Companion flight voucher each card anniversary
Less Used, Single Purpose Cards
Goldman Sachs Apple Card - No Annual Fee
Similar to my usage, Sarah uses this card mainly for Apple transactions because it earns 3% cash back on any Apple or select retailers purchase, and 2% cashback when used via ApplePay with no annual fee and offers some flexibility for paying for any Apple items she need. She uses it only pay for her Apple Care+ Theft & Loss coverage for her iPhone and iCloud storage each month, along with some online transactions where ApplePay is an option and the 2% cashback earned is more value than she could get with other cards. She would only recommend this card if you spend a lot of money with Apple or frequently pay with ApplePay on everyday transactions with limited other earning options.
Card Highlights for Travel:
3% Cashback on transactions with Apple or select retailers
2% Cashback when used to pay for anything with ApplePay