Credit Card Travel Sites: Save the Most Money?

Credit card travel websites are digital reservation systems offered by most credit card companies, enabling cardholders to reserve flights, accommodations, vehicle rentals, and vacation activities.paying with cash, rewards, or a mix of both

When used properly, reserving through online platforms can provide substantial benefits such as special offers, additional rewards, or more favorable exchange rates compared to booking directly with travel companies.

Most major credit card companies offer a travel section, but which one stands out? Here’s an overview of some well-known credit card travel portals, including the one I found to be most effective for saving on flights and hotels.

What Are the Benefits of Booking via Credit Card Travel Websites?

While it is typically advised to arrange travel through airlines and hotels directly, there are several advantages to utilizing a credit card company’s travel website.The most widely used credit card websites include theChase Travel, AmexTravel.com, Capital One Travel, and Citi Travel.

1. Bonus Earnings

Several popular travel credit cards offersubstantial additional income from reservations processed via the issuer’s travel website with the card.Frequently, these additional profits are significantly greater than when booking travel directly.

For example, the ultra-popular Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns an unlimited 10x Capital One milesOn hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals purchased via Capital One Travel. It provides 2x miles on all other qualifying purchases, including travel booked outside of Capital One Travel.

Similarly, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card earns 10 ThankYou pointsone point per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, and other attractions, not including air travel purchased through Citi Travel, and three points per dollar on air travel and hotels booked directly.

2. Using Credit Card Rewards for Travel

An additional major benefit of utilizing credit card travel portals is the ability to pay using points you have accumulated.This could be one of the simplest and most beneficial methods for booking trips, especially if you have apremium travel rewards cardwhich provides greater worth when exchanging points.

Some travel reward cards provide greater value per point when redeeming points through their own booking platform. TheChase Sapphire Preferred® Cardand the ultra-premiumChase Sapphire Reserve®give cardholders access toPoints Boost, which givesup to 1.5 cents in value when redeemedandas much as 2 cents in value upon redemption, respectively,through Chase Travel.

3. Recovering Credit Card Travel Benefits

Some travel reward cards provide statement credits that are only applicable for travel expenses via the credit card company’s travel website. For instance,The Capital One Venture X card offers a $300 annual travel credit for all reservations booked viaCapital One Travel.

Disadvantages of Credit Card Travel Websites

Certainly, there are also a few disadvantages to utilizing credit card travel websites.Although they may be practical,there are many factors to take into account if you’re aiming to achieve the best value, adaptability, or top-tier advantages.

1. Absence of Privileges for the Elite

Most bookings you complete through your travel rewards card’s travel websitewill be considered a third-party bookingwhich has a greater impact on hotel stays than anything else.

Third-party bookingsremove potential benefits of hotel chains and night credits. Many hotels will not recognize elite status within the hotel chain, which can eliminate valuable perks such asfree breakfast, room upgrades, and a late checkout.

Additionally,you usuallywon’t accumulate hotel points or elite night creditson reservations made via credit card travel websites.

2. Third-Party Problems

A significant disadvantage of using a credit card portal is that you could face risks if issues arise during your trip.

This is a major issue if you encounter unforeseen travel problems, especially with adelayed or canceled flight. Rather than communicating directly with the airline, you need to reach out to the credit card’s travel agency to handle any modifications or manage rebookings caused by cancellations.

3. Not Always the Most Affordable Prices

As shown below, credit card portals frequently increase the prices of airfares and hotel stays. However, this isn’t always true, as you can typically discover offers—provided you know where to search.

Which Credit Card Travel Website Is the Most Suitable?

While most major credit card companies offer a travel portal, I was interested in determining which one provided the highest value, considering both costs and bonus rewards from using particular credit cards.

With 2 upcoming trips that involve flights and hotels, this would be a great method to identify which credit card travel portal provided the highest value. (For bookings through Chase Travel, I used my Chase Sapphire Preferred card).

1. Seven-Day Journey from Chicago to Toronto

For a planned visit to Toronto, Canada, I chose the identical economy flights with the same pricing conditions and the exact hotel room category. Here’s what I discovered.

Round-Trip Airfare to Toronto

I looked for nonstop, round-trip economy flights fromChicago Ohare International Airport (ORD) to Toronto (YYZ).

Winner:Citi Travel (cash back), Chase Travel (points)

Hotel Stay in Toronto

For the hotel in Toronto, I chose theInterContinental Toronto Centreby IHG for 7 nights.

Winner:Citi Travel (cash back), Chase Travel (reward points)

Hot Tip:

Weekend Getaway from Chicago to Atlanta

Likewise, for a long weekend getaway to Atlanta, I booked the same economy flights and a 3-night stay at the same hotel.

Round-Trip Airfare to Atlanta

I looked for nonstop, round-trip economy flights from Chicago (ORD) toHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

All portal options hadmore expensive than booking directly.American Express, Capital One, and Citi charged the same amount, though it was slightly more than Chase Travel.

Winner:Chase Travel

Hotel Stay in Atlanta

I chose the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtownfor a three-night stay for two adults.

Citi Travel once more surpassed other travel websites in terms of hotel reservations., offering significant savings.This particular hotel reservation was over $50 less expensive than the next most similar option.

Winner:Citi Travel (cash back), Chase Travel (reward points)

Bottom Line:

Final Thoughts

Currently, almost all credit card companies offer a travel portal, offering an easy and simple method for booking trips. After evaluating all 4 major credit card transfer portals to arrange travel for future journeys,Citi Travel was notable for consistently providing the best prices, which came as a pleasant surprise.

It’s also crucial to take into account the income rates associated with a travel rewards credit card when making bookings via a travel website, and to compare options on various platforms to secure the most favorable offers.

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