NOW is the best time to capitalize on these once in a lifetime bonus sign up opportunities offered by the travel & leisure industry to capture travelers tired of the pandemic… These credit card offers are guaranteed to expire very soon so check them out and apply as soon as possible before you miss out 🙁
Here are some of the features we look for in a credit card for international travel
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- No annual fees or less than $100 if there are perks worth more (see below)
- Global Entry or TSA Pre included
- Premium Hotel/Airline Status
For this post, we will target these international properties: IHG, United, and Hilton.
No Annual Fee Cards
These offer the best of both worlds – no annual fees and best sign up bonus ever.
- IHG Rewards Traveler (Mastercard)
- Hilton Honors (American Express)
- United Gateway (Visa)
| IHG Rewards Traveler | Hilton Honors | United Gateway | ||||
| No Annual Fees |  | | | |||
| No Foreign Transaction Fees | | | | |||
| Hotel/Airline Status | Silver Elite | Silver | General | |||
| Global Entry/TSA Pre |  | | | |||
| Sign Up Bonus | 80K points after spending $2K within 3 months | 100K points after spending $1K within 3 months | 30K bonus miles after spending $1K within 3 months | |||
| Anniversary Free Night | | | |
Low Annual Fee Cards
If you are willing to pay the low annual fees in return for extra perks, you may well come ahead with these alternatives.
- IHG Rewards Premier (Mastercard)
- Hilton Honors Surpass (American Express)
- United Explorer (Visa)
| IHG Rewards Premier | Hilton Honors Surpass | United Explorer | ||||
| Annual Fees | $99 | $95 | $0 for the first year, then $95 | |||
| No Foreign Transaction Fees | | | | |||
| Hotel/Airline Status | Platinum Elite | Gold | General | |||
| Global Entry/TSA Pre | | | | |||
| Sign Up Bonus | 140K points after spending $3K within 3 months | 130K points after spending $2K within 3 months | 60K bonus miles after spending $3K within 3 months | |||
| Anniversary Free Night | | | | |||
| Travel Perks | $50 United® Airlines Travel Bank Cash | Priority Pass™ Select 10 Complimentary Visits | Free first checked bag, 2 United Club one-time passes each year, Priority boarding |
I have all three cards (AmEx for over two decades) and very happy with the quality of travel provided especially in Europe. These hotel sign up bonuses gives you about 3 to 5 nights at popular travel destinations, more on less well known properties or those targeting business travelers.
Enjoy your summer!