I Spend Over $100,000 Each Year on Travel. The Credit Cards I Use Most Might Surprise You

Just as doctors know to expect medical questions from friends, family and that one guy who won’t leave them alone at the party, travel experts get similar treatment. I’ve gotten so good at giving travel advice, I started a travel consulting service and volunteer my time to book travel for my daughter’s high school speech and debate team.
While most people would probably use a popular travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, it’s possible to get more value for your travel buck. As one of the nation’s leading credit card experts, I have a few different cards up my sleeve.
My favorite credit cards to save on travel
I know of a few hidden gem credit cards that allow me to maximize my return on the over $100,000 I spend in travel purchases each year.
Best card for (most) hotels: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey
What makes the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card* special is that it offers 5x points per dollar spent on any hotel purchase, regardless of the hotel brand. And unlike many credit cards with similar offers, you don’t have to use any particular travel agency to book and pay for the reservation.
These points are very valuable to me as they can be transferred on a 1:1 basis to miles with six different airlines and points with Choice Privileges hotel program at a remarkable 1:2 basis. When you transfer your credit card points to partner travel programs, your points could be worth more than had you redeemed them via your card issuer.
This card works also great when I pay for group bookings, as well as for food and beverage purchases at conferences.
Best card for Hyatt hotels: Chase World of Hyatt Card or World of Hyatt Business Card
Sadly, most hotel co-branded cards either limit the rewards you can earn from hotel purchases or offer reward points of marginal value. But when I book stays at a Hyatt, I’m really excited to earn 4x points from my World of Hyatt cards.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card* also gives you two-night stay credits toward elite status for every $5,000 spent and a Category 1-4 free night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. The World of Hyatt Business Card* offers five-night stay credits for every $10,000 spent, which is even better.
Best card for booking airfare: The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1x). And you can earn Membership Rewards points without being restricted to a particular travel agency, similar to the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey offer for hotels.
So whether I’m buying a trip for a family member or doing a group booking, I earn unlimited 5x points per dollar spent on all of my airline purchases. These Membership Rewards points have astounding value as they transfer to miles with 18 different airlines and points with three hotel partners.
How I get the most from these cards
When I’m asked to book a trip for someone, I always try to find them the best deal possible. Earning the most rewards for myself is only something that I consider when it comes time to choose a method of payment.
Find deals with airfare
For airfare, I start by looking at a travel agency website, such as Expedia or Chase Travel℠.
This can give me a good idea of what’s available and what the going rate is. I’ll then try to book the best available flights directly with the airlines, as it’s better to take the middleman out of the equation.
You can also sometimes save by booking the outbound and return flights with different carriers, as mixing and matching airlines can let you find the cheapest flight for each leg.
Finally, you always have to consider the potential charges for carry-on and checked luggage, plus seat assignments. This means that I rarely recommend purchasing the