ps88 How to Choose the Right Travel Credit Card

Travel credit cards sound simple: Earn points on purchases that can be exchanged for free flights, hotels and other perks.

The reality — from parsing annual fees and sign-up bonuses to understanding earning levels — is anything but easy.

The following advice covers choosing and maximizing the benefits of a travel credit card for cardholders who pay off their balances monthly; otherwise, the cost of carrying debt will exceed the card’s rewards.

Learn the difference between co-branded and general cards

There are two kinds of travel credit cards: co-branded cards, which are issued by a bank in partnership with an airline, hotel or other travel company, and general credit cards that have travel partners.

Using co-branded cards, holders earn the currency of the travel provider, such as miles with airlines, that can be spent only with that company. With general bank cards, consumers amass points that can be used through the issuers’ travel services to book flights, hotels and trips with an array of travel companies.

In choosing between them, “one of the biggest considerations is loyalty,” said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at the consumer financial site Bankrate.com. “If you only fly one airline or stay in certain hotels, you might lean toward a co-branded card.”

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