Credit cards and travel planning benefits
Quick insights
- Some credit cards include travel planning services and other travel-related cardmember benefits.
- These benefits may include access to travel advisors, travel protection benefits and discounts on travel bookings.
- Cards that offer these services may have an annual fee.
Credit cards can provide various types of benefits and rewards. Travel planning benefits aren’t always associated with general rewards credit cards, but may be included as a cardmember benefit with some travel credit cards.
This article explains how this type of benefit works and how you may be able to use it for your next travel adventure.
Do credit cards offer travel planning benefits?
Some credit cards provide travel planning benefits as a cardmember perk. Benefits can include:
- Personal travel designers
- Travel concierge services
- Travel portals that provide discounts
- Statement credits for travel
These cards may have built-in features to help you arrange your travels, while other cards may work with travel companies or personal travel planners to provide travel planning services.
What do travel planning benefits entail?
Travel planning benefits differ by card and card issuer. Here are some common benefits associated with planning for travel:
- Personalized travel support: This benefit may offer access to travel consultants and planners who can assist with booking flights, hotels and planning travel itineraries.
- Booking platforms: These dedicated travel portals are typically available to cardmembers and provide entry to dedicated travel sites where you can book flights, hotels or car rentals, sometimes with enhanced rewards, discounts or access to a curated collection of hotels and resorts.
- Trip protections: Travel protection benefits can include a wide range of protections associated with travel, such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, coverage for lost or delayed luggage and travel accident insurance, to name a few. Coverage varies by card.
- Airport lounge access: Certain cards offer airport lounge access to select lounges, or lounge membership networks.
- Special upgrades and experiences: Your card may have certain perks like hotel room upgrades, early check-in/late checkout, daily credits and complimentary amenities at select hotels. Some cards may also provide upgraded status on select airlines.
Of note, cards with these features and benefits often have an annual fee.
Using credit card travel planning benefits
Using your credit card's travel planning benefits often starts with understanding what your card offers. One of the first steps may be to review your card's guide to benefits and log into your card’s travel portal, if available. You may be able to find discounts, rewards and booking options through the portal.
Some travel credit cards provide access to travel consultants who can help organize itineraries or assist with special requests. If your card provides this service, it may be helpful to familiarize yourself with how and when you can use these services.
Before you travel, you can also review your card's travel protection benefits, if available. For example, some cards include car rental insurance as a benefit.
If your card offers airport lounge access, you might want to review how to access lounges during your travels. Some lounges require that you present an eligible credit card or membership to enter.
Tips for using your travel planning benefits
To help get the most use out of your credit card’s travel features, you may want to consider the following:
- Reading your card’s benefit guides: You can review your card’s benefits before booking to check if any activation is required to use your benefits.
- Booking through your card’s travel portal: Using your card’s booking platform may help you earn additional rewards or access discounts.
- Keeping documentation of your bookings: Saving confirmations and receipts can make it easier to file a claim through your card’s travel protection benefits when necessary.
In summary
Not all credit cards provide travel planning services, but travel credit cards and co-branded airline cards may be more likely to provide these types of cardmember benefits. Travel planning services vary by card but may include access to travel portals, concierge services, travel planners or access to curated travel destinations or discounts. Note that credit cards that offer these benefits often have an annual fee.
