Best Travel Credit Cards
If you are a frequent flyer, you might already have a travel-focused credit card you use. If you haven’t, then don’t fret because we have chosen 3 of the best travel credit cards currently available in Singapore for you to review.
Editors Pick
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As with any other kind of credit cards, you should always pick a card that suits your needs. The highest rebate card with high minimum spend may not be useful if your average spend per month is only $200. The same goes for a travel credit card – rewarding you with a higher mile earning rate may not be your priority if you travel only three times a year – hardly enough to earn you a free flight. Remember that the benefit is useless unless you are able to use it, so keep that in mind when choosing a credit card.
Here’s a look at 3 of the best travel cards suited for different types of travellers:
Citi Premier Miles Visa Card
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This card is one of our favourite miles card for the average spenders and its one of the top travel reward cards available in Singapore. We like that the spend to miles ratio is decent and that you have a huge range of airlines from which you can redeem your miles. There is also no minimum spend, no caps on miles earned and the best part is that the miles never expire!
We really like the last one because as a user, many face the problem of having accumulated insufficient miles to exchange it for anything meaningful, which means you’ve just wasted that whole year of effort. No expiration of the miles mean you will be able to accumulate miles at your own pace and eventually exchange for a flight upgrade or even a free flight.
Some features of Citi Premier Miles Card:
- 1.2 miles for S$1 spent locally, 2 miles for S$1 spent overseas
- Redeem from a wide range of airlines and hotel loyalty programs, including Krisflyer, Qatar, Qantas and Hilton HHonors points
- 10,000 miles when you pay the annual fee and renew
- Free travel insurance
- Complimentary access to over hundreds of Priority Pass airport lounges twice a year
The flexible convertibility the card provides is great for travellers who aren’t necessarily loyal to one frequent flyer programme. If you prefer, you can also use your points for cash rebates instead. The main downside is that you will need to pay a $25 fee to convert your miles – which we think is a small price to pay for all the great benefits you are getting.
Standard Chartered Visa Infinite
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If you travel frequently or if you are a business traveller, you might want to consider the Standard Chartered Visa Infinite card for its luxurious perks – get access to discounts at 5-star hotels, 20% cashback on Uber globally and up to 6 complimentary visits with your loved ones each year with the Priority Pass lounge programme
That said, the card is definitely one of the most expensive in the market – annual card fee is at $588.50 and is strictly non-waivable. What’s more, your annual income will have to be at $150,000 if you are not a Standard Chartered private banking customer.
Some features of the Standard Chartered Visa Infinite card:
- 1.4 miles for S$1 spent locally, 3 miles for S$1 spent overseas (All spends below S$2,000 will earn 2.5 points or 1 mile for every S$1 spent)
- Up to six complimentary visits with your loved ones each year with the Priority Pass lounge programme
- complimentary travel insurance coverage of up to S$1,000,000
- complimentary 4-hour yacht hire when you spend S$75,000 in 2018
- Special discounts at hotels and spas
The luxurious travel perks you get with the card comes with a hefty annual fee, but if you can afford it, why not?
AMEX Singapore Airline Krisflyer Card
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Unlike rebates cards, many travel-focused credit cards actually charge a non-waivable annual fee, which can be quite a pain for many cardholders. Therefore, offering a travel credit card without having to fork out a hefty annual fee is a definite bonus!
The AMEX Singapore Airline Krisflyer card is a great card for those new to using travel cards because let’s face it, all that calculating of miles, figuring out how to get the best value for your money and actually redeeming those miles can be quite a headache! The American Express Singapore Airline Krisflyer card keeps it simple by keeping the redemption process smooth without additional fees. What’s more, the waiver of the first year’s annual fee also means you get to try out whether a travel-focused card is actually something that suits you.
Some features of the Amex Singapore Airline Krisflyer Card
- Earn 1.1 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent on all your eligible purchases with your Card
- Receive a bonus of 5,000 KrisFlyer miles the very first time you charge to your Card
- Earn 7,500 sign up bonus KrisFlyer miles when you spend S$2,500 in the first 3 months upon Card approval.
- Hassle-free conversion as all KrisFlyer miles earned with the American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card are conveniently credited directly into your KrisFlyer account
- Up to S$350,000 Travel Inconvenience & Travel Accident Benefits
If you travel mostly on SIA and Silkair, then this card is a great addition to your wallet!
