💳 The best credit cards for travel (October 2022)
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In case you couldn’t tell, I’m obsessed with credit cards like any self-respecting travel hacker should be.
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about credit cards being evil, life-destroying demons. And for the wrong person with the wrong circumstances, that could be true 👇
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But for the most part, if you’re a responsible consumer who only spends money on things you can pay off immediately, credit cards are the best way to fast-track yourself on any number of exciting trips.
That’s why every month I update our Top Credit Cards page with all of the best signup bonuses, new cards, perks, etc. to give you some ideas of where to get started on your travel hacking journey with credit cards.
Here are the highlights of what has changed on our list since last month. To make things a little more fun (and to not get sued by our beloved banks) I’m going to refrain from naming the cards, and instead refer to them by generic numbers. You're welcome to click on the links and see which card is which, or you can try to guess 😉
What’s new on the list:
Card A: This card has a welcome bonus that has recently skyrocketed. For frequent flyers of this airline, the card could be a great way to get unlimited lounge access, priority check-in, free checked bags, priority boarding, and enough miles to book a number of free flights. The card has always been decent, but this welcome offer put this card on the map for us.
Card B: This card is great for frequent flyers of another airline that doesn’t often get much attention in the credit card or loyalty program world. While it’s not quite up to par with the bigger U.S. airlines, it’s worth mentioning because of the increased signup offer.
Which cards have moved up:
Card C: This card is hard to not put on the list month after month because it’s just an all-around amazing card. The signup bonus is frequently disproportionately high considering the low annual fee. The points currency on this card can be transferred to a number of partners, some of which are unique to this bank. Alternatively, you can simply cash out these points at a higher rate than almost any other card out there. Couple those features with an annual hotel credit and the card only costs $45 per year, making it an easy “keeper card” to hold onto year after year.
Card D: This card was already high on the list, but has overtaken some of the other cards that recently moved down. This card is just silly. It costs $0 per year but gives you 100,000 points and a $100 statement credit just for signing up. Need I say more?
Which cards have moved down on the list:
Card E: This card was a great premium credit card for frequent hotel guests of this program, which we talk about often in this newsletter. Unfortunately, they’ve raised the annual fee by $200 without the new benefits really reflecting that increase. The card still belongs on the list because the benefits are definitely worth the annual fee for the handful of travelers who can maximize them, just not for most people.
Card F: This card moved down just slightly because of a subtle but important change to the welcome offer. Previously, this card had a hefty welcome offer of over 100,000 points as well as a free night certificate at the partner hotel chain. Unfortunately, the free night award has been removed from the offer. Because the card is only $95 per year and the massive welcome bonus is otherwise the same, the card still definitely makes the cut this month.
Some of you international readers might be thinking “I hate how there’s so much talk about U.S. credit cards that will never apply to me. I’m so jelly and I wish I could take part in these ridiculous offers.”
I won’t get into it now, but let’s just say... there are ways. And I might be sharing some of those ways with you in the near future...
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I know, it sounds cryptic and mysterious, but I have to get you to keep reading somehow, right? 😉 |
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😱 This country is giving away 500,000 flights
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Unlike the last segment, this is something ANYBODY on earth can participate in and potentially benefit from… eventually.
Here’s the deal.
During the early days of the pandemic, the Hong Kong government purchased 500,000 airline tickets from various airlines based in Hong Kong in an attempt to help keep them afloat during the pandemic days of low-to-no travel demand.
Now that things are starting to open up in Hong Kong, they are planning to use those tickets to spark interest in international travel once again… by giving them all away.
This move has been confirmed by officials, though the exact details have not yet been released. The reason I’m sharing this with you now is that as soon as the details are announced, people are going to swoop these things up like that time Target gave out free falcons on Black Friday. The only difference is that the falcons were a joke... but this is totally serious.
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I want you to be aware of this news so you can throw your hat in the ring as soon as it happens.
Here’s my uninformed opinion on how things will go down:
Hong Kong only recently scrapped its quarantine requirements. While that’s definitely a positive step forward, there are still a number of hurdles for tourists to jump through if they want to visit.
Travelers still need to present vaccination certificates prior to boarding, and complete both PCR and antigen tests prior to entering the country. Hong Kong also requires a number of follow-up PCR and antigen tests after arrival as well as a 3-day self-monitoring period before being allowed to enter any bars or restaurants.
Given that most other Asian countries have scrapped ALL testing requirements, I think Hong Kong will soon follow in their steps and use that development as a chance to announce this “free flight” scheme. At least that’s what I hope will happen.
Anyway, be on the lookout for this announcement. I’ll be sure to tell you about it in the newsletter as soon as it happens, but stay vigilant in case it comes on a weekend…
I mean, we could also do a special weekend edition of the Daily Drop in that case…? Anyone? Bueller?
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✈️ A flight route that actively avoids water
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For those of you who don’t know, Wizz Air is a low-cost European airline based in Budapest. Since I’m in Budapest, I thought I’d highlight one of their more interesting routes.
Although the airline began here in Hungary, they’ve recently expanded to places like the Middle East. In fact, just earlier this year I flew on a Wizz Air flight from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman. It was very weird to fly a Hungarian airline on a 50-minute flight between two Middle Eastern countries.
But that’s not even their weirdest flight.
On October 4th, they launched their new service from Abu Dhabi to Male in the Maldives.
Here is what a normal flight on that route looks like:
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But here is what Wizz Air’s flight on that route looks like: |
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So what’s the deal? Are they afraid to fly over water?
Actually, they’re not even allowed to fly over water.
This is due to something called ETOPS. Us aviation nerds joke about these letters standing for “Engines Turn Or People Swim.”
But in reality, it stands for “Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards,” which is way more boring…
Basically, in order to fly across an ocean or large body of water, a plane needs to have this ETOPS certification. If not, there are very strict limits to how far away from land the bird is allowed to fly.
In this case, this Wizz Air plane does NOT have the certification and therefore needs to hug the coastline until making the final short hop over water to the island nation.
Honestly, Wizz Air is about as good as it gets for budget airlines. I’ve had great experiences with them in the past and am excited that they’re branching out so far. Given the low cost of Wizz Air flights, I don’t think I’d mind the extra couple of hours of flight time, but that’s just me.
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That’s all for today folks. I need to go get ready to see my favorite opera of all time tonight at the Hungarian State Opera. The opera is called Tosca, and it's very, VERY good. I’m always excited to combine two of my favorite things: opera and travel.
What are some activities that you always try to do in a new place? Which credit card on our list are you most excited about? Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out on social media.
I hope you all have a great week 💜
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