Upgrading Your Travel Experience

Beyond traveling for free with your travel points, you can also upgrade your travel with many of the perks that Travel Credit Cards give to you as a valued customer. This can take the stress & pressure out of your next trip and replace it with comfort, ease, and a luxurious experience. Here is a glimpse into a few of the many perks that could change the way you travel.

Skip Security & Customs Lines

One of the most dreaded parts of the airport experience is getting through security. Waiting in long lines, taking off shoes, belts, and coats, and emptying all of your electronics out of your bags can all be a major hassle... The great thing is, you don't have to do any of that if you have TSA Pre-Check! Rather than paying of our pocket for TSA Pre-Check, it is offered to you as a free perk on a number of different airline credit cards!

The other great perk can help you not only get to your plane quicker, it can also help you get home sooner after returning from an international trip! Global Entry is a program that will help you skip the lines and be expedited through customs when you return to the USA from an international flight. Plus, Global Entry also includes TSA Pre-Check. This also is offered to you as a free perk on a number of different airline credit cards!

Airport Lounges

Rather than being stuck in a loud, congested, or uncomfortable place in the airport, you can enjoy your time in the comfort of an airport lounge. They have comfortable living room-style furniture, unlimited free meals, drinks, and dessert for free, a business center with desks and office equipment, and they even have showers if you need to get cleaned up. These lounges can cost upwards of $100 per person just for a day pass, but a number of travel credit cards will give you year-round access to lounges!

Companion Passes

Who doesn't love buy one, get one free deals!? What you might not know is that a number of airlines offer those deals with plane tickets - They're called a companion pass. This empowers you to have someone else fly for free with you. A companion is good for whatever type of ticket you book. If you book business class, they fly in business class. Regardless if you pay with cash or points, you can take someone with you for free using a companion pass. A number of airline credit cards give you opportunities to earn companion passes as a perk with their card!

Hotel & Airline Status

Almost every major airline and hotel chain has a tier-status ladder from basic to premium. While the specifics of each program vary, the higher you climb the status ladder, the greater the level of perks available to you. Some examples of this would be free checked bags, early check-in/late check-out, free upgrades to first class, free meals at the resort restaurant, premium boarding, free upgrades from a standard room to a luxury suite, and more. There are two major ways to upgrade your hotel & flight tier status. One is that many hotel & airline credit cards offer you automatic upgraded status as a card holder, then they accelerate your climb up to the highest tier status. Second, is that once you have top-level status with an airline or hotel, you can often get another loyalty program to give you a status match with their program and jump right to the highest-tier.

You'll Never Go Back

Once you experience the incredible ease of skipping the security and customs lines, relax in an airport lounge, get to bring someone on a flight for free, or benefit from the perks of top-tier status, you'll never go back to the way you used to travel! It will revolutionize everything about the experience, enjoyment, and ease for every trip you take moving forward.