Forget Chase and American Express — These Travel Cards Will Surprise You

It’s always amusing to see your favorite travel blogger taking trips of a lifetime. But you may wonder how they afford it. Most use credit card rewards to cut costs. But how? What perks are really saving them money and how much are they having to spend to make the rewards worthwhile?

Even though there are hundreds of different credit cards available from major card issuers, most of the buzz is generated by a few of the most popular products, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express. 

But I’ve been traveling using credit card rewards and perks for years, and found a few unsung heroes that are just as rewarding as the big-name cards. If you look beyond those popular choices and consider some lesser-known options, you could get a card that holds more value and better perks. 

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

Solid hotel and dining perks for no annual fee

Next to hotel brands like Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt, Wyndham isn’t as well known. And even then, most people associate Wyndham with budget brands such as Days Inn, Super 8 and LaQuinta. These hotels are fine for their purpose, but most don’t imagine them as part of their ultimate dream vacation. 

However, Wyndham is partnered with Caesars Entertainment, a hotel and casino company with properties that dominate the Las Vegas strip. Wyndham also owns Vacasa, a vacation rental management company that has properties in Hawaii, Colorado and Florida. 

To earn stays in these areas, you can get the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card*. It’s a no-annual-fee credit card that offers a few perks including a cardmember booking discount and automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status, which offers preferred room selection, late checkout and 10% more points on qualifying hotel stays. 

PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Signature Card

All the premium travel perks with a $95 annual fee

CNET’S PICK

PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card

8.5/10
CNET Rating

CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

Intro Offer

50,000 points

50,000 Bonus Points when you spend $3000 in the first 90 days

Annual fee

$95 *Waived for existing Honors Advantage Members

APR

17.99% Variable

Recommended Credit

A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.

670 – 850

Good – Excellent

Rewards rate

1.5x
– 4x

4X Points on all Travel categories for PenFed Honors Advantage Members; 3X Points on all Travel categories; 1.5X Points on all other purchases

4x

4X Points on all Travel categories for PenFed Honors Advantage Members

3x

3X Points on all Travel categories

1.5x

1.5X Points on all other purchases

The PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card has many of the benefits offered by premium rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*. The card includes credits for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, trip delay reimbursement and auto rental collision damage waiver. The card also comes with a few other perks, including a complimentary priority pass airport lounge annual membership. 

Here’s the best part: It only charges $95 annually, and even that’s waived for PenFed Honors Advantage Members. PenFed Honors Advantage Members are people with a (free) PenFed checking account, or current or former members of the military. 

At this price level, it’s an exceptional rewards card, especially with its 50,000-point welcome bonus after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days. And it’s a good pick if you need to transfer a balance since the card offers a 0% intro APR offer for 12 months (then 17.99% variable) on balance transfers made in the first 90 days, which is good considering the current average credit card APR of 20.66%. With all these features, you’ll be begging your friends to let you pay for dinner. 

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard

Affordable flights, but few redemption options

CNET’S PICK

6.7/10
CNET Rating

CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

Intro Offer

60,000 Travel Miles

Earn up to 60,000 Travel Miles after qualifying account activity

Annual fee

$89

APR

21.24% to 29.99% (Variable)

Recommended Credit

A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.

N/A

Rewards rate

1x
– 5x

5x on Frontier Airlines Purchases; 3x on Restaurant Purchases; 1x on all other Purchases

5x

5x on Frontier Airlines Purchases

3x

3x on Restaurant Purchases

1x

1x on all other Purchases

Frontier has two reputations. The first is for low fares on flights– it’s often possible to book tickets for $19 each way. The other is for high fees for carry-on bags, checked bags and seat assignments. But when you have the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard®* — which charges a $89 annual fee — you can earn elite status that lets you waive the costs for these services. 

This card offers one Elite Status Point for each dollar spent on purchases, and you can reach their Elite Silver status with 10,000 points. Elite status unlocks free seat assignments and priority boarding.

You’ll reach Elite Gold status after 20,000 points. Elite Gold status offers premium seating and a free carry-on bag. The Frontier card also offers boosted rewards rates for dining and Frontier purchases to help you fast-track earning points.

But this card really stands out for its other perks, including a $100 flight voucher each account anniversary and a generous welcome bonus that can add up to two roundtrip flights. If Frontier is an option for most of your upcoming destinations and you try to travel on a budget, consider applying for Frontier’s co-branded card.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

CNET’S PICK

7.4/10
CNET Rating

CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards

Intro Offer

60,000 bonus points

Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.

Annual fee

$95

APR

21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Recommended Credit

A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.

670 – 850

Good – Excellent

Rewards rate

1x
– 5x

5X points on hotels; 4X points on airlines; 3X points on other travel and restaurants; 1X points on other purchases

3x

3X points on other travel and restaurants

1x

1X points on other purchases

It’s good by itself, but even better with Wells Fargo’s cash rewards card

Wells Fargo doesn’t have a vast portfolio of rewards cards like its competitors, but its newest travel card — the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card* — is on par with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It offers higher reward rates for hotels and flights booked with Wells Fargo compared to Chase’s card. Both cards have a $95 annual fee, but instead of the Sapphire Preferred’s $50 annual hotel credit when booking with Chase, the Autograph Journey has a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase when booking with Wells Fargo. 

Read more: Move Over, Chase Sapphire Preferred. This New Travel Credit Card Is Turning Heads

Even though the travel partner list that you can transfer your rewards to for potentially more value isn’t extensive, the points can still offer more savings on trips. 

Despite its lack of transfer partners, credit card industry insiders are taking note of its compelling new offerings. So while this card may be flying under the radar now, it won’t for long. 

*All information about the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card, the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.