Travel Cards

If you can do the airline safety demonstration in your sleep, you should probably have some kind of travel rewards card. There are two main types:

Airline affinity cards (like Southwest's) let you earn credit for travel on a single airline. Some cards offer extras, such as flight upgrades.

Bank-issued travel cards (like Bank One's TravelPlus) usually have more diverse reward options. But they are also more likely to have blackout and expiration dates for the miles you've accrued.

Our Picks

Bank One's TravelPlus Platinum

(888-215-3049, www.bankone.com)
Annual fee: $29.
Rate: 9.65 percent and up.
Earnings: $1 = 1 mile.
What You Get
Air travel, hotel stays, and more. You generally need to earn 24,000 miles to get a free domestic plane ticket. But this card can pay for itself after just $5,000 in spending, with $50 flight discounts or gift certificates for vendors like Waldenbooks and Olive Garden.

Hilton HHonors Platinum American Express

(800-446-6677, www.americanexpress.com)
Annual fee: None.
Rate: None. Must pay balance monthly.
Earnings: 5 points per dollar at Hilton; 3 points per dollar for all other purchases.
What You Get
Points toward hotel stays and travel packages. (Get a free night's stay at selected hotels with 10,000 points.) When you stay at Hilton chain hotels, you can earn airline miles as well as Hilton points. To do this, you must also sign up for a (free) frequent-flyer program.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Platinum

(800-792-8472, www.southwest.com/visa)
Annual fee: $59.
Rate: Prime rate + 8.65 percent.
Earnings: One credit for every $1,200 in purchases; 16 earn around-trip ticket.
What You Get
Travel anywhere Southwest flies. This is one of the only travel cards that offer credits on initial balance transfers from other cards. But rewards expire within a year, so first-time cardholders must spend $14,400 (after sign-up bonus) to get a free ticket and justify the card's fee.