This top credit card will earn you enough points to fly for free

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It’s no secret that your credit card can help you earn free travel. But many times, choosing one might seem too complex. With so many cards available, it’s hard to know where to even start.

Fortunately, I have a great recommendation for you. If you’re looking for a flexible credit card that can accrue free flights quickly, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of my top favorites.

Currently, new applicants can earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on the card within the first three months after opening the account.

Plus, those 60,000 bonus points are worth at least $750 toward travel, and potentially even more, giving you a jump start on paying for that much needed vacation.

So, why is the Sapphire Preferred such a great starter card? Here are my top four reasons.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are one of the most valuable types of points when it comes to free travel.

The easiest way to use them is through Chase’s own travel portal, where you can book a flight — or a hotel, a car rental, or other travel activities — with your points. When you use Chase points this way and have a Sapphire Preferred, they’re worth 25% more, which means 60,000 bonus points are worth $750 toward travel.

But, you can also transfer your Chase points to any of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel programs, which include United Airlines, Air France/KLM, Air Canada, Hyatt, and more.

While this takes slightly more work, Points Path can help you find flights that are worth spending your points on. And transferring points is arguably the best way to redeem your rewards, because when you redeem this way, you can potentially get more value for your points.

Get a free flight with transferable points by applying now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll earn 3 points for every dollar you spend on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out), select streaming services, and select online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), as well as 2 points per dollar on all your travel purchases (or 5 total points on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards).

And through March 31, 2025, you’ll receive an extra 3 points on Lyft rides, for a total of 5 points per dollar. You’ll also earn 1 point per dollar on everything else you buy with the card.

Since these are all very common purchases, the card gives you a great chance to earn points quickly — allowing you to book that next flight in no time. And the points never expire as long as you’re a card member.

One of the best benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred are the travel protections that cover you in case of a flight cancellation, flight delay, lost baggage, etc. All you have to do is pay for your flight with the card, and you’ll automatically be eligible for this baked-in insurance if and when you need it.

For example, if you have to cancel a trip due to a covered reason (such as sickness, severe weather, etc.), you’ll be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for any pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses. Or, if you’re luggage is delayed for 6 or more hours — which happened to me just a few months ago — you can be reimbursed for essentials up to $100 a day per passenger, for up to 5 days.

But my favorite benefit is the flight delay coverage. If your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, or requires an overnight stay, you can be reimbursed for up to $500 in expenses per ticket — which can cover a hotel, food, taxis, and more. This helps immensely for those unexpected out of pocket costs.

While these are benefits you hope you never have to use, they do come in quite handy, and have saved me a nice chunk of change over the years.

Make sure you’re covered when you travel with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred does come with a $95 annual fee, its many benefits help quickly offset this fee.

For instance, you’ll get an annual $50 statement credit that you can use for booking any hotel through the Chase Travel portal. Using just that one benefit alone each year essentially pays for over half the annual fee.

You’ll also receive a complimentary DoorDash DashPash subscription (as long as you activate by Dec. 31, 2024), six months of complementary Instacart+ (must activate by July 31, 2024) and up to $15 in Instacart statement credits per quarter through July 2024.

At the end of each account anniversary year, you’ll earn 10% bonus points on your total purchases made in the previous year. And with no foreign transaction fees, the Sapphire Preferred is the perfect card to take with you when traveling abroad.

Get a $50 statement credit for hotel bookings every year with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is incredibly easy in terms of earning and redeeming points, and you’ll find it has great benefits that can help you save money throughout the year. It’s an easy starter travel card that fits perfectly into the lifestyle of the occasional traveler.

If you’re looking to further up your travel game, you could also consider the more-expensive Chase Sapphire Reserve®. While it has the same signup bonus offer as the Sapphire Preferred, the Sapphire Reserve offers even more benefits to help you travel in style, such as airport lounge access, Global Entry reimbursement, and even more points when it comes to travel purchases Despite a $550 annual fee on the Sapphire Reserve, if you travel often, it might be well worth it.

But for most people, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is going to be all you need. It’s an ideal card with a low annual fee and a neat package of perks. And with its current offer of 60,000 bonus points, if you get it, you can be well on your way to flying for free in no time.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve.