Unless you are new to the factors and miles sport, you are in all probability all too aware of the truth that these “free” award flights — whereas steeply discounted due to factors, miles and switch bonuses — normally do value one thing.
Although there are methods to chop them down, you will nearly all the time face the unlucky addition of taxes and fees. These can vary from $5.60 to upward of $800 one-way for some aspirational awards.
When it involves paying these fees, the best credit card for airfare purchases is not all the time the best possibility. Unlike money tickets, there is a extra essential issue to think about than simply what number of additional factors you will earn: journey protections.
Coverages similar to baggage and journey delay reimbursement will be massively precious, and some card insurance policies stand out greater than others.
With all that in thoughts, here is a rundown of the best credit cards for paying taxes and fees on award tickets.
Best cards for paying taxes and fees on award tickets and journey protections
| Card | Bonus for Airfare Purchases / Return* |
Protection Notes | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|
Offers the best financial maximums of protection for journey delay, misplaced baggage, rental automotive and journey accident insurance coverage, total best protections all-around. | $550 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred |
|
Weaker throughout the board than the Chase Sapphire Reserve in journey delay and buy safety protection, however ok for most conditions. | $95 |
| The Platinum Card from American Express |
|
Strong protections, does require that you just e-book round-trip journey. | $695 (see charges and fees) |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
|
Lower journey cancellation/interruption protection than Chase Sapphire Reserve. | $395 |
| Ink Business Preferred Credit Card |
|
Weaker journey delay and misplaced baggage insurance coverage than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, however ok for most conditions. | $95 |
*Return is an estimated worth based mostly on TPG’s April 2025 valuations and not the cardboard issuer.
On airfare bought instantly with the airline or by American Express Travel (as much as $500,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback).
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 within the first three months from account opening.
Annual charge: $550.
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Rewards: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft rides (by Sept. 2027), 3 factors per greenback spent on journey (excluding the annual $300 journey credit), eating at eating places and 1 level per greenback spent on all the things else.
Analysis: The Sapphire Reserve gives probably the most complete journey protections. By paying for no less than a portion of your ticket with this card, you will be lined by a plethora of protections, together with baggage delay, misplaced/broken baggage, journey delay reimbursement, journey cancellation and interruption safety, medical evacuation profit, journey accident insurance coverage and emergency medical and dental profit.
Of these, an important advantages are journey delay reimbursement, which supplies as much as $500 per lined ticket in case you’re delayed greater than 6 hours or require an in a single day keep, and baggage delay safety, which supplies as much as $100 reimbursed per day for as much as 5 days in case your baggage is delayed greater than 6 hours.
Other advantages embrace an annual $300 journey assertion credit, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck software charge credit and a Priority Pass Select membership that features company. You’ll additionally obtain a complimentary Door Dash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and a $10 month-to-month Lyft credit (by Sept. 2027).
For extra data on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, take a look at the next guides:
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Annual charge: $95.
Rewards: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on all journey bought by Chase Travel, 3 factors per greenback spent on eating, together with eligible supply providers, takeout and eating out, 3 factors per greenback spent on choose streaming providers, 3 factors per greenback spent on on-line grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart® and wholesale golf equipment), 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey and 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Analysis: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is good for occasional vacationers trying to get a good return on their journey and eating purchases. It supplies related journey protections as Chase’s Ink Business Preferred, together with journey and baggage delay safety, and has the identical modest $95 annual charge.
With this card, you will earn 5 Chase Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback spent whenever you e-book journey through Chase Travel and 2 Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback spent on different journey and eating purchases. You’ll have the peace of thoughts understanding you are insured and nonetheless earn a good quantity of bonus factors on any taxes and fees.
For extra data on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, take a look at the next guides:
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Platinum Card from American Express
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership. You may verify to see in case you’re focused for the next welcome bonus by the CardMatch device.
Annual charge: $695 (see charges and fees).
Rewards: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought instantly with an airline or by AmexTravel.com (as much as $500,000 per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback).
Analysis: The Platinum Card from American Express (together with most forms of the cardboard) is the subsequent best possibility for paying award taxes and fees. The protections are a bit extra restrictive than these supplied by the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
The Amex Platinum’s journey delay insurance coverage* additionally kicks in whenever you’re delayed by six or extra hours, nevertheless it’s capped at two claims per eligible card per 12-month interval and does not cowl delays which might be lower than six hours. The profit can be a bit extra restrictive in that it requires round-trip journey, all of which should be paid for together with your card (paying taxes and fees on award tickets or Pay with Points tickets are lined).
Note {that a} mixture of one-way tickets would qualify as round-trip journey for the needs of Amex’s insurance coverage protection in case you finally find yourself in your departure metropolis. The Amex Platinum additionally gives misplaced, stolen or broken baggage protection** whenever you use your eligible card to pay for your journey prices.
*Eligibility and Benefit stage varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
**Eligibility and Benefit stage varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Related: Comparing built-in journey insurance coverage with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum
The card gives a number of different advantages to boost your journey expertise, similar to a $200 airline charge assertion credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck software charge credit ($120 each 4 years for Global Entry and as much as $85 each 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck), lounge entry, computerized Gold standing with Hilton and Gold Elite standing with Marriott and as much as $200 in Uber Cash yearly (legitimate on U.S. purchases and you may redeem with any Amex card after including your Amex Plat to your Uber account). Enrollment is required for choose advantages.
For extra data on The Platinum Card From American Express, take a look at the next guides:
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Annual charge: $395.
Rewards: Earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases.
Analysis: If you are trying to earn a gentle stream of transferable factors and get first rate journey protections, the Venture X is an efficient selection. It comes with a decrease annual charge than its premium rivals and gives journey cancellation and interruption protections, main rental automotive protection, reimbursement for misplaced baggage and journey delay reimbursement.
Overall the cardboard has a beneficiant approved person coverage, permitting as much as 4 further customers with out a charge. This turns out to be useful as the cardboard’s Priority Pass lounge membership and Capital One Lounge entry are prolonged to approved customers. Best of all? They can herald as much as two company of their very own as nicely.
Related: Why it’s best to add approved customers on the Capital One Venture X
In addition, Venture X gives cardholders a $300 annual journey credit, although this credit is proscribed for bookings by Capital One Travel.
For extra data on the Capital One Venture X, take a look at the next guides:
Learn extra: Capital One Venture X
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Annual charge: $95.
Rewards: Earn 3 factors per greenback on the primary $150,000 spent every cardmember yr on journey, transport purchases, web, cable and telephone providers and promoting purchases made with social media websites and serps.
Analysis: If you are a enterprise proprietor, you may get robust journey protections with the Ink Business Preferred, and they do not require the aim of the journey to be enterprise to qualify. The Business Preferred gives most of the similar advantages because the Chase Sapphire Reserve however at a a lot cheaper price level in trade for much less protection. For occasion, the cardboard gives journey delay reimbursement, however solely for delays which might be 12 hours or extra or require an in a single day keep.
What’s distinctive about this card is that though it has a considerably decrease annual charge than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, it gives the identical journey incomes fee of three Chase Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback spent on airfare and all the things else that Chase consists of in its journey classification.
For extra data on the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, take a look at the next guides:
Apply right here: Ink Business Preferred
Bottom line
At first look, it might appear to be the Amex Platinum could be the apparent selection because it gives 5 factors per greenback on all airfare bought by Amex Travel (as much as $500,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback), topping the entire different cards on this checklist. While the cardboard does supply some main journey protections, as you may see, it nonetheless is a bit restrictive in comparison with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
In most circumstances, the taxes and fees on these awards are so low-cost that it is value forgoing the couple additional {dollars} in factors you may get with one other card to focus on all the additional insurance coverage options that would probably prevent 1000’s if one thing goes incorrect. So on this case, don’t be concerned about dropping a couple of additional factors — as a substitute, purchase your self peace of thoughts with prime journey protections simply by placing a couple of {dollars} on considered one of these prime cards.
For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, a number of the advantages could also be offered by Visa® or Mastercard® and could differ by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.
For charges and fees of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
