Typically there are three different types of travel loyalty credit cards you can apply for:
- cards you get just for the sign-up bonus
- cards you get primarily for the strong on-going earnings rate
- cards you get but don’t use because they come with generous perks
Head for Points tends to focus on the first two types. I thought it was worth a look at the four loyalty cards which offer decent on-going perks even if you don’t use them.
This list expanded last year with the launch of the Hilton Honors Plus debit card which we reviewed here. The card gives you Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as you hold it.
For clarity, our list does NOT include perks which require you to hit a spending target each year to receive them such as the British Airways American Express 2-4-1 Companion Voucher or the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard upgrade voucher.
All of the perks discussed below are yours simply because you took out the card.
The place to turn for full details of all airline and hotel loyalty credit cards is, of course, our ‘Top Credit Card Offers‘ page, which summarises all of the cards and deals currently available.
Looking through the list, these are the four cards you might want to get but keep in your desk drawer gathering dust:
The Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card from American Express
Bonus: 50,000 points
Representative 688.5% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £650 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 29.4% APR variable.
The Platinum Card from American Express is the most complex and most debatable card here.
Because you can get a very generous 50,000 Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus (converts into 50,000 Avios or 50,000 Virgin Points amongst other things) it may be worth giving the card a try to see if it works for you.
There are a lot of long-term benefits that can have real value:
- 2 Priority Pass cards, each getting you and a guest into 1,550 airport lounges for free. If you give your second card to your partner, you have a family of four covered. London lounges include the Aspire lounge in Heathrow T5, the Plaza Premium lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5 and the Club Aspire and No1 lounges in Heathrow T3, as well as a number of Gatwick options.
- Eurostar lounge access (cardholder only, no guests, although your supplementary Platinum cardholder can get in with their card)
- Lounge access with Delta in the US
- Access to Amex’s upmarket ‘Centurion’ lounge network at selected US airports, Hong Kong and London Heathrow Terminal 3
- Marriott Bonvoy (Sheraton, Le Meridien, Aloft, St Regis etc) hotels Gold status
- Hilton Honors (Conrad, DoubleTree, Waldorf Astoria, Hampton etc) Gold status
- MeliaRewards (Melia, INNSiDE, Tryp, ME) Gold status
- Radisson Rewards (Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn) Premium status
- Travel insurance, subject to enrolment, which is comprehensive although read the small print if you have pre-existing conditions
- Comprehensive car hire insurance
- Discounts and/or added benefits in luxury hotels via the Fine Hotels & Resorts programme
- £200 per year to spend in 150+ UK restaurants (no minimum spend required, credited at £100 per half year)
- £200 per year to spend in 1,800+ restaurants outside the UK (no minimum spend required, credited at £100 per half year)
…. plus some other bits and pieces, including car hire status. T&C apply to all benefits.
A lot of people, including myself, have The Platinum Card for the benefits but – because of the weak 1 point per £1 earning rate – do not use it much.
Our full review of The Platinum Card is here.
You can apply here.
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
Bonus: 40,000 points
Representative 100.2% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £290 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 29.9% APR variable.
The HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard is only available to HSBC Premier current account holders, and a substantial financial commitment to HSBC is required to receive one.
You receive free airport lounge access at 1,400 airports worldwide via the Priority Pass programme. Guests are charged at £24, although if you regularly travel with the same adult it would be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card. There is no way of getting children into a lounge with you without paying the £24. It is a cheaper way of getting lounge access than buying your own Priority Pass card.
If you get the standard free version of the HSBC Premier Mastercard, you also get a Priority Pass card but are charged £24 per lounge visit, no freebies.
You get comprehensive travel insurance, although this is technically a benefit of the free HSBC Premier current account. You would still receive this if you joined HSBC Premier but decided not to take out a credit card.
The card has a chunky £290 annual fee BUT you receive a sign-up bonus of 40,000 HSBC points (currently 60,000 points due to a promotion). These convert to 20,000 Avios or 11 other airline and hotel programmes.
Our full review of the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard is here. You can apply here.
Consider the Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard too ….
Whilst it is not a ‘travel rewards’ card, and so not included in this article, you may also want to look at the Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard (apply here).
This costs £15 per month and includes Priority Pass airport lounge access. It is the cheapest option in the UK for someone who purely wants unlimited airport lounge access.
Unlike American Express, HSBC and Lloyds allow you to use selected airport restaurants with your Priority Pass. This HfP article looks at the UK airport restaurants which will give you an £18 credit.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
Bonus: 20,000 points
Representative 52.9% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £95 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 29.4% APR variable.
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card comes with 15 free elite night credits per year.
15 night credits means that you will immediately qualify for free Silver Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy. This has few real benefits, except for a 10% bonus on base points earned from Marriott hotel stays, so it is debatable whether it is worth the £95 annual card fee on its own.
However, it also puts you 15 nights nearer the very valuable Platinum Elite status which usually requires 50 nights. Platinum Elite comes with guaranteed lounge access, breakfast benefits and a guaranteed 4pm check-out.
I have this card myself and find that I can manage 35 Marriott nights each year on top to requalify for Platinum Elite. The 15 free elite nights even count towards lifetime status with Marriott Bonvoy.
You will also receive 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as a sign-up bonus (T&C apply) if you qualify and meet the spending target.
Our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is here.
You can apply here.
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