With travel credit cards and loyalty programs, nothing lasts forever.<\/p>\n
Welcome bonuses<\/a>, benefits and rules are in constant flux. The best deals can last for years or be erased in a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n With that in mind, I’ve identified three opportunities to take advantage of in 2026, all of which seem too good to last forever. If you’re looking for a travel- or credit card-related deal this year, it’s hard to go wrong with these:<\/p>\n Deals that feel too good to last in 2026This simple premium credit card<\/p>\n In 2025, we saw the release of several new premium credit cards<\/a> and the overhaul of two luxury stalwarts: Chase Sapphire Reserve\u00ae<\/a> (see rates and fees<\/a>) and American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/a>. Both of these luxury cards were refreshed with increased annual fees and offset by new, complicated benefits.<\/p>\n When Amex increased the Platinum card’s annual fee to a staggering $895 (see rates and fees<\/a>), it also added hundreds of dollars in new benefits \u2014 many of which require extra steps or careful timing to use. Even so, this hasn’t stopped new cardmembers: Account approvals doubled compared to pre-refresh levels, according to Amex’s Q3 2025 earnings report<\/a>. If increasing the card’s cost and offsetting it with progressively complicated perks is good for business, it’s not hard to imagine this trend will continue.<\/p>\n That’s what makes the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card<\/a> stand out. Its annual fee is $395, or less than half of what the most expensive luxury consumer cards<\/a> charge. And the benefits are refreshingly simple. Each year, you receive a $300 travel credit that can be used to pay for Capital One Travel bookings, including hotels, flights, rentals, vacation packages and activities. <\/p>\n Normally, I don’t book through a card-issuer travel site, because I prefer to shop around for the best price. That said, I’m comfortable using the Venture X credit to book through Capital One Travel because it offers an excellent price match guarantee. I price-matched rental car bookings at least six times in 2025, and each time it only required a phone call of 10 minutes or less. As long as the lower price is publicly available for an identical reservation within 24 hours of your original booking, you’ll receive the difference as a travel credit. And for select flights, Capital One Travel offers price drop protection, where you’ll automatically receive a travel credit of up to $50 if the price decreases within 10 days of booking.<\/p>\n The Capital One Venture X<\/a> also gifts you 10,000 bonus miles each account anniversary, which is worth at least $100 in travel. You can redeem these miles for 1 cent each toward travel (including Capital One Travel bookings) or transfer them to a long list of travel loyalty programs. <\/p>\n With just two benefits, the Venture X is more affordable for me to keep than its cheaper sibling, the $95 Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card<\/a>. It’s also one of the most affordable ways for me to access top-tier credit card travel insurance<\/a>, such as trip delay coverage that applies to delays of six hours or more (instead of the standard 12-hour delay requirement), primary rental car insurance and travel accident insurance.<\/p>\n Spotlight<\/p>\n Earn your rewards in a cryptocurrency of your choice with over 60 to select from.<\/p>\n 19.74% – 28.74% variable APR<\/p>\n Our expert take<\/p>\n The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.<\/p>\n Pros & consAnnual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversaryUnlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge locationsLong list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cardsHigh annual feeHigh credit score requirement (excellent credit)More detailsHighlights<\/p>\n Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.<\/p>\n LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening – equal to $1,000 in travelReceive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip optionsGet 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversaryEarn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One TravelEarn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchasesEnjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass\u2122 \u00a0lounges, after enrollmentUse your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more. You can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programsEnjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier CollectionReceive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck\u00aeTop rated mobile appBalance transfer fee<\/p>\n $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you<\/p>\n Foreign transaction fees<\/p>\n The Venture X also has some of the most generous airport lounge benefits. You can add up to four authorized users for no additional cost, and each cardholder receives the same lounge access as the primary cardholder. This benefit includes over 1,500 Priority Pass lounges and a growing network of Capital One Lounges<\/a>. <\/p>\n However, in what feels like the start of the card’s decline, its lounge access perks are being devalued<\/a> beginning Feb. 1, 2026. After that date, you’ll need to pay a $125 fee per additional card to grant authorized users lounge access, and all cardholders will lose complimentary guest access. You can unlock two complimentary guests at Capital One Lounges and one complimentary guest at Capital One Landings after spending $75,000+ in a year.<\/p>\n No-annual-fee airport lounge access<\/p>\n Airport lounge access and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck<\/a> application fee credit are perks generally associated with credit cards that have annual fees.<\/p>\n The U.S. Bank Altitude\u00ae Connect Visa Signature\u00ae Card<\/a> bucks that trend by offering both benefits, albeit in a limited fashion. You’ll receive a Priority Pass\u2122 Select airport lounge membership that includes four complimentary visits per year. Plus, once every four years, you can receive up to $100 back for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees.<\/p>\n The lounge visits you get with this card are surprisingly useful, even if you already have unlimited complimentary visits with a different travel credit card<\/a>. That’s because you can use these passes to receive Priority Pass restaurant credit (typically around $28 per pass), a feature that’s been removed from the lounge access you get with most other credit cards.<\/p>\n Information about the U.S. Bank Altitude\u00ae Connect Visa Signature\u00ae Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.<\/p>\n Information about the U.S. Bank Altitude\u00ae Connect Visa Signature\u00ae Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.<\/p>\n *See rates and fees, terms apply.<\/p>\n Pros & consIntro APR for balance transfersGlobal Entry and TSA PreCheck\u00ae application fee creditLimited to four free lounge visits per yearYou cannot transfer points to travel programs<\/p>\n Those benefits are already substantial for a no-annual-fee card<\/a>, but the U.S. Bank Altitude\u00ae Connect also features trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance and two additional, easy-to-overlook perks: SmartDelay and a complimentary GigSky mobile data plan.<\/p>\n The SmartDelay benefit grants lounge access to the cardholder and up to three travel companions when a flight is delayed by 120 minutes or more. You just need to register<\/a> at least two hours before your flight departs. The lounge passes are emailed when you have an eligible delay.<\/p>\n GigSky is an eSIM service that keeps you connected while abroad. All U.S.-issued Visa Signature and Visa Infinite<\/a> cardholders can receive a complimentary 15-day plan with 3GB of data for Visa Infinite cards and 1GB for Visa Signature cards. The Altitude Connect is a Visa Signature, but it exceeds the standard benefit for both cards by offering 5GB of data for 15 days at no cost to cardholders. There is no limit to the number of 5GB\/15-day plans you can receive; you just need to wait until the previous plan has expired before enrolling in another.<\/p>\n The enhanced GigSky perk is slated to end in November 2026, although the benefit’s expiration has been extended in the past.<\/p>\n American Airlines partner award chart<\/p>\n Over the years, one airline after another has shifted from fixed award prices based on zones or distances to dynamic pricing, making it harder to know exactly how much a flight will cost. American Airlines made this shift a few years ago, but its variable award pricing applies only to American Airlines flights. It still has generous fixed reward prices for partner airlines, and many of these flights are shockingly good deals.<\/p>\n You can redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles for flights on world-class airlines or to far-flung destinations. This includes bucket-list awards with Etihad, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and many more.<\/p>\n You can explore American Airlines’ partner prices on its site<\/a>. Some of the most tantalizing options include:<\/p>\n 22,500 miles for off-peak economy flights from the U.S. to Europe57,500 miles for business-class flights from the U.S to Europe70,000 miles for business-class flights from the U.S to the Middle East115,000 miles for first-class flights from the U.S to the Middle East60,000 miles for business-class flights from the U.S to the Asia 1 region, which includes Japan and Korea80,000 miles for first-class flights from the U.S to the Asia 1 region<\/p>\n To give you a sense of how favorable these prices are, you can usually earn between 50,000 to 100,000 AAdvantage miles from a single American Airlines co-branded credit card<\/a> bonus. Right now, the Citi\u00ae \/ AAdvantage\u00ae Executive World Elite Mastercard\u00ae<\/a> has a bonus of 70,000 miles after spending $7,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.<\/p>\n A one-way Qatar Airways business-class flight from Dallas, Texas, to Doha, Qatar, can easily cost $5,000+ \u2014 so with one welcome bonus, you could unlock over $5,000 in value. On top of that, the taxes and fees for these award flights are usually reasonable compared with what other airlines charge for the same flights. <\/p>\n Good to Excellent670\u2013850<\/p>\n Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage\u00ae bonus miles<\/p>\n Our expert take<\/p>\n The Citi\u00ae \/ AAdvantage\u00ae Executive World Elite Mastercard\u00ae is one of the best ways to get access to American Airlines’ network of Admirals Club\u00ae airport lounges.<\/p>\n Pros & consAccess to nearly 100 Admirals Club\u00ae and partner airport loungesGlobal Entry or TSA PreCheck\u00ae application fee creditHigh annual feeAdditional fee for authorized usersNo bonus rewards outside of American Airlines purchasesMore detailsHighlights<\/p>\n Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.<\/p>\n Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage\u00ae bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.Admirals Club\u00ae membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with youNo Foreign Transaction Fees on purchasesEarn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage\u00ae mile earned from purchasesFirst checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservationBalance transfer fee<\/p>\n 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum<\/p>\n A potential American Airlines partner award devaluation in 2026 is pure speculation on my part, but something happened in 2025 that has me on edge: AAdvantage miles became easier to earn.<\/p>\n American Airlines has long been the lone major U.S.-based carrier not to partner with a transferable travel rewards program. Outside of a brief partnership with Bilt and a previous limited-time option to transfer Citi ThankYou\u00ae Points<\/a> to American Airlines, the only way to accumulate AAdvantage miles with a credit card was by having a co-branded Citi<\/a> or Barclays American Airlines card.<\/p>\n However, Citi is taking over as the sole issuer of American Airlines credit cards<\/a>. Along with this change, it has also added the American Airlines AAdvantage program as a ThankYou\u00ae Rewards transfer partner. <\/p>\n American Airlines cards are generally subpar for earning rewards on non-American Airlines purchases, but Citi offers several highly rewarding cards. You can earn up to 2% cash back (earned as 2X ThankYou\u00ae Points) everywhere with the Citi Double Cash\u00ae Card<\/a> (1% as you buy and 1% as you pay) and 5% cash back (earned as 5X ThankYou\u00ae Points) on up to $500 spend on your top eligible category each month with the Citi Custom Cash\u00ae Card<\/a> (then 1%). <\/p>\n Further, the Citi Strata Elite\u2120\u00a0Card<\/a> earns 6X points at restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights (6 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET) and 3X points at restaurants any other time. Plus, it has a 100,000-point welcome bonus after spending $6,000 in the first three months.<\/p>\n While I love having access to more AAdvantage miles, rewards \u2014 like money \u2014 can lose value over time due to inflation.<\/p>\n Spotlight<\/p>\n Receive a 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers.<\/p>\n Good to Excellent670\u2013850<\/p>\n Our expert take<\/p>\n The Citi Double Cash\u00ae Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.<\/p>\n Pros & consLong intro-APR for balance transfersHigh flat-rate cash-back rewards structureNo annual feeHas a foreign transaction feeIntro APR doesn’t apply to purchasesMore detailsRewardsEarn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.Balance transfer fee<\/p>\n There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.<\/p>\n Foreign transaction feeSpotlight<\/p>\n With the Citi Strata Elite\u2120 Card you can earn 100,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.<\/p>\n Good to Excellent670\u2013850<\/p>\n Earn 100,000 bonus Points<\/p>\n Our expert take<\/p>\n The Citi Strata Elite\u2120 Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.<\/p>\n Pros & consHigh rewards rate on travel6X on restaurantsCan transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rateUp to $200 annual splurge creditHigh annual feeLimited rewards categoriesMore detailsRewardsEarn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.comEarn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights\u2120 purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other timeEarn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other PurchasesBalance transfer fee<\/p>\n Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.<\/p>\n Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter!<\/p>\n Money matters \u2014\u00a0so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why trust CNBC Select?<\/p>\n At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.<\/p>\n Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of\u00a0credit cards<\/a>,\u00a0banking<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0money<\/a>, and follow us on\u00a0TikTok<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up to date.<\/p>\n For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card\u00ae, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff\u2019s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.<\/p>\n