The top family travel credit cards for 2024.

Planning ahead and utilizing the appropriate travel credit card can save money and enhance comfort during family travel, despite its complexity and increasing cost with each additional family member.

The top family travel credit cards offer valuable points, miles, or cash-back and provide benefits such as airport lounge access for the whole family to enjoy. CNBC Select has selected the best picks for families looking to upgrade their next vacation. Our methodology explains how we choose the best travel credit cards for families.

Best for no annual fee

This card is ideal for individuals looking for a travel credit card without an annual fee, as it offers a comprehensive list of 3X bonus categories and allows for the accumulation of transferrable points.

The value of points earned with this card is increased by the ability to transfer them to a range of airline and hotel partner programs, including British Airways Executive Club, Avianca LifeMiles, and Air France/KLM Flying Blue. This flexibility allows you to take advantage of sweet spots with different programs.

Best for domestic flights

For whom is this? Southwest offers free checked bags for all passengers and a family-friendly seating policy, making it a great choice for families. Additionally, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card can help you save on your trips.

The Southwest Companion Pass can be earned more easily by families with this card, as its welcome bonus points count towards the 135,000-point threshold. Additionally, cardholders receive a 10,000-qualifying-point boost annually. The Southwest Companion Pass is valuable for families because it enables them to bring a guest on any Southwest flight for the cost of taxes and fees.

Best for lodging

This card is ideal for travelers, particularly for booking hotels and other lodgings.

With this card, you can earn points that can be used to book a range of accommodations, from an Airbnb to a luxury hotel. At the very least, Chase Ultimate® Rewards points are worth one cent for statement credits and gift cards. However, your points are automatically worth 25% more when redeemed through the Chase TravelSM portal, and they may be even more valuable when transferred to one of Chase's airline or hotel partners.

Best for airport lounge access

This credit card is ideal for those seeking a premium card with straightforward advantages.

The card provides extensive airport lounge access, including unlimited access to Capital One, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium lounges. You can bring up to two guests to Capital One and Plaza Premium lounges and unlimited guests to Priority Pass lounges. Additionally, airport lounge access benefits extend to authorized users on your card, and you can add up to four for no additional fee.

Best for fair credit

This card is ideal for families with poor credit who prefer a simple rewards program.

The Citi Double Cash credit card offers double the cash back compared to most cash-back and rewards credit cards. You earn 1% cash back when you buy and another 1% cash back when you pay, which adds up to 2% cash back on all purchases. There is no limit to the amount of cash back you can earn with this card.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is a unique no-annual-fee card that accumulates transferable travel rewards.

Rewards

3X points at restaurants
3X points on travel
3X points on gas
3X points on transit
3X points on popular streaming services
3X points on phone plans
1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account and spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months, you will receive a bonus of 20,000 points.

Annual fee

Notable perks

This card's greatest strength is its capacity to transfer points to travel companions. You can transfer Wells Fargo rewards to these airline and hotel programs:

Aer Lingus AerClub
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Avianca LifeMiles
British Airways Executive Club
Iberia Plus
Choice Hotels

You can redeem your points for one cent each for statement credits, gift cards, and travel booked through the Wells Fargo rewards site.

Earning 3X points and qualifying for cell phone protection are benefits you'll receive when paying your monthly phone bill with a card. This coverage will reimburse you for up to $600 per claim with a $25 deductible (up to two claims per 12 months). Additionally, this card has no foreign transaction fee, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance, and rental car collision coverage (secondary in the U.S.).

New cardholders receive an intro 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months, followed by a variable interest rate of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99%.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers numerous benefits that make it a worthwhile investment for families.

Rewards

3X points on Southwest purchases
2X points on hotel and rental cars booked through Southwest
2X points on local transit
2X points on internet, cable and phone services
1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After three months of opening an account, you will receive a bonus of 50,000 points if you spend $1,000 on purchases.

Annual fee

$149

Notable perks

Earning points from the Southwest card's welcome offer and ongoing spending can help you obtain a Companion Pass. Additionally, you receive a 10,000-point boost annually. Elite status seekers will appreciate the opportunity to earn 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent annually, with no limit on the number of TQPs that can be earned.

You'll receive two benefits annually that can offset the annual fee: a $75 Southwest travel credit and 7,500 bonus points, which are worth approximately $97.50 in Southwest flights.

With this card, you'll get reimbursed for up to four upgraded boardings per year, and every Southwest ticket comes with two free checked bags, no cancellation fees, and no change fees. Southwest doesn't have assigned seats, so upgraded boarding becomes more valuable, especially for families that need to sit together. If you don't want to pack snacks for the trip, you'll receive 25% back on inflight purchases when you use this card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers valuable travel rewards, benefits, and a substantial welcome bonus, all for an affordable annual fee under $100.

Rewards

5X points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
5X points per dollar on Lyft rides through Mar. 31, 2025
Purchasing Peloton equipment and accessories worth over $150 will earn you 5X points, up to a maximum of 25,000 points, until March 31, 2025.
3X points per dollar on dining
Online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) offer 3X points.
3X points per dollar on select streaming services
2X points per dollar on all other travel purchases
1X points per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account and spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months, you will earn 60,000 bonus points.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers numerous valuable protections, including primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and baggage and trip delay insurance. Additionally, there is no foreign transaction fee, and for each card anniversary, you receive a 10% points bonus based on the points earned in the previous year.

You can receive up to $50 hotel credit for bookings made through Chase's travel site, six months of free Instacart+ membership, and up to $15 back each quarter for Instacart purchases, as well as a complimentary DashPass membership for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.

The best feature of this card is that it allows you to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 14 airline and hotel partners. Chase has a list of valuable partners including United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Air Canada Aeroplan, World of Hyatt Hyatt, and more. Additionally, you'll receive a 25% bonus when you pay for travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards site, giving you a value of 1.25 cents per point. Occasionally, Chase offers discounts on gift card redemptions and you may be able to pick up Airbnb gift cards for 1.1 cents per point.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a highly rated travel credit card that provides premium perks at a lower annual fee compared to luxury cards with similar benefits.

Rewards

Booking hotels and rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal offers 10X miles per dollar.
5X miles per dollar on flights booked via the Capital One Travel portal
2X miles on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles by spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months.

Annual fee

$395 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The Venture X credit card's annual fee is one of the simplest premium credit card fees to justify due to its clear advantages. Each year, cardholders receive up to $300 in Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, which are worth at least $100 in travel.

When you apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, you will receive an application fee credit of up to $100. After passing security, you will have unlimited access to Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One airport lounges. You can add up to four authorized users at no additional cost, and each authorized user will have the same airport lounge access for themselves and guests.

Eligible purchases are covered by the following travel and purchase protections:

Rental car damage and theft insurance (primary)
Cell phone protection
Purchase security
Return protection
Extended warranty protection
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Travel accident insurance
Travel and emergency assistance services

You can transfer Capital One miles earned with this card to various partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Wyndham Rewards, and Emirates Skywards.

Rewritten sentence: Your Guide to Benefits provides more details on terms, conditions, and exclusions.

Citi Double Cash® Card

The Citi Double Cash® Card offers a cash-back credit card with a simple rewards program and a beneficial intro APR for balance transfers, all without an annual fee.

Rewards

You can receive 5% cash back on hotel, rental car, and attraction bookings made through Citi Travel by December 31, 2024.
You will receive 2% cash back on all purchases, with 1% cash back given when you buy and an additional 1% when you pay.

Welcome bonus

After opening an account and spending $1,500 on purchases within the first six months, you will receive a cash back reward of $200.

Annual fee

Notable perks

The Citi Double Cash card offers a great deal for balance transfers, with new members receiving an intro 0% APR on eligible transfers for 18 months, followed by a variable 19.24% - 29.24% APR. For the first four months, there is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of the transfer amount ($5 minimum), after which the fee is 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum).

This card is a cash-back card that earns cash back in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, travel, and more. Additionally, you can access a limited number of Citi's travel partners and transfer the points you earn with this card to Wyndham Rewards, Choice Hotels, or JetBlue TrueBlue.

Why trust CNBC Select?

Our mission at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to managing their finances. Each credit card review we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of credit card products. At CNBC Select, we maintain the highest journalistic standards and ethics, and we earn a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links. However, our content creation process is entirely independent of our commercial team and any external third parties. To learn more about our methodology for selecting the best travel credit cards for families, please refer to our website.

Our methodology

Over 250 major credit cards from FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions were analyzed by CNBC Select to determine their value for family travel.

We evaluated each card based on various features, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, interest rates, balance transfer fees, and foreign transaction fees. Additionally, we examined any additional perks, cardholder protections, application processes, and ease of redeeming points. We also took into account CNBC Select audience data, such as demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

We utilized Esri's consumer spending data forecasts to determine where U.S. consumers spend the most money, such as on dining and travel, to help us determine the most valuable bonus categories for our rewards program. Additionally, we considered the transferability and cash-back redemption options when determining the value of points or miles.

We prioritized family travel credit cards based on their perks and rewards that align with family needs.

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Some of the benefits listed for Capital One products are provided by Visa or Mastercard and may differ depending on the product. Check the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.