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Many of the best travel credit cards to sign up for this February currently have huge welcome bonuses. But the top spot goes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, which is offering new cardmembers the chance to score Southwest Airlines’ valuable Companion Pass simply through spending.
On the heels of introducing several new perks (and increased annual fees), the Delta SkyMiles AmEx cards also recently announced higher introductory offers. Our pick is the refreshed Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, which offsets its annual fee with new statement credits totaling $560 alongside improvements to its Companion Certificate. (Spoiler: It can now be used even on first- and business-class flights to Alaska, Hawai‘i, and the Caribbean.)
As far as general travel cards go, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card continues to court new cardholders with a 75,000-mile welcome bonus and provide benefits competitive with premium Chase and American Express cards. It’s a solid card that grants double miles on every purchase and a top pick as a long-term keeper.
Find out more about why these cards—and a few others—are the six best travel credit cards to consider applying for this February.
1. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Best for: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is best for casual Southwest fliers who want to maximize their 2024 and early 2025 travels by bringing a companion with them for free over the next year.
Why now? From February 6 to March 11, 2024, earn 30,000 points and score a Companion Pass, which is essentially a voucher good for unlimited two-for-one travel on both paid and award tickets on Southwest Airlines. That’s right: You can fly and bring a plus-one for (nearly) free.
Welcome offer: Earn the Southwest Companion Pass valid through February 28, 2025, plus 30,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $69
Earn points: Earn two points per dollar spent on purchases with Southwest, its hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting purchases (including rideshares), internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases. Get one point per dollar on everything else.
Credits: None
Key perks: Get one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year; two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year; and an account anniversary bonus of 3,000 points annually.
2. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best for: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is best for those who want an excellent travel credit card that pays for itself through credits, benefits, lounge access, and a rewarding earnings structure—while also offering flexibility in redeeming points.
Why now? Capital One is going all-in on travel for its Venture X cardholders, rolling out its own collection of airport lounges for cardholders, its Premier Collection (offering special perks at hundreds of top hotels globally), and its Lifestyle Collection (granting cardholders benefits at boutique hotels worldwide).
Welcome offer: With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $395
Earn points: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel. All other purchases earn 2 miles per dollar spent.
Credits: When booking through Capital One Travel, receive $300 in credits each calendar year. Get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit once every four years (up to $100). Receive 10,000 bonus miles annually after your account anniversary.
Key perks: Access Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Plaza Premium lounges at airports. The card is also smart for those who plan to add cardholders to their accounts. Up to four can be added at no cost. Priority Pass lounge membership and access to Capital One and Plaza Premium airport lounges extends to each of these additional cardholders at no extra cost. As far as redemptions go, miles transfer to 16 airline and hotel partners.
3. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Best for: The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is best for Delta loyalists and big spenders who want to boost elite status through credit card spending and who want to take advantage of the card’s upscale perks, including the valuable Companion Certificate.
Why now? This premium card comes with the best perks portfolio of all Delta consumer cards. With its recent revamp, the new benefits outweigh a hefty annual fee. Plus, the welcome bonus is the best the card has ever seen.
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees)
Earn points: Earn three miles per dollar on purchases made with Delta and one mile per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin domestic (including Hawai‘i and Alaska), Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flights to select destinations each year upon renewal of your card. Get up to $120 in rideshare credits annually (allotted as $10 back monthly after purchases), up to $240 in Resy credits annually (allotted as $20 back monthly after purchases), and a $200 Delta Stays statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Receive 15 percent off Delta SkyMiles redemptions with the TakeOff 15 benefit. Also, get a credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee (worth up to $100) once every four years. Enrollment required for select benefits; terms apply.
Key perks: On Delta flights, expect one free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight travel companions on the same itinerary plus priority boarding. Cardholders gain access to Delta Sky Clubs at no cost when traveling on a Delta-marketed or operated flight and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when booking your Delta flight on the card. Cardholders also receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. Effective February 1, 2025, Reserve cardmembers will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. Cardholders can earn unlimited Club access after spending $75,000 on their eligible card in a calendar year, valid for the year in which the spending is achieved plus the following calendar year.
4. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Best for: The midtier card of the Capital One Venture portfolio, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers just enough travel perks for the casual traveler and has a low annual fee.
Why now? The card is currently offering a huge bonus for a low-fee card. Cardholders also get two entries annually at Capital One’s growing collection of airport lounges or Plaza Premium lounges, plus access to Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection (granting cardholders benefits at boutique hotels worldwide).
Welcome offer: With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Earn points: Earn five miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and two miles per dollar spent on everything else.
Credits: Up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
Key perks: Get two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges in 2024, plus access to the Lifestyle Collection when booking on Capital One Travel.
5. United℠ Explorer Card
Best for: The United Explorer Card is best for those who fly United often enough to want free baggage but not often enough that they’d consider themselves a United loyalist.
Why now? The previous United Explorer introductory offer during 2023 was 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months.
Welcome offer: Until March 13, 2024, earn up to 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
Annual fee: There is no annual fee the first year, then it’s $95.
Earn points: The card earns two miles per dollar on United purchases, as well as on hotels and dining, including eligible delivery services. Earn one mile per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Get a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/Nexus credit (worth up to $100) once every four years. Get 25 percent back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights.
Key perks: Visit the United Club with two, one-time passes each year. The primary cardholder will each receive their first standard checked bag free.
6. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Best for: The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is best for casual Delta fliers looking for free checked bags and a boost to their SkyMiles balance.
Why now? This is a best-ever bonus offer for the card, plus there’s no annual fee for the first year.
Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Annual fee: There is no annual fee the first year, then it’s $150 (see rates and fees).
Earn points: Earn two miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases as well as at restaurants worldwide, including on eligible delivery services in the United States, and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn one mile per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Get a $100 Delta Stays statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Receive 15 percent off Delta SkyMiles redemptions with the TakeOff 15 benefit.
Key perks: Cardholders and up to eight companions can check a bag for free when flying Delta and enjoy priority boarding. Get 20 percent back on in-flight purchases of food and drinks.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
Paul Rubio
Paul Rubio is an award-winning travel journalist and photographer. His byline appears in AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler, Fodor’s, LUXURY, MSN, NerdWallet, Palm Beach Illustrated, Yahoo Lifestyle and more. He has visited 133 countries (and counting) over the past 20 years and won 27 national awards for his writing and photography. When he’s not plotting out his next trip, Paul loves to spend time at home watching reruns of Portlandia and Parks and Recreation with his husband and rescue dog, Camo.
