Raising a family can be expensive! Groceries, healthcare, clothes, etc., etc., etc.! You might as well be rewarded for what you have to pay for anyway! We love to use our credit cards to meet minimum spending and grab a big sign-up bonus so we don’t have to pay a lot for family travel, which is also expensive. Let’s talk about the best credit cards for family travel!

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

If you’ve followed us for any time at all, it is no surprise to learn that we think the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is the best card for points and miles. Period. One of the reasons is that it is so versatile. Want miles?  You can get them. Want hotel stays? They are yours, too. Transferable points are the best type of points to go after simply because they are so flexible. You don’t have to know what you want to do with them yet, and they will meet almost everyone’s needs.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you a ton of options when it comes to family travel. Seriously, if you haven’t grabbed it yet, consider it. Refer a spouse to it, get a referral bonus, and double your welcome offer for even more points.

 

 

Capital One Venture Card

Another one of the best credit cards for family travel is the Capital One Venture Card. Not only are there some great transfer partners with Capital One, but you can also use the points to “erase” expenses like Disneyland tickets (when booked with a travel agency), on car rentals, or Airbnb stays.

It is also a great everyday spending card because it earns 2x points per dollar on everything, so if you don’t want to think about which card to use for the best earn rate, use it!

 

 

Southwest Airline Credit Cards

Southwest Airlines Credit Cards make family travel so much more affordable. Alex jokes that her boys don’t know what another airline is because that is all they fly as a family! You can board after the A group, you get free checked baggage, and recently they paid only $67 for their whole family to go to Maui! She is proof that it is the perfect airline card to have for families!

Be sure and apply when the bonuses are around 60,000 Rapid Rewards for the personal card, though. You don’t want to apply when the offer is the usual 40,000 points. About two times a year, Southwest (and other credit card issuers) raise their sign-up bonus offers. Contact us if you are unsure if the current offer is a limited-time high bonus offer.

 

 

Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card

The Chase IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is also one of the best credit cards for family travel and gets overlooked a lot. The bonus is usually quite high, and you can use it for some great family stays with suites and free breakfast. I particularly like Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites which come with kitchens so that you can save on food costs.

With just the one sign-up bonus of 140,000-150,000 points, you could book a family stay for 4-6 people in Orlando for a trip to go to Disney World. Your bonus could cover several nights at a Staybridge Suites, and you’d get one of the nights free for booking four nights!

 

 

World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card would be one of our best credit cards for family travel if the welcome offer was higher. It used to have a welcome offer of 50,000-60,000 points. Lately, it’s been tiered bonuses and only about 30,000 points for the lowest tier. It’s a card to watch out for, and the annual free night certificate is what makes it a keeper card for us.

We particularly like it for family travel at Hyatt Places. You can usually book one for 5,000-10,000 points/night. They are modern, have kitchenettes and free breakfast, and are the perfect family place to stay. Alex booked a great one for her son’s birthday, and they had a fun staycation. Right now, we prefer to get more cards that earn Ultimate Rewards and transfer them to Hyatt for our stays there.

 

 

Citi Premier Credit Card

Right now, the Citi Premier Credit Card has a bonus offer of 75K bonus points! This makes it a good time to get it for family travel, especially if you want to travel internationally. It has many international airline partners, and it also transfers to Jet Blue. You can also transfer points 1:2 to Choice hotels, making it a great option for family hotel stays. You can read our review of this card here.

 

Bottom Line

With a family, there are a ton of expenses! We like to put everything on a credit card and get points and miles. You might as well get rewarded for all those things we “have to” pay for anyway! Which credit card will you be applying for next?