Best Credit Card for Domestic Travel
Looking for the perfect card to maximize your points on domestic travel? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card stands out as the top choice for its flexibility, earning potential, and valuable transfer partners.
Why Chase Sapphire Preferred Is the Best Option
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points transfer 1:1 to several key programs for domestic travel, including:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® – Southwest points are consistently worth ~1.5 cents each, and the airline offers extreme flexibility with free changes and cancellations up to 10 minutes before departure.
- United MileagePlus® – Excellent for booking United flights or Star Alliance partners. Great value can often be found when saver award space is available.
- JetBlue TrueBlue – Chase is a 1:1 transfer partner to TrueBlue when many other banks are not. JetBlue provides strong value for domestic economy flights, which I often book to fly from the West to the East Coast for only around 10K TrueBlue points.
Booking Flights to Hawaii with Chase Transfer Partners
If you can find saver award space, you can book great deals on flights to Hawaii using:
- British Airways Avios – Redeem for flights on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines.
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer – Book United flights to Hawaii at competitive rates.
Chase Travel℠ Portal Redemptions
If award availability is limited, you can still get strong fixed value using the Chase Travel℠ Portal:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – Redeem up to 1.50 cents per point (CPP) for economy flights and some hotels, and up to 1.75 cents per point for premium (business/first‑class) flights with Points Boost
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® – Redeem at up to 2 cents per point (CPP) with Points Boost
While not as valuable as a top-tier award redemption, this is a reliable, flexible option—especially for domestic flights, where finding exceptional award value is often more difficult.
| Credit Card | Annual Fee | Welcome Bonus | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $95 | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | Learn more |
 Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $795 | Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | Learn more |
Other Great Cards for Domestic Travel
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Cards: Ideal for Southwest fans, with revenue-based redemptions, free changes, and access to the Companion Pass®. Sign-up bonuses change frequently and sometimes include limited-time Companion Pass offers. See below for current offers.
- United Explorer or United Business Card – Great for United travelers, offering expanded saver award availability, free checked bags, and priority boarding.
- Citi® AAdvantage® Platinum Select® or AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard® – Best for earning American Airlines miles through sign-up bonuses and ongoing spend.
| Credit Card | Annual Fee | Welcome Bonus | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
 Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card | $229 | Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 5 months from account opening. | Learn more |
 Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | $99 | Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 5 months from account opening. | Learn more |
 The New United℠ Explorer Card | $150 | Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open | Learn more |
 The New United℠ Business Card | $150 | Limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Learn more |
Why Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Wins
The Chase Sapphire Preferred delivers unmatched flexibility for domestic travel. With valuable transfer partners like Southwest, United, and more, plus the ability to redeem points through the Chase Travel℠ Portal with Points Boost, it’s a versatile tool for any U.S. traveler.
Pair it with Roame to search for award flights across programs, compare redemptions, and set alerts so you never miss a deal.
