I always get the same question when it comes to my free international business or first class travel: How do you earn the miles? The answer is simple: I use the right credit cards.

Here are top credit cards for earning free international flights in each category. Personal credit card: United Explorer Visa and Business credit card: Ink Business Preferred Visa. I will review them below so read on and apply to start earning your rewards!!!!

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Please Note: I do not get paid for referrals, however if you use links in this article to apply for any of the Chase Visa products I will receive thank you points. This allows me to travel more and write my blog. I own all the credit cards I recommend.

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Ink Business Preferred Card: Best Business Travel Rewards Credit Card!!!

While there are many small business credit cards out there, this one has a unique set of perks that may make it a great option for business owners looking to maximize their earning potential and unlock valuable rewards through the Ultimate Rewards program.

Who Is This Card For?

This card is clearly geared specifically toward those with small businesses and the varied expenses that typically come along with operating said businesses. While it’s possible to apply (and get approved) for a card like the Ink Business Preferred without a formal business, the earning rates and added perks I’ll cover below are most appealing to those with an actual company.

In addition, because this card is subject to Chase’s infamous 5/24 rule, it’s a great option for those business owners who are just getting started in the hobby. Anyone who has opened 5 or more credit cards across all banks over the last two years will almost certainly be denied. So, you’ll need to be under 5/24 at the time you apply in order to have a shot at being accepted. As a result, this card (or another Chase product) should be among the first ones for which you apply.

Finally, this card is a great option for those who regularly run into problems with their cellphone, as the Ink Business Preferred is one of the few cards out there that provides cell phone protection when you pay your monthly bill with the card.

Sign-Up Bonus

If you’re approved for the card, you’ll be eligible to earn a sign-up bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This haul is worth a whopping $1,600 based on industry’s most recent valuations, mainly due to the fact that the points can be transferred to an array of travel partners like Hyatt, Iberia, Marriott and IHG.

Unfortunately, the spending threshold required to earn the sign-up bonus ($5,000) is a bit higher than most other cards with a low ($95) annual fee, as you’ll need to spend over $1,600 per month in the first three months to ensure you get the points. Then again, many businesses could spend that in a few days, so your individual situation may make this a non-issue.

Apply Here for Chase Ink Preferred Visa

Earning

When it comes to earning points, the Ink Business Preferred offers bonus categories that can be quite lucrative to small business owners. You’ll earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories:

• Travel, including airfare, hotels, rental cards, train tickets and taxis
• Shipping purchases
• Internet, cable and phone services
• Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines

This $150,000 threshold is based on your account anniversary year, so it’ll reset each year when you renew your card. Since most recent valuations peg the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, you’ll get a fantastic return of 6% on purchases in these categories. And, if you max out these categories by spending the full $150,000, you’ll take home a total of 450,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which industry values at $9,000.

Once you’ve surpassed that mark, the purchases you make in the aforementioned categories will drop down to match the earning rate of all other purchases: 1 point per dollar spent. Though not too exciting, you’re still looking at a 2% return, which isn’t bad for a card with a $95 annual fee.

Redeeming

Earning a big haul of points is one thing; redeeming them for maximum value is an entirely different story. Fortunately, the Ultimate Rewards program is filled with valuable options thanks to its 12 transfer partners. This includes nine airline programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• British Airways Executive Club
• Flying Blue (Air France-KLM)
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

And three hotel programs:

• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

In addition, most of these transfers post instantaneously, ensuring that you aren’t stuck waiting for the points or miles to arrive and wind up missing out on the redemption you wanted.

Apply Here for Chase Ink Preferred Visa

I’m particularly partial to a few of the programs, but transferring points into miles of the Star Alliance partners like United Mileage Plus is how I use my points in most efficient ways.

Regardless of which partner you choose, the power of the Ultimate Rewards program (and really any transferable point currency) is the flexibility it allows. You aren’t locked into a single airline or hotel, and you can wait until you’re ready to book to commit to one. In some cases, you can even pit programs against one another. Why transfer 45,000 Ultimate Rewards points (or more) to United for a round-trip flight from the US to Hawaii when the same flight would be just 35,000 miles booked through Singapore KrisFlyer?

Of course, you also have the option of redeeming these points at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents apiece for travel purchases like flights, hotels and rental cars that you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. Even though this is less than industry 2-cent valuation of Ultimate Rewards points, it’s also very simple and doesn’t require much effort to utilize. Remember too that when you redeem Ultimate Rewards points directly for airfare, you should earn full miles and elite credit, just as you would on a regular paid ticket.

Perks

While the earning rates and redemption options alone make this an intriguing card, you’ll also be able to utilize a number of added perks that make it even more valuable for cardholders. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the benefits:

Cellphone protection: As mentioned above, if you’re prone to damaging your cellphone, the Ink Business Preferred could be a great option. When you charge your monthly cellphone bill to the card, you and eligible employees on the plan receive up to $600 per claim for damage or theft of cellphones. However, you’re limited to three claims in a 12-month period and must pay a $100 deductible per claim. Nevertheless, this is a terrific benefit that is rare among credit cards.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: If you must cancel or cut a trip short due to a covered issue (like illness or severe weather), you’re eligible for up to $5,000 of coverage for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses, offering great peace of mind when unexpected problems arise.

Trip delay reimbursement: If a covered trip is delayed by a covered hazard for twelve or more hours — or long enough to require an overnight stay — you’ll be eligible for reimbursement of up to $500 per ticket in reasonable expenses. This can really save you in situations like poor weather where the airline generally won’t provide any compensation. Note that you only need to charge part of your common carrier fare to the card, so you’ll be covered on award tickets if you only put the taxes and fees on the card.

Primary car rental coverage: Renting a car can be a risky (and expensive) proposition, but if you use the Ink Business Preferred card for the entire rental cost and are traveling for business purposes, you’re covered for theft and damage in the US and in most countries around the world. Bear in mind that this doesn’t offer any liability coverage, but you are covered up to the actual cash value of the vehicle you’re renting.

Purchase protection: In addition to the cellphone protection, you’re also covered for other purchases. If an eligible item is damaged or stolen within the first 120 days after purchase, you’re covered up to $10,000 per claim ($50,000 per account). While I’ve fortunately never had to use this type of perk, it can be a lifesaver when something goes wrong with that brand-new purchase.

Extended warranty protection: Purchases that have a US manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less will get coverage for an extra year. This can be extremely helpful when an item stops working shortly outside its warranty.

Apply Here for Chase Ink Preferred Visa

Bottom Line

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card made a big splash when it launched, and for good reason. The sign-up bonus is among the highest we’ve seen from Chase, and if you have significant spending across the four bonus categories (travel, shipping, advertising and telecommunication providers), you’ll take home a bunch of extra Ultimate Rewards points. Finally, you and your employees will enjoy various travel protections, shopping protections and will also have primary coverage when renting a car for business purposes.

Apply Here for Chase Ink Preferred Visa

The United Explorer Card: Best Personal Credit Card for Free Flights on United and Star Alliance

Co-branded airline credit cards have evolved significantly over the years. To keep them competitive with other travel rewards cards on the market, issuers have been adding non airline-specific perks and bonus categories. Among the most improved airline cards is the United Explorer Card.

The entry-level card has a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first year and is currently offering an elevated welcome bonus that’s worth $780 based on our valuations. Besides the usual airline credit card perks like free checked bags and priority boarding, the United Explorer offers some more premium benefits, such as annual lounge visits, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit and excellent travel protections.

Apply For United Explorer Card Here!

Who Is This Card For?

Since United is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, there are plenty of credit cards that can help boost your United mileage account balance. However, if it’s elite-like benefits you’re after, such as free checked bags and priority boarding, you’re going to need one of the airline’s cobranded cards. The United Explorer Card offers all of the perks an occasional United flyer might need, including the benefits just mentioned, as well as a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (up to $100) and two United Club one-time passes each year. If you’re solely after United Club access, you’ll probably be better off with the United MileagePlus Club Card, which comes a full United Club membership, but also a significantly higher annual fee.

Keep in mind that as a Chase card, the United Explorer, along with United’s other cards, is subject to the issuer’s 5/24 rule. So, if you’ve opened more than five credit cards in the past 24 months (from all banks, not just Chase), you’ll want to hold off on applying as you likely won’t be approved.

Welcome Bonus

For a limited time, the United Explorer Card is offering a welcome bonus of 40,000 miles after you spend $2,000 in the first three months from account opening. That’s worth a solid $780 based on industry’s most recent valuations.

Earning

The United Explorer Card earns 2 miles per dollar on United, dining and hotel spending and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. While the bonus for airline spending is pretty standard, it’s nice to see that the card also offers bonuses on certain types of everyday spending — something that the most other airline cards, don’t not offer.

Apply For United Explorer Card Here!

Redeeming

You can redeem your MileagePlus miles across United’s vast network of domestic and international routes or on the carrier’s 27 Star Alliance partners.

United’s implementing a new dynamic pricing structure for travel from November 16, 2019 onwards, so moving forward, you should get fairly consistent value of your miles whenever redeeming for United flights. Domestic awards economy now start at just 5,000 miles one-way so the full welcome bonus of 40,000 miles would be enough to book a whopping 8 tickets.

The award pricing changes only apply to United-operated flights, so the best use of your miles for travel post-Nov. 15 might actually for partner redemptions. Plus, United doesn’t pass on fuel surcharges on partner awards.

To squeeze even more value of your miles, you might want to utilize United’s Excursionist Perk, which as of now is here to stay. We have an in-depth guide that explains everything you need to know about this perk, but basically, it allows you to add a free flight segment to qualifying, round-trip itineraries between two different regions at no extra cost.

You’ll typically want to avoid non-flight redemption with your United miles, such as hotel stays or merchandise, as they tend to offer a poor value proposition.

Apply For United Explorer Card Here!

Perks

Although this isn’t always the case with airline credit cards, the United Explorer Card offers a good mix of perks that don’t just revolve its sponsoring airline. Here’s a look at the United-specific perks the card offers:

• Free First Checked Bag — Get a first checked bag free on United-operated flights for you and one companion on the same reservation. A first checked bag usually costs $30 each way so this benefit can save you at least $60 for every trip that you take with checked baggage. You must include your MileagePlus number in your reservation and pay for the flight with the Explorer Card to receive this benefit.
• Two United Club Passes — Receive two, one-time United Club passes deposited into your MileagePlus account each year of card membership. This benefit alone is worth $118 per year, as day passes at the lounge cost $59 each.
• Priority Boarding — Get Group 2 boarding for you and your companions traveling on the same reservation when you include you MileagePlus number in you reservation. This is especially valuable for those prone to buying basic economy tickets as you’ll be excluded from the carry-on baggage restrictions.
• Expanded Award Availability — As a card holder, you’ll both be able to book any flight using miles at the standard (non-saver) level, and you should see better saver-level availability in economy when you log in to your MileagePlus account.
• PQD Waiver — If you’re going for Premier Silver, Gold or Platinum status, you can get the PQD requirement waived by spending $25,000 during the calendar year. Authorized users’ spending will count toward the PQD waiver and you can combine spending across cards to meet the $25,000 requirement. Just remember that the waiver does not apply to United’s top-tier Premier 1K level.
• 25% Inflight Savings — Receive 25% off inflight United purchases, including Wi-Fi, food and beverages.

Apply For United Explorer Card Here!

There are also some general travel perks that are typically only offered by more expensive premium cards:

• Application Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck — The United Explorer Card will reimburse you when you charge the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck to the card (up to $100). You can gift this perk to a friend or family member if you don’t need it for yourself. Most other cards that offer this benefit have annual fees above $400.
• Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection Access — Get valuable on-property perks like free breakfast and room upgrades when you book hotel stays through Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.

Finally, the United Explorer Card comes with a strong set of travel and shopping protections that nearly match those offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card at far lower annual fee. Card holders receive the following protections when something goes wrong on a trip:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — The United Explorer Card is among the few cards that offers primary rental coverage. This means that when you rent a car using your card, you can decline the rental car company’s collision insurance and be covered by the card up to the cash value of the vehicle in the case of theft or collision damage.
• Trip Delay Protection — If any common carrier delays your trip by 12 hours, you and your traveling companions are each covered up to $500 to purchase things like lodging, ground transportation, meals and toiletries. Even award tickets booked using miles are covered so long as a some portion of the cash outlay was paid for with the card.
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Protection — If a trip is canceled, interrupted or extended for a covered reason, you may be reimbursed up to $6,000 per trip.
• Lost/Delayed Baggage Protection — If your baggage is delayed by six or more hours, you’re eligible for reimbursement for personal items up to $100 per day for up to three days. If your bag is lost, you may be reimbursed up to $3,000 per traveler ($2,000 per bag for New York state residents).

The United Explorer Card offers the following benefits for everyday shopping:

• Purchase Protection — Get up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per year for items that are damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase.
• Extended Warranty Protection — Get an additional year of coverage on eligible purchases with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years of less.

Bottom Line

The United Explorer Card definitely isn’t your run-of-the-mill airline credit card. Between free TSA PreCheck, annual lounge visits and Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection access, the card is jam-packed with perks that will enhance your trips from start to finish — not just when you’re in the air. The card’s elevated welcome bonus of up to 40,000 miles is just the cherry on top.

Apply For United Explorer Card Here!

Are you looking for Best Hotel Reward Credit Cards? Click Here!

Please Note: I do not get paid for referrals, however if you use links in this article to apply for any of the Chase Visa products I will receive thank you points. This allows me to travel more and write my blog. I own all the credit cards I recommend.

Thank you for your support!!!