Presenting the credit cards, airlines, hotels, cruises, lounges and loyalty programs that are transforming every phase of the travel journey – from Chase Sapphire to American Express, Marriott Bonvoy, JetBlue, Alaska, Carnival Cruise Line and more

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Points Guy (TPG), the trusted media platform focused on maximizing travel experiences while minimizing spending, announced the winners of the 2024 TPG Awards. In its seventh year, the awards celebrate the companies improving every phase of the travel journey, including the best reward credit cards, lounges, loyalty programs, airline experiences, hotel programs, cruises and more.

This year's winners include the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which received the "Best Travel Rewards Credit Card" award for the seventh year in a row, with the Capital One Venture X and Bilt Mastercard keeping their titles as "Best Premium Travel Card" and "Best No-Annual-Fee Rewards Card" respectively. Japan was also named the "Best International Destination for Stretching Dollars & Points," while Carnival took home "Best Cruise Line for Maximizing Value."

In addition to the categories chosen by a panel of TPG editorial experts, TPG also introduced five data-backed awards for the first time: the "Best U.S. Airline Loyalty Program," "Best Hotel Loyalty Program," "Best Credit Card for Lounge Access," "Best Credit Card Exclusive Lounge Network" and "Best Luxury Hotel Collection Bookable via Credit Card." Using a proprietary formula to factor in elements like number of locations, related annual fees, redemption benefits and more, the highest-scoring entity in each category was crowned the winner. For these awards, Amex Platinum was named the "Best Credit Card for Lounge Access," while Marriott Bonvoy won the "Best Hotel Loyalty Program" and American AAdvantage maintained its status as the "Best Airline Loyalty Program."

"The modern travel experience is so much more than just booking the best flight. Especially now that travel is hitting a record high, consumers are looking for an easier and higher quality experience every step of the way – from inspiration, planning and booking to enjoying the flight and exploring (or unwinding at) their final destination," said Brian Kelly, Founder of The Points Guy. "The 2024 TPG awards celebrate the companies doing just that – from legacy credit cards that continue to outdo themselves each year to new hotels, cruises and destinations that are helping consumers make the most of their points and dollars."

A full list of 2024 award winners can be found below:

• Travel Inspiration
  • Best premium travel card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
  • Best no-annual-fee travel rewards credit card: Bilt Mastercard
  • Best new or refreshed credit card: Wells Fargo Autograph JourneySM Card
  • Dream airline redemption: Etihad A380 Apartment
  • Best new points hotel: Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island
  • Best luxury hotel collection bookable via credit card: American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts (data-driven)
  • Best luxury cruise line: Silversea Cruises
  • Best cruise line for maximizing value: Carnival Cruise Line
    
• Planning & Booking
  • Best travel rewards credit card: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
  • Best business credit card: American Express Business Gold Card
  • Best sign-up bonus: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
  • Best credit card lounge network: American Express Centurion Lounges (data-driven)
  • Best hotel loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy (data-driven)
  • Best hotel elite status: World of Hyatt Globalist
  • Best U.S. airline elite status: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K
  • Best U.S. airline loyalty program: American Airlines AAdvantage (data-driven)
  • Best cruise loyalty program: Norwegian Cruise Line
    
• Enjoying the Journey
  • Best credit card for lounge access: The Platinum Card from American Express (data-driven)
  • Best airline co-branded credit card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
  • Best premium airline credit card: Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
  • Best new U.S. lounge: Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia
  • Best business class on a U.S. airline: Delta One
  • Best long haul / international business class: Qatar QSuites
  • Best long haul / international first class: JAL A350-1000
  • Best long haul / international premium economy: Emirates
  • Best U.S. economy cabin: JetBlue
  • Best cruise line for adults: Virgin Voyages
    
• Exploring & Unwinding
  • Best cash back credit card: Citi Double Cash Card
  • Best hotel co-branded credit card: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
  • Best new all-inclusive points hotel: Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort
  • Best free hotel breakfast: Embassy Suites by Hilton
  • Best international destination for stretching dollars & points: Japan
  • Best new cruise ship: Icon of the Seas
  • Best VIP ship within a ship: MSC Yacht Club

Since 2018, The Points Guy has been recognizing the best in airlines, travel, credit cards and loyalty programs through the annual TPG Awards. Aside from the data-backed categories, nominees were selected by TPG editors who have traveled around the world to thoroughly assess which products and companies were the best in each category. Please visit to learn more.

TPG also just released its annual Travel Trends Report to help consumers plan ahead for 2025. In addition to forecasting the top destinations and best seasons for travel, the report highlights how factors like overtourism, climate change, government regulations and changing points/mileage policies could impact travelers next year. For more information, please visit thepointsguy.com/traveltrends.

About The Points Guy
The Points Guy (TPG) is a trusted travel media platform that focuses on maximizing travel experiences while minimizing spending. Through an informative, clever point of view, TPG has become the leading online site for all things points, miles and resourceful travel experiences. The site's editorial content, newsletter and app consists of firsthand flight, hotel and airplane reviews, curated travel guides and immersive video components, as well as global event activations. Since its launch in 2010, founder Brian Kelly has expanded the team to include a distinguished editorial staff and extensive network of freelancers around the globe. Today, TPG reaches 11 million unique monthly visitors and more than 5 million followers across social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok).

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SOURCE The Points Guy