Getting ahead with travel credit cards is all about timing: Opening a card when the welcome bonus is at its highest is what it's all about. If you're in the market for a new travel credit card, this is the place to start.
Just as we do every month, we've assembled a list of the best currently available credit card offers for May 2026 – and everything you need to know if you are thinking about taking advantage. Some of these big bonuses are limited-time offers – with a few ending in a matter of days – while others should be around for a while. Plan accordingly!
But remember: Credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card if you're already in debt, and never charge more to a credit card than you can afford to pay off immediately. However many points and miles you can earn, they're not worth it.
Not sure which card is best for you? Check out CardPilot, our brand-new tool designed to help beginners and experts alike choose the right card to fuel their travels!
1. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Current Offer
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Annual Fee: annual_fees
Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
For a limited time, Chase is out with an offer to earn 150,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points after spending $6,000 in the first three months of card membership. That's the biggest offer we've ever seen on the card and up from the standard offer of 125,000 points for the same spending requirement.
The card offers a ton of benefits that Chase pegs at $3,000-plus – whether you'll be able to take advantage of all of them is another question entirely. That said, the math works well in year one, as the 150,000 points are worth at least $1,500 toward travel and likely much more if you use Chase's transfer partners.
Read More: Limited-Time Offer: Earn 150K Points With the New Chase Sapphire Reserve®
2. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Current Offer
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Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *capital one venture card*
Why This Offer Makes the List
Considering Capital One miles can be used to cover nearly any travel purchase at a rate of 1 cent per mile, the current 75,000-mile bonus you'll earn after spending $4,000 in the first three months is worth a minimum of $750 towards travel.
While you won't get all the perks that come with the premium *venture x* , you also won't be on the hook for a $395 annual fee each year. And you'll be earning the same unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, just like the Venture X. This means it'll be easy to keep racking up miles well after you earn the big bonus.
The Venture Card includes a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership – making it one of the most cost-effective ways to get this benefit from a credit card.
With a big offer like this, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better card for someone just getting started with points and miles.
Read More: All About the Capital One Venture Card
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current Offer
We've long considered the *chase sapphire preferred* to be one of the best cards for anyone just getting started with points and miles … and that still hasn't changed.
Its current sign-up bonus is a big reason why: You can currently earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in your first three months from account opening.
Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *csp*
Why This Offer Makes the List
So, what can 75,000 points get you? In two words: A lot.
Those points are worth a minimum of $750 toward flights, hotels, and other travel expenses booked through Chase Travel℠. They can also be redeemed for $750 in cash (deposited into a Chase bank account), applied as a statement credit, or used for a number of third-party gift cards.
But you can probably do even better by leveraging Chase's transfer partners and sending those points to airlines like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios – or even a top-notch hotel partner like Hyatt – instead.
The value of the Chase Sapphire Preferred goes well beyond its initial welcome bonus, though. When you use the card for purchases, you'll earn 3x points on dining, online grocery orders, and streaming services, 2x on travel (even more through Chase Travel), and 1x on all other purchases. Add in the card's annual $50 hotel credit for bookings made through Chase Travel, and it's clear why this card is such a favorite among beginners and experts alike.
Not to mention, the Sapphire Preferred seems ripe for an annual fee hike. Grab it now and lock in at least one year at the current $95 annual fee price point.
4. American Express® Gold Card
Current Offer
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Annual Fee: $325 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the *amex gold*
Why This Offer Makes the List
The *amex gold card* is one of our favorite travel rewards cards, period.
With the new offer on the Amex Gold, you can now earn as high as 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months. After you submit your application – but before you accept the card (if you are approved) and your credit score is pulled – Amex will let you know the exact welcome offer you are eligible for.
The Gold Card earns 4x points for every dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually, then 1x) and 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 annually, then 1x), making it arguably the best card to use for all your food purchases.
You'll also get up to $120 in dining credits each year (doled out in $10 monthly increments) to spend at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, or Five Guys, up to $84 in Dunkin' Credit each year (up to $7 per month), up to $100 in Resy Credit per year (up to $50 semi-annually), and up to $120 annually in Uber Cash ($10 per month) to use on both Uber and Uber Eats in the U.S. All of these credits are use-them-or-lose-them benefits, any unused amount won't roll over from month-to-month.
Maximizing these credits alone will cover all your $325 annual fee and then some. These credits and bonus categories are a big reason why we feel the card is easily worth the $325 annual fee.
Read our full review of the American Express Gold Card.
5. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Current Offer
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Considering you earn at least 2x miles for every dollar you spend on the Venture X Card, you'll have at least 83,000 miles (worth at least $830 towards travel) right off the bat.
Annual Fee: $395
Learn more about the *capital one venture x*
Why This Offer Makes the List
The Venture X is a souped-up version of the ever-popular *capital one venture card* that's chock full of extra benefits like access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass™ lounges. It also includes an annual $300 Capital One Travel credit, a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, great travel and rental car protections, and more.
Sure, the card's $395 annual fee may immediately turn off some travelers, but in practice, the card is actually far cheaper. Consider this: You get an automatic $300 credit towards travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal each year – and then, starting in year two, you get a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (worth a minimum of $100).
Are you the kind of person who plans to spend $400 a year or more on travel? If so, do the math, and you’ll see your real out-of-pocket cost isn't much. And it's an even better deal when you add in all the other perks and welcome bonus, which you can use to cover nearly any travel purchase.
Read More: A Full Review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
6. The American Express Platinum Card®
Current Offer
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Annual Fee: annual_fees (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the *amex platinum*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
With the new “as high as” offer on the *amex platinum* you might be eligible for a big welcome offer! Exactly what bonus offer you're eligible for will vary, but after a recent hike to the spending requirement, you can now earn as high as 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in the first six months.
After you submit your application – but before you accept the card (if you are approved) and your credit score is pulled – Amex will let you know the exact welcome offer you are eligible for.
There's a reason why the *amex platinum* comes with such a high price tag … after the latest round of changes last year, the card is chock-full of new benefits. But with a huge welcome offer bonus and unbeatable travel perks, now is as good a time as ever to get the Platinum Card.
And while that big annual fee may be hard to stomach, you can still come out way ahead in your first year, thanks in part to the huge welcome offer. Better yet, you can double-dip by opening the card now: Use up a bunch of money-saving credits before the year ends, then get another round of perks come Jan. 1 when everything resets for the New Year.
Just know that if you don't already have an American Express Membership Rewards-earning card, it may be better to start at the bottom and work your way up. With changes to Amex application rules, going straight to Amex's best card could cost you additional new card welcome offers down the road.
7. The Bilt Palladium Card
Current Offer
You can currently earn 50,000 Bilt Points and instant Bilt Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months. You'll also get $300 of Bilt Cash.
Annual Fee: $495 (see rates & fees)
Apply for the Bilt Palladium.
Why This Offer Makes the List
If you've been following the Bilt 2.0 saga, you're likely aware that the rollout has been anything but smooth. But if earning points on your monthly rent or mortgage payment sounds intriguing, the brand new Bilt Palladium card is still worth a look.
It's the only card in Bilt's new card portfolio that offers a welcome bonus. You'll also earn at least 2x Bilt points on every dollar you spend – making it a great option for spending that wouldn't earn a bonus on other cards.
If you're willing to deal with a little bit of complication, the Palladium card is worth a look – especially in year one, as Bilt points are some of the most valuable points you can earn.
Read More: From No Thanks to No-Brainer: Why I Pulled a U-Turn on the Bilt Palladium Card
8. Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card
Current Offer
Receive a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. Additionally, earn 80,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 within the first 120 days.
Annual Fee: $95
All information about the Atmos Rewards Ascent Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Why This Offer Makes the List
This is the best offer we've ever seen on the Atmos Ascent card, and considering the insane value you can get from these points, it's certainly worth your attention.
For those unfamiliar, Atmos Rewards is Alaska's new loyalty program, borne out of the airline's merger with Hawaiian Airlines last year. The good news? With one-way business class fares to Europe as low as 45,000 points and short-haul economy flights starting at just 4,500 points each way, it's (mostly) the same program travelers know and love.
On top of that big bonus, the card also comes with a few meaningful perks like free checked baggage for you and up to six guests on your reservation (when paid with the card), priority boarding, and the ability to earn status points based on your spending.
We don't know for sure how long this offer will last, but the bank has indicated it's “ending soon.” If you've had your eyes on this card, now is the time to act!
Learn More about the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Why This Offer Makes the List
If you've got a good use for Alaska Atmos Rewards points – and trust us, you do … even if you never fly Alaska Airlines – there's never been a better time than now to earn a whole bunch of them … in a hurry.
For those unfamiliar, Atmos Rewards is Alaska's new loyalty program, borne out of the airline's merger with Hawaiian Airlines last year. The good news? With one-way business class fares to Europe as low as 45,000 points and short-haul economy flights starting at just 4,500 points each way, it's (mostly) the same program travelers know and love.
Alaska is advertising this big bonus as “the best offer of the year,” and it truly is a great offer. Not only can you earn a huge stash of points, but the 50% off flight discount code and $99 Companion Fare both have the potential to be quite valuable in their own right.
Beyond the big bonus, you'll also get benefits like free checked baggage, priority boarding, and earn status points from your everyday spending.
Bottom Line
May is off to a hot start with a handful of elevated credit card offers. While there are plenty of cards and bonuses to choose from, we think these are the best travel rewards card offers currently available.
Be sure to check our Top Credit Cards Page, as offers are always changing.
I had the JetBlue Plus Barclay card and was denied the Aviator… but they said the reason was how many accounts opened in the last 24 months (though they couldn’t give me a number of how many was too many!) and how much credit I have (but they couldn’t move any of my $10k credit line from the JetBlue card to get me approved). Disappointing as I had been waiting for this attractive bonus on the Aviator card, and I have very good credit with not a ridiculous amount of accounts open (maybe 10-12 over the last 5 years and half of those in the last 2 years).
Hey do you know if you already have a Barclay card with Jet blue can you still qualify for an aviator Red card?
Also My husband had an aviator card and canceled it in Jan ’22 and I was a signer on it, can I apply for my own and get the sign on bonus? Its not clear in the terms.
Thanks,
Wendy
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