We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

We’ve Expertly Reviewed 6 Ultra-Premium Travel Cards and This One Came Out on Top

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

    In the world of miles and points, a few cards rise to the top in the ultra-premium category.  These cards typically come with very large welcome bonuses, a slew of great travel perks, and a high annual fee.

    But even though the annual fees on these cards are substantial, the value you get from all of the perks and rewards often outweighs the cost of keeping the card!

    Use the Points You Earn With These Premium Travel Cards to Fly To Hawaii for Free!

    I’ll take a look at the best premium cards and help you decide which ones are best for you.

    When ranking the cards, I took into consideration the welcome bonus, the card’s perks and benefits, and the value you get from the points you earn and how you earn them.

    1.   Chase Sapphire Reserve

    Apply Here:   Chase Sapphire Reserve

    Our Review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve

    The Chase Sapphire Reserve card tops our list for a few reasons.

    Welcome Bonus:   You’ll earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.  That’s worth $750 in travel when you redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal for paid travel.  Or potentially much more when you transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Hyatt, or Singapore Airlines!

    Rewards Earning:   With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you earn 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on travel (excluding $300 travel credit) and dining worldwide.  And you’ll earn 1 Chase Ultimate Reward point per $1 on all other purchases.

    Strongest Additional Perks:   The Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s biggest perks include:

    Worth the Annual Fee?   The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a $450 annual fee.  However, once you factor in the $300 annual travel credit, your net cost is essentially $150 ($450 annual fee – $300 credit).

    If you apply for Global Entry, which costs $100, you are only paying $50 the first year.  And that gets you 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points as a welcome bonus (at least $750 in value), access to Priority Pass lounges around the world, 3X points earning potential on dining and travel purchases, and a lot more!  Make sure you read our full review of the Sapphire Reserve to see all the additional perks that come along with the card.

    Transfer Points Earned With the Chase Sapphire Reserve to Marriott and Stay Steps Away From Myrtle Beach for Free!

    2.   The Platinum Card® from American Express

    Apply Here:   The Platinum Card® from American Express

    Our Review of the The Platinum Card® from American Express

    Welcome Bonus:   With The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll earn 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account.  You could redeem those 60,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points for $600 of travel booked with AMEX Travel.  Or you can transfer your points to AMEX travel partners like Delta and Air Canada to get even more value!

    Rewards Earning:   The Platinum Card from American Express earns 5X points per $1 spent on airfare booked directly with airlines or through AMEX Travel.  You’ll also earn 5X points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through AMEX Travel.  All other purchases will earn 1X point per $1 spent.

     

    Strongest Additional Perks:   The AMEX Platinum comes with great features, including:

     

    Worth the Annual Fee?   The annual fee on the AMEX Platinum card is $550 (See Rates & Fees).  If you plan on using the $200 airline credit and the $200 in Uber credit, your net cost drops to $150 ($550 annual fee – $200 airline credit – $200 in Uber credit).  If you use this card and apply for Global Entry, you’ll essentially be paying a fee of $50 in the first year.

    For that $50, you’ll earn 60,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points, Priority Pass and Centurion Lounge access, and hotel status at Hilton and Marriott / Starwood.  I highly recommend reading our full review of the AMEX Platinum card to read about the additional perks that come along with this card.

    3.   The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

    Apply Here:   The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

    Our Review of the Business Platinum® Card from American Express

     

    Welcome Bonus:   When you apply for The Business Platinum® Card from American Express you can earn up to 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.

    You’ll earn 50,000 points after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening, and another 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 on qualifying purchases within the same time frame.

    Rewards Earning:   With the AMEX Business Platinum card, you’ll earn 5X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 when you book airfare and prepaid hotels through the AMEX travel portal.  You will also earn 1.5X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 on single purchases of $5,000+ (up to 1 million additional points per calendar year).  All other purchases earn 1X AMEX Membership Rewards point per $1 spent.

    Strongest Additional Perks:   The additional benefits on the business version of the AMEX Platinum differ slightly from the personal version of the card.  With the AMEX Business Platinum you’ll get:

    Worth the Annual Fee?   The AMEX Business Platinum card comes with a $450 annual fee.  If you plan on using the $200 airline credit, your net cost is $250 ($450 annual fee – $200 airline credit).

    But Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes are normally ~$22 per flight and Global Entry applications cost $100.  If you factor those in, your fee gets closer to ~$100 depending on how many Wi-Fi passes you use.

    If you are a small business owner who can meet the minimum spending requirements, this card is an outstanding value!

    Move AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Delta or Air Canada for Flights to Amazing European Cities Like Berlin

    4.    Citi Prestige® Card

    Apply Here:   Citi Prestige® Card

    The Citi Prestige card stays in the wallets of Million Mile Secrets team members year after year.  Here’s why.

    Welcome Bonus:   Currently, the Citi Prestige does NOT have a welcome bonus.  But it has in the past.

    Rewards Earning:   With the Citi Prestige card, you’ll earn 3X Citi ThankYou points per $1 on air travel and hotels, 2X Citi ThankYou points per $1 on dining and entertainment, and 1X Citi ThankYou point per $1 spent on other purchases.

    Strongest Additional Perks:   The Citi Prestige card also offers these money-saving benefits:

    Worth the Annual Fee?   While the Citi Prestige card has an annual fee of $450 and has no intro bonus, it does have enough behind it to consider opening.  It has good bonus categories and after the $250 flight credit and $100 Global entry credit, you can really get value with the 4th night free perk if you book a couple of 4-night stays per year.  I would personally wait until a welcome bonus was available before applying.

    5.   Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

    Apply Here:   Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

    Welcome Bonus:   Currently the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express is offering 100,000 Hilton points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

    Rewards Earning:   With the Hilton Honors Aspire, you earn 14X Hilton points per $1 spent at Hilton, 7X Hilton points per $1 on eligible purchases at US restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and 3X Hilton points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

    Strongest Additional Perks:   In addition to the 100,000 Hilton point intro bonus, you’ll also get:

    Worth the Annual Fee?   The Hilton Honors Aspire is a no-brainer for folks who stay at Hilton hotels.  The card does have an annual fee of $450, however, it has a $250 airline credit as well as a $250 credit if you use your card for purchases at Hilton resorts such as at restaurants or spas.  However, if you are looking for more flexibility in your premium card, I would take a harder look at the cards I mentioned earlier.

    The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

     
    Get a $250 Credit at Hilton Resorts Like the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa When You Have the AMEX Hilton Honors Aspire Card

    6.   US Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

    Apply Here:   US Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

    Our Review of the US Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

    Welcome Bonus:   With the US Bank Altitude Reserve card, you can earn 50,000 points (worth $750 in travel) after spending $4,500 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.

    Rewards Earning:   With the US Bank Altitude Reserve, you’ll earn 3X points per $1 on travel purchases, 3X points per $1 on mobile wallet purchases (like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay), and 1X points on all other purchases.

    Strongest Additional Perks:   In addition to the intro bonus, you’ll also get:

    Worth the Annual Fee?   While I think this card has a lot to offer, it does have some restrictions that move it down my list.  The first is you must be an existing US Bank customer to be approved for the card.  Any relationship is fine (checking account, other credit cards, etc.) however, US Bank doesn’t let you open bank accounts with them if you don’t live near a branch.

    And they are picky with approvals, so applying for an alternative card then applying for the US Bank Altitude Reserve card probably wouldn’t work either.  If you are already a US Bank customer, I would move this card up to #4 in this list because the $400 annual fee is negated by the $325 travel credit and combination of Gogo Wi-Fi passes and Global Entry statement credit.  Earning 3X points on all mobile wallet purchases is great, because more and more merchants accept Google / Apple Pay.

    Bottom Line

    For me, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes out on top with its welcome bonus of 50,000 highly valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting minimum spending requirements, the $300 annual travel credit, and other perks like airport lounge access.

    But I also like:

    Which premium cards do you have in your wallet?  What helped you make your decision and what perks do you like the most?  Let us know below!

    For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)