These are the cards in our wallets right now — the ones we use to keep our travels affordable with points and miles.
Travel Credit Cards for Slow-Traveling Couples (Fall 2026): which cards to open, in what order, by region and travel style.
Not sure where to start? Work down this list. Our referral links earn us bonus points if you are approved, at no cost to you, and a card without one just links to the issuer.
| Card | Get it if | Annual fee | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Start here. Everyday spending, and points you can move to Hyatt and other partners. | $95 | See this offer → |
| Chase Ink Business | You have side income or a small business. Earns more on transit, telecom and internet. | $95 | See this offer → |
| IHG One Rewards Premier | You stay in IHG hotels, especially where Hyatt is thin. | $150 | See this offer → |
| United Explorer | You fly United, or want the San Francisco to Sapporo nonstop. | $0 first year, then $150 | See this offer → |
| Chase World of Hyatt | You stay at Hyatt. Earns Hyatt points directly. | $95 | No referral link Issuer page → |
| Bank of America Atmos Ascent | You want Alaska and Hawaiian miles, and a free checked bag. | $95 | No referral link Issuer page → |
Welcome offers change, so check the terms on the link before you apply. See the details for each card below.
We run two separate points ecosystems side by side — Chase Ultimate Rewards and hotel loyalty points — and each card has a specific job.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is our everyday workhorse. Most of our spending goes on this card, earning Ultimate Rewards points that we primarily transfer to World of Hyatt — our favourite redemption by far given the value per point.
The Chase Ink Business handles transit and telecommunications — categories where the Ink earns at a higher rate than the Sapphire. Both cards feed into the same Chase Ultimate Rewards pool, so the points combine seamlessly.
The Chase World of Hyatt card is our dedicated Hyatt card. When we're staying at a Hyatt property, this is the card we use — earning Hyatt points directly and keeping that balance growing alongside our Ultimate Rewards transfers.
The IHG One Rewards card builds its own separate hotel point balance. We use it when we're staying within IHG directly — particularly in more remote regions where Hyatt properties are limited.
The result is two hotel redemption paths — Hyatt (via two routes) and IHG — funded by a focused stack of cards each doing a specific job.
Two routes land on Hyatt — transferred Ultimate Rewards and points earned directly at the property. That redundancy is deliberate; it is why Hyatt is our primary redemption.
Our most-used card and the heart of our points strategy — the transfer partners alone make it worth carrying. The $95 annual fee is easily offset by the $100 annual hotel credit through Chase Travel.
This is how we earn points fast on transit and telecom. If you have any kind of side income or small business, this card is a game changer — and at $95 a year, it pays for itself quickly.
When we're off the beaten path, IHG's global reach means there's almost always a property nearby. At $150 a year, the anniversary free night and fourth-night-free benefit on award stays make it well worth carrying.
Welcome offer ends November 18, 2026: 180,000 points after $3,000 in the first 3 months. Our link also lets you choose the $350 Premier Select, which keeps Platinum status. Read our review →
We picked this up while booking our flight back to Otaru, to use United's new seasonal nonstop from San Francisco to Sapporo. The first year has no annual fee, and the card comes with a free first checked bag, two United Club one-time passes and priority boarding. We'll decide on year two after the trip.
Which offer you see matters. The one we took came up during checkout on united.com: a $400 statement credit after your first purchase, plus bonus miles. A referral link like ours may show a larger mileage bonus but no statement credit. If you're about to buy a United flight and want the credit, look for the card offer in the united.com checkout first, if it's still available. Read the full story →
Hyatt is our most-used hotel program — this card earns Hyatt points directly on stays and keeps our balance growing alongside our Ultimate Rewards transfers. The annual free night certificate alone covers the $95 fee.
Our newest addition, added specifically to fund a Japan trip. We took the 70,000-point welcome offer, which covered a reward flight on its own. The current offer is 50,000 points (October 2026), so it stretches less far now. A free checked bag plus preferred boarding for up to 6 guests on the reservation wipes out the annual fee the first time we fly.
Start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It's the foundation of the whole system — flexible points, great transfer partners, and a $95 annual fee that's easy to justify. Once you have that, the Ink Business is the natural next step if you have any side income.
Not at all. If you're just starting out, one Chase card is enough to get going. We built up to this stack over time as our travel style became clearer. The Sapphire Preferred is where most people should begin.
"Business" is broader than you might think. Freelancing, consulting, selling on eBay or Etsy, or any side income can qualify. You apply as a sole proprietor using your Social Security number — no LLC or formal business structure required.
Yes — none of the cards in our stack charge foreign transaction fees, which was a non-negotiable for us.
It depends on your spending, but the signup bonuses alone on the Chase cards can get you several free hotel nights right out of the gate. We earned our first meaningful redemption within the first three months of getting the Sapphire Preferred.
Not at all — the strategy works just as well for one or two longer trips a year. The points stack up the same way regardless of how often you travel. The difference is that slow travellers tend to get outsized value from hotel perks like free breakfast and lounge access, since they're staying longer in each place.
Yes — every card earns at least 1 point per dollar on everything, with higher rates on specific categories. The key is putting the right spending on the right card. That's exactly what the "How the Cards Work Together" section above covers.