If you’re an avid points and miles traveler, you may have multiple premium credit cards in your wallet. This is for a good reason: these cards tend to have excellent perks that can make your travel experience more enjoyable.
That said, some of these cards may have overlapping benefits, like Global Entry statement credits, lounge passes and airline fee credits.
If you have overlapping or expiring perks you can’t take advantage of, consider giving them as a gift this holiday season. The odds are that someone in your circle of loved ones would greatly appreciate Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, a free hotel night or access to an airport lounge.
In this article, I’ll show you all of the credit card perks you can give as gifts to travel-loving friends. Let’s dive in!
Global Entry and TSA PreCheck
Almost all premium travel credit cards include a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application reimbursement worth up to $100 once every four or five years, depending on the card. These programs give you access to expedited airport security lines for up to five years.
Luckily, the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit isn’t restricted to the cardholder. Thus, if you have multiple cards that offer this benefit, you can use one to pay for your own application, and then you can gift another to someone else by using one of your other cards to pay that person’s application fee. It will appear on your credit card statement as a charge from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the credit should come through within a few days.
TSA PreCheck is included with Global Entry, and the price difference is minimal ($78-$85 for the former versus $100 for the latter). Both will be reimbursed in full by most credit cards that have this type of fee waiver.
Here are some of the top eligible cards that come with a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit:
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The Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cards offer reimbursement for Global Entry once every four years and reimbursement for TSA PreCheck once every 4½ years. The Citi AAdvantage Executive card offers reimbursement for either program once every five years. The other cards on this list offer reimbursement for either program every five years.
Related: 13 things you should know about Global Entry before your next trip
Free hotel nights
Some hotel credit cards offer an annual free award night on your account anniversary, and you can use these awards to book someone else a stay. These generally expire after a year. If you can’t use an award night, you can give it to a friend or family member instead.
In most cases, you can either book the hotel under someone else’s name with the certificate or book the stay under your name and add the recipient as an additional guest. The guest can then check in without you being present.
That said, be aware that all free nights aren’t created equal, as there are restrictions on the hotel category and point value. Here’s a look:
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: 7 of the best hotel credit cards that come with an annual free night
Airline companion tickets
Several airline-cobranded credit cards include companion certificates as an annual perk. You can use these to bring a companion with you on a flight for just the cost of taxes plus other related fees. If you have a certificate available, invite a friend to go with you on a future trip and cover the cost of their flight reservation with the companion ticket.
That said, each airline companion ticket is created differently. The Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card includes an annual companion ticket that lets you bring a companion for $122 ($99 fare and the cost of taxes and fees from $23). It can only be used on economy fares, but tickets are eligible for upgrades with a certificate or a complimentary elite upgrade.
Here’s a look at all the cards that offer companion tickets:
The information for the Aviator Red and Aviator Silver cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: What happens if you’ve used your companion certificate for a canceled flight?
Annual travel credits
If you have a credit card with travel credits, you could use these to improve a friend’s or relative’s travel experience. That could be a nicer seat, hotel stay or paying for that person’s checked bags.
Use the annual travel credits on the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum
The Amex Platinum comes with up to $200 in annual prepaid hotel credits and up to $200 in annual airline incidental credits each year. The Amex Business Platinum also comes with up to $200 in annual airline incidental statement credits. (Enrollment is required in advance for select benefits.)
Check out TPG’s complete guide to using the Amex airline fee credit to find even more ways to use your credit.
With the Amex Platinum, you can book a prepaid hotel stay ahead of the new year — even if the hotel stay isn’t until after New Year, so long as you make the payment before this year ends. Do note that you, as the cardholder, must be checking into the hotel, so this is only possible if you are traveling with your loved one.
Chase’s travel credits are broader
Those with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card enjoy up to $300 in annual travel credits. This covers any expense that codes as travel, including Uber rides, hotel stays, airfare and just about anything else related to travel.
Most of us probably have used our Chase travel credits by this point in the year, given how broad it is, but if you happen to still have some of that credit kicking around, you can get creative in how you gift it.
Related: Which purchases count as travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Other cards with travel credits
There are other credit cards offering travel credits each year, as well. You can use these to gift travel experiences or trip improvements for others:
The information for the Altitude Reserve, Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite, and Hilton Honors Aspire cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Annual shopping credits
The Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cards offer several annual shopping credits each year, which come in the form of statement credits after qualifying purchases.
The personal version includes:
Meanwhile, the business version offers:
Enrollment is required in advance for these benefits, and your reimbursement will come in the form of a statement credit after qualifying purchases.
Related: Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum shopping credits reset soon — why you should use them now
Authorized user perks
One of the easiest ways to give a variety of benefits to someone — and not just during the holiday season — is to make them an authorized user on your credit card.
The specific perks granted to authorized users vary from one card to another, but this also can be an excellent method for helping someone build or rebuild their credit.
Two of the best credit cards for authorized user benefits are the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard and the Capital One Venture X.
The Citi AAdvantage Executive card gives Admirals Club access to the primary cardholder and authorized users with a same-day boarding pass for an eligible flight (add up to three authorized users for $175 total, then $175 for each additional one.)
The Venture X card also offers lounge perks to authorized users, as well as rental car elite status* — both at no cost for up to four authorized users (see rates and fees).
Here are some cards with significant benefits for authorized users:
*Effective 2/1/25, Reserve and Reserve Business Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. [Once all 15 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits (including Grab and Go) at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card.]
Bottom line
The holidays are a great time for sharing the benefits of premium rewards cards. Whether it’s a lounge pass, companion certificate or another travel perk, it can go a long way for someone who doesn’t have points and miles of their own. Plus, when you give those perks as gifts, you’re letting friends and loved ones experience the value of the points and miles hobby. Who knows? The gift alone might inspire them to start their own points and miles journey.
Related: The best credit cards for holiday purchases
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Business card, click here.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g., at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
