Two Cards That Beat Premium Travel Cards for Less

✌️ The Perfect Two-Card Combo Does Exist

If you’re looking for a travel rewards card pairing that punches well above its weight, it’s hard to beat the combination of the *chase sapphire preferred* and the *venture x*.

These two cards complement each other almost perfectly.

The Sapphire Preferred is one of the best cards for earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points on everyday spending while unlocking access to Chase’s stellar airline and hotel transfer partners. The Venture X fills in the gaps with premium perks like airport lounge access, an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit, 2x miles on every purchase, and its own roster of valuable transfer partners.

Together, you get the best of both worlds: two flexible points currencies, more than 30 airline and hotel transfer partners, strong earnings on everyday spending, and premium travel benefits without paying the eye-popping annual fee of some luxury cards.

That also makes this combo a compelling alternative to the *chase sapphire reserve*. While the Reserve packs plenty of perks, carrying both the Sapphire Preferred and Venture X actually costs less in annual fees while giving you access to two transferable rewards programs instead of one. Unless you’re dead set on Chase Sapphire Lounge access or maximizing Chase’s elevated travel earning rates on the Sapphire Reserve, many travelers will come out ahead with the two-card setup.

If you’re wondering where to start, the answer is easy: Start with the Sapphire Preferred.

It currently comes with a limited-time 100,000-point welcome bonus after spending $5,000 in 3 months – the best offer we’ve ever seen on the card – making it the perfect foundation for this pairing. You can always add the Venture X later to round out your wallet with premium travel perks and another batch of transferable miles.

Sometimes, two really are better than one.

Check out our story for more details on what makes this combo so great!

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

🤝 Deal of the Day: Iceland from 13K Delta SkyMiles RT

Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥🔥

Why we love it: These are some of the lowest SkyMiles rates to Iceland we’ve ever seen!

Book September Delta flights to Iceland from a dozen U.S. cities all under 40,000 roundtrip. Look for record lows from Baltimore (BWI), Chicago (ORD), and Washington (DCA, IAD) – starting at just 13,000 SkyMiles roundtrip!

Sign up now to get all the details on this deal & don’t miss the next flight deal alert.

Already a member? Log in to see all your deals. (Not seeing it? Remove your airport filters to see every deal.)

– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst

🎙️ On the Pod: Travel Positivity

✈️ This week on the pod, Gunnar and Kyle outline all the things that are going well in travel right now: flight deals, new routes, big improvements for airport security, bigger and better lounges, massive credit card offers, and more.

Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

📲 From the Thrifty Traveler Company Slack

Not to toot our own horn, but we’re pretty great at booking and flying some of the best business and first class seats in the skies – same goes for hotels – to report back on the experience.

But actually turning those trips into reviews for the website and for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members? Well … that part often gets pushed to the back burner.

That’s why Kyle was so proud of himself for getting his excellent Cathay First Class review out just a couple of months after the flight. And if you’re wondering why his award might be at the Thompson Central Park, it’s because we’re still waiting on that review … eight(ish) months later.

Stay tuned!

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

🥳 Hey, Fargo: Join us July 29 for the Thrifty Traveler Podcast LIVE!

Fresh off our (massively successful!) live podcast in Minneapolis earlier this month, we’re officially taking this show on the road – and returning to our roots!

That’s right: The Thrifty Traveler Podcast is going live again in Fargo, North Dakota! Join us on Wednesday, July 29 for an hour of our usual blend of travel insights, tips, and unhinged takes.

Buy your tickets now!

Fargo is near and dear to our hearts – that’s why it’s one of the airport maps in our podcast studio. Our founder, co-founder, and COO are all native Fargoans. I myself worked (and met my wife!) there for a year and change out of college.

Our live recording of the pod is part of the run-up to TEDxFargo, an amazing annual event that our CEO, Jared, spoke at a few years back. Getting involved with this amazing community again was an absolute no-brainer.

See you in downtown Fargo in six weeks, folks!

– Kyle Potter, executive editor & podcast co-host

✈️ Other Travel Tidbits

• 🏔️ Hyatt’s Alila brand is heading to Hakone, Japan – one of the country’s most celebrated hot spring destinations. Alila Sengokuhara Hakone is set to open in 2028 with 60 rooms (including 11 suites), each featuring a private natural hot spring bath. It’ll be the first Alila property in Japan. (Hyatt Newsroom)
• 📱 Some Amex cardholders can score a $10 statement credit just for making 3 purchases via Apple Pay. No minimum spend required. Check your Amex Offers to see if you’re targeted. Save it and tap to pay three times before the August 20 deadline. (Miles to Memories)
• ✈️ American Airlines will now automatically send meal vouchers to any AAdvantage member during long delays. The $12 voucher kicks in when a flight is delayed at least 3 hours with at least 90 minutes attributable to the airline, and gets pushed directly to your phone. (View from the Wing)
• 🇺🇸 Last chance! Earn 80,000 miles after spending $3,500 in the first four months. Plus, the $99 annual fee is waived for the first year.