Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Best Travel Credit Cards, Southwest Policy Changes, and Disneyland Deals
12 Mar 2025
Learn which travel credit cards might be best for you, plus news about major policy changes at Southwest. Which travel credit card is the best travel credit card? Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French try to answer that question by picking their favorites, fantasy sports draft style. But first, they discuss the latest travel news, including Southwest changing some of its beloved policies, how to get the best deals on cruises this year, and some Disneyland discounts you can cash in on this summer. Then, Meghan and Sally get into their travel credit card fantasy draft, where they talk about benefits and drawbacks of each card, including annual fees, statement credits, lounge access, and point redemption options. Plus, they answer a listener’s question about where to travel for a quick “babymoon.” Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews: The 8 Best Ways to Buy Disney Tickets 16 Best Travel Credit Cards of March 2025 Top Airline Credit Cards With Companion Tickets How to Pick the Best Credit Card for You: 4 Easy Steps In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: the best travel credit card, how to pick the best travel credit card, travel credit card perks, travel rewards credit cards, Southwest Rapid Rewards changes, credit card perks, Disneyland ticket discounts, best credit cards for travel points, credit cards with lounge access, Capital One Venture X review, Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Reserve, Amex Platinum travel benefits, Southwest Companion Pass updates, how to maximize travel points, NerdWallet travel credit cards, best credit cards for frequent flyers, how to earn free flights with points, Disney vacation savings tips, best cruise deals wave season, travel credit cards with no annual fee, best airline credit cards for free checked bags, Hyatt vs Hilton rewards program, cash back vs travel rewards credit cards, best co-branded hotel credit cards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
I think people don't know how much sports crossover there is with this show. You know, Megan, surprisingly, there is a lot of overlap between travel and NerdWallet's bread and butter, which is credit cards with sports.
Think of every sports arena named after a bank. The Capital One Arena in DC, the Citi Field in New York. And there's my favorite in San Francisco, the Chase Center. Didn't you go to dinner there once for an event? You could like book on points or something.
Yes, I did actually. They once had this thing where for 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you could have dinner on the court at the Chase Center. And it was honestly so good. They had this high-end meal, open bar, tons of swag. I got a custom Warriors jersey. Totally amazing.
Okay, rub it in. We've got all episode to get to other sports references. And if I say so myself, I think we tackled it pretty well.
Ooh, got him. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools, and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Megan Coyle. And I'm Sally French.
And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.
Today, we're talking about the thing that NerdWallet's best known for, the best travel credit cards. As such, we'll talk about a few credit card companies that are NerdWallet partners in this episode. Again, that does not influence how we discuss them.
But first, huge news in the travel world this week for Southwest Flyers. Sally, what is happening to your beloved Southwest Rapid Rewards program?
I know it's falling apart. So for starters, the airline announced yesterday that customers will no longer get two free checked bags for all flights booked on or after May 28th, 2025, save for a few exceptions like customers who hold a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card, A-list elite status, or if they buy business select fares.
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