When I first started collecting points and miles, I stuck with no-annual-fee credit cards. I assumed high annual fee cards were for frequent flyers and big spenders—not stay-at-home parents stretching one income to travel more.
One premium card completely changed how I viewed high annual fees. This isn’t financial advice—just my personal experience. But if you’ve been hesitant to move beyond no-annual-fee cards, my story might show you how, in the right situation, a higher annual-fee card can actually save you money on travel.
My Lightbulb Moment: Turning a $695 Annual Fee into $6,400 in Flights
The American Express® Plabonusinum Card (Annual Fee: $695) was the first premium card I applied for—and I was terrified. But it came with a 175,000-point sign-up , and I had a specific goal: two one-way business class flights from the U.S. to Italy.
I had the route.
I knew the transfer partner (Emirates).
I did the math—it would cost me 174,000 AmEx points total, and the sign-up bonus would cover it.
I earned the points slowly, found the available flight I wanted on Emirates, transferred my points to Emirates, and booked two flights worth $6,400. I only paid $211 in taxes and fees. Plus, I easily used other perks like lounge access and streaming credits. Read about my whole 16 day Italy trip here.
After that, I stopped fearing high annual fees. I started tracking which perks were simple wins, which took more effort, and which cards were worth keeping (or not).
Premium Credit Cards I’ve Tried (And Which Were Worth It
| Credit Card | Annual Fee | Typical Sign-Up Bonus | Worth It After the First Year? |
| AmEx Platinum (Personal) | $695 | 80,000–150,000+ MR Points | No, and I’ll miss the benefits 🙁 |
| AmEx Hilton Aspire (Co-branded Personal) | $550 | 150,000 Hilton Points | Yes |
| Capital One Venture X (Personal) | $395 | 75,000 Miles | Yes, always |
| AmEx Gold (Personal) | $395 | 60,000-80,000 + MR Points | Not sure yet |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum AmEx (Co-branded Personal) | $350 | 60,000–100,000 SkyMiles | Probably; Considering opening the Delta Reserve to replace. |
| AmEx Hilton Business Card (Co-branded) | $195 | 130,000-175,000 Hilton Points | No. Cancelled (No downgrade option) |
Best Premium Card Perks That Saved Me Money
These benefits felt simple and delivered immediate value—no extra effort required.
🔹 Capital One Venture X
- $300 Annual Travel Credit: Applied automatically when booking flights, hotels, or rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal.
- Lounge Access: Includes Priority Pass and Capital One Lounges.
- Hertz President’s Circle Status: Book mid sized or larger, walk right to the car lot, take any car (including SUVs) in the Presidents Circle lot —no front desk stop required.
🔹 AmEx Platinum
- Lounge Access: Priority Pass and Centurion Lounges.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: I use it for a Disney+/Hulu bundle—$20/month, automatically reimbursed (other select services are eligible as well)
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: I bought $50 United TravelBank credits and was reimbursed each time.
- Gold Elite Status with Marriott (and Hilton): Helped me get some extra perks during a Marriott wedding stay.
🔹 AmEx Gold
- $7/month Dunkin’ Credit: I load $7 to my app’s digital gift card and let it add up until I get free food and drinks. Just use your Gold card to pay.
- $50 Resy Dining Credit (twice/year): Easy to use on a meal out or gift card to a nearby restaurant. Just use your Gold card to pay.
🔹 Hilton Aspire
- Diamond Status: Free breakfast, upgrades, and more. It’s the only top-tier hotel status you can get just by having a card.
- Free Night Certificate: There’s no cap on value—use it at a Waldorf if you want! There is a list of ineligible properties, but it’s actually pretty small.
- $50/quarter Flight Credit: Works for airfare—not just incidentals. I used it for United TravelBank.
🔹 Delta SkyMiles Platinum
- TakeOff 15 Award Discount: Save 15% on SkyMiles bookings when logged in. No extra steps and see your discounts while you search!
TSA PreCheck & CLEAR: Huge Wins for Travelers
Many premium cards offer reimbursement for these seriously time-saving perks:
- TSA PreCheck Credit: Found on cards like Venture X, AmEx Platinum, Delta Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and more.
- CLEAR Credit: Found on AmEx Platinum, Delta Platinum, and others.
Just pay with your card, and the fee gets reimbursed.
Premium Card Perks That Weren’t Worth It for Me
🔹 AmEx Platinum
- $200 Hotel Credit: Only works on luxury hotels booked through the AmEx portal. Every time I tried, it made my trip more expensive or more inconvenient—not worth it.
- $300 Equinox Credit: No locations near me, and it doesn’t fully cover the digital membership.
🔹 Hilton Business Card
- $240 Hilton Credit ($60/quarter): The best option was buying gift cards—but Hilton suspended them recently, and even when available, redemption was hit or miss depending on the brand.
🔹 Delta SkyMiles Platinum
- Companion Certificate: You don’t receive it until year two, it must be a round trip flight for a 3+ night stay (no easy weekend trips) and the process to use it is not straightforward.
🔹 “Use-it-or-lose-it” Monthly Credits
- Uber, Instacart, Grubhub… I rarely use these. I’ll occasionally get a ride or make an order, but these aren’t consistent value adds unless you already use the services. Trying to use them monthly made me spend more, not less—so I stopped. I just wish they could roll over—using them would feel a lot more worthwhile if you could let the credits build up.
Perks I Used, But Wouldn’t Pay For
These were easy to use but didn’t sway my decision on whether to keep a card.
- Walmart+ Membership (AmEx Platinum): Nice to have, but I wouldn’t pay for it—too many delivery issues.
- Saks Fifth Avenue Credit (AmEx Platinum): Fun for freebies, but not essential.
Best Premium Credit Cards for Beginners
If you’re curious about trying a premium card but feeling unsure, here are two beginner-friendly options that make it easy to come out ahead—especially in your first year.
🔹 Capital One Venture X ($395 Annual Fee)
Why it’s great for beginners:
This is one of the easiest premium cards to get solid value from, even if you’re not a frequent traveler.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit: Automatically applies when booking flights, hotels, or rental cars through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 Mile Anniversary Bonus: Worth at least $100 each year just for keeping the card open.
- Lounge Access: Includes both Priority Pass and Capital One Lounges.
- Sign-Up Bonus: Often around 75,000 miles after meeting a reasonable minimum spend.
Beginner Tip: In year one, the $300 travel credit plus the sign-up bonus easily offset the annual fee. In future years, the $300 credit + 10,000-mile bonus keep the card’s value strong without much effort.
🔹 American Express® Gold Card ($325 Annual Fee)
Why it’s great for beginners:
This card is a favorite for everyday spending—especially groceries and dining—and the perks are surprisingly easy to use.
- Dining & Food Credits: Monthly credits for Dunkin’, Resy, and other select restaurants or delivery services.
- High Points Earning: 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25K/year) and 4x at restaurants.
- Flexible Membership Rewards: Great for transferring to travel partners for high-value redemptions.
Beginner Tip: Use your Gold card regularly for groceries and dining, and set a quick reminder to use your monthly credits. The rewards and savings add up faster than you’d expect.
What If a High Annual Fee Card Doesn’t Make Sense After Year One?
The first year of a premium card is often the easiest time to get big value—thanks to sign-up bonuses. But what about year two and beyond?
If the card no longer fits your spending or the perks weren’t as perky as you thought, you have options:
🔹 Downgrade to a No-Annual-Fee Card
Many premium cards have a no-fee version you can switch to—keeping your credit history and account age intact without paying another annual fee. For example, you can often downgrade Venture X to the standard Venture or VentureOne.
🔹 Request a Retention Offer Before Canceling
If you’re on the fence, call or chat with your card issuer before you cancel and ask if there’s a retention offer available. They may offer a statement credit, bonus points, or another incentive to keep the card open. Just be sure to compare the offer value to the upcoming annual fee—and only keep the card if it’s still worth it to you.
Either way, you’re not locked in. Treat every premium card as a trial—great if it works, easy to adjust if it doesn’t.
Packing It Up: Why I’m No Longer Afraid of High Annual Fees
If I can get more value than I pay, then a high-annual-fee card makes sense—especially in year one with those big sign-up bonuses.
I try the card, track the perks, and reassess at renewal. Some I keep. Others I downgrade or cancel.
But every premium card I’ve tested so far helped me unlock incredible travel—especially that first Emirates business class flight that changed everything.
Have you tried a premium credit card? I’d love to hear which perks saved you the most—or what made you hesitate. Leave a comment.
Header image via Daoudi Aissa on Unsplash
