NextAdvisor.com Announces 2012 Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis

SAN FRANCISCO, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NextAdvisor.com, a leading consumer information website, has announced the results of its 2012 Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis. This independent analysis surveyed major travel reward credit cards to determine the real value of the rewards users earn. Fourteen different credit cards were included, and first place went to the Capital One® Venture(SM) Rewards Card with a $2 flight and hotel redemption value for every $100 spent.  The Escape by Discover® Card came in a very close second, and the Starwood Preferred Guest® Card from American Express ranked third.  

"This analysis allowed us to determine the actual value the rewards members earn when they use their travel credit card," said Tasha Lockyer, senior editor at NextAdvisor.com. "Sometimes this value can be murky because rewards are given in points or miles, but placing a numerical reward value on each credit card can help users compare the cards side-by-side."   

To pinpoint the value of each card's travel reward program, NextAdvisor.com looked at the cost to book hotels and flights at different times of year with each program's rewards currency. The same dates and locations were used for each card, and bookings were made during both the "high" summer season and "low" fall season. The final reward value was based on the dollar redemption value a user would earn after a typical credit card spending of $100.  Separate reward values were given for both hotel stays and flights. Final rankings were determined by average redemption value for flights and hotels, when available, with consideration given to how widely accepted each card is.

Included in the survey were major travel cards like the first place Capital One® Venture(SM) Rewards Card, United MileagePlus® Explorer Card, Citi® Hilton HHonors(SM) Visa Signature Card, The Escape by Discover® Card and the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus from Chase. "We think consumers might be surprised by how well some of the lesser known cards, like the Starwood Preferred Guest® Card from American Express, placed. It had a hotel redemption value of $2.50 per $100 spent - the highest in our survey - although its lesser flight redemption value of $1.30 prevented it from earning the top spot," said Lockyer.

In addition to the travel reward value analysis, NextAdvisor.com provides independent reviews of each travel credit card included in the survey. NextAdvisor.com also reviews many other types of credit cards, including low APR cards, cash-back cards, and cards designed for those with average or bad credit. 

You can read the complete NextAdvisor.com 2012 Travel Rewards Card Analysis here:
http://www.nextadvisor.com/credit_cards/articles/19/best-travel-reward-credit-cards-analysis

See the overall NextAdvisor.com credit card reviews at:
http://www.nextadvisor.com/credit_cards/index.php 

About NextAdvisor.com:
NextAdvisor.com provides independent reviews of online services for consumers and small businesses. The company's mission is to help its visitors save money and make optimal buying decisions by presenting them with useful comparisons and reviews of service providers and a clear explanation of each service and how it works. The company currently reviews, compares and explains many different types of services including credit cards, credit report monitoring, identity theft protection, diet plans, voice over IP, online dating, online backup, Internet security software, internet fax and web hosting.

SOURCE NextAdvisor.com