NextAdvisor.com Announces 2013 Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NextAdvisor.com, a leading consumer information web site, has announced the results of its 2013 Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis. The independent, comprehensive analysis evaluated major travel reward credit cards to determine the real dollar value of the rewards users earn. The top spot in the results went to a new entrant in this year's analysis, the Barclay Arrival™ World Mastercard®. The Capital One® Venture℠ Rewards Card, last year's winner, came in a very close second, and Starwood Preferred Guest® Card from American Express ranked third.  

"We were able to put a real-world value on the points and miles users earn with travel credit cards," said Tasha Lockyer, Director of Product Management at NextAdvisor.com. "Clarifying the actual monetary value of these rewards makes it easier for users to compare the cards and choose the best one for their needs."   

NextAdvisor.com researched the real-world dollar value of each card's travel reward program by seeing how much it cost to book actual hotels and flights at different times of year.  Then those dollar values were compared to the number of points it took to book those same hotels and flights. The same dates and locations were used for all the cards, and bookings were made during both the "high" summer season and "low" fall season. When possible, the identical hotels and flights were booked to further even the playing field. The final reward value was based on the actual dollar value a user would receive in rewards after a $100 credit card spend. Separate reward values were given for both hotel stays and flights.

Credit cards affiliated with leading rewards programs from top airlines, hotel chains, and credit card issuers themselves were analyzed, including United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Hyatt Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Capital One, Chase, Citi, American Express, Barclays and more.

"There were some changes from last year's Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis. We had a new winner this year – the Barclay Arrival™ World Mastercard® - which took the top spot due to its combination of high hotel and flight value and the additional bonus 10% it offers when its points are used to pay for travel," said Lockyer. "And some of the cards that didn't do as well last year ranked much higher this year."

NextAdvisor.com provides independent credit card reviews of each travel credit card included in the survey.  NextAdvisor.com also reviews many other types of credit cards, including balance transfer cards, cash back cards, low APR cards and cards for those with average Credit or bad Credit.

You can read the complete NextAdvisor.com 2013 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, savings accounts, diet plans, voice over IP, online dating, online backup, Internet security software, internet fax and web hosting.

SOURCE NextAdvisor.com