If you’re planning to travel in the holiday season, now is the perfect time to start racking up points and miles for your trip.
At TPG, we believe it’s never too early to start earning. If you can earn travel rewards now, you can start making your holiday season bookings early, taking advantage of more hotel and airline availability and better rates than if you were to wait.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to earning rewards right now to enjoy a low-stress and savings-filled holiday travel season.
Cash in on timely welcome offers
First, applying for the best welcome offers on new cards right now will give you plenty of time to meet their minimum spending requirements.
Most cards have a three- to six-month window on their welcome offers and can require thousands of dollars in spending. Don’t put yourself behind the curve by getting a card in the fall — take advantage now.
For example, if you apply for a card now and get it by May 30, you’ll have until August 2026 to take advantage of a typical three-month welcome offer. Then, you can receive your rewards by September 2026.
This may be too late for Labor Day, but it is right on time for Thanksgiving, Christmas and early 2027 travel through this upcoming fall and winter.
Related: 10 ways to meet the spending requirements and earn the bonus on a new card
Best welcome offers right now
If you’re wondering which card to get, here are just a few of our favorite welcome offers available right now.
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| Card | Welcome bonus | Bonus value* | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. | Up to $3,500 | ||
Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $3,075 | $795 | |
Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. | Up to $2,000 | ||
Earn 100,000 bonus points and a 25,000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6,500 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. Plus, receive a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. | $1,750 (including the value of the Global Companion Award) | $395 | |
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $1,140 | $95 |
*Per TPG’s May 2026 valuations.
Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses
Use card perks for summer travel
It’s not just about welcome offers, though. You can use your new card’s bonus-earning categories to earn more rewards to put toward your holiday travel plans for the fall and winter by spending on everyday purchases. Just use your new card and its perks to enjoy all your summer travel — and earn valuable rewards on it.
For instance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) offers up to $300 in travel credits annually, a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, access to Sapphire Lounges and a Priority Pass membership.
Meanwhile, the Amex Platinum offers hotel elite status with Marriott, Hilton and Leaders Club, which can enhance your stay if you stay at one of those brands. Enrollment required.
Plus, eligible cardmembers can get into the best airport lounges on the market with access to the Global Lounge Collection.
Plus, with the Strata Premier, you can earn valuable Citi ThankYou points on a variety of purchases, including 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions when you book through the Citi Travel portal and 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and electric vehicle charging stations and on air travel and other hotel purchases.
Any or all of these cards help ensure your next trip goes smoothly, even before you factor in the welcome offers involved.
Related: Traveling these holidays? Here are the best cards for making your trip more comfortable
Book your holiday travel plans early
As previously mentioned, you’ll want to get a new card sooner rather than later to ensure you can book fall and winter trips with as little money and as much flexibility as possible.
Booking earlier means more available flights and hotel rooms at cheaper rates.
Booking holiday travel in August or September is much cheaper than waiting until November (or even December). Every day counts, so you’ll want to stay ahead of the game.
Related: 7 mistakes to avoid when redeeming hotel points
Bottom line
If you’re looking to take a stress-free holiday trip that you’re not stuck planning last-minute, now’s the time to get a card that’ll earn a nice stash of rewards you can use in the future.
If you can get approved for a new card now, you can capitalize on lucrative welcome offers and book your next trip sooner rather than later. You’ll take care of two tasks at once: You’ll enjoy your new card’s perks during the summer months and save money during this year’s fall and winter holiday season and beyond.
Then, you can start thinking about how to do it all again next year.
Related: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
