This 2 Credit Card Combo Is Perfect for Frequent Travelers

If you want to save money on travel, try these two credit cards.

For anyone who loves to travel, it's hard to get enough. You're constantly thinking about where you'll go next and what you'll do there. The one big challenge, especially if you have a list of places to visit that's a mile long, is paying for it all.

Many people, myself included, use travel credit cards to help cover their expenses. While there are lots of different travel cards available, there's one credit card combo that works especially well for frequent travelers. It's super simple, as it's only two cards, and each one provides great value:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®

I have both these cards, and they've helped me save thousands of dollars over the years. Here's what they offer and why they work so well together.

High-end travel benefits from the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

In this combo, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the card that packs most of the travel benefits. It's a premium travel card, so you get airport lounge access through Priority Pass and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.

This Chase card is expensive, with a $550 annual fee. However, it also offers a $300 annual travel credit that applies to any type of travel purchases. Use that, and the card is really costing you just $250 per year.

Where the Chase Sapphire Reserve® really stands out is its rewards. It earns:

• 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards after using the $300 annual travel credit
• 5 points per $1 on flights purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards after using the $300 annual travel credit
• 3 points per $1 on other travel purchases after using the $300 annual travel credit
• 10 points per $1 on Chase Dining purchases
• 3 points per $1 on other dining purchases
• 1 point per $1 on other purchases

Another major benefit is the fact that this card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These are some of the most valuable travel rewards, and when you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, there are a few useful ways you can redeem them:

• Transfer your points to travel partners in the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. This includes over a dozen popular airlines and hotels.
• Use your points to purchase travel in cash through the Chase Travel portal. They're worth $0.015 per point this way, 50% more than the standard cash back value of $0.01 per point.

The second option is what I really love about this travel card. Sometimes booking travel in cash is the best way to go. Other travel cards let you redeem rewards at $0.01 per point, so you're getting much more value through the Ultimate Rewards program.

Alternative: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for a lower annual fee

If you're not interested in paying a $550 annual fee, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It has a $95 annual fee, making it significantly more affordable. It doesn't have all the same benefits, but it's one of the best credit cards in its price range.

Competitive rewards from the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

At a glance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn't look like a card for travelers. It's first and foremost a cash back card, but it comes with a twist.

Technically, it earns Ultimate Rewards points. If you only have a Chase Freedom Unlimited®, then you can't use those points for travel. But if you also have a Chase Sapphire card, you can move your points over to it and get all the normal travel redemptions that it offers.

Here's how much this card earns by category:

• 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 3% on dining at restaurants
• 3% on drugstore purchases
• 1.5% on other purchases

As you can see, it offers higher rates on certain types of purchases, which is why it pairs so well with a Chase Sapphire card.

In particular, the 1.5% on regular purchases is nice to have. Most of us spend plenty in non-bonus categories. If you only have a Chase Sapphire card, you'll earn 1 point per $1 on these purchases. With a Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you earn 1.5 points per $1. It might not seem like a big difference, but it adds up over time.

How to use these credit cards together

The great thing about this credit card combo is how easy it is to use. Once you have both of these cards, there are only a few rules to remember:

• Use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® for all your travel and dining purchases.
• Use your Chase Freedom Unlimited® for everything else.
• Before redeeming rewards, use the "Combine Points" feature to move points from your Chase Freedom Unlimited® to your Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

By using the right Chase card for purchases, you'll maximize the rewards you earn. You'll then get the most value from those rewards by transferring them to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, where you can either transfer points to travel partners or redeem them at a high rate towards cash travel purchases.