Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Tickets are on sale for the biggest soccer matches of 2026. Now it's time to organize your travel plans.
Airline miles are a great way to save on costly flights, but directly earning miles with your favorite carrier isn't always the most useful plan of attack. Instead, focus on travel rewards programs that allow transfers to multiple airline loyalty programs. With this approach, you'll have more options to get where you're going.
Check which airlines serve your destination
The biggest international soccer matches next year will be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico across 16 cities, including Los Angeles, Mexico City, Vancouver, Philadelphia and Houston. Once you have your match tickets, you'll need to find airlines that serve that destination so you can focus on which rewards to earn.
Begin by identifying which airlines fly to your destination. It can be difficult to find the information you need on an airport website, but the airport's Wikipedia page should include an easy-to-read table listing all carriers and destinations.
Search this section for your departure airport(s), and you'll have a list of the airlines you can travel with. While Wikipedia's information is generally up to date, you'll want to double-check with the airlines to confirm there haven't been any recent route changes that will impact your travel.
If you're traveling from a smaller airport and there are no direct flights to the city your match is being held in, you'll need to review the airlines that serve your home airport and match them with the carriers flying to your destination.
A quick Google Flights search will also give you a good idea of your travel options and help you identify possible connections. If you're using Google Flights or another third-party booking site, just be aware that certain flights or carriers may not appear in the search results.
Select a travel rewards program
Once you have a good idea of your airline options, it's time to determine which rewards to use for your flights. Review the miles or points you already have (and can continue to earn) that will help you get where you're going cheaply.
Most major airlines are part of one of three global airline alliances (Star Alliance, oneworld alliance and SkyTeam), which allows you to use miles from one airline's loyalty program to book flights with completely different airlines. While this option can unlock amazing deals, there's typically only a limited supply of award seats available.
A simple way to give yourself the most opportunities to book a flight with miles is to book directly with the airline. Most airlines release far more award seats to their own loyalty members, and some programs even allow you to book any open seat when you're using their miles (although the price can dramatically increase with demand).
Earn the rewards you need for your trip
You'll most likely want to earn miles with one of the major U.S. airlines. One of the best ways to quickly accumulate enough miles or points for a flight is to open a credit card and earn its welcome bonus.
You can open a co-branded airline credit card to earn rewards in one specific loyalty program or earn flexible travel rewards that can be transferred to multiple airlines. Below are the rewards that transfer to the biggest U.S.-based frequent flyer programs:
- American Airlines AAdvantage: Citi ThankYou® Points
- Atmos Rewards (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines): Bilt Rewards
- Delta SkyMiles: American Express® Membership Rewards®
- JetBlue TrueBlue: American Express® Membership Rewards®, Wells Fargo Rewards®, Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Citi ThankYou® Points
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Bilt Rewards
- United MileagePlus: Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Bilt Rewards
The biggest welcome offers are usually attached to luxury credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or Citi Strata Elite℠ Card. Both of these premium cards have intro bonuses worth at least 75,000 points and a long list of perks that can offset the pricey annual fees.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers luxury travel benefits and heightened rewards on travel and restaurant purchases — while still earning 1.5X points on all other purchases.
- Exceptional rewards rate on travel booked through cititravel.com
- Earns flexible points that transfer to popular airline and hotel partners, like American Airlines
- Features roughly $1,500 in value through statement credits, airport lounge access and more
- High $595 annual fee
- $75 annual fee for each authorized user
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
If those cards don't make sense for you, don't fret; you can still earn a healthy bonus while paying an annual fee of under $100. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) both have $95 annual fees and welcome bonuses of at least 60,000 points.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation and more
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for 12 months when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card offers generous rewards on travel and dining purchases, along with flexible redemption options, all for a modest annual fee.
- Excellent tiered rewards rates on purchases with hotels, airlines and general travel
- Access to all of the Wells Fargo transfer partners, including Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) and Virgin Red
- Offers an easy-to-use $50 airline credit each year
- Up to $1,000 in cell phone protection against damage, theft, or unintended separation (subject to $25 deductible)
- Wells Fargo offers fewer transfer partners than comparable programs
- No intro APR offer on purchases or balance transfers
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Select Learn More to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that's $600 toward your next trip.
- Earn unlimited 5X points with hotels, 4X points with airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
- Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
- Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
When you book travel with any of the aforementioned cards, you'll also receive automatic travel protections for lost luggage, trip interruptions and cancellations and more. That means you can save even more by declining certain third-party insurance.
Another advantage of earning transferable points is that you can also use them to book hotels. So if miles aren't working for your flight plans, you can still offset other travel costs with your points.
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
