Need points for spring break and summer travel next year? Sign up for a new credit card now

Spring, Easter and summer are just around the corner, and you know what that means: Now is the perfect time to start collecting travel points. Wait, what?

That’s right — at TPG, we believe it’s never too late to start earning. If you can’t find award travel now, you can start making your spring, Easter and summer bookings early, taking advantage of the increased availability of hotels and flights and the cheapest prices around. That means you’ll have plenty of money to spend until the end of the year because you’ve made all your big travel plans months in advance.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to getting rewards early – meaning right now – to enjoy a stress-free and frugal spring, Easter or summer season.

Check in with welcome donations on time

First, applying for the best welcome offers on new cards will give you more time to meet their basic spending needs.

Most cards have a three- to six-month window for their welcome offers and can cost thousands of dollars to activate. Don’t put yourself behind the eight ball by getting a card in the fall — take advantage now.

For example, if you apply for a card now and receive it on Nov. 1, 2024, you will be given until the end of January 2025 to take advantage of the three-month general admission offer. Then, you can redeem your points at the end of February 2025, in time to book spring, Easter and summer trips while they are still cheap and plentiful.

Best welcome offers right now

If you’re wondering which card to get, here are a few of our favorite welcome cards available right now.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The highly popular Chase Sapphire Preferred® card offers a premium offer of earning 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, you’ll get up to $300 in Chase Travel℠ statement credits in the first year of account opening for any purchases made through Chase Travel. That’s up to $1,530, according to TPG estimates for October 2024. You can read more about the card in our card review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Both the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offer the same sign-up bonus of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months from account opening. This offer is worth $1,388, according to TPG estimates for October 2024. To learn more about these cards, see our Venture Rewards credit card review and our Venture X Rewards credit card review.

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American Express Gold Card

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention it American Express® Gold Cardwith a top offer of earning 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. New cardholders also receive a 20% statement credit on restaurant purchases (up to $100) in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends on November 6. You may also be able to earn a maximum bonus of up to 90,000 points with the CardMatch tool (terms apply). That’s up to $1,300, according to TPG’s October 2024 figures.

Amex Gold is a tough test in the world of points and miles, with significant reward rates for dining at restaurants and shopping at major US supermarkets. Earn 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants (up to $50,000 in a calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 4 points per dollar spent on purchases up to $25,000 at US supermarkets in a calendar year ( then 1 point per dollar ). While you’re working on getting accepted, you’ll be maximizing your food and grocery income for your spring and summer travel plans. Plus, the card has over $400 in dining-related credits that foodies will enjoy. The card comes with an annual fee of $325 (see rates and fees). Read more in our card review.

Related: Best credit card acceptance bonuses

Use card benefits for fall and winter travel

It’s not just about the welcome offer, though. You can use the bonus earning categories of your new card to earn extra points to put towards your spring, Easter and summer travel plans. In the meantime, you can use your new card and its benefits to enjoy all of your fall and winter holiday travel.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers up to $300 in travel credits per year, reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and Priority Pass membership.

There’s also the Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card, which offers extended lounge benefits for authorized users and two guests, access to the Hertz President’s Circle elite status and a $300 annual credit for travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal.

Upon registration, accessible through Capital One’s website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain in upgraded status until Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, registering through the regular Hertz Gold Plus Rewards registration process (eg, at hertz.com) will not automatically qualify the cardholder for the program, and cardholders will not automatically be upgraded to an active status category. Additional terms apply.

Any or all of these cards should make your next trip a better one, even before you consider the welcome offers involved.

Related: Going on these holidays? Here are the best cards to make your trip easier

Book spring and summer programs early

That being said, you’ll want to get a new card as soon as possible to ensure you can book your spring, Easter and summer vacations with as little expense and as much flexibility as possible. Early booking means more available flights and hotel rooms – at cheaper rates.

Booking a summer trip in January or February is cheaper than waiting until April (or even May). Each day counts, so you’ll want to stay ahead of the curve.

Related: 8 mistakes to avoid when using hotels

Bottom line

The first bird gets the worm. But seriously – now is the time to start saving for your next big spring, Easter or summer trip.

If you can’t get approved for a new card now, you can cash in on the lucrative welcome offer and book your next trip sooner rather than later. You’ll take care of two jobs at once: You’ll enjoy the benefits of your new card during the fall and winter holiday seasons and save a ton of money during spring, Easter and summer.

After that, 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 the Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be offered by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the appropriate Benefits guide for details, including applicable terms and exclusions.

For Amex Gold Card rates and fees, click here