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August 17, 2023

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Business Executive Travel Tips and Tricks

Bullets, Band-Aids and everything in between: safety insights for executive travelers everywhere.

When company executives head out on the road, the stakes are extremely high. The reputation of the company, the brain power behind its success, the public-facing persona —it’s all on the line. And these days, when the world has so much access to the lives of the rich and famous, protecting executives is especially complex

Here are the potential pitfalls of modern executive travel and tips for how to mitigate them.

The Basics Can Bite You

Despite their success or celebrity, when an executive goes out into the field, they are ultimately still just a person, susceptible to the most basic risks of health and safety as any other person. A blistered foot can turn into an infection. Food borne illness can strike. Don’t let something minor take down the figurehead of your company.

It’s the responsibility of the company’s risk manager to take into account even the most basic scenarios. They need to make sure the team is equipped with a first-aid kit that can cover anything from minor scrapes to food poisoning. When the risk manager covers off on these basics, executives will be comfortable in the small ways that make a real difference on an important work trip.

Be Ready for Serious Medical Emergencies

Before leaving for the trip, make certain the entire security team is aware of any concerns in the executive’s medical history. Do they have chronic back problems? What is your plan if they do? Are they diabetic or hypoglycemic? Make sure you have necessary supplies like insulin and nourishing snacks on hand. These illnesses can be particularly hard to manage internationally, where medical supplies and resources may be less readily available. This is especially true in remote locations where medical services may be limited.

Increasingly, the best executive protection teams include a medical professional in case serious medical emergencies occur.

Cybersecurity

“Business executives are among the biggest targets of phishing and whaling attacks, in large part because they have such a high level of access to important data,” said CSO Online .  “It’s vital that executives know what to look for that would indicate such an attack.”

This is especially true when executives travel to countries where internet connections are not as stable.

Protection against cyber crime starts before the trip begins by educating executives about digital security. Cyber security refers to every aspect of protecting an organization, its employees and their digital assets against cyber threats. As cyberattacks become more common and sophisticated and corporate networks grow more complex, a variety of cyber security solutions are required to mitigate corporate cyber risk.

Threats can often come from email. Modern email clients can make it easier to tell when a message comes from outside the organization but, according to Andrew Ellis, CSO at Akamai Technologies, a provider of content delivery network services, not all do. “Consider advising your company to tag, or change colors, of all messages from outside the company.”

Kidnappings and Shootings

Kidnappings and assassinations are perhaps the most feared risks of any executive travel. To protect against these extreme scenarios, the key is to avoid the risk altogether.

“A security detail is inherently proactive, meaning that it travels ahead of your team to evaluate the level of security of your destination and, if necessary, change plans. Of course, they can also respond to crises, but avoidance is the top goal,” said Harding Bush, a former Navy SEAL and senior manager for security operations at Global Rescue. He is also an expert in high-risk travel, cultural awareness, crisis preparedness, leadership and operational planning.

Cultural Awareness Is Protection

If your executive is headed to another country, they need to be briefed about cultural differences and taboos in advance. If they are not clued into these realities, their behavior could garner disrespect from the locals on the ground and put them at a greater risk.

This is especially important if your executive’s gender, lifestyle, political or religious beliefs put them in conflict with the prevailing cultural norms of the business trip designations.

[Related Reading: Better Awareness, Safer Travel ]

Get Executives on Board

In order for any of this to work, executives need to be bought in.

CSO Online states, “Teaching the executive how to remain safe, emergency procedures, expectations from the security detail, and familiarization with protocols can be a tremendous asset in an emergency.”

Make sure your executives are briefed on the plan and are ready to follow the procedures set in place. This will increase safety and productivity, allowing business objectives to be met even in challenging and remote locations.

A Plan With No Omissions

“Corporate liability extends to omissions as well as negligence,” TravelPerk reported.

That’s why you need a partner to help you think through a comprehensive executive protection plan. Global Rescue is that partner.

Our team of security and medical experts can help you create and execute a plan with no omissions. The safety of your people and the reputation of your company depend on it.

Contact Global Rescue about traveler medical and security protection membership opportunities today.

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Monk Botanical Gardens executive director resigns following weeks of controversy over name change

W AUSAU − After weeks of controversy that started with a decision to remove its founder's name , the executive director of Monk Botanical Gardens has resigned.

Darcie Howard was the executive director for seven years, according to a Wednesday afternoon statement from Monk Botanical Gardens Board of Directors President Paul David. The board of directors has accepted the resignation, which will take effect in early July, he said in the statement.

On April 26, Howard announced the board had approved removing the Monk name from the gardens and renaming them Wausau Botanic Gardens. The announcement upset the Monk family. Robert Monk III had donated much of the land that currently makes up the gardens after he, with the help of family members, spent 30 to 35 years turning his vision of a botanical garden into a nonprofit group he helped create.

Many members of the community rallied to support the Monk family and expressed outrage over the removal of Monk's name from gardens. An online petition protesting the name change received more than 7,000 signatures.

On May 15, after meeting with members of the Monk family, the board decided to go back to using the Monk Botanical Gardens name. However, there was still anger over the way the group had treated the founder's legacy and the direction the gardens were heading, including the intention to start charging for admission and the planned creation of a beer garden.

Local entertainment news: Here are 8 events you don't want to miss this summer in the Wausau area

More local news: Officials release name of 51-year-old Rhinelander man killed Sunday in Lincoln County crash

On June 4, Howard sent an email to the village of Rib Mountain that stated she had a frustrating experience at a Weston Tax Commission meeting and she regretted the outcome and her defensive behavior. The decision of the tax commission to cut the gardens' funding was made before the meeting, Howard said in the letter. Howard defended the plan to change the gardens' name, even though the decision had been made to change it back.

She also complained about misinformation circulating about the gardens and the Monk family. She said the relationship between the Monk Botanical Gardens and the children of Robert Monk III had been strained since he died because the children did not want to donate the land. Several Monk family members have told the Wausau Daily Herald that the family had made a joint decision to donate the land prior to Robert Monk III's death.

David thanked Howard for her seven years of service to the gardens and said the board is grateful for her accomplishments.

"With an appreciation of the past accomplishments, the board looks forward to a renewed sense of excitement, involvement and passion amongst its wonderful donors, members, staff, volunteers and guests in the bright future of Monk Botanical Gardens," David said in his Wednesday statement.

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or  [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at  www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33 .

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Monk Botanical Gardens executive director resigns following weeks of controversy over name change

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Kigali, Rwanda, Is One of East Africa's Most Stylish Cities — Here's Where to Eat, Drink, and Shop, According to a Local

Pierra Ntayombya, a fashion and design executive in Kigali, shares her guide to her home city.

Philippe Nyirimihigo/Courtesy of Pierra Ntayombya; Chris Schwagga/Courtesy of Haute Baso

Kigali is often seen as a stopover for safari-goers embarking on a gorilla trek . But Rwanda’s capital is worth an extended stay to explore its thriving art scene, boutiques, and inventive bars and restaurants. 

Just ask Pierra Ntayombya, the former CEO of Haute Baso , a fashion house and interiors studio in Kigali. Her work has taken her across the continent, as she’s shown the brand’s pieces at fashion weeks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Lagos, Nigeria. This spring, Ntayombya founded Ruks House, a creative consultancy, where she works with designers and brands to aesthetically enhance their spaces. 

Read on for Ntayombya’s guide to the city she calls home. For a home base, Ntayombya’s preferred hotel is the upmarket Kigali Marriott Hotel .

Start the Day

“The design at the cafe  Kivu Noir is phenomenal, and they have the best coffee in Kigali. For brunch, it’s Le Petit Chalet , where the desserts are amazing.”

Chris Schwagga/Courtesy of Haute Baso

“I adore the ceramics shop Laini Studio , and always stop in at Wood Habitat , an upmarket furniture store. And, because I change my apartment constantly, it’s great to go to Haute Baso and get a piece or two to refresh my space. I also have everything created by Chris Schwagga, a designer and photographer who leads the interiors studio Mwinda .”

Food and Drink  

“The best night out is at Meza Malonga , a chic spot led by chef Dieuveil Malonga that focuses entirely on ingredients found in the region. The result is inimitable: eggplant tartare with moringa leaves, perfectly prepared Rwandan beef, and spice-crusted shrimp from Kenya. For drinks, Poivre Noir makes the city’s best gin and tonics. I also like the distillery Imizi Rum , which makes fewer than a hundred bottles a month.”

Courtesy of Laini Studio

Sweet Treat

“At Kunda Gelato , I like the hibiscus and lemon flavors.” 

Art and Culture

“My favorite gallery at the moment is Forty Second Space . It’s Pop art with a Rwandan twist. I’m also a fan of KomezArt , a virtual gallery that hosts many of the country’s top artists and will ship internationally.” 

Courtesy of Umwero

Nature Escape

“I often take my son for a walk in the new Nyandungu Eco-Park , and the view from Mount Kigali is still my favorite in the city.” 

Further Afield

If you are venturing outside of the capital, two of Ntayombya’s favorite hotels are Singita Kwitonda Lodge , situated just on the edge of Volcanoes National Park where tourists go gorilla trekking. “The design is so thoughtful, and it’s just beautiful," Ntayombya says. "They use so many local artisans and materials.”

On the other side of the country, near Nyungwe National Park, which has one of the oldest rainforests in Africa, is One&Only Gorilla's Nest . "There’s nothing that compares. It is the freshest air you’ll ever breathe. It’s so vast, it’s so lush. It’s pristine. I love it so much.”

A version of this story first appeared in the February 2024 issue of  Travel + Leisure  under the headline "Capital of Cool. "

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Fact Sheet: Presidential Proclamation to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration took decisive new action to strengthen border security, announcing a series of measures that restrict asylum eligibility, and significantly increase the consequences for those who enter without authorization across the southern border. These extraordinary steps, which will be in effect during times when high levels of encounters exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, will make noncitizens who enter across the southern border ineligible for asylum with certain exceptions, raise the standard that is used to screen for certain protection claims, and speed up our ability to quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection.

These actions follow a series of steps that the Administration has taken over the past three years as it prepared for the end of the Title 42 public health Order, and since it was lifted last year, including surging personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the border, issuing the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule, and referring record numbers of noncitizens into expedited removal. Over the past year, we have removed or returned more than three quarters of a million people, more than in any fiscal year since 2010. Despite these efforts, our outdated and broken immigration and asylum system, coupled with a lack of sufficient funding, make it impossible to quickly impose consequences on all noncitizens who cross irregularly and without a legal basis to remain in the United States.

The Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to provide the resources and legal authorities needed to secure our border. The measures announced today will better enable the Department to quickly remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, strengthening enforcement and change the calculus for those considering crossing our border irregularly. However, they are no substitute for Congressional action. We continue to call on Congress to provide the new tools and resources we have asked for to support the men and women on the frontlines.

President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of noncitizens across the southern border. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General also jointly issued an interim final rule that, consistent with the Proclamation, generally restricts asylum eligibility for those who irregularly enter across the southern border – including the Southwest land and the southern coastal borders. The rule also limits fear screenings to those who manifest a fear or express a desire to file for protection and heightens the screening standard for statutory withholding and claims under the Convention Against Torture. Taken together, these measures will significantly increase the speed and scope of consequences for those who cross our borders irregularly or who attempt to present themselves at Ports of Entry without authorization, allowing the Departments to more quickly remove individuals who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. The restriction on asylum eligibility will be discontinued when encounters fall below certain levels but will come back into effect if encounters rise again.

The rule makes three key changes to current processing under Title 8 immigration authorities during periods of high border encounters:

• First, noncitizens who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization will generally be ineligible for asylum, absent exceptionally compelling circumstances and unless they are excepted by the Proclamation.
• Second, noncitizens who cross the southern border and are processed for expedited removal while the limitation is in effect will only be referred for a credible fear screening with an Asylum Officer if they manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, a fear of persecution or torture, or an intention to apply for asylum.  
• Third, the U.S. will continue to adhere to its international obligations and commitments by screening individuals who manifest a fear as noted above and do not qualify for an exception to the Rule for withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture protections at a reasonable probability of persecution or torture standard – a new, substantially higher standard than is currently applied under the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule.  

Like the Proclamation, the rule provides for an end to these enhanced measures following a sustained reduction in southern border encounters. Specifically, these measures are in effect until 14 calendar days after there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of less than 1,500 encounters between the ports of entry. The measures would again go into effect, or continue, as appropriate, when there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of 2,500 encounters or more.

During periods of high encounters, the Proclamation will apply across the southern border. Lawful permanent residents, unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and other noncitizens with a valid visa or other lawful permission to enter the United States are excepted from the Proclamation.

In addition, the suspension and limitation on entry and rule will not apply to noncitizens who use a Secretary-approved process—such as the CBP One mobile app—to enter the United States at a port of entry in a safe and orderly manner or pursue another lawful pathway.

Noncitizens who cross the southern border and who are not excepted from the Proclamation will be ineligible for asylum unless exceptionally compelling circumstances exist, including if the noncitizen demonstrates that they or a member of their family with whom they are traveling:

• faced an acute medical emergency;
• faced an imminent and extreme threat to life or safety, such as an imminent threat of rape, kidnapping, torture, or murder; or
• satisfied the definition of “victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons” currently provided in 8 CFR 214.11.

Consequences

Noncitizens who are subject to the rule’s limitation on asylum eligibility and who manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, express a fear of persecution or torture or an intention to apply for asylum, but do not establish a reasonable probability of persecution or torture in the country of removal will be promptly removed.

Those ordered removed will be subject to at least a five-year bar to reentry and potential criminal prosecution.

The Proclamation and rule will significantly enhance the security of our border by increasing the Departments’ ability to impose swift consequences for individuals who cross the southern border irregularly and do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.  Together, the Proclamation and rule make critical changes to how the Departments operate during times when encounters are at historically high levels—levels that, in the absence of these changes, undermine the government’s ability to process individuals through the expedited removal process. These changes will enable the Departments to quickly return those without a lawful basis to stay in the United States and thereby free up the asylum system for those with legitimate claims.

These extraordinary measures are a stop gap. Even with these measures in place, the Departments continue to lack the authorities and resources needed to adequately support the men and women on the frontlines. The Administration again calls on Congress to take up and pass the bipartisan reforms proposed in the Senate, which provide the new authorities, personnel, and resources that are needed to address the historic global migration that is impacting countries throughout the world, including our own. Until Congress does its part, we will continue to take any actions needed under current law and within existing resources to secure the border.

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COAC Executive Summary - March 2024

Quarterly COAC Executive Summary for March 2024.

Ixigo IPO Garners Significant Demand Across Investor Categories — India Report

Bulbul Dhawan , Skift

June 12th, 2024 at 11:00 PM EDT

Ixigo's IPO closed to a blockbuster subscription window. The online travel company's performance at the Indian bourses is indicative of the positive sentiments that prevail in India with regard to the travel industry.

Bulbul Dhawan

The Skift India Newsletter is your go-to platform for all news related to travel, tourism, airlines, and hospitality in India.

The IPO for online travel agency Ixigo saw demand for the shares it offered dramatically exceed the number of shares offered this week.

Investors applied for about 98 times the number of shares in Ixigo’s initial public offering, according to the Indian stock exchange BSE on Wednesday. Demand was strong across all types of investors, including institutional ones and ordinary individuals.

On Friday, the company raised INR 3.33 billion ($40 million) from anchor investors, who are institutional investors invited to subscribe to shares ahead of the IPO opening to the general public.

With the share subscription now over, the allotment of shares is expected to be finalised by Wednesday. The IPO listing is tentatively scheduled for June 18.

The IPO’s full capital infusion into the company will be $89 million, including anchor investors, retail investors, and others.

IPO Timing: It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Ixigo, which initially filed for an IPO in 2021 and received the green light from regulators the same year. 

“Most tech-listed names were trading below their IPO price in 2022,” Ixigo chairman, managing director and group CEO Aloke Bajpai told Skift in an exclusive first interview. “It was not the ideal environment for us to launch an IPO.”

Fast forward to mid-February this year, and Ixigo decided to take another crack at the IPO, buoyed by two consecutive years of profitability. This time around, the company set its sights on raising a more modest $89 million, a far cry from the $192 million it had originally planned to raise.  

Rajnish Kumar, director and group co-CEO of Ixigo told Skift that the company’s financial performance has been an important driver of its renewed plans for an IPO.

“The company reported consistent profitability, with fiscal 2023 seeing nine months of profits and fiscal 2024 showing even stronger financial health,” Kumar said. “This allowed us to reduce the primary portion of fundraising. We didn’t need that much money.”

Plans for IPO Proceeds: According to the company’s prospect, as accessed by Skift , Ixigo will allocate INR 450 million($5.4 million) towards its working capital requirements. The company will invest INR 258 million ($3.1 million) in cloud infrastructure and technology, while it will also use proceeds to drive inorganic growth through acquisitions and strategic initiatives.

Moscow City Eyes Business Travel From India

The Moscow City Tourism Committee is looking to boost business travel from India. For this, it has launched a new training program as a part of Moscow MICE Ambassadors online certification project. With this, it hopes to pitch the Russian capital as a preferred host destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events.

The online program targets representatives from the Indian MICE industry. 

According to Moscow City Tourism chairman Evgeny Kozlov, the MICE Ambassadors program is focused on India, as the country is a priority region for the city. “Our objective extends beyond simply boosting the influx of business travelers from India to Moscow; we aim to elevate the standard of services we provide and effectively exhibit our capabilities.” 

India is a key emerging source market for Russia, becoming one of the leading countries in terms of tourist influx to Moscow. According to a statement from Moscow City Tourism, business travel is a key driver for Indian visitors. In 2023, 60,000 Indian tourists visited Moscow.

Russia is currently working with India on a bilateral agreement to allow visa-free group tourist exchanges between the countries. The agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year.

Radisson Enters West Bengal With 150-Key Hotel

Radisson Hotel Group has entered the state of West Bengal with the signing of Radisson Hotel Siliguri. The 150-room hotel is expected to open in 2028. 

Nikhil Sharma, managing director and area senior vice president – south asia for Radisson, said the region holds immense potential for the country’s hospitality ecosystem due to industrial resources and natural beauty. 

The company currently has 180 hotels in operation and in its pipeline in India, and recently debuted its luxury lifestyle brand, Radisson Collection, in India. 

India is a crucial market for Radisson, Elie Younes, executive vice president and global chief development officer at Radisson Hotel Group told Skift in an earlier interview . “Our expansion plans for 2024 are ambitious, focusing not only on major metropolitan cities but also targeting Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns to cater to the growing demand in these markets,” he said.

Indian Travelers Want On-Site Restaurants, 24-Hour Check-Ins During Stays

Indian travelers seek stay amenities such as on-site restaurants, flexible 24-hour check-ins, in-room air conditioning, breakfast, and secure luggage storage in their choice of accommodations, according to data shared by online travel platform Booking.com. 

The platform further shared that when it comes to in-room facilities, flexible room service, view, power outlet near the bed, in-room temperature control, and access to toiletries are key requirements for Indian travelers. Additionally, they also prefer having a refrigerator, TV with streaming services, desk, and tea kettle in their rooms. 

As Indians are willing to spend more , Booking.com noted that travelers are paying extra for services such as laundry, room upgrades, curated tours or activities, and room service.

RedRail Introduces Gen AI-Powered Chatbot on WhatsApp

Rail ticketing platform redRail has introduced upgrades to its WhatsApp chatbot, including the introduction of Gen AI. The Gen AI-powered chatbot aims to respond to natural language, eliminating the need for customers to put in specific keywords to get a suitable response. 

With this, passengers can send a message to the chatbot to receive real-time updates on PNR status, running status of trains, train schedules and coach positions, as well as informational queries regarding trains. 

The chatbot now also supports Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, with support for remaining Indian languages expected to come soon. 

IHG Signs Holiday Inn Resort in Himachal Pradesh’s Kufri

IHG Hotels and Resorts has signed Holiday Inn Resort Kufri in Himachal Pradesh. The 100-key property will open in 2026. 

In a statement, the company said that the signing aligns with its expansion strategy in India as it aims to provide diverse hospitality experiences across leisure destinations in the country.

Sudeep Jain, managing director, South West Asia at IHG said, “The Kufri-Shimla region is a highly sought-after leisure and events destination in India. It attracts a diverse range of travelers, from leisure seekers to business guests attending conferences, and guests seeking destination weddings.”

IHG currently has 45 operational hotels in India, with a pipeline of about 50 hotels set to open in the next 3-5 years. 

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Tags: air taxis , aviation , aviation industry , aviation news , booking habits , booking trends , booking.com , business travel , himachal pradesh , ihg , india , india outbound , india travel , IPOs , ixigo , madhya pradesh , mice , moscow , online travel , online travel agencies , online travel companies , radisson , radisson collection , radisson hotel group , russia , skift india report

Photo credit: The company had initially filed for an IPO in 2021 but decided to delay its entry. Ixigo

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A Proclamation on Securing the   Border

   There are more people around the world who are displaced from their homes today than at any point in time since World War II.  Many factors have contributed to this problem.  Failing regimes and dire economic conditions afflict many countries, including several in the Western Hemisphere.  Violence linked to transnational criminal organizations has displaced substantial numbers of people in Latin America.  The global COVID-19 pandemic upended societies around the globe.  Natural disasters have forced people from their homes.  

     As a result of these global conditions, we have been experiencing substantial levels of migration throughout the Western Hemisphere, including at our southwest land border.  In 2019, encounters nearly doubled from their 2018 level to almost 1 million.  In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic led countries throughout the world to shut their borders and suspend international travel; however, once the pandemic began to recede, international travel resumed, and we again experienced elevated levels of migration throughout the Western Hemisphere, including at our southwest land border.

     On May 11, 2023, as part of my Administration’s work to prepare for the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public health order under title 42, United States Code, and to return to processing all noncitizens under immigration authorities under title 8, United States Code (title 8), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule, entitled Circumvention of Lawful Pathways (Lawful Pathways rule), encouraging the use of lawful pathways and imposing a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility on those who do not use them. 

    The Lawful Pathways rule was designed to address the high levels of migration throughout the Western Hemisphere and further discourage irregular migration by encouraging migrants to use lawful, safe, and orderly processes for entering the United States or to seek protection in other partner nations; imposing a presumptive condition on asylum eligibility for those who fail to do so; and supporting the swift return of those who do not have valid protection claims.

     As a complement to the Lawful Pathways rule and associated enforcement efforts, the Department of State and DHS have taken significant steps to expand safe and orderly pathways for migrants to enter the United States lawfully.  Those steps include establishing Safe Mobility Offices in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala to facilitate access to lawful pathways; expanding country-specific and other available processes to seek parole on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit; expanding access to visa programs for seasonal employment; establishing a mechanism for noncitizens to schedule a time and place to present at ports of entry in a safe, orderly, and lawful manner through the CBP One mobile application; and expanding refugee admissions from the Western Hemisphere from 5,000 in Fiscal Year 2021 to up to 50,000 in Fiscal Year 2024.

     The Lawful Pathways rule and these complementary measures have made a substantial impact.  On May 12, 2023, DHS returned to processing all noncitizens under title 8 immigration authorities and is processing noncitizens at record scale and efficiency.  Since then, my Administration has maximized the use of expedited removal to the greatest extent possible given limited resources, placing more than 970 individuals encountered at and between ports of entry at the southwest land border into the process each day on average and conducting more than 152,000 credible fear interviews, both of which are record highs.  As a result, from May 12, 2023, to May 1, 2024, my Administration removed or returned more than 720,000 noncitizens who did not have a lawful basis to remain in the United States, the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest land border.  Total removals and returns in the 12 months following May 12, 2023, exceeded removals and returns in every full Fiscal Year since 2010.  The majority of all individuals encountered at the southwest land border from Fiscal Year 2021 to Fiscal Year 2023 were removed, returned, or expelled.

     Despite these efforts, and after months of reduced encounter levels following the changes put in place after May 12, 2023, encounter levels increased toward the end of 2023, and December 2023 saw the highest level of encounters between ports of entry in history, as increasing numbers of people migrated through the Western Hemisphere.  The challenges presented by this surge in migration, which would have been even worse had the Lawful Pathways rule and other measures not been in place, were compounded by the fact that the surge was focused increasingly on western areas of the border in California and Arizona that are geographically remote, challenging to address, and without sufficient pre-existing infrastructure or resources to respond to the surge.  From January to March 2024, encounters decreased from and have remained below levels experienced in November and December 2023, including as a result of increased enforcement by the United States and partner countries.  However, the factors that are driving the unprecedented movement of people in our hemisphere remain, and there is still a substantial and elevated level of migration that continues to pose significant operational challenges.  

    The current situation is also the direct result of the Congress’s failure to update an immigration and asylum system that is simply broken — and not equipped to meet current needs.  While my Administration has vigorously enforced the law within the constraints imposed by the existing system, the statutory framework put in place by the Congress is outdated.  For the vast majority of people in immigration proceedings, the current laws make it impossible to quickly grant protection to those who require it and to quickly remove those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.  This reality is compounded by the fact that the Congress has chronically underfunded our border security and immigration system and has failed to provide the resources or reforms it needs to be able to deliver timely consequences to most individuals who cross unlawfully and cannot establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.  

     Despite the strengthened consequences in place at our border through the Lawful Pathways rule and the related measures that have led to record returns and removals, encounter levels are exceeding our capacity to deliver those consequences in a timely manner due to the outdated laws and limited resources we have available.  

     My Administration has repeatedly asked the Congress to update the outdated and inadequate immigration statutes, to create a legal framework that is functional and addresses current realities, and to provide additional resources so that we can more effectively deliver consequences at the border.  In August 2023, I requested more than $4 billion in additional funding for border security and related migration issues, including more than $2 billion for urgent DHS border management requirements.  The Congress failed to act. In October 2023, I requested $13.6 billion for border enforcement and migration management.  This request included more than $5 billion for DHS to manage conditions on the southern border, as well as funding for critical capacity enhancements to keep the southern border secure.  The Congress once again failed to provide our border and immigration system with the resources it needs to deliver timely consequences to those who cross unlawfully.

     In early February 2024, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced legislation (bipartisan legislative proposal) containing the toughest and fairest reforms of our asylum laws in decades that would have provided new authorities to significantly streamline and speed up immigration enforcement proceedings for individuals encountered at the border, including those who are seeking protection.  Critically, the bipartisan legislative proposal included nearly $20 billion in additional resources for DHS and other departments to implement those new authorities, such as:      (a)  over 1,500 new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel, including Border Patrol agents and CBP officers;       (b)  over 4,300 new asylum officers and additional U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff to facilitate timely and fair decisions;       (c)  100 new immigration judge teams to help reduce the asylum caseload backlog and adjudicate cases more quickly;       (d)  shelter and critical services for newcomers in our cities and States; and      (e)  1,200 new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel for functions including enforcement and deportations. While the bipartisan legislative proposal did not include everything we wanted, senior officials from my Administration worked closely with the bipartisan group of Senators to ensure that the reforms would adequately address the challenges that we have been facing at our southern border for more than a decade. However, the Congress failed to move forward with this bipartisan legislative proposal.  

     The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47) increased funding for DHS over Fiscal Year 2023, but it did not address the needs identified in various related supplemental requests, nor did it equip the Federal Government with the new authorities from the bipartisan legislative proposal.  In May 2024, when the Senate again considered the bipartisan legislative proposal, the Senate failed to advance the measure. 

     Our broken immigration system is directly contributing to the historic migration we are seeing throughout the Western Hemisphere, exacerbated by poor economic conditions, natural disasters, and general insecurity, and this fact, combined with inadequate resources to keep pace, has once again severely strained our capacity at the border.  The result is a vicious cycle in which our United States Border Patrol facilities constantly risk overcrowding, our detention system has regularly been at capacity, and our asylum system remains backlogged and cannot deliver timely decisions, all of which spurs more people to make the dangerous journey north to the United States.

     The Congress’s failure to deliver meaningful policy reforms and adequate funding, despite repeated requests that they do so, is a core cause of this problem.  Under current law, whenever a noncitizen in expedited removal indicates an intention to apply for asylum or a fear of persecution, they are referred for an interview with an asylum officer and cannot be removed through expedited removal if there is a significant possibility that they could establish eligibility for asylum.  This screening standard is a requirement imposed by the Congress, but it has not functioned well in predicting ultimate success in asylum proceedings.  From 2014 to 2019, 83 percent of individuals referred for an interview with an asylum officer passed the screening stage, meaning that they were not removed pursuant to expedited removal, but less than 25 percent of cases ultimately resulted in a grant of asylum or other protection, often after waiting years to reach a final decision. By imposing a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility on those who cross the border unlawfully, the Lawful Pathways rule has made a meaningful impact in reducing this disparity.  The screen-in rate from May 12, 2023, to March 31, 2024, dropped to 52 percent for individuals who are subject to the rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility.  However, the Lawful Pathways rule alone is inadequate during times of record encounter levels and cannot change the underlying statutory limitations.

     Data confirm that the system has been badly strained for many years and is not functioning to provide timely relief for those who warrant it or timely consequences for those without viable protection claims.  Due to an outdated and inefficient system and insufficient resources that do not allow for prompt adjudication of claims, too many people have had to be processed by the Border Patrol and released with a notice to appear in removal proceedings before an immigration judge since May 2023.  The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service affirmative asylum backlog is now over 1 million cases and growing, with over 300,000 applications filed prior to 2021 still pending.  At the end of Fiscal Year 2023, there were over 2.4 million cases pending in the immigration courts. Pending cases more than doubled from the end of Fiscal Year 2016 to the end of Fiscal Year 2020 and doubled again between that time and the end of Fiscal Year 2023.  Between Fiscal Year 2006 and the end of Fiscal Year 2023, in tandem with historic increases in filings to initiate immigration court proceedings, the immigration courts’ pending caseload increased from approximately 170,000 to approximately 2.46 million.  During Fiscal Year 2023, immigration judges completed more cases than they ever had before in a single year, but more than twice as many cases were received by the immigration courts than were completed.

     The status quo system — the result of outdated laws and inadequate resources — has become a driver for unlawful migration throughout the region and an increasingly lucrative source of income for dangerous transnational criminal organizations and other criminal smuggling organizations that, without countermeasures, will continue to grow in strength and pose significant threats to the safety and security of United States communities and migrants, as well as countries throughout the region. 

     Considering these trends and the decades-long failure of the Congress to address the problem through systemic reform and adequate funding, and following the Congress’s failure to pass the bipartisan legislative proposal, I must exercise my executive authorities to meet the moment.  This proclamation answers the call by suspending entry of noncitizens across the southern border during this time of high border crossings.  Appropriate exceptions are provided, such as for those who are particularly vulnerable or present pursuant to a process the Secretary of Homeland Security determines is appropriate to allow for safe and orderly processing into the United States.  That process will continue to allow for individuals to seek entry to this country each day in a safe and orderly manner, and following their arrival, to seek protection through the appropriate process.  This proclamation, in conjunction with steps to be taken by DOJ and DHS, is needed to enhance our ability to address the historic levels of migration and more efficiently process migrants arriving at the southern border given current resource levels.

     These actions do not change or fully compensate for the fact that our immigration system is under-resourced and broken, nor do they change the fact that there are significant limits to what can be achieved without the Congress fulfilling its responsibility to help solve the unprecedented challenge that we are facing.  No executive action can deliver the significant policy reforms and additional resources that were in the bipartisan legislative proposal.  But I will continue to take actions, within these constraints, to address the situation at our southern border.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a)) and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that, absent the measures set forth in this proclamation, the entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation under circumstances described in section 2 of this proclamation would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and that their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions.  I therefore hereby proclaim the following:

     Section 1.  Suspension and Limitation on Entry.  The entry of any noncitizen into the United States across the southern border is hereby suspended and limited, subject to section 3 of this proclamation.  This suspension and limitation on entry shall be effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on June 5, 2024.  The suspension and limitation directed in this proclamation shall be discontinued pursuant to subsection 2(a) of this proclamation, subject to subsection 2(b) of this proclamation.

     Sec. 2.  Applicability of Suspension and Limitation on Entry. (a)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall monitor the number of daily encounters and, subject to subsection (b) of this section, the suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall be discontinued at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on the date that is 14 calendar days after the Secretary makes a factual determination that there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of less than 1,500 encounters, not including encounters described in subsection 4(a)(iii) of this proclamation.      (b)  Notwithstanding a factual determination made under subsection (a) of this section, the suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall apply at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on the calendar day immediately after the Secretary has made a factual determination that there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of 2,500 encounters or more, not including encounters described in subsection 4(a)(iii) of this proclamation, until such suspension and limitation on entry is discontinued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.      (c)  For purposes of subsection (a) and subsection (b) of this section, unaccompanied children (as defined in section 279(g)(2) of title 6, United States Code) from non-contiguous countries shall not be included in calculating the number of encounters.

     Sec. 3.  Scope and Implementation of Suspension and Limitation on Entry.  (a)  The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall apply across the southern border to noncitizens, other than those described in subsection (b) of this section, during such times that the suspension and limitation on entry is in effect.      (b)  The suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to:           (i)    any noncitizen national of the United States;           (ii)   any lawful permanent resident of the United States;           (iii)  any unaccompanied child as defined in section 279(g)(2) of title 6, United States Code;           (iv)   any noncitizen who is determined to be a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, as defined in section 7102(16) of title 22, United States Code;           (v)    any noncitizen who has a valid visa or other lawful permission to seek entry or admission into the United States, or presents at a port of entry pursuant to a pre-scheduled time and place, including:                      (A)  members of the United States Armed Forces and associated personnel, United States Government employees or contractors on orders abroad, or their accompanying family members who are on their orders or are members of their household;                      (B)  noncitizens who hold a valid visa or who have all necessary documents required for admission consistent with the requirements of section 1182(a)(7) of title 8, United States Code, upon arrival at a port of entry;                     (C)  noncitizens traveling pursuant to the visa waiver program as described in section 1187 of title 8, United States Code; and                     (D)  noncitizens who arrive in the United States at a southwest land border port of entry pursuant to a process the Secretary of Homeland Security determines is appropriate to allow for the safe and orderly entry of noncitizens into the United States;           (vi)   any noncitizen who is permitted to enter by the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through a CBP immigration officer, based on the totality of the circumstances, including consideration of significant law enforcement, officer and public safety, urgent humanitarian, and public health interests at the time of the entry or encounter that warranted permitting the noncitizen to enter; and           (vii)  any noncitizen who is permitted to enter by the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through a CBP immigration officer, due to operational considerations at the time of the entry or encounter that warranted permitting the noncitizen to enter. (c)  An exception under subsection (b) of this section from the suspension and limitation on entry pursuant to section 1 of this proclamation does not affect a noncitizen’s inadmissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act for a reason other than the applicability of this proclamation. (d)  The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General are authorized to issue any instructions, orders, or regulations as may be necessary to implement this proclamation, including the determination of the exceptions in subsection (b) of this section, and shall promptly consider issuing any instructions, orders, or regulations as may be necessary to address the circumstances at the southern border, including any additional limitations and conditions on asylum eligibility that they determine are warranted, subject to any exceptions that they determine are warranted. (e)  Nothing in this proclamation shall limit the statutory processes afforded to unaccompanied children upon entering the United States under section 279 of title 6, United States Code, and section 1232 of title 8, United States Code.

     Sec. 4.  Definitions.  (a)  The term “encounter” refers to a noncitizen who:      (i)    is physically apprehended by CBP immigration officers within 100 miles of the United States southwest land border during the 14-day period immediately after entry between ports of entry;      (ii)   is physically apprehended by DHS personnel at the southern coastal borders during the 14-day period immediately after entry between ports of entry; or      (iii)  is determined to be inadmissible at a southwest land border port of entry. (b)  The term “southern coastal borders” means all maritime borders in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida; all maritime borders proximate to the southwest land border, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southern Pacific coast in California; and all maritime borders of the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. (c)  The term “southwest land border” means the entirety of the United States land border with Mexico. (d)  The term “southern border” means the southwest land border and the southern coastal borders.

     Sec. 5.  Severability.  It is the policy of the United States to enforce this proclamation to the maximum extent possible to advance the interests of the United States.  Accordingly, if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 

     Sec. 6.  General Provisions. (a)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

     (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or      (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b)  This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c)  This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Find the best credit card for you

The 13 best travel credit cards of june 2024, the best travel credit cards can earn you hundreds of dollars in rewards each year and make your travels more enjoyable..

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The best travel credit cards offer more than just great  cash-back , points or miles incentives — they also come with a range of perks that can take your next trip from basic to bougie without spending extra money.

Some travel card features are nearly standard across the board:  no foreign transaction fees ,  travel insurance  and various travel credits. More  premium cards  take things up by offering  lounge access  and credits for expedited airport security.

To help you choose the best travel rewards card for your needs, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of popular travel cards and dug into each card's perks and drawbacks. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards.)

Best travel credit cards

• Best for dining when traveling: American Express® Gold Card
• Best for welcome bonus:   Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Best for low annual fee: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Best for no annual fee: Discover it® Miles
• Best for authorized user perks: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Best for earning points on rent: Bilt Mastercard®
• Best for lounge access: The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Best for luxury travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Best secured travel card: Discover it® Secured Credit Card
• Best for fair credit: Credit One Bank Wander® Card
• Best for low interest: First Tech Credit Union Choice Rewards World Mastercard®
• Best for bonus categories: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Journey Visa® Card
• Best for students: Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students

Best for dining when traveling

American express® gold card.

4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Not applicable

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Balance transfer fee

Foreign transaction fee, credit needed.

Excellent/Good

See rates and fees , terms apply.

Read our American Express® Gold Card review .

• Up to $120 dining credit annually ($10 a month) for purchases made with Grubhub, Goldbelly and other eligible restaurants (after a one-time enrollment)
• Up to $120 Uber Cash annually ($10 a month) for U.S. Uber Eats orders and U.S. Uber rides (card must be added to Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit)
• Strong rewards program with 4X points earned at restaurants and 3X points earned on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com
• Baggage insurance plan covers up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage that is damaged, lost or stolen (Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company)
• No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
• No introductory APR period
• $250 annual fee
• Estimated rewards earned after 1 year: $1,074
• Estimated rewards earned after 5 years: $2,969

Rewards totals incorporate the points earned from the welcome bonus

Who's this for? The American Express® Gold Card is a smart choice for consumers who love traveling and dining out due to its generous rewards rates. While the card comes with a $250 annual fee ( see rates and fees ), it offers premium rewards that help offset the cost.

Standout benefits:  Travelers will appreciate the Amex Gold card's various statement credits. Cardholders get up to $120 in annual dining credit (up to $10 per month at Grubhub , Goldbelly, The Cheesecake Factory and other participating restaurants; enrollment is required) and up to $120 in Uber Cash ($10 per month) to put toward rides in the U.S. and dining via Uber Eats (you must add your Amex Gold Card as a payment method in the Uber app to enroll).

[ Jump to more details ]

Best for welcome bonus

Chase sapphire preferred® card.

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

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Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

• Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel via Chase Travel℠
• Transfer points to leading frequent travel programs at a 1:1 rate, including: IHG® Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy™ and World of Hyatt®
• Travel protections include: auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement
• $95 annual fee
• No introductory 0% APR

Who's this for? The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a loyal following among travelers looking for a travel-centric rewards program and a robust suite of perks. What makes this card shine the most is its generous welcome bonus offer.

Standout benefits:  This card offers many helpful benefits, such as an up to $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance , trip cancellation and interruption insurance and baggage and trip delay insurance. Cardholders can also benefit from a 10% points boost on each card anniversary and complimentary DashPass membership for a minimum of one year through Dec. 31, 2024.

Best for low annual fee

Capital one venture rewards credit card.

5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

N/A for purchases and balance transfers

19.99% - 29.99% variable

$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you

• 5 miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit up to $100 every 4 years
• No introductory APR
• There’s a $95 annual fee

Who's this for? The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers an abundance of travel benefits. It's especially valuable if you want a straightforward way of earning rewards without having to juggle bonus categories.

Standout benefits:  Travelers going overseas can take advantage of  no foreign transaction fees . Cardholders also get a credit of up to $100 to cover Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership.

Best for no annual fee

Discover it® miles.

Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

Unlimited Bonus: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There's no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.

0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases

18.24% - 28.24% Variable

3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*

Good / Excellent

*See rates and fees , terms apply.

Read our Discover it® Miles review.

• Miles program
• Generous welcome bonus
• No blackout dates
• No limit to the amount of miles you can earn and miles never expire
• No Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit offerings
• Travel spending does not receive additional rewards
• No airport lounge access

Who's this for?  The  Discover it® Miles  is ideal if you're seeking a generous rewards program and welcome bonus and don't want to pay an annual fee.

Standout benefits:  Discover has a welcome bonus that's hard to beat: It will do a mile-for-mile match of all miles earned the first year (for new card members in their first year only). If you rack up 35,000 miles within the first 12 months, Discover will match you with 35,000 miles. That's a total of 70,000 miles or $700 toward travel. Plus, the card has no foreign transaction fees.

Best for authorized user perks

Capital one venture x rewards credit card.

Unlimited 2X miles on all eligible purchases, and 5 Miles per dollar on flights and 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booked via Capital One Travel portal

Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you

Foreign transaction fees

Read our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review.

• Large welcome bonus
• No foreign transaction fees
• Up to $100 statement credits for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• High annual fee
• No introductory 0% APR period

Who's this for? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an excellent choice if you're a frequent traveler who wants a premium credit card at a lower price point than other high-end cards with similar benefits. Plus, up to four authorized users can be added for free.

Standout benefits:  This card is loaded with benefits, including a $300 Capital One Travel credit to use toward purchases made through Capital One Travel and a 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary (worth at least $100 for travel). Cardholders also receive an up to $100 statement credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® , complimentary  cell phone insurance , access to Capital One and partner airport lounges and more. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

Best for earning points on rent

Bilt mastercard®.

Earn Bilt Points when you make 5 transactions that post each statement period - up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year), 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points on other purchases.

Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer ($5 minimum).

See rates/fees and rewards/benefits ; terms apply.

• No annual fee
• Solid rewards on broad spending categories
• Ability to pay your rent with no transaction fees
• Transfer points to leading frequent traveler programs at a 1:1 rate, including American Airlines, United and World of Hyatt®
• No welcome offer

Who's this for? If you rent your home and don't have the Bilt Mastercard® , you're leaving points on the table. The Bilt Mastercard is the only card that lets you earn travel rewards on rent payments with no fees .

Standout benefits:  Bilt makes it easy for even beginners to get maximum value from their points through a unique partnership with the award search engine point.me . The BiltProtect feature also protects you from using up your entire credit limit or risk going into debt by charging your rent every month. Other benefits include cell phone protection; Purchase Assurance Plus, which covers your purchases for 90 days; discounts with partner brands; and access to the Mastercard Luxury Hotels & Resorts portfolio, which offers amenities like upgrades, free breakfast and property credits.

Best for lounge access

The platinum card® from american express.

Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 1X points on all other eligible purchases

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.

Credit Needed

Read our The Platinum Card® from American Express review .

• Up to $200 in annual airline fee credits
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $695 annual fee
• No special financing offers on new purchases

Who's this for? The Platinum Card® from American Express is for road warriors who want to make their travels more comfortable. It grants you access to more airport lounges than any other card on the market and is loaded with lots of other travel and lifestyle benefits that help justify its high annual fee (see rates and fees ).

Standout benefits:  Cardholders have an extensive list of opportunities to earn over $1,500 in statement credits each year and enjoy ongoing benefits like automatic hotel elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy and various travel and shopping protections. Even if you only take advantage of half of this card's perks, it's worth paying the annual fee (see rates and fees ).

Best for luxury travel

Chase sapphire reserve®.

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

• $300 annual travel credit for travel purchases
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit up to $100 every four years
• Priority Pass™ Select lounge access at 1,000+ VIP lounges in over 500 cities worldwide
• Points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel via Chase Travel℠
• Special benefits at The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• Complimentary year of Lyft Pink membership
• High annual fee, but it can be offset by taking advantage of all the card’s perks
• Estimated rewards earned after 1 year: $1,469
• Estimated rewards earned after 5 years: $3,346

Who's this for? The Chase Sapphire Reserve is enormously popular among frequent travelers for its luxe perks, including comprehensive travel protections, and a strong rewards program. While this card comes with a substantial annual fee of $550 , the many statement credits help to offset the costs.

Standout benefits:  This card provides an annual $300 travel credit, which can cover everything from airfare and hotels to parking and tolls. Cardholders   can also get a statement credit of up to $100 (every four years) to help cover Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fees as well as enroll in Priority Pass™ Select for airport lounge access . Other benefits include elite-like benefits when booking hotels through The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection; trip interruption/cancellation coverage; primary rental car coverage; lost luggage reimbursement; and trip delay reimbursement. 

Best secured travel card

Discover it® secured credit card.

Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year

N/A on purchases

28.24% Variable

New / Rebuilding

Read our Discover it® Secured Credit Card review.

• Cash-back program
• Starting at seven months from account opening, Discover will automatically review your credit card account to see if you can transition to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit
• Cash-back program limits earnings: 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1%
• Low credit line prevents cardholders from charging high-cost items or many expenses

Who's this for? If you are working to build your credit , the Discover it® Secured Credit Card offers an opportunity to earn rewards along the way.

Standout benefits: The Discover It® Secured Credit Card earns cash back on every purchase and offers a generous cash-back matching welcome bonus. Plus, the card charges no foreign transaction fees.

Best for fair credit

Credit one bank wander® card.

10X points on eligible hotels and rental cars book through the Credit One Bank travel partner; 5X points on eligible flights, dining and gas purchases; 1X points on all other purchases

No current offer

29.74% Variable

Average to excellent credit

See rates and fees. Terms apply.

• Great return on travel purchases
• Available to those with average credit
• No welcome bonus

Who's this for? The Credit One Bank Wander® Card is ideal if you have fair or average credit and want to earn generous rewards on your travel, dining and gas purchases.

Standout benefits: You'll earn a whopping 10X points when you book eligible hotels and rental cars through the Credit One Bank travel site (5X when you book and 5X when you complete the booking). This card also earns 5X points on flights, dining and gas purchases, so it's rewarding for a wide variety of travel spending. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees.

Best for low interest

Choice rewards world mastercard®.

Earn 2X points on groceries, gas, electronics, medical, household goods and telecommunications, 1X points on all other purchases

Earn 20,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 60 days from account opening

13.50% - 18.00% variable

• Good rewards program for everyday purchases
• No balance transfer fee
• Balance must be transferred within 90 days of account opening date
• Estimated rewards earned after 1 year:  $344
• Estimated rewards earned after 5 years: $1,720

Who's this for? You should consider the Choice Rewards World Mastercard® from First Tech Federal Credit Union if you're looking for a card that offers an introductory APR. It made our list of the top travel cards for its unique rewards program and relatively low variable APR of 13.50% - 18.00%.

Standout benefits:  The 13.50% - 18.00% variable APR rate is significantly lower than many other competitor cards (though we recommend that you pay off your card in full and on time each month). There are also no foreign transaction fees, which is a huge plus when traveling abroad.

Best for bonus categories

Wells fargo autograph journey℠ card.

Earn 5X points on hotels; 4X points on airlines; 3X points on other travel; 3X points on dining. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases

Earn 60,000 bonus rewards points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first three months.

21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% variable based on your creditworthiness

Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5.

Terms apply

• Excellent rewards rate for hotel, airfare and travel
• Strong welcome bonus
• Access to transfer partners
• Fewer transfer partners than comparable programs
• Doesn't have several key travel protections (trip delay, primary rental car coverage in the U.S.)

Who's this for? The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Journey Visa® Card has just about everything you could want in a travel card: A great welcome offer, a reasonable annual fee, useful bonus spending categories and meaningful perks.

Standout benefits:  The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card will help you rack up rewards quickly for travel spending. It earns 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines and 3X on dining and other travel. The best part is that you can transfer Wells Fargo points to airline and hotel travel partners including Choice Privileges, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club and Air France/KLM Flying Blue.

Best for students

Bank of america® travel rewards for students credit card.

Unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases

25,000 online bonus points after you spend at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward qualifying travel and dining purchases

0% APR for the first 15 billing cycles on purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account

18.24% - 28.24% variable

3% of each transaction intro balance transfer fee for the first 60 days from account opening, then 4%

Good/Excellent

• Strong welcome bonus of 25,000 points if you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days
• Intro 0% APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
• No student-centric benefits or incentives to practice responsible credit behavior
• Estimated rewards earned after 1 year: $466
• Estimated rewards earned after 5 years:   $1,528

Who's this for? The Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students is a great choice for students who plan on studying abroad or traveling during breaks. The rewards program is geared toward travel, and cardholders earn 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases.

Standout benefits: There are no foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal card for college students studying abroad. This card also comes with a longer-than-average special financing offer of no interest for 15 billing cycles (then 18.24% to 28.24% variable APR). A full year of no interest is a great way for you to pay off new purchases over time, without incurring interest charges, though we recommend you pay off your balance on time and in full each month.

More on our top travel credit cards

The American Express Gold Card earns elevated rewards for several popular spending categories, including dining, groceries and airfare. To top it off, the Amex Membership Rewards points you earn are some of the most valuable travel points out there.

• 4X points per dollar spent at restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.)
• 4X points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
• 3X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months of card membership.

$250 (see rates and fees )

Notable perks

In addition to the up to $240 in annual credits for dining and Uber Cash, the American Express Gold Card has a variety of other useful benefits. For example, cardmembers get a $100 experience credit and potential room upgrade when booking stays of at least two nights through The Hotel Collection. Experience credit varies by property.

Eligible purchases also qualify for the following insurance coverages*:

• Baggage insurance (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)
• Extended warranty (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)
• Purchase protection (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)
• Trip delay insurance (Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.)
• Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary) (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.)

You can use the American Express Membership Rewards points you earn with this card in a variety of ways, from redeeming for gift cards and statement credits to booking travel through the  Amex Travel Portal . To get a potentially bigger bang for your buck, transfer your Membership Rewards points to a variety of airline or hotel partners, including Delta SkyMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Hilton Honors,  Marriott Bonvoy , Choice Privileges and more. * Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

[ Return to card summary ]

In addition to an excellent  welcome bonus , the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers lucrative bonus categories and other useful perks like travel and purchase protections, all for a modest annual fee.

• 5X points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 5X points per dollar on Lyft rides through Mar. 31, 2025
• 3X points per dollar on dining
• 3X points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 3X points per dollar on select streaming services
• 2X points per dollar on all other travel purchases
• 1X points per dollar on all other purchases
• 10% anniversary points boost
• $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers travelers many important protections, including  primary rental car insurance , trip cancellation and interruption insurance and baggage and trip delay insurance. Travelers can also rack up rewards faster thanks to a 10% points boost on each card anniversary. That means if you spend $50,000 on purchases, you'll get a 5,000-point bonus (worth $75 in travel booked through Chase).

Cardholders can take advantage of various statement credits for specific purchases. For starters, the card offers up to $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit. Through July 31, 2024, you can register your Sapphire Preferred to receive six months of free Instacart+ membership and up to $15 back each quarter for Instacart purchases. You'll also receive a complimentary DashPass membership and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.

One of the best benefits of the Sapphire Preferred is that it unlocks access to Chase's 14 airline and hotel transfer partners. You can transfer points to United Airlines MileagePlus,  Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards , Air Canada Aeroplan, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards,  Marriott Bonvoy and more. Otherwise,  your points are worth  1.25 cents each through Chase Travel℠ or one cent per point when redeemed for gift cards or cash back.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card stands out for earning versatile rewards that can be used for just about any travel expense while having a reasonable annual fee and convenient benefits for travelers.

• 5X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Capital One Venture Rewards cardholders receive a credit of up to $100 to cover Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership. Other perks include access to extended warranty protection*, Travel Assistance Services*, Purchase Assurance*, MasterRental Insurance*, Master RoadAssist®*, and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage*.

Travelers going overseas can take advantage of no foreign transaction fees. As an added plus, you can use your Venture Rewards card to get access to exclusive sporting and music events, plus premiere culinary experiences through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment .

You can use Capital One miles to book flights, hotels, rental cars and more through  Capital One Travel , or you can use them to offset recent travel purchases at a fixed value of one cent per point. Alternatively, you can transfer them to any of Capital One's hotel and airline partners including Accor Live Limitless, Air Canada Aeroplan, Etihad Guest and others to get even more value from your miles.

*Benefit available to accounts approved for the World Elite Mastercard product, subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the World Elite Mastercard Guide to Benefits. See Account Terms or Application Terms for more details. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

The Discover it® Miles is an exceptionally rewarding credit card for everyday purchases , especially when you consider that it has no annual fee.

• 1.5X miles per dollar on every purchase

Discover will match the miles you earn during the first year with no minimum spending requirement or limits on how much you can earn through the match.

The appeal of the Discover it® Miles is its simplicity of not having to worry about paying an annual fee or paying foreign transaction fees. The card also has an introductory 0% APR offer for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers , then a 18.24% - 28.24% variable APR (3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% balance transfer fee on future transfers, see terms ).

There are also no blackout dates when you pay for travel purchases using your card. And, you can easily redeem miles as a statement credit for travel,  restaurant or gas station  purchases, as well as a deposit to your bank account. The best part is, the miles you earn never expire even if your account is closed (Discover credits your account with your rewards balance if your account is closed).

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a luxury travel credit card with a straightforward rewards structure and a myriad of benefits that easily make its annual fee worth it.

• 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel portal
• 5X miles per dollar on flights booked via Capital One Travel portal
• 2X miles on all other eligible purchases

On top of the annual $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, the Capital One Venture X card is loaded with other benefits. Cardmembers receive up to $100 statement credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® , complimentary  cell phone insurance , special perks on hotel stays booked through the Premier Collection** and Lifestyle Collection  and unlimited access to  Capital One Lounges  as well as the extensive network of Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges worldwide. 

You can add up to four authorized users for free and each additional cardholder also gets airport lounge access. If you value rental car perks, cardholders receive complimentary Hertz President's Circle status (enrollment required)***, which grants benefits such as guaranteed upgrades.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has the same redemption options as the Venture Rewards Card. You can use miles to offset eligible travel purchases or transfer them to various airline and hotel partners.

*Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

***Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Normally it's not worth paying rent with a credit card because of the fees, but the Bilt Mastercard offers a path to earning points for paying rent without any fees.

When you make at least five transactions in a statement period, you'll earn points at the following rates:

• Up to 1X points per dollar on rent payments without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
• 2X points per dollar on travel
• 1X point per dollar on all other purchases

Thanks to the BiltProtect feature, Bilt Mastercard cardholders are protected from using up their entire credit limit or risk going into debt by charging their rent to their card every month. Other benefits include a $5 monthly Lyft credit after taking three Lyft rides in a month (through March 31, 2024), as well as a free ShopRunner membership (through March 31, 2024).

For a no-annual-fee card, the Bilt Mastercard has a surprising amount of built-in insurance perks, including:

• Trip delay reimbursement
• Rental car collision damage waiver
• Cell phone protection
• Purchase protection

Bilt Rewards points can be redeemed for travel either by transferring them to airline and hotel partners or by booking through the Bilt Travel Portal at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. Other redemption options include using them to shop online, book fitness classes, pay rent and even make a down payment on a home.

The Platinum Card from American Express has a high annual fee but also packs a punch in benefits. If you're able to take advantage of its numerous annual statement credits, entertainment benefits, extensive airport lounge access and elite status perks, you'll be sure to come out ahead.

• 5X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
• 5X points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel

Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.

$695 (see rates and fees )

Cardholders can enjoy a long list of benefits, including:

• Up to $200 annual hotel credit (Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay)
• Up to $200 annual airline fee credit
• Up to $300 per calendar year Equinox credit (enrollment required)
• Up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit (enrollment required)
• Up to $189 credit to enroll in CLEAR® Plus (subject to auto-renewal)
• Up to $240 annual digital entertainment credit (enrollment required)
• Up to $155 annual Walmart+ credit. (Plus Ups are not eligible. Subject to auto renewal)
• Worldwide airport lounge access, including Delta SkyClubs and Amex Centurion Lounges
• Up to $200 annual Uber credit. Benefit renews annually. (Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.)
• $100 fee credit for Global Entry or up to $85 for TSAPreCheck
• Automatic hotel elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
• Comprehensive travel insurance*
• Complimentary Amex concierge service
• Cell phone protection*

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Membership Rewards points can also be exceptionally valuable. The best way to use Amex points is to transfer them to one of Amex's airline and hotel partners. They can also be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards and when  checking out at retailers like Amazon , though you'll usually get a lower value for your points.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve ® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee. Its travel insurance perks can add peace of mind to any adventure and the card's airport lounge access and credits for expedited airport security can help reduce airport stress.

• 10X total points per dollar on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠*
• 10X points per dollar on Lyft purchases through March 2025
• 5X total points per dollar on flights purchased through Chase Travel℠*
• 3X points per dollar on other travel*

*After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Chase Sapphire Reserve ® card members get up to $300 in annual travel credits, which covers more than half of the card's annual fee. Additional benefits include an up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit (every four years), elite-like perks when booking hotels through The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, access to Sapphire airport lounges and a Priority Pass Select membership (valued at $469), which unlocks access to more than 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide.

Cardholders also have access to a wide range of limited-time benefits and credits, including:

• Two years of complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership (worth $199 a year) when activated by Dec. 31, 2024
• At least 12 months of complimentary DashPass membership when activated by Dec. 31, 2024
• $5 in DoorDash credit each month through Dec. 31, 2024
• One year of free Instacart+ membership (activate by July 31, 2024)
• Up to $15 in Instacart credits each month (through July 31, 2024)

Some of the easiest benefits to overlook are this card's top-notch travel and purchase protections, such as purchase protection, extended warranty protection, return protection, primary rental car collision coverage, trip delay protection, trip interruption/cancellation insurance, baggage delay protection, travel accident insurance, emergency medical and dental insurance and more. Cardmembers traveling internationally also don't need to worry about foreign transaction fees.

The value of the points you earn depends on how you use them. If you redeem points for cash and gift cards, each point is worth one cent. However, the value of points increases to 1.5 cents apiece when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel. This is a great way to maximize the value of your rewards and makes this card stand out from the pack. Of course, transferring your points to Chase's airline and hotel partners is also an option.

The Discover it Secured Credit Card is ideal for anyone with no credit or poor credit because you don't need a credit score to apply. It has no annual fee and has a generous rewards structure for a secured credit card .

• 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Discover will match the cash back you earn during the first year with no minimum spending requirement or cap on the match.

The Discover it Secured Credit Card is designed for those who have no credit history or need to repair their credit score. You don't need a credit score to apply. Instead, you're required to make a refundable deposit of at least $200 to open the card. Whatever amount of money you deposit becomes your credit limit.

At seven months from account opening, Discover will automatically review your credit card account to see if they can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit. The card also has no foreign transaction fees, so you won't be dinged for using it abroad.

Cashback earned with this card doesn't expire and you can redeem your rewards at any time for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise and more.

Credit One Bank® Wander Card

The Credit One Bank® Wander Card is special because it allows you to earn rewards while working on your credit score and doesn't require a security deposit.

• 10X points on eligible hotels and rental cars you book through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
• 5X points on eligible travel
• 5X points on dining
• 5X points on gas purchases
• 1X points on all other purchases

It's easy to redeem the rewards you earn with your Credit One Bank Wander card. You can use points for cash back, gift cards and consumer goods and services. There is a 1,000-point minimum redemption amount when you're using points for a statement credit .

When you make a purchase in a foreign currency with this card, there are no foreign transaction fees. Eligible purchases are also covered by this card's built-in travel accident insurance .

First Tech Credit Union Choice Rewards World Mastercard®

Although we always recommend aiming to pay off credit card debt , if you have the debt, the Choice Rewards World Mastercard has one of the lowest interest rates you can find on a credit card.

• 2X points per dollar on everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, electronics, household goods and telecommunications

Earn 20,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 60 days from account opening.

Not only does the Choice Rewards World Mastercard have a low APR, but it also has no foreign transaction fees, which is a huge plus when traveling abroad. It is a World Mastercard and as such, comes with purchase protection, Mastercard ID Theft Protection and 24-hour worldwide assistance for lost or stolen cards. It has an array of travel protections as well, including insurance for trip cancellations, travel accidents, baggage delays, lost luggage and rental cars (secondary).

Membership to First Tech Federal Credit Union is required to apply, but anyone can join through affiliation with select organizations or employers, a relationship with a current member, working or living in Lane County, Oregon, attending Cogswell Poly Technical College or by joining the Community History Museum (CHM) or Financial Fitness Association (FFA). First Tech pays the membership fee for the CHM and FFA on your behalf.

The rewards can be redeemed at a fixed rate toward cash-back, travel, merchandise, gift cards and experiences.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Journey Visa® Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Journey Visa® Card stands out for having a modest annual fee and high rewards rate on airline and hotel purchases which are uncapped and don't require you to book through a specific site to get the increased return.

• 5X points on hotels
• 4X points on airlines
• 3X points at restaurants
• 3X points on other travel

Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Every year, cardholders receive a $50 airline statement credit with a minimum purchase of $50. This credit covers more than half of this card's annual fee and applies to purchases such as airfare, baggage fees and more.

You can also save money and increase your peace of mind by taking advantage of this card's many insurance benefits. Cardholders receive these coverages:

• Roadside dispatch
• Travel accident insurance
• Lost baggage reimbursement
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection
• Auto rental collision coverage
• Travel and emergency assistance

You can redeem Wells Fargo rewards for gift cards, cash back, travel and more. However, you'll typically get the best value when you transfer Wells Fargo rewards to travel partners. You can transfer points to these airlines at a 1:1 ratio:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue (partners with Delta)
• Avianca LifeMiles  (partners with United)
• British Airways Executive Club (partners with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines)
• Iberia Plus (partners with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines)

Wells Fargo points also transfer to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio.

Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students

The Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students card provides a strong return for everyday purchases that competes with many of the top non-student credit cards.

• 1.5X points per dollar on all purchases

Earn 25,000 bonus points after spending at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

In addition to having no annual fee, the Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students card charges no foreign transaction fees, which is useful when studying or traveling abroad.

You must be 18 or older and enrolled in school (college, vocational or trade school) to qualify for this card. Eligible students have access to a 0%-APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles, then a variable 18.24%-28.24% APR applies. Only balance transfers made in the first 60 days of account opening qualify for the 0%-APR offer and there is a 3% balance transfer fee.

Rewards can be redeemed as a statement credit to cover the cost of travel and dining purchases — a simple way to reduce the cost of taking a spring break vacation or buying a plane ticket home. You can redeem rewards at any time and any amount.

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 .

How to choose a travel credit card

There is a variety of travel credit cards available, from general to airline - and hotel -specific, and all the choices can make it hard to settle on one. To choose the best card for your needs, you should consider several factors. Here are some tips on how to choose a credit card.

Consider annual fee costs

Consider whether you're willing to pay an annual fee. Some travel cards have steep annual fees of over $500, which can be worthwhile, but not for everyone. Make sure you do the math to see if an annual fee travel card is for you.

Review your travel habits

Another key factor to consider is the type of travel you do most. If you travel within the U.S., then it doesn't matter if a card charges foreign transaction fees. But if you're off to Mexico or Spain, then it's important to have a no foreign transaction fee card.

Choose the right rewards program

Rewards should also play a part in your decision. Do some research to determine which card offers a rewards program more geared toward your spending habits. If you dine out a lot when you travel, consider the American Express Gold Card with 4X points on dining at restaurants. But if you want a competitive rewards rate on all sorts of purchases, the Discover it® Miles has no annual fee and unlimited 1.5X miles on every dollar of every purchase.

You can compare card benefits side by side to see if one card rates better than another. The  Chase Sapphire Reserve , for example, offers complimentary lounge access, while the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers cardholders a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck .

Before you sign up for a travel credit card, consider how you'll use it and how you can best optimize its  rewards program , especially if you're paying a steep  annual fee . It's also important to make sure you can pay off your balance on time and in full each month because many of these cards have  high interest rates .

Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our  credit card marketplace  or get personalized offers via  CardMatch™ .

Pros and cons of a travel credit card

Many top rewards credit cards are also travel credit cards, but that doesn't mean that a travel card is the best option for every situation. Travel cards are rewarding for travel-related purchases and can provide outsized value when you use the rewards to book your next vacation. However, travel can be a small part of the typical consumer's budget and other credit cards can be more rewarding for everyday spending or have simpler rewards programs.

• High-value travel rewards
• Luxury perks like airport lounge access or automatic elite status
• Valuable welcome bonuses
• Rewarding for common travel-related purchases
• Travel rewards programs are sometimes more complicated
• May be less rewarding for non-travel purchases (groceries, online shopping , etc.)
• Can have higher annual fees
• Typically require higher credit scores

How travel credit cards work

The premise of travel credit cards is to give you a path to turning your credit card purchases into travel rewards. What you can use travel rewards for and the amount of rewards you earn varies by card.

The type of rewards you earn, the cost of keeping the card and the card benefits depend on the type of travel card. There are co-branded hotel and airline cards that earn miles and points tied to a specific hotel chain or airline. These cards also provide brand-specific benefits such as elite status or elite status credit and statement credits tied to a specific company. A general travel card is typically better for anyone who isn't extremely loyal to a specific company. General travel rewards or flexible rewards can usually be redeemed to offset travel expenses and, with the best cards, you can transfer miles or points to partner travel programs. This gives cardholders the option to pick the best program for a specific trip.

Outside of the rewards a card earns, most of the best travel credit cards also provide ongoing benefits. These benefits run the gamut from travel and purchase protections to statement credits and airport lounge access. Luxury benefits like airport lounge access are typically tied to premium credit cards , which usually have annual fees of $400 or more.

Making the most of your travel card

To make the most of your travel card, you should familiarize yourself with the various credit card benefits and fees. Take note of any annual fees, foreign transaction fees and the APR associated with your account. Also, consider the rewards rates and added perks, such as annual statement credits.

Once you're familiar with the terms of your card, you can start optimizing them. That may include setting reminders to use the annual $300 travel credit provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve or submitting a Global Entry application with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to take advantage of the up to $100 credit.

If you have multiple credit cards , you might want to have a plan for the best time to use each card. Let's say you have the Discover it® Miles and American Express Gold Card . Use the Amex Gold Card for dining expenses at restaurants to earn 4X points, then use the Discover it® Miles for all your other purchases to earn unlimited 1.5X miles.

Other types of credit cards to consider

Travel credit cards aren't for everyone. If you travel infrequently, you should consider alternative credit card options, such as cards with dining, grocery or gas rewards. Some cards provide up to 6% back in those categories, allowing foodies, meal-preppers and commuters to benefit.

Beyond rewards, you might benefit from a card that offers a 0% APR period . Some cards offer no interest for a year or more on new purchases and balance transfers, such as the Citi Simplicity® Card . The card has 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from the date of first transfer, plus 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening (after, 19.24% - 29.99% variable APR; balance transfers must be completed within four months of account opening.) There is an introductory balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer ($5 minimum) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your balance transfer fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5; see rates and fees ). When used responsibly, these cards can help you get out of debt without high interest charges.

Should you get a travel credit card?

If you travel often and pay for purchases with cash or a debit card , you're missing out on rewards and perks that can make travel more affordable. It can be in your best interest to get a travel credit card that awards high rewards rates on airfare, hotels, rideshares and other common travel expenses.

Who should apply for a travel card?

If you're interested in submitting a travel credit card application, keep in mind that card issuers usually require you to have good credit or excellent credit (scores above 670). Therefore, it's key to check your credit score before applying for a travel card.

Once you know your credit score and can check if you prequalify for a travel card, choose the best card for your needs and apply.

What's the difference between points and miles?

Unlike cash-back cards , travel credit cards generally earn points or miles. Traditionally, the term points referred to flexible rewards that could be redeemed directly through a bank's portal or transferred to a partner airline or hotel loyalty program. Meanwhile, the term miles has been associated with rewards earned through an airline's frequent flyer program. However, nowadays, points and miles are used interchangeably as there are flexible credit card rewards called miles and more restrictive airline rewards referred to as points.

How do I compare credit cards for travel?

If you're having trouble narrowing down the best travel card for you, it can be helpful to compare credit cards. First list the benefits you're looking for and any deal breakers, such as an annual fee. Then consider cards that have those benefits.

For instance, if you want both travel and dining rewards, the Amex Gold Card is a better choice than the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card since the rewards rate is 4X versus 2X.

But if you don't want to pay a high annual fee, the Venture Card is only $95 compared to the $250 you'll pay for a Gold Card (see rates and fees ).

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 credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card 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. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards.

Our methodology

To determine which travel credit cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of travel cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cashback).    We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

When choosing the best travel cards, we focused on relevant features, like cards that charge no foreign transaction fees, are widely accepted internationally and provide consumers with bonus rewards on travel spending. We prioritized cards that offered the strongest returns on travel purchases but also considered additional perks that may be useful when traveling, such as travel protections, baggage allowances, airport lounge access and elite status benefits. 

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.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here .

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here .

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles, click  here .

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, click  here .

Information about the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students, has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

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10 Best Hotel Executive Club Lounges In Moscow, Russia

popular post today

1. Ritz-Carlton, Moscow

2. intercontinental moscow tverskaya, 3. hyatt regency moscow petrovsky park, 4. hilton moscow leningradskaya, 5. renaissance monarch centre, 6. moscow marriott grand, 7. marriott novy arbat, 8. marriott royal aurora, 9. sheraton palacet, 10. sheraton moscow sheremetyevo airport hotel.

We review the best luxury hotels in Moscow, Russia, with executive club lounges. These include Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya, Hyatt Regency Moscow Petrovsky Park, InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya, Marriott Grand, Renaissance Monarch Centre, Ritz-Carlton Moscow, Sheraton Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport Hotel, Sheraton Palace.

If you are a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum or Titanium elite member, you will get free club lounge access at most Marriott and Sheraton hotels, with the exception of some JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels. If you are a World of Hyatt Globalist member, you will get free access to their executive club lounges at Grand Hyatts and Hyatt Regency hotels. Everyone has to pay an extra fee or book a club room to access the Club InterContinental lounge at InterContinental hotels, whatever your loyalty membership level.

But you don’t need to be a top-tier member to get free lounge access. You can book a club room and book via our luxury travel concierge to get extra free benefits.

I have compiled a list below containing the best executive club lounges available across luxury hotels in Moscow, Russia. I list the ones I consider to be the best at the top. It is also worth considering the Four Seasons Moscow which overlooks Red Square and the Kremlin, and offers a stylish cocktail bar and an excellent spa. Of course, it doesn’t have an executive club lounge, but in all other respects is one of your best luxury hotel choices in Russia.

Because they don’t have a Four Seasons loyalty program , you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points, or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them on a Four Seasons hotel stay. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our concierge.

In terms of sheer indulgence, rather than value, the Ritz-Carlton, Moscow offers a Club Level which is hard to beat. Located just off Red Square next to the Kremlin and in the heart of a city steeped in history and art stands The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, a luxury hotel that honors its breathtaking location in every detail. Enjoy a traditional Russian welcome of fresh bread and salt while surrounded by the neoclassical design of this Ritz-Carlton.

This hotel’s highlights include elegant guest rooms and suites, a luxury spa, and a rooftop terrace. The Ritz-Carlton Club is located on the 10th and 11th floors and offers a dedicated Concierge and a relaxed lounge environment. With panoramic views of The Red Square, Kremlin, and Cathedral of Christ the Savior, this is the best executive club lounge in Moscow.

Guests staying on the Club Level (Club Rooms, Club Rooms Red Square View, Tverskaya Club Suite, Moscow Suite, The Ritz-Carlton Suite) as well as guests staying in Carlton Suites have access to the Club Lounge and enjoy additional complimentary premium amenities and services.

Amenities within this exclusive lounge area include a summer terrace featuring panoramic views, five food and beverage presentations throughout the day, selections of wines, beers, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day, personal check-in and check-out services, preferred reservations in the hotel’s spa, bars and restaurants and complimentary meeting room usage for one hour.

InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya has one of the best executive club lounges in Moscow. Putting you in the city’s vibrant heart, InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya is just 500 meters from 4 metro stations and near the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia. It’s a 15-minute walk to the historic Kremlin and less than two-kilometers to the stunning performances at the Bolshoi Theatre. The hotel features 6 meeting rooms catering to every business need. Relaxing evening dinners and drinks can be found at P-Square Gastrobar. There’s also a fitness facility, sauna, and Spa.

The InterContinental Club lounge serves a very good buffet breakfast, including gluten-free options, snacks, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. Club guests can check-in here and have the use of its business center and a meeting room. You can see what we have experienced in terms of food and drink at the club lounge at InterContinental O2 in London and the club lounge at InterContinental Park Lane which will give you an idea of what to expect.

While the Park Hyatt is the best Hyatt hotel in Moscow, the Hyatt Regency Moscow Petrovsky Park is the Hyatt you should choose if you are looking for an executive club lounge.

This 297-room hotel has four restaurants and a fitness center and spa. It offers guests access to a new football stadium, ice hockey/basketball arena, retail and entertainment zones, offices, and residences. The executive lounge is on the 13th floor and offers a good breakfast and evening happy hour with a decent array of food and complimentary alcoholic drinks.

Standing impressively above Moscow’s skyline, Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya is located in one of the city’s famous Stalin Towers. A stunning fusion of Russian Baroque and Orthodox architecture, this landmark hotel offers easy access to major attractions, including the Red Square and the Kremlin. Inside, the foyer is a mass of classic marble and chandeliers. You won’t find another hotel like this one. It seems to offer the heart of old Russia. It’s elegant and sumptuous with a throwback Soviet architectural awesomeness.

Select a deluxe room for views of the historic city center, or choose a suite or executive room for upgraded amenities and access to the Executive Lounge with free breakfast and refreshments, which are reportedly fairly extensive with more than you can eat both in the morning and the evening. The lounge itself is formal and classic, much like the other communal areas in the hotel.

Renaissance Monarch Centre is a 4-star hotel and Marriott Bonvoy Rewards category 3 hotel and is just moments away from noteworthy attractions including Red Square, Petrovsky Park, VTB Arena and Moscow Expocentre. In fact, you are a 4-minute walk to the local Metro station (Dinamo station) or a 10-minute taxi ride to the center. There is also a small park in front of the hotel.

Elegant rooms offer all the usuals, and the hotel also offers rooms with full kitchens. You can also refresh at the on-site fitness center, make a splash in the indoor pool or unwind in the spa. The club lounge here really nice and modern with 2 floors with an amazing view of the downtown. It offers breakfast and evening light bites and free wine and beer.

The Moscow Marriott Grand is a Rewards Category 5 Marriott Bonvoy hotel and is located on the famous Tverskaya Street in the vibrant city center of Moscow. This 5-star hotel has a magnificent, grand lobby, showcasing a glass dome and tranquil fountain. Walk to the Kremlin, Red Square, and other city center attractions, just minutes away.

Many of the rooms and suites offer scenic views of the city, and they feature plush pillowtop bedding, deluxe amenities, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Keep up with your fitness routine in the state-of-the-art gym, relax in the spa or the whirlpool or swim in the indoor pool.

The club lounge here is not very special and is open from 6:00 am – 11:00 pm on weekends and 10:00 pm on weekdays. It’s a very small lounge with a breakfast and evening light bites and free wine and beer offered until 8:00 pm. Cocktails cost extra.

Marriott Novy Arbat is a Rewards Category 4 Points with 5-Star service and is well located for the U.S. Embassy or a tour of famous landmarks like the Kremlin, Red Square and Tretyakov Gallery.

In terms of dining, savor succulent steaks at the New York Steakhouse Restaurant, or enjoy International cuisine with hand-crafted cocktails at GostinaYa Lobby Bar. Afterward, relax in spacious hotel rooms with modern decor, plush bedding, ample desk space, mini-bars, and Wi-Fi access.

Upgrade to a suite for a more expansive layout or to an Executive Lounge-level guest room for exclusive perks, including free breakfast, snacks, evening light bites, and dessert. There’s also a hotel gym and on-site parking.

Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel is a Rewards Category 5 Marriott Bonvoy hotel within walking distance from the Kremlin and Metro station. With a state-of-the-art fitness center, heated pool, and private sauna, this 5-star hotel is a luxurious option in Moscow. Rooms are typical Marriott with that mustard carpet, and executive rooms here have club lounge access, which includes free breakfast, snacks, evening light bites, and desserts.

Sheraton Palace is a Rewards Category 4 Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Moscow. Rooms and suites have functional work areas, free Wi-Fi, mineral water, and bathrobes. Savor on-site dining in a cozy environment at Vladimir and Piano Bar, serving classic dishes, healthy entrees, and pan-Asian cuisine. The rooms here are fairly uninteresting with brown carpets but book a club room, and you will get club lounge benefits, which include free breakfast, snacks, evening light bites, and desserts.

Sheraton Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport Hotel is a Rewards Category 2 Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Moscow. The distance from the hotel to Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) is only 0.8 km, so this hotel is convenient for airport access.

This hotel is located in the Sky Point Business Park and is enclosed by forest. Spacious and soundproofed guest rooms include cozy and elegant suites featuring Sheraton signature beds for a better night’s sleep. The hotel also features a wellness area with an indoor pool and a fitness center called Sheraton Fitness. Sheraton Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport Hotel provides guests free Wi-Fi and a free shuttle to Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) terminals F, E, D, and B. The hotel is situated with quick access to Aeroexpress, which is a convenient 30-minute commute to Moscow City Center.

Book a club room, and you will get club lounge benefits, which include free breakfast, snacks, evening light bites, and desserts.

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Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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