A new wave of travel cards worth a second look
Good news if you’ve been waiting for fresh plastic with real perks: two 2026 launches just changed the travel‑rewards math. Chase and IHG rolled out the IHG One Rewards Premier Select, while Navy Federal unveiled Flagship Premier — a lower‑fee contender with punchy earn rates.
Why these releases matter now
Hotel and airline credits aren’t new, but the way issuers package them is shifting — with richer automatic status, annual elite night credits, and bigger category multipliers baked right in. The IHG Premier Select debuts at $350 with up to $300 in food & beverage rewards at IHG properties, a $200 airline statement credit, 20 elite night credits each year, and 6x points on dining and all other travel. On the other end of the price spectrum, Navy Federal’s Flagship Premier comes in at $95, earns 4x on travel and 3x on dining, and adds a straightforward $100 airline credit each year. For many travelers, those credits can neutralize most or all of a card’s annual fee without jumping through hoops.
And the timing matters: IHG is dangling a limited‑time 200,000‑point launch bonus through November 18, 2026 (after $5,000 in three months). Navy Federal is offering 50,000 points (after $4,000 in 90 days) through January 3, 2027. If you’ve got trips on the books this winter or early next year, these windows align neatly with holiday and spring‑break spending.
Inside the IHG One Rewards Premier Select
Here’s what stands out on the new $350 IHG Premier Select:
- Up to 28x total on IHG stays (12x on the card, plus IHG program bonuses up to 16x with Platinum Elite)
- 6x on dining and all other travel, 3x everywhere else
- Up to $300 in IHG hotel food & beverage rewards (delivered as $75 per quarter)
- $200 annual airline statement credit (on $250+ in flights purchased directly; currently slated through December 31, 2027)
- Anniversary Free Night with a 60,000‑point cap (top off with points if needed)
- 20 elite night credits every calendar year, plus 2 more for each $5,000 you spend
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank cash per year once you link accounts
What this looks like in practice: put a $1,000 IHG stay on the card and you’re looking at 12,000 points from the card itself, plus IHG program earnings that can bring the total to as high as 28,000 points. Add a $250 flight purchased directly with an airline and you’ve triggered the $200 airline credit. If you hit an IHG restaurant or bar during your stay, the quarterly $75 F&B reward helps defray the tab.
Flagship Premier: a sub‑$100 travel workhorse
Navy Federal’s new Flagship Premier keeps it simple — and that’s a feature. For a $95 annual fee, you get:
- 4x points on travel (airlines, hotels, rideshare, transit, parking, cruises, and more)
- 3x on dining, 1x everywhere else
- $100 airline credit each year after $100+ in eligible airline purchases
- Up to $120 in Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits (every four years)
- A complimentary 3GB global data plan via GigSky for short trips
- A limited‑time 50,000‑point bonus after $4,000 in the first 90 days
If you spend, say, $5,000 a year on broadly coded travel, that’s 20,000 points from the 4x multiplier — before you factor in dining at 3x. The $100 airline credit is easy to unlock with a single domestic ticket or two change fees. For many members, that effectively drops the net fee to negative territory in year one once the welcome bonus posts.
Which card fits which traveler?
Think of IHG Premier Select as a hotel‑centric accelerator for anyone who can use the on‑property credits and values automatic Platinum Elite. If even two of your trips per year are at IHG brands, the built‑in food & beverage rewards are easy money, and the annual airline credit helps cover a flight or change fee you’d likely pay anyway. The 20 elite nights are meaningful: they immediately unlock a Milestone Reward and make Platinum requalification far less grindy.
Flagship Premier is for travelers who want strong everyday travel/dining earn — without the complexity of hotel‑brand credits — and who prefer a low annual fee that’s largely erased by a single $100 airline purchase. It doesn’t try to be a lounge‑card clone; it’s a lean earner that complements premium travel cards you may already carry (such as Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve) by capturing uncapped 4x on a wide range of travel codes.
How they stack up against popular incumbents
- Versus Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95), Flagship Premier offers a similar fee tier but leans harder on travel earn (4x vs. CSP’s 2x on travel/3x dining) and includes a clean $100 airline credit. CSP counters with stronger transfer partners for flexible points. If you’re not optimizing transfers, simple 4x travel + $100 credit can win.
- Versus Amex Gold ($325), IHG Premier Select’s hotel‑centric perks are more targeted. Gold is arguably better for U.S. supermarkets and dining; IHG Premier Select dominates when you’re frequently on IHG property and want elite nights and a richer airline credit in the same package.
Reasons to apply now
- IHG Premier Select has a limited‑time 200,000‑point launch bonus through November 18, 2026 — a headline figure we don’t often see on hotel cards. If you have upcoming stays or can align organic spend, that’s a strong first‑year haul on top of credits and an Anniversary Free Night.
- Flagship Premier’s 50,000‑point intro offer runs through January 3, 2027, making it a flexible “add” for holiday travelers who want to road‑test 4x travel and the $100 airline credit without committing to a premium‑fee card.
Also on the horizon: American Express and Fanatics have announced a co‑branded Fanatics American Express Card slated for later this year, and Bread Financial just migrated NFL Extra Points to the Amex network — a sign that sports‑centric cards are getting real distribution. If team‑loyalty perks appeal to you, keep an eye on those launches.
Make the strategy effortless with SuperPay
New cards shine when you actually use the right one, at the right merchant, every time. SuperPay’s Smart Card Picker tells you exactly which card to tap — “IHG Premier Select at the hotel bar for 6x and charge it to the room, Flagship Premier for the rideshare to the airport” — so you capture the intended earn and trigger statement credits without thinking about it.
If you’re building around IHG’s elite nights and quarterly credits, SuperPay’s Rewards Roadmap (PRO+) lays out a personalized plan: which IHG stays to target to stack the 20 elite nights with promos, how to time the $75 F&B vouchers each quarter, and which purchases to route to Flagship Premier to clear the $100 airline credit early in your cardmember year. Snap a photo of your hotel folio with Receipt Scanner and see, in seconds, how many points you earned — and what a different card choice might’ve added.
Your next move
Try PRO+ free for 7 days and unlock your personalized Rewards Roadmap.