In the last year several banks have come out with new premium cards, and there are more to come. With an onslaught of ultra-expensive credit cards tempting us with huge sign-up bonuses, deciding which card to keep becomes a real dilemma. As of now, there are seven premium credit cards that you might want to hold due to their bonuses and other perks:

Now that there are a number of new premium cards in the market it’s time to revisit the benefit of airport lounge access. It is one of the most popular ones for frequent travelers.  The lounge is a sanctuary where you can unwind in a comfortable chair, work or play on your computer with free Wi-Fi, grab a complimentary latte or beer, watch some news and sometimes even take a shower.

Some lounges even provide more than basic comfort, with upscale décor, delicious light meals and inventive cocktails.  You might even want to arrive at the airport early just to enjoy the lounge. There are a number of ways you can get access to this valuable perk including having a premium credit card. Let’s run through the options.

There are a number of premium credit cards available and each one has it’s own set of benefits. Depending on your travel and spending patterns, one may be a significantly better choice for you than another. In some cases it may make sense to have more than one.

In this article we’re going to compare the major premium credit cards from American Express, Chase and Citi. U.S. Bank has also just entered the premium card market with the launch of it’s Altitude card. We’ll have more on that one next week.

Over the last eight years, my family and I have been the beneficiary of some incredibly generous military benefits given by U.S.-flagged air carriers. While these typically take the form of free baggage, there are other benefits the smart military family should try and utilize. Today, I’ll cover all the benefits given to service members from each of the major carriers in the U.S.

American Express recently announced that it will open Centurion lounges in Hong Kong and Philadelphia later this year. That will increase the number of these exclusive airport lounges from seven to nine. Find out what they have to offer and how you can get in.

Delta became the latest airline to succumb to a massive IT failure last month. It was a total meltdown for all platforms as Delta.com and the Delta app were both inaccessible which led to a nationwide grounding of all Delta domestic flights. Late that night, operations gradually came back online, but updates were being announced individually for each airport, still leaving many travelers confused and without flight options.

Delta has devalued its miles for the fourth time in a year offering zero advance notice to flyers. You might want to rethink your loyalty. Just be careful if you go with American next year as it plans to introduce basic economy fares with no frills that are sure to come with all kinds of restrictions.

In the travel enthusiast community, it seems we can barely go a few weeks without an announcement of some sort of award chart devaluation or benefit reduction in one of our favorite programs. So any time we can actually announce an improvement to an award program, it comes as a big relief.

Have you ever been stuck waiting for a flight in an overcrowded terminal with overpriced food and drinks, unbearable noise, and nowhere to plug-in your phone? You are not alone. But there is a solution: get access to an airport lounge. In this post we will compare the lounge access benefits offered by a variety of credit cards. A warning in advance: they all come with a $450 fee. But the lounge access and all the other benefits you get are worth it for many travelers. The intro bonus alone usually pays for a free flight. To see of one of these cards is the best choice to help you fund the flight of your dreams, register at RewardExpert.

New Chase Sapphire Reserve Details and Analysis

Since details on the upcoming release of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card were originally leaked, there has been a ton of new information hitting the internet. On August 15^th Chase officially announced the card via Twitter. However, the biggest news was that on the same day, a developer application link was accidentally made publicly available for a few hours.

An airport lounge is a great environment to enjoy while you’re waiting for your boarding announcement. At the very least, you get a comfortable and quiet seating area with free coffee, soft drinks, snacks and WiFi. Some lounges also have showers and quiet areas. High-end lounges can be quite luxurious and offer striking design, gourmet food, top-shelf alcohol and even day beds that can be a rather attractive feature for a weary traveler during a long transit.

We are all familiar with the points and miles game. Signing up for cards with big bonuses, using specific cards for certain types of spending, staying abreast of promotions and watching out for deals on travel. However, there are some things you may not have considered when applying for a travel card or booking a flight. Things that may be important especially if you are a frequent traveler like free baggage check, lounge access, member status and other ancillary benefits.

There is nothing better than spending some time in a lounge when your traveling and between flights, whether you’re looking to relax, score some food, grab a shower or even book a massage.

Doha-based Qatar Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance and transfer partner of the Citi ThankYou and Starwood Preferred Guest programs. While the Qatar elite program is not exactly cutting edge, the benefits are decent, and most importantly, being an elite Privilege Club member means you get elite benefits on other oneworld flights.

Etihad Airways, one of the most renowned airlines in the world, is a UAE carrier based in Abu Dhabi and a fierce competitor of another venerable airline – Emirates. Like Emirates, Etihad is not a part of any alliance, however, it has eight partners in the aptly named Etihad Airlines Partners program. The partnership includes seven other airlines: Alitalia, Etihad Regional, airberlin, Niki, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Jet Airlines, and you can use reciprocal Etihad elite benefits when you fly on these airlines.

In October 2014 Air Canada announced a set of changes to their Altitude elite program. As a reminder, Altitude is separate from Aeroplan, which is the general Air Canada frequent flyer program.

Just like its U.S. peers, Air Canada tightened the screws by adding the revenue component to the list of the Elite Status requirements. The new requirements don’t go into effect until 2017.

One of the best and most glamorous airlines in the world, Emirates, isn’t a member of any alliances, but it is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards and SPG programs, and it has a number of partners that you can earn and redeem miles on.

A tip of the hat is deserved toward Delta Air Lines for being the first of the major North American carriers to heavily invest in reinventing its lounge network.

After British Airways and Iberia merged, Avios became the default currency for Iberia. However, Iberia still maintains its own Iberia Plus frequent flyer program, and although there are some similarities between Executive Club and Iberia Plus, they operate separately.

United flyers have been pleasantly surprised over the past year thanks to significant investment being made in the airline’s club network and amenities. When the airline merged with Continental years ago, it acquired several more clubs into its vast network, which spans North America and many international locations including Hong Kong, London’s Heathrow, and Tokyo’s Narita.