Best Travel Credit Cards in the Philippines (2016)

(UPDATED POST FOR 2017 COMING SOON!) UPDATE AS OF 14 MAR 2016:  Diners Club Philippines cardholders are no longer allowed unlimited access to airport lounges worldwide. The new scheme only allows 1 free lounge access for every P60,000.00 spend. In short, totally not worth it.   On the bright side. Citi PremierMiles cards now allow access to all Plaza Premium lounges worldwide, which now makes it rank 1 on this list!

My 15 active cards on the left (can’t fit into one wallet with 12 card pockets) and 13 cancelled/replaced cards on the right. I’m surprised I have more active ones!

Making use of credit as a resource is part of being an adult. “With great credit (limit) comes great responsibility,” I always say. One simple rule to never experiencing any problems with your credit cards is to not charge anything you can’t pay for in cash at the moment of purchase. You also never have to bother knowing which banks offer lower interest rates, finance charges and balance transfer fees if you can abide by one simple rule: always pay off your entire balance in full and on time. Not paying the entire balance should never be an option, because paying only the minimum amount due is how one purchase snowballs into an avalanche of debt.

I know a lot of people who choose to avoid getting credit cards, thereby missing out on the many benefits simply because they believe they can’t control their spending. Overspending is like having an affair. You know you’ll regret it in the end but you still give in to the temptation. Sure, it feels good while you’re doing it, but the pleasure stops as soon as the reality of its consequences sets in. That is why self-control is the name of the game. Don’t think of your credit card as such. Think of it as cash. Granted that you have enough money in your bank account to pay for your intended purchase, would you be willing to shell out that much cash in one transaction? Chances are, you’d be discouraged. This is also the reason why I don’t believe in installments as a payment option, whether it’s 0% interest or not. They’re to trick you into thinking what you’re purchasing isn’t really as heavy on the pocket. As long as you practice self-control, you can constantly enjoy benefits like discounts, airline miles, freebies in exchange for charge slips, lounge access, exclusive sales, etc as you will soon discover below.

Luckily, banks are becoming increasingly competitive when it comes capturing the market of Philippine travelers with their attractive credit card features. Who doesn’t want the privilege of having options? Below are the Top 8 Travel Credit Cards in the country, based on my humble opinion as an active consumer. Also cited is which target market I think the cards are ideal for. I’ve included a summary of each card’s benefits on how they fare based on: 1) non-expiring miles, 2) lounge access, 3) travel insurance and 4) other perks for you to compare. Information (and some photos) are taken from each bank’s respective website.

I remember really pursuing to be approved for this card. My persistence paid off when I got to redeem a voucher for a free flight (excluding taxes) to Shanghai.

•          Receive advance alerts on seat sales
•          Earn never-expiring CEB Points from all purchases (P1 = 1 Point)
•          Enjoy free flights without restrictions
•          Where 25,000 points can be redeemed for (and in increments of) P250.00 from Cebu Pacific

Having started flying regularly a few years ago thanks to this airline, Cebu Pacific will always have a special place in my heart thanks to its trademark piso fares – indeed allowing every Juan to fly. But I don’t see myself flying with Cebu Pacific forever, especially not on long-haul flights. Sure, they may be expanding their routes to Dubai and Sydney, but I can’t imagine not having any in-flight entertainment or complimentary meals for more than 4 hours. I get bored easily and reading a magazine over and over isn’t fun at all. But with a network made wider by Tiger Airlines, you can expect more advantages of this card and flying with Cebu Pacific.

•          Earn 1 Asia Mile for every Php42 spend.
•          As an Elite Cardmember, you’ll earn 1,500 Bonus Asia Miles with your very first purchase and upon membership anniversary*.
•          Travel Accident Insurance* with coverage of up to Php10 million
•          Travel Inconvenience Protection with coverage of up to Php60,000
•          Accident Medical Expense with coverage of up to Php50,000 per family
•          Airfare sales exclusive for cardholders

BDO’s Cathay Pacific Amex card makes it to number 6 because despite having free travel insurance, it doesn’t have lounge access and its rewards are exclusive to Asia Miles members (although it’s easy to sign up for). But for those who do collect Asia Miles and use them to frequent Hong Kong aboard no less than the world’s best airline, this card is for you. BDO also offers discounts for online hotel bookings made with Agoda and Expedia, making BDO cards perfect for the independent traveler.

•           5% discount on The Travel Club regular-priced items; 20% on your birth month
•           1 rewards point for every P40 you spent at TTC and for every P50 elsewhere, redeemable for Mabuhay Miles
•           Waived repair service fee even beyond the warranty period, excluding spare parts
•           Waived annual fee for life
•           FREE travel insurance

• Loyalty program – Receive 1 mile for every P45 spend. Miles are transferable and do not expire.
• Travel Protection – Get up to P10M (for regular) or P20M (for platinum) travel insurance coverage. Enjoy superior information security through EMV chip technology when traveling the 42 EMV countries.
• Extra Miles – Earn double miles for every purchase of Delta Air Lines tickets using the platinum card.
• Extra Perks – Enjoy pleasant stays at the Delta Sky Club for free
• Airfare sales exclusive for cardholders

• Enjoy FREE access to Diners Club’s more than 500 airport and business lounges in major cities all over the world including Miascor in NAIA Terminal 1 and Davao Airport; Pahuygstop Lounge also in NAIA 1
• Earn Evergreen Rewards Points (Php 20 = 1 Point) 
• Exclusive Travel and Dining Deals from Diners Club and SB Cards
• Free travel insurance, like all Security Bank cards have

Did I miss anything? Feel free to say so in the comments! Planning to book a travel package? Inquire here. Happy Travel Shopping!

– thetravelguyshops