The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.
If you choose a regular travel rewards credit card you know exactly how much it is in dollars. For example, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has a 60,000 bonus points offer after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening - that can be transferred to Citi's travel partners or redeemed for statement credits, cash rewards, or third-party gift cards. You can also redeem your ThankYou Points for travel directly through the Citi portal at a rate of 1 cent each.
If you have the Virgin America co-branded credit card with a 10k bonus offer, it does not guarantee that you will get a round-trip award ticket. The reason is that the redemption options and required number of miles may vary depending on destination you choose (domestic or international), flight class you prefer (economy or business) and the ticket price. In general 10k is hardly enough for a ticket, so you'll have to pay more to get it.
Also you can pay your attention to travel cards with some unusual bonus offers, like Discover it® Miles. The card does not have a traditional sign-up bonus but all miles you earn your first year will be matched at the end of the year (provided you are a new member). For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. So you can get even better rewards that that fixed sum you are usually offered.
