<prompt> Human: I just started a new job and I will be traveling a couple times a year for it. My coworkers have told me that they all use travel credit cards, but I am unsure how they work, or why they would be any better than the current cash back I get for travel expenses 3. Everything I have researched so far just seems to come up with the benefits of each card that is trying to be sold to me and not how the card fundamentally works.Edit: Also, what is the difference between points and miles on some cards?  <response>: Different cards give different benefits. The CSR that a couple of others have talked about is an extremely good card; the flip side is that it does have a 450 per year fee, offset by credits for travel, TSA pre-check, and a higher point rate. The CSP has a lower fee 95 per year without some of those benefits, a lower point rate.Some airline travel cards Delta Amex, United Chase and AA Citi give you a free checked bag - if you have a elite status on the airline, you get it anyway; if not, and if you dont have the card, and need to check in baggage, you pay 25 per bag.Most cards give you travel insurance; some give you car rental insurance, can be either primary or secondary.Most travel cards usually have a fee; Ive seen the lower ones at the 75-100 range, mid around 200 a year, high end 450 - 550. You need to do your own estimation of what YOUR travel profile and needs are like, and then figure out which one gives you the best return for the fee.There are a few travel cards that dont have a fee; the benefits there are much lower, but for an occasional traveller, it MIGHT be more beneficial than a cash back card. For others, a cash back at 3 may beat it.Some questions you need to consider no need to answer here, this will help you narrow down your requirements.1 Do you travel on a single airline all the time, or on multiple airlines? If on a single airline, then evaluate that airlines card versus the CSP CSR and your cashback card. if multiple, dont evaluate airlines cards.2 Further on the single airline - if you also need to check in 1 bag each time - the airline card becomes more valuable; if not, less valuable.3 Do you need to rent a car? In many cases, your own car insurance will already cover you; but it may be worthwhile to have the additional benefit of a credit card covering you, so that the deductible can also get covered.4 Does your travel card give you a flat reimbursement 1 gives 1 mile 1 cent; some of the no-fee travel cards work this way. In such cases getting 1 mile on the travel card versus the 3 cashback - the 3 is by far better. If the card gives you 2 points or 3 points per - and the points are worth more than a cent each, like with the CSP CSR or the Amex Platinum - then youre getting more with that card. But you still need to figure out usage.If your spend is only 500 a year on travel - even if you get 3x at 1.5c per point - you get back only 22.50. Would you pay a fee of 450 or even 195, or 95 for that privilege? Or would you rather take 15 true cashback on a no-fee cashback card?OTOH - if youre spending 50K on travel a year - youd get back 2250 on the CSR for instance versus 1500 on your cash back card. 750 more. Even with the fee of 450 you have 300 more; plus this gives you another 300 credit on the travel. Even if you never use the travel insurance rental insurance TSA pre elements - youre still better off using that.Hope this helps 