Compare the Features and Benefits of Iberia Visa Signature® Card and
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

Beyond a generous sign up bonus, the Iberia credit card earns 3x Avios points on Iberia, British Airways, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus and 2x Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.

Avios can be shared between any Avios program, which also includes Qatar Airways (home of the QSuite) and you can redeem Iberia Avios for award tickets on oneworld airlines like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and more.

The sweetest sweet spot on the Iberia award chart is a 34,000 point one way flight in Business Class to/from the Eastern US and Madrid or Barcelona on off peak dates. That’s just 68,000 miles round trip. You’d need to leave from New York or Boston to get this deal.

Most importantly, you’ll get 10% off all round trip Iberia flights. (Must book through a special website provided with your new card and be the one traveling.)

And then, when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year, you’ll get a voucher in the form of a code that can be applied by a Cardmember for a discount of $1,000 when purchasing 2 tickets, for the same flights in the same class of travel.

If you fly Iberia frequently, this airline credit card can be interesting, f not just for the 10% discount on Iberia flights. However, if you don’t fly Iberia frequently, there are going to be other credit cards that offer you more flexibility.

Keep in mind, if we are only talking about the value of the points you’ll earn from spend on the card, that the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card also earns 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card points on these airlines and on all airlines, hotels and other travel and can even be transferred to Avios if needed – as well as a range of other travel partners, like World of Hyatt which offers excellent and outsized value. A Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card would earn 2X Ultimate Rewards points on all travel.

In short, the card will pay dividends for a frequent purchaser of Iberia tickets, but you may not want to be limited to Avios over a credit card with flexible and transferable points.

If you don’t primarily fly Iberia, you might want to look at other airline credit cards or bank cards with transferable points.

Keep in mind that Iberia Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity, though that won’t be a problem if you are spending on this credit card!

Note: You will only be approved for a Chase card like the Iberia Visa card if you have applied for fewer than 5 personal credit cards within the last 24 months from any issuer. (Business cards do not count against the total, except for Capital One Spark Miles and Discover, but are subject to the policy).

The IHG Premier Credit Card can justify its place in any traveler’s wallet. After earning the excellent sign-up bonus, cardholders continue to be rewarded with IHG Platinum Elite status, an annual free night award, a reward night free on a reward stay of four or more consecutive nights, $50 per year in United TravelBank Cash, and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit.

Those perks easily justify the $99 annual fee, even if you use a more rewarding card for everyday spending.

Cardholders earn bonus points in a variety of categories, including 10X IHG points on eligible purchases at IHG hotel brands and 5X points on travel, at gas stations, and on dining. All other purchases earn 3X points.

MilesTalk values IHG Rewards points at 0.4 cents each. That means IHG Premier Card cardholders can expect an approximate return of around 4% on spending at IHG Hotels and 1.2% on other purchases.

For those unfamiliar with IHG Rewards, the IHG Rewards program includes hotel brands like InterContinental Hotels, Six Senses, Kimpton, and Hotel Indigo on the luxury end and Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, and Staybridge Suites for more practical stays.

Thanks to the Platinum Elite status that comes as a benefit on the IHG Premier Card, cardholders will earn 60% bonus points on stays, get complimentary room upgrades, and receive welcome bonus points when staying at participating IHG hotels.

For travelers that generally stay at least four nights, the IHG Premier Card’s fourth-night free benefit can save you a bunch of points. All you need to do is book at least four consecutive nights at an IHG hotel using your IHG Rewards points. And IHG will automatically discount one night to zero points — giving you a free reward night.

You’ll get this perk whether you’re staying at a practical Holiday Inn or staying at ultra-luxurious InterContinental Hotels.