The Business Traveler North America Award Winners 2024: Auto, Credit Cards, Cruises, Luggage

Best Credit Card Rewards Program

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards / Photo: Courtesy of Chase

Chase Ultimate Rewards takes the prize as the Best Credit Card Rewards Program due to its excellent lineup of transfer partners and diverse ways to redeem points for value. Travelers looking for ease can redeem points for up to 1.5 cents per point when booking through the Chase Travel portal. But it’s possible to get much more value when transferring Ultimate Rewards points to Chase transfer partners—including valuable programs such as World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan and Flying Blue. At the minimum, you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for a statement credit at one cent per point. That rate is significantly higher than what you’ll get when cashing out Amex points or Capital One miles.
—JT Genter

Multiple Awards

American Express Platinum

American Express Platinum / Photo: Courtesy of American Express

Best Credit Card for Travel
Best Overall Credit Card

Thanks to its wide-ranging benefits and travel perks, The Platinum Card from American Express is the top card for travelers. Amex Platinum cardholders can access Amex’s Global Lounge Collection—including beloved Amex Centurion Lounges and more than 1,400 partner lounges. Plus, Amex Platinum cardmembers can enroll with Marriott, Hilton, Avis, Hertz and National to get elite status.

Amex Platinum offers industry-leading 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar on eligible flight and hotel bookings. Those points can be transferred to more than 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs—including Delta SkyMiles, HawaiianMiles, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. While the Amex Platinum annual fee is steep, this can be more than offset by the card’s $1,200 in yearly statement credits.

Between the extensive travel perks and ample statement credits you can use at home, Amex Platinum packs a lot into one card. Membership Rewards points earned through Amex Platinum can be transferred to a diverse set of partners or redeemed for everything from gift cards to statement credits. This card also provides value at home due to its monthly Uber Cash credits, monthly digital
entertainment credits, biannual Saks Fifth Avenue credits and access to lucrative Amex Offers that can help you get cash back or bonus points on eligible purchases.
—JT Genter

Best Luggage Brand

Tumi

Tumi / Photo: Courtesy of Tumi

In 2025 Tumi celebrates its 50th anniversary, having been founded by entrepreneur Charlie Clifford in 1975 following his stint as a Peace Corps volunteer. Clifford departed his CEO duties at Tumi to develop the Roam luggage collection, but his imprint remains indelible. Today Tumi is synonymous with luggage that blends tough, stylish and user-friendly in equal measure. This International Carry-On from Tumi’s 19 Degree Aluminum collection is a perfect example: Crafted in aircraft-grade aluminum in a sculpted design that’s instantly recognizable, this piece epitomizes why the brand remains thrilling a half-century after its debut.
—Laurie Brookins

Best Car Rental Company

Hertz

Hertz / Photo: Courtesy of Hertz

Florida-based Hertz bills itself as the only truly global car company, offering rental vehicles to motorists for more than a century. From small beginnings in Illinois, founder Walter L. Jacobs extended his fleet of 12 Model T Fords into a multinational business empire. Key to winning the Best Car Rental Company Award was Hertz’s focus on first-class service and an expanding range of vehicles. And with a Best Rate Guarantee, Hertz impressed on every level.
—Jeremy Taylor

Best Car Service

Blacklane

Blacklane / Photo: Courtesy of Blacklane

Blacklane has been awarded Best Car Service for the third year in a row. Founded as a two-man operation in Germany in 2011, the company quickly spread across Europe before entering the North American market four years later in 36 major cities. The brand prides itself on its professional and well-trained staff driving premium vehicles, especially Mercedes and BMW, with customer care at its core. As well as the Electric Class service, Blacklane recently launched its fixed-fare City-to-City solution on key routes across the U.S., such as New York to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
—Jeremy Taylor

Best Rideshare Service

Uber

Uber / Photo: Courtesy of Uber

So famous it has become a generic term, this American multinational can trace its roots back to 2009. Today it has expanded dramatically, with a presence in more than 70 countries. Making more than 31 million trips every day, Uber has redefined how we travel, while providing an extended range of services including food delivery and couriers. The brand is leading the way in sustainability, too, committed to becoming a fully electric, zero-emission platform by 2040. The latest UberX Share service is also a greener way to travel, offering multiple passenger pickups to reduce the overall number of journeys.
—Jeremy Taylor

Best Expedition Cruise Line

Seabourn

Seabourn debuted its first expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, in 2022, with sister ship Seabourn Pursuit following in 2023. The two polar-class vessels explore the farthest reaches of the globe, from the icy Northwest Passage to Australia’s remote Kimberley region, offering adventurous activities such as Zodiac cruises, hikes and snorkeling. Each ship carries up to 264 guests in luxury suites—and contains a pair of submersibles for undersea exploration. In the true spirit of expedition travel, Seabourn Pursuit discovered the wreck of Titania, a World War I-era German freighter ship, during a dive off Alejandro Selkirk Island in Chile’s Juan Fernández Archipelago in October.
—Stefanie Waldek

Best Ocean Cruise Line

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises / Photo: Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Sailing to all seven continents with more than a dozen ships in its fleet, Celebrity Cruises can take you just about anywhere. And with its Edge class, it does so in style. The design-forward series welcomed the cruise line’s newest vessel, Celebrity Ascent, at the end of 2023, bringing the total number of Edge-class ships to four. But that’s not the only news—it made its first class-level foray into Alaska last summer with Celebrity Edge. Celebrity’s other classes include the Solstice, Millennium and Xpedition series—the latter includes a 100-passenger ship that feels more like a mega yacht than a cruise vessel.
—Stefanie Waldek

Best River Cruise Line

Scenic

Scenic / Photo: Courtesy of Scenic

Since 2006 Scenic has been sailing the rivers of Europe, and in 2016, the cruise line expanded to Southeast Asia with voyages on the Mekong. In Europe, the Space-Ships, as Scenic calls its vessels, provide luxury accommodations for 96 to 163 guests, while in Southeast Asia, the Scenic Spirit carries just 68 guests. Across the fleet, the Scenic experience is all-inclusive, covering multicourse, locally inspired meals as well as premium beverages. Additionally, each suite includes butler service. Scenic offers specialty river cruises, too. In 2024, Top Chef contestant and celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio led a culinary-themed itinerary in Bordeaux.
—Stefanie Waldek