Best Credit Cards for Booking Flights and Hotels This Summer in the UAE

Summer is one of the busiest travel seasons for UAE residents. Whether you're heading to London for cooler weather, Istanbul for a long weekend, the Maldives for a family holiday, or flying home to visit relatives, chances are your biggest expenses will be flights and accommodation.

Most travellers focus on finding the cheapest airfare or hotel rate but often overlook a simple fact: the credit card used to pay for those bookings can significantly affect the overall cost of the trip.

The right travel card can earn airline miles, provide complimentary airport lounge access, include travel insurance, offer hotel benefits, and even help offset annual fees through rewards earned on travel spending alone.

If you're planning a summer getaway, here's how to choose the right credit card before booking your flights and hotels.

Why Your Choice of Card Matters

Let's say you're spending AED 8,000 on flights and another AED 6,000 on hotels for a family holiday.

That's AED 14,000 in travel spending before you've even arrived at your destination. Depending on the card you use, that same AED 14,000 could generate:

• Cashback
• Airline miles
• Hotel rewards
• Airport lounge access
• Travel insurance coverage
• Additional travel perks

Or it could generate almost nothing at all.

The difference is not how much you spend. It's which card you use to make the booking.

Best for Frequent Emirates Travellers

Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card by Dubai Islamic Bank

Annual Fee: AED 1,500 per year (AED 2,500 in year one)

Minimum Salary Requirement: AED 20,000

For UAE residents who regularly fly Emirates, few cards are as directly aligned to travel spending as the Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card.

Key benefits include:

• 2 Skywards Miles per AED spent on Emirates purchases
• Complimentary Skywards Silver membership
• Travel insurance coverage
• Valet parking privileges
• Roadside assistance
• International driving licence benefits

The biggest advantage is straightforward. If a large portion of your summer travel budget goes towards Emirates flights, you'll earn miles on spending you were already planning to make.

For frequent flyers, those miles can accumulate surprisingly quickly over multiple trips throughout the year.

This card is particularly attractive for business travellers, frequent holidaymakers, and residents who consistently choose Emirates over competing airlines.

Best for General Travel Benefits

RAKBANK Elevate Credit Card

Annual Fee: Zero

Minimum Salary Requirement: AED 5,000

Not every traveller wants to pay a premium annual fee.

The RAKBANK Elevate Credit Card has become one of the most interesting travel-focused products in the UAE because it offers benefits typically associated with much more expensive cards.

Benefits include:

• Access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
• Complimentary travel eSIM with 5GB of data
• Unlimited beach club and pool access through the Elevate Premium Pass
• Two complimentary padel games every month
• No annual fee

For many occasional travellers, lounge access alone can dramatically improve the airport experience.

A family trip often means long waits, delayed flights, and crowded terminals. Having access to a comfortable lounge with food, drinks, and Wi-Fi can make a noticeable difference.

The fact that these benefits come without an annual fee makes the Elevate card particularly compelling for value-conscious travellers.

Best for Travellers Who Want More Than Flights

Smiles World Covered Card by Sharjah Islamic Bank

Annual Fee: AED 525

For travellers who care about both flights and accommodation, the Smiles World Covered Card occupies an interesting middle ground between entry-level and premium cards.

Benefits include:

• Access to more than 1,300 lounges through Mastercard Travel Pass
• Free flights with over 300 airlines
• Complimentary hotel stays across more than 300,000 hotels worldwide
• Discounts on serviced apartments and travel accommodation

Many travel-focused cards concentrate primarily on airline rewards.

This card expands the value proposition by including hotel-related benefits as well, making it attractive for travellers whose accommodation costs may exceed their airfare costs.

For UAE residents planning longer summer holidays, that flexibility can be particularly valuable.

Best for Cashback on Summer Spending

LIV Cashback+ Credit Card by Emirates NBD

Annual Fee: AED 700

Minimum Salary Requirement: AED 5,000

Not everyone wants airline miles.

Some travellers prefer immediate cashback that can be used however they choose.

The LIV Cashback+ Credit Card focuses on delivering value across multiple spending categories rather than locking rewards into one travel programme.

Benefits include:

• Up to 4% cashback on travel spending
• Cashback on dining and groceries
• Access to more than 800 airport lounges
• Entertainment and lifestyle benefits

For families planning larger summer budgets, cashback offers simplicity.

Instead of tracking points, conversions, and redemption values, you receive direct value back from your spending.

That simplicity appeals to many UAE residents who want rewards without additional complexity.

What About Hotel Bookings?

Many travellers spend hours comparing flight prices and only minutes thinking about accommodation.

Yet hotel costs can often equal or exceed airfare, especially during peak summer periods. When booking hotels, consider:

• Cards offering cashback on travel purchases
• Cards providing travel reward points
• Cards with international booking benefits
• Cards with complimentary travel insurance

A travel card becomes significantly more valuable when it rewards both major components of a holiday budget.

Flights matter.

Hotels matter just as much.

The strongest travel cards recognise both.

Airport Lounge Access Can Be More Valuable Than You Think

When comparing travel cards, many people underestimate lounge access. Until they use it.

A lounge visit before a long-haul summer flight can include:

• Complimentary food and drinks
• Comfortable seating
• Fast Wi-Fi
• Charging facilities
• Shower facilities at selected lounges

For a family of four travelling during peak summer season, this can create meaningful value that would otherwise require separate spending inside the airport.

Cards such as the RAKBANK Elevate Credit Card, Smiles World Covered Card, and Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card all provide lounge-related benefits that can enhance the travel experience significantly.

Don't Forget Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is one of the most overlooked benefits attached to premium travel cards.

Many travellers purchase separate insurance policies before departure without checking what their card already includes.

Cards such as the Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card include comprehensive travel protection benefits that may cover:

• Flight delays
• Lost baggage
• Emergency medical situations
• Travel inconvenience claims

Coverage varies by card, but checking these benefits before booking could save both money and effort.

Should You Apply Before Booking?

If you're planning a major summer holiday, timing matters.

Many travel cards offer welcome bonuses, promotional offers, or accelerated rewards for new cardholders who meet spending requirements within a specified period.

Summer travel expenses often make it easier to hit those thresholds naturally.

Rather than forcing additional spending, your existing flight and hotel bookings may be enough to unlock introductory rewards.

That makes summer one of the most practical times to evaluate a new travel card.

How to Choose the Right Travel Card

Before applying, ask yourself four questions:

• Which airline do I fly most often?
• Do I prefer miles or cashback?
• How often will I use airport lounges?
• Will I get enough value to justify the annual fee?

The answers usually narrow the field quickly.

A frequent Emirates flyer may lean towards the Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card.

An occasional traveller may find better value in the RAKBANK Elevate Credit Card.

Someone focused on cashback may prefer the LIV Cashback+ Credit Card.

There is no universal best card.

Only the card that best matches how you travel.

Final Takeaway

Summer travel is one of the biggest spending periods of the year for many UAE residents, which makes it one of the best opportunities to maximise credit card value.

Whether you're booking flights, reserving hotels, or planning airport transfers and holiday activities, the right card can turn travel expenses into miles, cashback, lounge access, and valuable travel benefits.

The key is choosing a card that matches how you travel. A frequent Emirates flyer will have different priorities from a family looking for cashback or an occasional traveller focused on airport lounge access.

Before confirming your next flight or hotel booking, take a few minutes to compare your options.

You can compare travel credit cards, annual fees, rewards, and eligibility requirements side by side on testmycard.ae and find the card that fits your summer travel plans best.