Primary pick
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Ultimate
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 pts
- Annual fee
- $95
after $5,000 spend in 3 months
California, USA · Family trip points
Best credit card for a family trip to San Francisco
United's biggest hub. Hyatt Regency Mission Bay (south of city) is family-friendly at Cat 5. SF hotel cash prices reward point use heavily.
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The honest math (family of 4, 5 nights)
250,000
points total · cash equivalent $3,050 · 1.22¢ per point realized
Flights
100,000 pts
United MileagePlus · 25,000/traveler RT
Hotel
150,000 pts
World of Hyatt · Hyatt Regency San Francisco (Cat 7)
The two cards to earn for this trip
Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards transferable to United (SFO's strongest carrier) and to Hyatt for the in-city stays. Venture X adds Priority Pass for the family at SFO terminals plus broad transfer flexibility and travel coverage.
Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred
Pair with it
Capital One Venture X
Capital One
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 pts
- Annual fee
- $395
after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Verified 2026-05-29
FAQ
How many points does a family of 4 actually need for San Francisco?
250,000 points total covers a family of 4 with 5 hotel nights at saver / off-peak pricing — 100,000 for flights (United MileagePlus at 25,000/traveler round-trip) and 150,000 for the hotel (World of Hyatt at 30,000/night). Cash equivalent ≈ $3,050, which works out to about 1.22¢ per point.
Why these two cards specifically?
Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards transferable to United (SFO's strongest carrier) and to Hyatt for the in-city stays. Venture X adds Priority Pass for the family at SFO terminals plus broad transfer flexibility and travel coverage.
What if I already have one of these cards?
If you already have one, look at whether you've actually earned that card's welcome bonus and the second-card pick still makes sense on its own. If both are already in your wallet, run the San Francisco math in the Family Trip Calculator with your actual scenario — you may already be close to the point total without a new application.
Should I apply for both at once?
Generally no — space applications 60–90 days apart so each welcome bonus has a clean spend window and neither pulls double-counts against Chase's 5/24. The Family Trip Calculator's earning math assumes one welcome bonus at a time.