Most of us look forward to the holiday season as a time for overeating and reuniting with the family. But when it comes to traveling during the holidays, the long lines, crowded airports and traffic can fill us with a very unhappy holiday dread. In 2017, 28.5 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which is a 3 percent increase from 2016, according to Airlines for America, the trade magazine for the airline industry. While we’ve grown to accept the crowds and delays of holiday travel, you can find some relief from one of the unlikeliest sources: credit cards.

Today’s credit card market is one of the most competitive, with issuers offering lucrative rewards to entice consumers to their products. Many cards offer eye-catching sign-up bonuses that card members can use for flights, free hotel nights or cash back for travel expenses. In order to attract more consumers, issuers have started offering benefits that can not only be used for earning travel, but can be used to get you traveling in comfort and style, even during the holidays.

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[See: 12 Frugal Ways to Save on Vacation.]

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5 Ways Credit Cards Can Make Holiday Travel More Comfortable originally appeared on usnews.com