The key to choosing a travel rewards credit card is to figure out what your goal is: Do you want to earn free flights on a specific airline? Do you travel a lot and want to get cash back for those purchases? Or do you just want to earn rewards to spend on travel purchases? Once you determine what you want from a credit card, considering your spending habits will help you select the card that's most beneficial for you.

CardHub.com's summer travel credit card survey examined more than 1,000 travel credit cards on the market to determine which cards are best in a variety of categories, such as airline reward cards and gas cash-back cards. The good news: There is a dizzying amount of travel rewards cards on the market. These are the ones that came out on top:

Best All-Around Cards For Earning Rewards That Can Be Spent On Travel Purchases:

Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard

Rewards: 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. You earn the points equivalent of 2 percent cash back on all other purchases and receive 10 percent of the miles you redeem back upon redemption. 40,000 points is worth $400 in a statement credit that can be applied toward travel purchases.

Annual Fee: $89, waived in the first year

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

Rewards: 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. You earn two points for every $1 spent, and your points don't expire. Those 40,000 points are worth $400 in a statement credit that can be applied toward travel purchases.

Annual Fee: $59, waived in the first year

Best Cards For Earning Rewards On a Specific Airline:

Frontier Airlines Credit Card

Rewards: 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 in the first three months. That’s enough to get you two round-trip domestic flights. Earn one mile for every dollar spent and two miles for every dollar spent on FlyFrontier.com.

Annual Fee: $69

PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express

Rewards: Earn a $200 initial bonus after you spend $2,500 in the first three months, and get five points for every dollar spent on airfare and one point for every dollar spent on everything else.

Annual Fee: No fee, but you if you don’t meet the PenFed Credit Union’s membership requirements, you can become eligible by joining the National Military Family Association for a one-time $15 fee.

Best Cards For Earning Free Hotel Stays:

Club Carlson Premier Rewards Signature Visa (for Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inn & Suites hotels)

Rewards: Earn 50,000 bonus points with your first purchase and an additional 35,000 points after you spend $2,500 in the first three months. Those 85,000 bonus points are worth nine free nights.

Annual Fee: $75

IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card (for Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and other IHG hotels)

Rewards: Earn 70,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. You can redeem 70,000 points for up to 14 free nights at IHG hotels. You also get one additional free night every year on your account anniversary, plus an annual 10 percent point rebate (up to 100,000). Earn five points for every dollar spent at IHG hotels; two points for every dollar spent at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants; and one point for every dollar spent on everything else.

Annual Fee: $49, waived the first year

Best Cards For Those Who Take A Lot Of Road Trips:

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card

Rewards: Earn five points for every dollar you spend on gas, three points for every dollar spent on groceries and one point per dollar on everything else.

Annual Fee: No fee, but you if you don’t meet the PenFed Credit Union’s membership requirements, you can become eligible by joining the National Military Family Association for a one-time $15 fee.

Blue Cash Preferred From American Express

Rewards: Earn 6 percent cash back on on groceries (up to $6,000 per year), 3 percent on gas and department store purchases and 1 percent on everything else. Earn a $150 reward bonus after spending $1,000 in the first three months.

Annual Fee: $75