You do not need a wallet full of annual fees to make travel cards useful. Occasional flyers usually get the most value from a simple setup: one flexible points card, one no-fee backup, and a clear rule for when perks are actually worth paying for.
The useful baseline
Start with a flexible points card that earns well on dining and travel, then keep a no-fee card for account age and backup coverage. The goal is reliability, not maximizing every decimal point.
Perks that matter
Trip delay coverage, rental car coverage, and no foreign transaction fees tend to matter more than flashy statement credits that are hard to use.
When to pay an annual fee
Pay the fee only when the benefits match trips you already take. If you have to invent spending to justify a card, it is not helping.