The 45 Best Ways To Redeem Capital One Miles [For Max Value]

With more banks than ever offering transferable points and miles, it’s now vital to understand the best ways to redeem these different currencies.

This guide is an absolute must-read before you do anything with your Capital One miles, as we’ll focus on demonstrating the value you can get from transferring Capital One miles to airline and hotel partners.

You can also redeem your miles as a statement credit (towards a travel purchase) at 1 cent per mile — in other words, if you redeem 50,000 miles, you would receive a $500 travel statement credit — but as we will illustrate below, there are now tons of ways to get significantly better value than that.

Let’s get to it!

Earn Capital One Miles

Currently, you can earn Capital One miles from a handful of different credit cards:

Recommended Capital One Cards

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Capital One business cards that earn Capital One miles.

Transfer Capital One Miles to Airline and Hotel Partners

Capital One currently has several airline and hotel transfer partners. Depending on which transfer partner you use, your Capital One miles will transfer at a 1:1, 2:1.5, or 2:1 ratio. Most of its best transfer partners maintain a 1:1 ratio, so don’t worry about some of the subpar transfer ratios!

Remember that transfers cannot be undone, so you will need to be certain of your travel plans and award availability before committing.

With Capital One’s transfer partners, you will actually have access to all 3 major airline alliances: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam.

Also, don’t bet on these transfer partners being the only ones — Capital One has slowly added more partners over time.

In addition, you will have access to some interesting airlines that don’t partner with any other currency besides Marriott Bonvoy, including Finnair Plus!

Without further ado, here are the Capital One miles transfer partners:

Capital One Transfer Partner	Minimum Transfer	Transfer Ratio (CapOne > Partner)	Transfer Time
ALL - Accor Live Limitless	1,000	2:1	Up to 36 hours
Aeromexico Club Premier	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Air Canada Aeroplan	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Avianca LifeMiles	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
British Airways Avios	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles	1,000	1:1	Up to 36 hours
Choice Privileges	1,000	1:1	Up to 24 hours
Emirates Skywards	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Etihad Guest	1,000	1:1	Up to 36 hours
EVA Infinity MileageLands	1,000	2:1.5	Up to 36 hours
Finnair Plus	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Qantas Frequent Flyer	1,000	1:1	Up to 36 hours
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	1,000	1:1	Up to 36 hours
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go	1,000	1:1	Almost Instant
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	1,000	1:1	Up to 24 hours
Virgin Red	1,000	1:1	Unknown
Wyndham Rewards	1,000	1:1	Instant

The 45 Best Ways To Use Capital One Miles

As we talked about above, there are 2 main ways to use Capital One miles:

• Statement credit for travel purchases at 1 cent per mile
• Transfer to airline partners for up to 20 cents per mile!

There’s greater flexibility with using the statement credit option since you don’t need to search for award availability and deal with calling airlines and such.

You can technically transfer your Capital One miles to hotel partners, but we don’t recommend this approach due to the low value you will get from hotel partners.

But we’re going to focus on the second method, which will definitely multiply the value you get out of your miles. Your miles are precious, and we should treat them as such!

1. Fly Lufthansa First Class Without Surcharges to Europe (87,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

Lufthansa first class is, rightfully, on the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. But if you’ve done any research or have experience in award travel to Europe, you’ll know that there are tons of fuel surcharges on flights to Europe.

These fuel surcharges are often deal-breakers for award travelers, because what’s the point of using your miles if you have to pay ~$1,500 on top of that? The way around this is to use a frequent flyer program that doesn’t pass on fuel surcharges.

Since Lufthansa is quite an aspirational first class product, the biggest challenge is in finding award availability.

Remember that Lufthansa first class almost never releases award availability to its partners more than 15 days in advance. This means planning ahead can be difficult.

Here are some example routes you can fly that generally have good availability. All prices are 87,000 Capital One miles one-way transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees:

• Chicago (ORD) — Frankfurt (FRA)
• New York (JFK) — Frankfurt (FRA)
• Newark (EWR) — Frankfurt (FRA)

2. Fly Etihad Business Class Without Surcharges to Abu Dhabi (82,500 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Moving your Capital One miles to Air Canada is an excellent way to fly Etihad’s business class between New York and Abu Dhabi.

By transferring 82,500 Capital One miles to your Air Canada account, you’ll end up with 82,500 Aeroplan points — the exact amount you need for your booking! Better yet, Air Canada does not pass on carrier-imposed surcharges on flights with Etihad.

Here are 2 example routes you can take:

• London (LHR) — Abu Dhabi (AUH) for 45,000 Capital One miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Abu Dhabi (AUH) for 82,500 Capital One miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees

3. Fly SWISS Business Class to Europe (63,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

Using Avianca LifeMiles is fantastic, especially for Star Alliance redemptions to Europe. It’s one of the only ways to avoid fuel surcharges and still pay reasonable mileage prices to fly to Europe.

Flying on one-way in SWISS business class is another solid way to use your Capital One miles. By transferring just 63,000 Capital One miles to Avianca LifeMiles, you’ll be able to fly from the U.S. to Europe!

Your total taxes and fees will be around $61, which is an excellent way to save big for business class flights to Europe.

Here are some example routes you can take. All prices are 63,000 Capital One miles one-way transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Zurich (ZRH)
• Miami (MIA) — Zurich (ZRH)
• New York (JFK) — Geneva (GVA)

4. Fly Transcontinental Business Class in the U.S. on United Airlines (25,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

Another fantastic way to use Capital One miles is for transcontinental business-class flights in the U.S. on United Airlines.

Since United has moved away from first class on flagship products in favor of its Polaris business class, award travelers now benefit from business class pricing for award flights.

By transferring 25,000 Capital One miles to LifeMiles, you’ll have enough for a one-way business class flight on United Airlines.

Here are the route options we’re talking about:

• New York (JFK) — Los Angeles (LAX) for 25,000 Capital One miles + ~$61 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — San Francisco (SFO) for 25,000 Capital One miles + ~$61 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) — Los Angeles (LAX) for 25,000 Capital One miles + ~$61 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) — San Francisco (SFO) for 25,000 Capital One miles + ~$61 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: This is a fantastic way to try out United Airlines’ brand-new flagship Polaris product on the 787-10. Be sure to book your Polaris flight with the newest widebody seats, direct aisle access, and lie-flat capabilities, or you may be sorely disappointed.

5. Fly to Africa in Business Class on United (78,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

For those interested in travel to Africa, you can rejoice to know that United flies its Polaris class product with direct aisle access, fully lie-flat seats, excellent service, and loads of privacy from Washington, D.C. and Newark!

Here’s the route we are talking about:

• Newark (EWR) — Cape Town (CPT) one-way in business class on United Airlines for 78,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) — Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in business class on United Airlines for 78,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) — Accra (ACC) one-way in business class on United Airlines for 78,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees

6. Fly From Tokyo to New Zealand in Business Class on Air New Zealand (40,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

Yet another great use of Capital One miles is for flights between North Asia and Australia or New Zealand.

Air New Zealand is an exotic airline that offers a fantastic business class product. You can expect locally-inspired cuisine, a fantastic reverse herringbone layout, totally lie-flat seats, and warm service throughout the flight.

How much is this 10- to 11-hour flight? Only 40,000 Capital One miles transferred to LifeMiles! Here’s a great example route you can take:

• Tokyo (NRT) — Auckland (AKL) one-way in business class on Air New Zealand for 40,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: The challenge here will be in finding award availability, but it tends to be much better for Air New Zealand flights outside the U.S.

7. Fly From Tokyo to Australia in Business Class on ANA (40,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

Good news: the same price is valid for flights in the other direction! If you’ve already tried Air New Zealand, you will be pleased to find out that ANA also offers flights between Japan and Australia.

Of course, this slightly shorter flight of ~9 to 10 hours will cost the same as flights to New Zealand! Here’s an example route that you can take:

• Tokyo (HND) — Sydney (SYD) one-way in business class on ANA for 40,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles plus $61 in taxes and fees

8. Fly From Tokyo to Hong Kong in Business Class on ANA (22,500 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

Let’s pivot for a second to another little-known sweet spot: business class flights within North Asia.

When using LifeMiles, you can fly an astonishing 5 to 6 hours on Star Alliance flights within this region for only 22,500 Capital One miles!

Here’s an example route you can take:

• Tokyo-Haneda (HND) — Hong Kong (HKG) one-way in business class on ANA for 22,500 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees

Bottom Line: This is a phenomenal redemption — you’ll be able to spend over 5 hours in a completely lie-flat business class seat for only 22,500 Capital One miles!

9. Fly From Bangkok to New Zealand in Business Class on THAI (40,000 Miles Transferred to Avianca)

The last couple of Capital One mile redemptions with Avianca LifeMiles we’ll discuss are from Southeast Asia to Australia or New Zealand.

We love THAI here because it has a phenomenal hospitality record, particularly in business and first class. However, we wouldn’t normally suggest THAI for business class flights, seeing as how the seating arrangement is typically bizarre and lackluster.

But it’s a totally different story on its 787-9 to Auckland. Great LifeMiles prices coupled with the fact that it’s flying some new business class seats on routes between Bangkok and the South Pacific, and we’d be doing a disservice if we didn’t discuss this.

Thai Airways is flying its brand new 787-9 on some flights between Bangkok (BKK) and Auckland (AKL). This 11- to 12-hour flight in amazing reverse-herringbone business class seats with superb service will run you only 40,000 Capital One miles!

• Bangkok (BKK) — Auckland (AKL) one-way in business class on THAI for 40,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles, plus $61 in taxes and fees

10. Fly to Europe in American Airlines Flagship Business Class (50,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

Want to fly on AA’s Flagship 777 somewhere else besides Hong Kong?

You’re in luck! AA also flies the 777 from Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR).

As usual, we always suggest business class on AA over first class, simply because the hard product is excellent and you don’t have to shell out very much to try it.

Award availability is very sparse on this flight, as is the case for many of AA’s Flagship products. Here’s what you’re looking at for this redemption:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — London (LHR) one-way in Flagship Business class on American Airlines for 50,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus ~$28 in taxes and fees

11. Fly to Europe in American Airlines Flagship First Class (62,500 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

If you’re intrigued by the idea of flying on the same route as above in first class, then we have some good news. The Etihad Guest award chart for flights on AA continues to amaze us. Why? Because you can fly to London from Los Angeles in first class for not much more than business class!

The cabin is only 8 seats spread across 2 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration, so it’s ridiculously private.

On the flip side, award availability for 2 passengers is nearly impossible to find. Availability for 1 passenger is significantly more doable. Nevertheless, if you’re able to find it, you might want to book now and figure everything out later.

Here’s a great example redemption:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — London (LHR) one-way in Flagship First class on American Airlines for 62,500 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus ~$28 in taxes and fees

12. Fly to Brazil in American Airlines Flagship Business Class (50,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

Thinking of more exotic destinations? How about a place like South America?

Booking with Etihad Guest miles on AA flights is still a great use of your Capital One miles. Currently, American Airlines operates a Flagship 777 from New York to São Paulo.

This ~10-hour flight is quite a journey. Here are the route details:

• New York (JFK) — São Paulo (GRU) one-way in Flagship Business class on American Airlines for 50,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus ~$28 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: Despite having the same Flagship products, award availability is much better on flights to/from South America than, say, London or Hong Kong.

13. Fly to Argentina in American Airlines Flagship First Class (62,500 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

If you want to fly to Argentina, you can also fly AA’s Flagship First class. Here’s a great example:

• Miami (MIA) — Buenos Aires (EZE) one-way in Flagship First class on American Airlines for 62,500 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus ~$28 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: Be sure to check out our step-by-step guides for booking American Airlines business or first class! 

14. Fly to New Zealand in Business Class on American Airlines (62,500 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

American Airlines is one of the world’s biggest airlines in terms of many metrics, including the number of planes flown.

Its fantastic long-haul network is not limited to Hong Kong, London, Brazil, and Argentina — it also recently restarted a 787 Dreamliner service from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Auckland (AKL)!

Although not quite as awesome as the Flagship Business class, the 787 business class product is solid, especially if it means you can fly straight to New Zealand without transiting. Here’s the route suggestion and associated costs:

• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) — Auckland (AKL) one-way in business class on American Airlines for 62,500 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus ~$52 in taxes and fees

This pricing is phenomenal for travel between the U.S. and the South Pacific, which is a traditionally expensive route. Just keep in mind that it’s extremely difficult to find award availability on this route.

15. Fly From the East Coast to Europe in Business Class on Brussels Airlines (44,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

Let’s talk about some of the other partners you can use Etihad Guest miles with. Etihad Airways partners with tons of airlines, and it employs a different award chart for each airline.

As if this couldn’t get complicated enough, some airlines use a region-based award chart, while others use a distance-based award chart.

In this example, we’ll talk about Brussels Airlines, which offers a fabulous business class product!

Unfortunately, you must fly from eastern North America and choose from 3 airports: New York (JFK), Washington, D.C. (IAD), or Toronto (YYZ).

For 44,000 Etihad Guest miles, which can be transferred from Capital One miles, you can fly one-way to Brussels (BRU) in business class.

This is a fantastic use of miles because of the solid business class product and great redemption price. The only issue is that there’s little route flexibility.

Here are the route offerings:

• New York (JFK), Washington, D.C. (IAD), or Toronto (YYZ) — Brussels (BRU) one-way in business class on Brussels Airlines for 44,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus ~$100 in taxes and fees

16. Fly From the West Coast to Japan in Business Class on ANA (63,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

ANA is a fabulous airline. Its Mileage Club is one of the best frequent flyer programs for round-trip/open-jaw flights in the industry, amazing premium cabin products, and tons of destinations.

Unfortunately, one of the challenges with ANA is booking one-way awards. This is where Etihad Guest comes in.

You can book one-way business class on ANA from the West Coast U.S. to Tokyo using the distance-based award chart.

It’s not a good idea to fly from other areas of the U.S., because the distance-based award chart is such that flying from Houston or New York is significantly more expensive.

For this reason, we suggest flying from either Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo (NRT/HND).

This route will cost 63,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest. Taxes and fees will hover at around $364 per person for one-way flights and around $762 for round-trip flights.

17. Fly From New York to Belgrade in Business Class on Air Serbia (64,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

Want to fly to Serbia? This next redemption is pretty cool because it’s very niche and is also a solid business class product!

We’re talking about Air Serbia’s business class from New York (JFK) to Belgrade (BEG), the capital of Serbia. For 64,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest plus $418 in taxes and fees, you’ll be able to fly nonstop from the U.S. to Serbia in business class.

Notice that taxes and fees are pretty high here, so be mindful of that. This flight is booked at 8 hours 40 minutes, which is a bit of a journey, though not as long as some other flights.

18. Fly From the U.S. to Casablanca in Business Class on Royal Air Maroc (44,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

Royal Air Maroc is Morocco’s flag carrier, so it makes sense that most of its routes involve the city of Casablanca.

Fun Fact: Did you know that neither Casablanca nor Marrakesh is the capital city of Morocco? It’s actually Rabat.

Though Royal Air Maroc’s current 2-2-2 business class configuration is perfectly satisfactory, the airline actually has reverse herringbone 1-2-1 seating available on its 787-9 Dreamliners! These aren’t deployed on any routes reliably, so be sure to check before booking!

In this case, you can use Etihad Guest miles transferred from Capital One miles to book a one-way flight between the U.S. and Casablanca for an awesome price! How awesome, you might ask?

These routes are what we’re referring to:

• New York (JFK) — Casablanca (CMN) one-way in business class on Royal Air Maroc for 44,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus just $217 in taxes and fees!
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) — Casablanca (CMN) one-way in business class on Royal Air Maroc for 44,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest, plus just $217 in taxes and fees!

19. Fly From Sri Lanka to Tokyo in Business Class on SriLankan Airlines (60,000 Miles Transferred to Etihad)

Want another sweet redemption? Fly 7 hours between Colombo (CMB) and Tokyo (NRT) in SriLankan Airlines’ business class for only 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Etihad Guest! 

This flight features an awesome A330 with a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone business class arrangement. As we stated above, this seating arrangement is incredibly private, and the food seems to be decent!

20. Fly to India in Business Class on Air India (85,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Now that we’ve talked about the 2 most useful Capital One transfer partners in Avianca LifeMiles and Etihad Guest miles, let’s shift over to Air Canada Aeroplan.

Air Canada’s Aeroplan is super useful, particularly for stopovers and “mini round-the-world awards” that we’ll get to later. First, let’s talk about Air India!

This airline doesn’t get a lot of love, but here’s what it offers: no-frills nonstop business class flights to India.

India is pretty far from America, so for someone who values their time highly, it might be worth it to “stick it out” in Air India’s “inferior” business class if it means you avoid the headache of transiting through airports and such.

Air Canada Aeroplan can help serve your needs here. For flights between the U.S. and India, you can transfer 85,000 Capital One miles to Aeroplan to book a one-way business class flight on Air India.

Here are several example routes you can take:

• Chicago (ORD) — Delhi (DEL) one-way in business class on Air India for 85,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan, plus $45 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Mumbai (BOM) one-way in business class on Air India for 85,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan, plus $45 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Delhi (DEL) one-way in business class on Air India for 85,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan, plus $45 in taxes and fees

21. Fly Lufthansa First Class With a Stopover in Germany on Lufthansa (From 95,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

The first redemption we talked about was using Avianca LifeMiles to fly Lufthansa first class without surcharges for 87,000 Capital One miles.

With Aeroplan, you will pay as few as 90,000 miles for a one-way first class ticket on Lufthansa, and you can add a stopover on one-way tickets for 5,000 miles!

This is one of the only ways you can get a stopover in Germany on Lufthansa for a great price using Capital One miles.

Here are a few Lufthansa first class itineraries:

• Boston (BOS) — Frankfurt (FRA) – Milan (MXP) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 95,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada, plus $46 in taxes and fees
• Boston (BOS) — Frankfurt (FRA) – Prague (PRG) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 95,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada, plus $46 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) — Frankfurt (FRA) – Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 135,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada, plus $46 in taxes and fees

22. Fly to Europe in Business Class with a Stopover in Switzerland on SWISS (75,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Here’s another great way to use Aeroplan to your advantage.

The second redemption we talked about in this guide is on SWISS in business class. With Avianca LifeMiles, you can book this for 84,000 Capital One miles. But with Aeroplan, you can book the same flight for 75,000 Capital One miles and add another 5,000 Capital One miles for a stopover!

Also, you will absolutely not need to pay for fuel surcharges! Taxes and fees will be around $62.

Here are several example routes:

• Boston (BOS) — Zurich (ZRH) – Venice (VCE) one-way in business class on SWISS with a stopover in Zurich for 75,000 Capital One miles, plus $72 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) — Zurich (ZRH) – Athens (ATH) one-way in business class on SWISS with a stopover in Zurich for 75,000 Capital One miles, plus $72 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Zurich (ZRH) one-way in business class on SWISS for 75,000 Capital One miles, plus $72 in taxes and fees

23. Fly to New Zealand in Business Class on Air New Zealand (From 75,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Let’s fly to New Zealand on Air New Zealand!

You can book Air New Zealand’s fabulous business class one-way for as few as 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $92 in taxes and fees.

Here are a few great example routes:

• Chicago (ORD) — Auckland (AKL) one-way in business class on Air New Zealand’s 777 business class for 85,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan
• Houston (IAH) — Auckland (AKL) one-way in business class on Air New Zealand’s 777 business class for 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan
• San Francisco (SFO) — Auckland (AKL) one-way in business class on Air New Zealand’s 777 business class for 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan

24. Fly From Hawaii to Southern South America in Business Class on United Airlines (60,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Flying from Hawaii to southern South America is significantly cheaper than flying from the continental U.S.

We can take advantage of these generous award prices by piecing together United Airlines flights in business class.

Though not the real Polaris business class, you can still fly comfortably from Hawaii to southern South America for only 60,000 Capital One miles.

Here’s the sole route you can take:

• Honolulu (HNL) — Houston (IAH) — Buenos Aires (EZE) one-way in Polaris business class on United Airlines for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan plus $141 in taxes and fees

25. Fly to Asia in Business Class (75,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

For 75,000 to 85,000 Capital One miles, you can fly one-way from the U.S. to Asia, which includes countries like Taiwan.

Of course, we love EVA Air business class, so this should definitely be on your list.

Here’s a great example route:

• Houston (IAH) — Taipei (TPE) one-way in Royal Laurel business class on EVA Air for 75,000 Capital One miles, plus $55 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Taipei (TPE) one-way in Royal Laurel business class on EVA Air for 75,000 Capital One miles, plus $55 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Taipei (TPE) one-way in Royal Laurel business class on EVA Air for 85,000 Capital One miles, plus $55 in taxes and fees

26. Fly to Asia in First Class (110,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Flying to Asia in first class is also a great use of your miles! Traveling in ANA first class would be our go-to option here.

These are some example routes you can take:

• Chicago (ORD) — Tokyo (HND) one-way in first class on ANA for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $55 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Tokyo (HND) one-way in first class on ANA for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $55 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) — Tokyo (NRT) one-way in first class on ANA for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $55 in taxes and fees

27. Fly to South Korea in Business Class (75,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Aeroplan lumps the South Pacific and Asia into 1 main region called the Pacific. After that, a distance-based award chart applies.

These countries include Korea and China.

Here are some example routes you can take:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Seoul (ICN) one-way in business class on Asiana Airlines for 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $55 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Seoul (ICN) one-way in business class on Asiana Airlines for 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $55 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Seoul (ICN) one-way in business class on Asiana Airlines for 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $55 in taxes and fees

28. Fly to China Nonstop in First Class (110,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

You can also fly first class to China nonstop using Aeroplan points.

Here are example routes you can take:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Beijing (PEK) one-way in first class on Air China for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $45 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Beijing (PEK) one-way in first class on Air China for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $45 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Beijing (PEK) one-way in first class on Air China for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $45 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: As China begins reopening, we’ll keep our eyes peeled as to when Air China reinstates its first class-equipped aircraft.

29. Fly to Africa in Business Class (From 85,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Aeroplan lumps Africa into the Atlantic zone, along with Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. There is tons of variety in which flights you can take.

Itineraries that are 6,001 to 8,000 miles in distance will cost 85,000 Aeroplan points in business class, while itineraries greater than 8,000 miles will cost 100,000 Aeroplan points in business class.

Most will be operated by either Lufthansa or South African Airways.

If you can, you might actually want to route through Turkish Airlines or SWISS in lieu of Lufthansa, which has mediocre business class seats.

For as few as 85,000 Capital One miles, you can fly from America to this region. Here are a few great example routes you can take:

• New York (JFK) — Istanbul (IST) — Nairobi (NBO) one-way in business class on Turkish Airlines for 85,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $105 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Frankfurt (FRA) — Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in business class on Lufthansa for 85,000 Capital One miles transferred to Aeroplan, plus $105 in taxes and fees

As a reminder, you can add a stopover for an additional 5,000 Aeroplan points!

30. Book Emirates Business Class From the Central and West Coast U.S. to Dubai and Beyond (110,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Although Capital One has transfer partnerships with Emirates, you’ll notice some enormous fuel surcharges tacked onto almost all flights if you book award travel through Emirates Skywards.

Luckily, Air Canada Aeroplan is one of the few frequent flyer programs that has access to Emirates award availability. Although first class redemptions are available (and don’t include carrier-imposed surcharges), the redemption prices are very high, so business class seems to be the sweet spot.

Currently, business class redemptions from the U.S. to Dubai will cost around 110,000 Aeroplan points + ~$84 in taxes and fees, which is an enormous reduction compared to the $824 in taxes and fees you’d have to pay per person if you booked through Emirates Skywards.

There is a catch, though, because Air Canada Aeroplan doesn’t have access to the same level of award availability as Emirates, so be sure to search directly on Aeroplan’s website before transferring any miles.

Here are some great example routes to consider booking:

• Houston (IAH) — Dubai (DXB) — Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Emirates business class for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$86 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Dubai (DXB) — Nairobi (NBO) one-way in Emirates business class for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$86 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) — Dubai (DXB) — Amman (AMM) one-way in Emirates business class for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$86 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: Need help booking? Read our guide on how to book Emirates business class using points or miles.

31. Book an Incredible First Class Product on Oman Air (From 65,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

We think Oman Air is truly one of the best airlines in the world. But we believe that people sleep on Oman Air mostly because of its limited route network.

Whereas Emirates flies nonstop to a ton of different cities in the U.S., the furthest west that Oman Air flies is to London (LHR).

But if you happen to be planning a trip to Oman or are in the Middle East, one of the best AvGeek things to do is to book a luxurious Oman Air first class flight.

In this case, you can transfer Capital One miles to Air Canada Aeroplan to book first class flights. Here are some routes we have in mind:

• Muscat (MCT) — Bangkok (BKK) on Oman Air first class for 65,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$75 in taxes and fees
• Muscat (MCT) — Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on Oman Air first class for 65,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$75 in taxes and fees
• Muscat (MCT) — London (LHR) on Oman Air first class for 65,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$75 in taxes and fees
• Paris (CDG) — Muscat (MCT) — Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on Oman Air first class for 100,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$171

32. Book Oman Air Business Class to or From Muscat (From 45,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Oman Air’s lovely Apex Suites are bookable using Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan. This happens to be one of the few ways you can book Oman Air business class.

Currently, Oman Air’s hub is in Muscat (MCT), and you can book some of these great example routes:

• Milan (MXP) — Muscat (MCT) — Jakarta (CGK) one-way in Oman Air business class for 80,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$70 in taxes and fees
• Muscat (MCT) — Bangkok (BKK) one-way in Oman Air business class for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$65 in taxes and fees
• Muscat (MCT) — Kuala Lumpur (KUL) one-way in Oman Air business class for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$65 in taxes and fees
• Muscat (MCT) — London (LHR) one-way in Oman Air business class for 45,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$65 in taxes and fees

33. Fly From Europe to Mauritius in Business Class (60,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Mauritius is one of the most beautiful tropical destinations in the whole world — this island nation off of the coast of Eastern Africa can be accessed via nonstop flights from Europe.

Air Canada Aeroplan has an awesome partnership with Air Mauritius to offer lie-flat business class seats. Here are some great example routes you can book:

• London (LHR) — Mauritius (MRU) one-way in Air Mauritius business class for 80,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$345 in taxes and fees
• Paris (CDG) — Mauritius (MRU) one-way in Air Mauritius business class for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$150 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: Air Mauritius also flies nonstop to India, and business class tickets are bookable for 45,000 Aeroplan points + ~$46 in taxes and fees to cities like Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM).

34. Access Singapore Airlines Business Class Availability (From 60,000 Miles Transferred to Air Canada)

Normally, Singapore Airlines business class award availability is accessible on a practical basis if you have miles in Singapore Airlines’ own KrisFlyer frequent flyer program.

However, one of the newest improvements to Air Canada Aeroplan is the ability to access excellent business class award availability. Often, the prices on Air Canada Aeroplan are also much better than KrisFlyer’s.

Here are some great example U.S. routes you can book using Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan:

• Houston (IAH) — Manchester (MAN) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 70,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$35 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Singapore (SIN) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 87,500 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$35 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Singapore (SIN) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$35 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Singapore (SIN) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 87,500 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$35 in taxes and fees
• Seattle (SEA) – Singapore (SIN) one-way in Singapore Airlines business class for 87,500 Capital One miles transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan + ~$35 in taxes and fees

35. Oneworld Complex Multi-carrier Awards With Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific)

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles has an incredibly complex series of award charts and routing rules. The gist? Building huge itineraries with 5+ flights on 5+ different airlines in business or first class is ridiculously cheap if you take the time to understand the program. 

You can learn more about Cathay Pacific routing rules, but we won’t go in-depth. We’ll just talk about an exciting example redemption you can make:

1. Los Angeles (LAX) — Hong Kong (HKG) on American Airlines 777 Flagship Business class
2. Hong Kong (HKG) — Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on Cathay Pacific business class
3. Singapore (SIN) — Sydney (SYD) on Qantas A330 business class
4. Sydney (SYD) — Doha (DOH) on Qatar Airways Qsuites
5. Doha (DOH) — Hong Kong (HKG) on Qatar Airways Qsuites
6. Hong Kong (HKG) — Osaka (KIX) on Cathay Pacific 777 business class (it flies A330s, too!)
7. Tokyo (NRT) — Los Angeles (LAX) on Japan Airlines 777 Sky Suite business class

This entire itinerary, flying on 6 different business class products across 6 different countries for almost 65 hours, would only cost 210,000 Capital One miles transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Asia Miles!

Considering the round-trip between Los Angeles and Hong Kong is 150,000 Asia Miles by itself, this is a gigantic steal — almost like highway robbery!

36. Flying Blue Promo Rewards (Air France-KLM)

Flying Blue’s Promo Rewards get a lot of attention. Every month, Air France/KLM releases a small list of routes that will be available for booking with Flying Blue miles for 25% to 50% off!

Most of the routes are economy, but some are actually in business class. Of course, availability is first-come-first-serve, so be on the lookout for these.

37. Fly to Hawaii in Economy on Delta Air Lines (15,000 Miles Transferred to Air France)

If you want to fly to Hawaii for some of the cheapest mileage costs, look at Air France. You can fly on Delta for as few as 15,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France.

Here’s a great example route you can take:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Honolulu (HNL) one-way in economy for 15,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France, plus $11 in taxes and fees

38. Fly on Delta One Suites (From 110,000 Miles Transferred to Air France)

We love Delta One Suites. This fabulous new product has effectively catapulted Delta’s business class product on select flights to the top of the industry.

If you can find Level 1 availability, seriously consider using Air France to book your Delta One Suites.

Though Air France says that Delta One Suites can be booked “from” 85,000 Air France miles, you should realistically expect to pay 110,000 miles each way.

This means you’ll transfer 110,000 Capital One miles each way to book your Delta One Suite. Here are example routes:

• Detroit (DTW) — Seoul (ICN) one-way in Delta One Suites for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus $10 in taxes and fees
• Minneapolis (MSP) — Tokyo (HND) one-way in Delta One Suites for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus $10 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in Delta One Suites for 110,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus $10 in taxes and fees

39. Fly to China in Business Class With Tons of Award Availability on China Eastern (From 115,000 Miles Transferred to Air France)

If you’re in a bind and need to travel to Asia but can’t seem to find award availability for any flights in business class, China Eastern is your savior.

It has a solid hard product in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration on its 777, though its soft product has been found somewhat lacking.

Nevertheless, if you want (nearly) guaranteed award availability and a bed to sleep in — look no further.

Again, Air France says business class flights start from 85,000 miles each way, but we find the most realistic number is 115,000 miles.

Here’s a sample route you can take:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Shanghai (PVG) one-way in business class on China Eastern for 115,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus $150 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Shanghai (PVG) one-way in business class on China Eastern for 115,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus $150 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Shanghai (PVG) one-way in business class on China Eastern for 115,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus $150 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: China Eastern was the poster child of solid award availability on flights to China pre-pandemic. We’ll see whether that’s still the case as China reopens!

40. Fly to Europe in Business Class on SkyTeam (From 53,000 Miles Transferred to Air France)

We’re big fans of the Flying Blue loyalty program that Air France offers. For many connecting flights between the U.S. and Europe, you could need as few as 68,000 Flying Blue miles one-way.

For example, if you tried to fly from Los Angeles to Rome via Paris in Air France business class, it would cost you as few as 68,000 miles.

Here are a couple of great example redemptions you can make:

• Los Angeles (LAX) — Paris (CDG) — Rome (FCO) one-way in business class on Air France for only 68,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus ~$270 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Paris (CDG) — Athens (ATH) one-way in business class on Air France for only 65,000 Capital One miles transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, plus ~$270 in taxes and fees

41. East Coast to Dubai on Emirates: Economy for 45,000 Miles or Business for 94,500 Miles (Qantas)

Emirates is known to have one of the best economy products and a fantastic business class. It is currently not in an alliance and only partners with a handful of airlines, which makes these award redemptions a little tougher to snag.

There are several East Coast cities in this mile range that fly direct to Dubai including Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), and Toronto (YYZ). For Emirates award flights, you should reference the first award chart; since the one-way distance is less than 7,000 flown miles, Zone 7 pricing applies.

If you’re based out of the East Coast of the U.S. or Toronto, you might get better award redemption pricing by using Qantas Frequent Flyer as opposed to Emirates Skywards or Air Canada Aeroplan.

42. Book ANA First Class for an Incredible Deal (From 55,000 Miles Transferred to Virgin Red)

One of the best secrets about Capital One miles is its ability to transfer to Virgin Red. Virgin Red is Virgin’s rewards program, and if you link your Virgin Red account with your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account, 1,000 Virgin Red points will be identical to 1,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points.

So, by transferring miles to Virgin Red and linking your Virgin accounts together, you can access Flying Club redemptions!

And one of the absolute best ways to use miles in the whole world is to book ANA first class tickets. Here are some amazing ways you can book first class tickets worth $10K+:

• Chicago (ORD) — Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) one-way in ANA first class for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) — Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) one-way in ANA first class for 55,000 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) — Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) one-way in ANA first class for 60,000 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: If you’re interested in ANA’s awesome A380 first class, consider booking Honolulu (HNL) — Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) one-way in ANA first class for 45,000 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees

43. Book ANA Business Class for a Fantastic Deal (From 45,000 Miles Transferred to Virgin Red)

Finding first class award availability on ANA is very, very challenging. So if you’re willing to accept an awesome business class experience if you can access better availability, it’s also incredibly valuable to redeem miles for ANA business class tickets through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

You can transfer Capital One miles to Virgin Red, link your Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club accounts together, and book one-way business class tickets on ANA for 45,000 to 47,500 Virgin points per person.

Here are some great example routes to consider booking:

• Houston (IAH) — Tokyo (NRT) one-way in ANA business class for 47,500 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) — Tokyo (NRT) one-way in ANA business class for 45,000 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) — Tokyo (NRT) one-way in ANA business class for 47,500 Capital One miles transferred to Virgin Red + ~$364 in taxes and fees

44. Access Better Award Availability by Booking Turkish Airlines Business Class to Türkiye and Beyond (From 120,000 Miles Transferred to Turkish Airlines)

If you’ve procrastinated on planning your travel and want to book business class tickets to Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, you’ll be pleased to find out that you can access more abundant, albeit also more expensive, award availability by booking Turkish Airlines business class tickets through Turkish Airlines’ own Miles&Smiles loyalty program.

Capital One Miles is a 1:1 transfer partner with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and the prices you’ll pay will depend on the award availability.

But the point is that this redemption option is made available to you if you have a bunch of miles and are willing to redeem more miles for guaranteed business class tickets.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can consider making. Keep in mind that these prices aren’t the lowest possible prices. Rather, they’re the prices we’ve found to be the most abundant:

• Miami (MIA) — Istanbul (IST) — Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Turkish Airlines business class for 200,000 Capital One miles transferred to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$449 in taxes and fees per person
• Seattle (SEA) — Istanbul (IST) — Tel Aviv (TLV) one-way in Turkish Airlines business class for 120,000 Capital One miles transferred to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$449 in taxes and fees per person
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) — Istanbul (IST) — Malé (MLE) one-way in Turkish Airlines business class for 120,000 Capital One miles transferred to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$449 in taxes and fees per person

45. Book Qatar Airways Qsuites to Doha (From 70,000 Miles Transferred to British Airways)

Qatar Airways Qsuites is one of the snazziest business class experiences possible, and it’s possible to book these flights from the U.S. to Doha at an exceptional value using Capital One miles.

To be specific, you can redeem just 70,000 Capital One miles for a one-way flight between the U.S. and Doha in Qatar Airways Qsuites when transferred to British Airways Executive Club. Taxes and fees will be in the ballpark of ~$105, which is terrific!

Here are some great example routes to consider:

• Atlanta (ATL) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 Capital One miles transferred to British Airways Executive Club + ~$105 in taxes and fees per person
• Chicago (ORD) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 Capital One miles transferred to British Airways Executive Club + ~$105 in taxes and fees per person
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 Capital One miles transferred to British Airways Executive Club + ~$105 in taxes and fees per person

Other Transfer Partners

There are other transfer partners that are technically options here, including Qantas, Finnair, etc., but we don’t believe there’s much use at all for these transfer partners because their redemption costs are high or it’s incredibly difficult to use their frequent flyer programs.

How To Transfer Your Capital One Miles to Transfer Partners

Step 1: Navigate to the Capital One website and log in to your account.

Step 2: Click Transfer Miles on the right side of your screen. Type in your frequent flyer number.

Step 3: Type in the number of miles to transfer. Click Complete Transfer.

Step 4: Receive confirmation. You can download the confirmation code for your records.

Final Thoughts

There are tons of ways to redeem Capital One miles for maximum value. When transferring your miles, keep the transfer ratio in mind, as it is not always a 1:1 ratio like with Chase Ultimate Rewards.

We focused mostly on Avianca LifeMiles, Etihad Guest, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and Air Canada Aeroplan here because these airlines provide consistent value with their miles and points.

Good luck redeeming your Capital One miles, and be sure to let us know your best redemptions in the comments below!