How I’m Maximizing the Capital One Venture Welcome Bonus Offer for 3 Summer Vacations

Updated: May 13, 2025, 11:02am CDT

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Table of Contents

Capital One Venture Card Overview
1. 6 Tickets From South Korea to Japan for 42,000 Points
2. Round-Trip Ticket to Guatemala for 24,000 Points
3. Hotel Stay With the $250 Capital One Travel Credit
Final Thoughts

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Update:

The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

As I began thinking about potential summer vacation destinations and how to book them, Capital One appeared to foresee my needs and announced a generous new welcome bonus offer on its popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

For a limited time, eligible applicants can earn 75,000 bonus miles and a $250 Capital One Travel credit (valid for a year) after spending $4,000 on purchases during the first 3 months.

The timing aligned perfectly with my upcoming summer travel plans, prompting me to apply, and I was approved for this valuable welcome offer. Here’s how I plan to use the miles and Capital One Travel credit for summer 2025 travel.

Capital One Venture Card Overview

1. 6 Tickets From South Korea to Japan for 42,000 Points

This summer, I’m heading to South Korea and Japan with my wife, daughters, and mom. A trip from the U.S. to Asia for 6 people can really affect your budget. While I’ve successfully used my points and miles to book long-haul flights to Asia and back to the U.S., I still need to book my flights from South Korea to Japan.

Tokyo Park — Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo. Image Credit: Juan Ruiz

Many low-cost carriers operate flights between Seoul and major Japanese cities like Osaka and Tokyo for as little as $50 one-way. That said, these fares often don’t include additional charges for seat selection, baggage, and inflight snacks and beverages.

I prefer to fly with established legacy carriers such as Korean Airlines or Asiana Airlines — my reasoning primarily revolves around cost savings above all else. Typically, legacy carriers provide complimentary seats and free baggage, which are included with award tickets. This greatly minimizes the amount of extra fees I need to pay compared to booking with a low-cost airline — particularly when covering expenses for 5 others in addition to myself.

Fortunately, I can snag Korean Airlines tickets between Seoul and Japan for just 7,000 points per person and $16 in taxes and fees. To book my intra-Asia flights, I can transfer Capital One Miles to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, one of Capital One’s transfer partners.

Seats.aero screenshot Seoul to Japan — I plan to use Seats.aero to check for award seats and then call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to book my flight. Image Credit: Seats.aero

Unfortunately, Korean Airlines awards cannot be booked online at Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club website, so I’ll have to call Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club customer service to check availability and book. In all, because I need to purchase 6 one-way tickets, I’ll be redeeming just 42,000 points to pay for flights to Japan, saving me approximately $1,000 over paying cash — which is a wonderful thing.

Hot Tip:

Upgraded Points CEO Alex Miller recently transferred Capital One miles to Virgin Red, and the process took under 20 seconds. After linking your Virgin Red and Virgin Flying Club accounts, your balance of points will update instantly.

2. Round-Trip Ticket to Guatemala for 24,000 Points

I’ve been looking forward to a trip to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala’s deepest and most scenic lake, but I’ve had to postpone it for years. Provided everything goes smoothly, I plan to visit the expansive lake and enjoy a cup of coffee on the deck of my Airbnb while taking in the view of the water this summer.

Lake Atitlan Airbnb — Looking forward to this epic view. Image Credit: Airbnb

To reach my destination, I’ll transfer my Capital One Miles to Qantas Frequent Flyer program (another Capital One airline partner), and redeem just 12,000 points per person along with $28 in taxes and fees.

Qantas AA MIA GUA Award — Image Credit: Qantas

I will be flying with American Airlines from my home airport in Miami (MIA) to Guatemala. This is an excellent solution for booking Oneworld awards through the Capital One Miles program.

Since I intend to meet the minimum spend requirement shortly after getting the Capital One Venture card in the mail and plan to increase my spending, I will easily have enough points for flights for my trip to Guatemala and intra-Asia flights this summer.

3. Hotel Stay With the $250 Capital One Travel Credit

The other appealing aspect of this welcome bonus offer is the $250 Capital One Travel credit. The travel credit can be used to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more, on the issuer’s travel portal.

Beach at Hyatt Regency Grand Reseve Puerto Rico — A quick trip to Puerto Rico is in the books this summer. Image Credit: Katie Seemann

My wife is a huge fan of the well-known reggaeton artist Bad Bunny, and with his upcoming residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico this summer, this is likely her only chance to see him in his homeland.

I plan to book our flights to Puerto Rico with points earned from other travel credit cards. I will then optimize the $250 Capital One Travel credit to cover at least 1 of 2 hotel nights we need in San Juan this summer. This means I’ll only need to cover 1 night myself with cash, leaving us with extra funds for dining and activities.

Final Thoughts

The increased offer on the Capital One Venture card could not have arrived at a better time. With my summer travel plans in full swing and my desire to book early to secure award seats and budget-friendly hotel stays, the new offer of 75,000 bonus miles and a $250 Capital One Travel credit after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months will go a long way to help fund a portion of my 3 upcoming trips.