Why Capital One Travel Is My Favorite Credit Card Travel Portal — And How I Maximize It

Credit card travel portals are a mixed bag. You can often earn more rewards when you book flights or hotel stays through these portals. At the same time, you may lose flexibility since you have to make changes through the portal, not the operating carrier. And when booking hotels through the portal, you won’t usually earn elite nights or hotel points.

I tend to avoid booking through credit card portals because of these downfalls, usually booking my travel directly with the airline or hotel. One of the few exceptions I make, however, is booking flights through Capital One Travel. This has long been my favorite travel portal thanks to its unique price-prediction features, great interface, and price-matching tools.

Let’s take a closer look at why I like Capital One Travel and the tips I have for maximizing it when you book travel.

What Credit Cards Can Use Capital One Travel?

Capital One Travel is available exclusively to Capital One credit cardholders. Most rewards-earning Capital One credit cards can use the portal, but it’s advantageous to use one of the bank’s travel-focused cards, as these earn the most bonus miles when you book through Capital One Travel.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of our all-time favorite travel credit cards. It has a $395 annual fee, but this is offset by an annual $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles (worth at least $100). Plus, it includes perks like extensive airport lounge access and Hertz President’s Circle elite status.

This card earns 2 miles per $1 on all purchases, except for Capital One Travel bookings. You earn 5 miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals booked through the portal and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars. The card also has a hefty welcome offer worth $1,800 based on our Capital One miles valuation of 1.8 cents per mile.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel.

100,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,800

Annual Fee

$395

APR

Purchases: 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Top rated mobile app

Financial Snapshot

• APR: Purchases: 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

If you’re looking for a Capital One travel card with a lower annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card could be a good fit. The card earns 5 miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases. It doesn’t have premium travel perks or credits, but you pay a smaller $95 annual fee.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

Purchases: 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Top rated mobile app

Financial Snapshot

• APR: Purchases: 19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Meanwhile, if you own a business, consider applying for the Capital One Venture X Business Card. This card has the same premium travel benefits, $395 annual fee, and earning rates as the personal Capital One Venture X card. However, you can use the Capital One Venture X Business card to separate business and personal expenses and issue employee cards.

Right now, it has a huge welcome offer we value at $7,200. This offer has a high monthly spend requirement, but if your business has high expenses or has employees who travel regularly, it’s a card worth considering.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Capital One Venture X Business Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X Business card offers at least 2x miles on all purchases, and comes packed with premium perks.

Capital One Venture X Business Card

The Capital One Venture X Business card offers at least 2x miles on all purchases, and comes packed with premium perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn up to 150k 400k bonus miles: 200k miles when you spend $30k in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months.

Up to 150,000 400,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $7,200

Annual Fee

$395

APR

This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month.

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Business card is a great all-around premium rewards card that helps you rack up miles on all of your business expenses.

From 2x miles per dollar on all purchases, airport lounge access, an annual travel credit, complimentary employee cards, and more, there is plenty to love about the Capital One Venture X Business card.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Business Travel
• 5x miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Business Travel
• 2x miles per dollar on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee
• 10x and 5x bonus categories are limited to Capital One Business Travel

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
• Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
• With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
• Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
• Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
• Top rated mobile app

Financial Snapshot

• APR: This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Each of these cards earns Capital One miles, which can be redeemed through the Capital One Travel portal or toward recent travel expenses charged to the card at a flat rate of 1 cent per mile. However, you can get more value by transferring them to one of Capital One’s airline or hotel partners. These include Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.

Why Capital One Travel Is My Favorite Credit Card Travel Portal

Capital One Travel fixes most of the gripes I have with other travel portals, namely, the user interface. Many credit card travel portals have interfaces similar to those of 2005-era Orbitz. Not only does this look bad, it also makes it challenging to find the flights or accommodations you’d like to book.

Likewise, many of the other credit card travel portals — including Chase Travel and Citi Travel — don’t support most budget airlines. In the U.S., this includes airlines including Spirit and Frontier. If you’re a budget-minded traveler, this could keep you from booking the flights you want.

Capital One Travel is different. The portal is well-designed and makes it easy to find the flights and hotels I’m looking for. I’ve used it to book dozens of flights and a couple of hotel stays over the years, in turn earning bonus miles and even saving money.

Booking Flights With Capital One Travel

On the flight side, Capital One Travel lays out your options in a concise format, with extensive filtering options that let you narrow your search results by time, airline, cabin class, and more. I like this layout a lot and, in some ways, I find it more intuitive than Google Flights.

There are a handful of special features, too. Capital One Travel is powered by Hopper and has implemented its price prediction features into its search results. You can also watch trips and receive notifications when their prices go up or down. These have been accurate in my experience, and I always check Capital One Travel’s price predictions before I book a flight.

Unlike Chase Travel, Citi Travel, and other credit card travel portals, Capital One Travel lets you book flights with major ultra-low-cost and budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier in the U.S., EasyJet and Wizzair in Europe, and AirAsia in Asia. The only notable exception is Ryanair and Southwest Airlines (unless you have a business card).

This is a huge benefit for budget-minded travelers, and I recently used the portal to book a flight from Praya (YOP) to Bangkok (BKK) via Kuala Lumpur (KUL) with Batik Air Malaysia. Capital One Travel’s interface was easier to use than the airline’s website, the price was the same, and I earned 5 miles per $1 with my Capital One Venture X card. I was not able to find this flight on Chase Travel.

Furthermore, you can purchase several travel protections and enhancements through Capital One Travel. This includes cancel-for-any-reason insurance and optional rebooking assistance. You can pay for these often expensive services with cash or miles, and they may be worthwhile if you’re planning an expensive trip.

Capital One Travel also offers price drop protection and price-matches other online travel agencies. I’ve used its price-matching tool in the past, and it’s given me hundreds of dollars in travel credits. I’ll discuss my experience with these features later in the article.

Booking Hotels With Capital One Travel

I don’t often book hotels through Capital One Travel, mainly because most stays aren’t treated as direct bookings. This means that if you book a World of Hyatt property through Capital One Travel, you won’t earn points or elite nights and won’t be able to use your elite benefits during your stay.

However, there are a few instances when it might make sense to book hotels through Capital One Travel. The first is booking boutique hotels that are not a part of a major loyalty program. If the price is comparable to booking directly with the hotel, booking through Capital One Travel and paying with a Capital One Venture X card yields 10 miles per $1 spent.

Likewise, the Capital One Venture X card and Capital One Venture X Business card include access to the Premier Collection. This program consists of luxury hotels around the world. When you book them through Capital One Travel, you’re eligible for benefits like room upgrades, late checkout, complimentary breakfast, and a $100 on-property experience credit.

The Premier Collection mainly consists of high-end boutique hotels, but some branded hotels are available too. In this case, they may earn points and elite night credit, but this isn’t guaranteed.

Capital One also offers the Lifestyle Collection to those with the Capital One Venture X card, Capital One Venture card, or Capital One Venture X Business card. These hotels aren’t as high-end as Premier Collection hotels, and the benefits aren’t quite as grand. You can expect a $50 experience credit, space-available late checkout and room upgrades, and early check-in.

Keep Capital One Travel in mind if you’re booking a boutique hotel. If the price is the same as or similar to booking direct, earning up to 10 miles per $1 with the Capital One Venture X card could put you closer to your next big trip. This is an effective 18% return on your hotel booking, according to our Capital One mile valuation of 1.8 cents per mile.

How To Maximize Capital One Travel

Now that you have an overview of what Capital One Travel is — and why I like using it so much — here are a few tips for using the portal effectively. These come from using it regularly since 2022, when I opened my first Capital One card.

Business Cards Have a Slightly Different Portal With Added Perks

If you have a Capital One Venture X Business card or another Capital One business credit card, the Capital One Travel experience is a little bit different.

Capital One Business Travel includes most of the same features as Capital One Travel, but you can create employee travel profiles. This is helpful if you have employees who book their own travel, as you can set approval flows and add limits on how much they can spend and what they can book.

Beyond employee travel, Capital One Business Travel has 2 other standout features. The first is that you can book Southwest Airlines flights through the portal, something you can’t do with Capital One Travel. Southwest flights show alongside other airlines, and you can book any available fare class, including Basic.

Capital One Business Travel also offers business owners and their employees special business travel rates at select hotels. These rates can give you up to 10% off your stay. Even better, some of these rates are loyalty eligible, meaning you earn elite nights and hotel points at these properties.

Paying With Miles? Don’t Redeem Them Directly Through the Portal

Even though I use Capital One Travel to book flights with my miles, I’ve never redeemed them directly through the portal. This is because — with cards in the Venture family — you can use your miles to offset any recent travel charge made through the portal at a rate of 1 cent per mile. This includes Capital One Travel charges.

The trick is that you can book through Capital One Travel, earn miles on your purchase, and cover the expense with miles after the fact. For example, this flight from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) costs $719 round-trip. I can pay this with my Capital One Venture X card and earn 3,595 miles, then redeem 71,913 miles after the purchase posts to my account to cover the expense. In the end, I’d pay just 68,318 miles for this flight.

There’s no downside to doing this. All you have to do is remember to redeem your miles toward your Capital One Travel booking after you book. Doing this gives you an effective 5% rebate on your Capital One Travel bookings, which can add up if you frequently redeem miles this way.

Save Big on Flights With Price Matching and Price Drop Protection

One of my favorite Capital One features is the ability to price-match flights, hotels, and rental cars with other online travel agencies (OTA). If you find a cheaper rate on a competitor’s site — which can be virtually any OTA — Capital One will give you a Capital One Travel credit for the difference.

To use this benefit, take a screenshot of the competitor’s cheaper rate and book your travel through Capital One Travel. Then you can call Capital One Travel within 24 hours of booking to file a claim. The competitor’s cheaper booking must match what you booked through Capital One Travel and be priced in U.S. dollars.

Hot Tip:

I highly recommend filing your price-match claim as soon as possible. When you call in, the Capital One Travel representative will try to find the competing offer. Your claim may be denied if the representative can’t find it.

I like this feature because I can take advantage of lower rates while still knowing I can contact Capital One Travel if I need to change or cancel my trip. In my experience, they’re easier to work with than some of the lesser-known online travel agencies. Plus, I can still earn bonus miles with my Capital One Venture X card.

Additionally, Capital One Travel offers price-drop protection on select flights. When the portal advises you to book now, it continues to monitor the price of said flight for the next 10 days. If the price goes down, Capital One issues you a Capital One Travel credit for the difference, up to $50.

I’ve yet to use this feature since I’ve found Capital One’s price prediction tool highly accurate. But it’s nice to know it’s there, especially when booking tickets with airlines that don’t offer free changes. Unlike flight credits issued by an airline, you can use Capital One Travel credits toward any future booking.

Keep an Eye on the Offers Tab for Discounted Travel

Finally, don’t miss out on Capital One Travel’s Offers tab. Here, you can find discounts on hotels and flights offered by specific travel providers or in a designated destination. These offers change throughout the year and are often targeted, but if they work with your travel plans, they can give you a big discount on your next trip.

At the time of writing, my Capital One Venture X card is targeted for numerous destination-specific offers, ranging from Montana to New Orleans to Washington, D.C. These offers provide $40 to $50 off eligible hotel stays, which, while not a huge savings, can still make a difference.

Among the more exciting offers on my Capital One account is $200 off Premier or Lifestyle Collection vacation rental bookings booked by the end of the year. These are vetted premium vacation rentals that include experience credits, early check-in, and other benefits. A $200 discount can go a long way when booking vacation rentals in places like upstate New York or Reno, Nevada, during off-peak times, when prices are already low.

Keep an eye on Capital One Travel’s offers page. Since offers change regularly, you never know when a deal could coincide nicely with your upcoming travel plans.

Final Thoughts

While I usually avoid booking flights and hotels through credit card travel portals, Capital One Travel is the exception. It offers a slew of excellent features, such as price-matching and price prediction, that provide real value when booking flights. And for business owners, having access to Capital One Business Travel’s discounted hotel rates is a godsend when booking during peak travel times.

Even if you don’t use Capital One Travel to book your next flight, you can use its price prediction feature to find the best time to book. And if you’re booking an expensive trip that you might have to cancel, you may pay up for cancel-for-any-reason insurance.

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Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.