The Best Credit Cards for Flight Upgrades [October 2024]
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Top Picks (Quick Summary)
If you’re seeking an upgraded airline experience, travel rewards cards can help make it happen. Here’s a summary of the options we’ll be covering in our article for using travel rewards cards for upgraded flights.
Card | Welcome Offer and Annual Fee | Airline Upgraded Seating |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express |
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| American Express® Gold Card |
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| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
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| American Express® Business Gold Card |
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| Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card  |
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The Best Card for Upgrading With Points
If your flight is booked with any of American Express’ airline upgrade partners, you may be able to use Membership Rewards earned on your American Express card for flight upgrades.
The Platinum Card® from American Express (Top Pick, Access 1,400+ Airport Lounges Worldwide)
Terms Apply / Rates & Fees
The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
Apply With Confidence
Know if you're approved with no credit score impact
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
- The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
- 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
- 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
- $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
- Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.¤
- Terms Apply.
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Amex Platinum cardholders have the option to utilize Membership Rewards points to bid for upgrades on flights booked with several airline upgrade partners.
How To Use the Card To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
To use the Upgrade With Points option, log in to your online Amex card account and click on Rewards, then Membership Rewards Home. You’ll then see the Book or Upgrade Travel option and be able to bid for an upgrade.
Why We Like the Card Overall
Earning valuable Membership Rewards is just the beginning of the long list of premium benefits you’ll find on the Amex Platinum card. The card has become the gold standard for travel rewards cards with its complimentary worldwide lounge access to over 1,400 additional airport lounge locations, including Amex Centurion Lounges.
With hundreds of dollars in statement credits each year, travel insurance protection, and shopping benefits, the card offers tons of value for its members.
Additional Amex Cards With the Upgrade With Points Feature
The Upgrade with Points feature available on the Amex Platinum card is also available on several additional American Express cards. Here is just a sampling of some of the more popular cards offering this option.
- American Express® Gold Card
- Amex Business Gold card
- Amex Business Platinum card
To find out if your specific American Express card has Upgrade with Points availability, login to your online Amex card account, select Rewards, then Membership Rewards Home. If you see the Book or Upgrade Travel option, your card is eligible.
Bottom Line: Using Membership Rewards points to upgrade your flight may not be the best value for your points as the most you can expect to receive is about 1 cent per point. However, having a variety of redemption options is always a positive.
The Best Cards for Purchasing Premium Flights With Points
You may have heard this common word of advice: “If you want to be sure to fly in first class, buy first class.” Fortunately, instead of shelling out a lot of cash, there are options for using your rewards points to secure a business or first class ticket.
Here are some of the best cards that allow you to earn flexible rewards points that can be used to purchase business and first class flights that can upgrade your flight experience.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Top Business Card Pick, Access to 1,400+ Airport Lounges)
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.
When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.
- 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
- Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
- Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (cap applies)
- High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
- Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags
- Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card®, here.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- APR: 18.99% - 27.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Business Platinum card is one of the best cards to use when redeeming points for premium airline flights.
How To Use the Card To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
When you redeem Membership Rewards points via Amex Travel with your Amex Business Platinum card, you will receive a Flight Bonus benefit that rebates 35% of the points used to purchase a business or first class flight. You can also receive a 35% point rebate when purchasing any flight via Amex Travel that is on your pre-selected airline of choice.
Just as an example, if you were to use 100,000 Membership Rewards points to purchase a business or first class flight, you would receive 35,000 points back into your account in the form of a rebate.
Flights must be purchased with the Pay with Points option and there is a limit of 500,000 rebated points each year.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesGet 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).
The American Express® Business Gold Card is excellent at racking up rewards for your business spend.
The card earns a whopping 4x points per $1 in the 2 categories (from a list of 6) that your business spends the most money on each month. With no need to opt-in or preselect your categories, so you can focus on what matters most — running your business.
- 4x points per dollar spent on your 2 highest purchase categories each month up to $150,000 each calendar year in purchases; categories include:
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, plus TV and radio)
- 3x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
- Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
- $375 annual fee (rates and fees)
- No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access or elite status
- Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- 0% Intro APR ¤ for 6 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.99% to 27.99% variable APR.*
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.*
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.*
- Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
- Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.*
- The Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and Limited Edition White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
- *Terms Apply
- APR: 18.99% - 27.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 6 months from date of account opening
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 100,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Business Gold card also comes with a flight bonus rebate when using points to purchase premium flights.
How To Use the Card To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
The Amex Business Gold card earns Membership Rewards points that can be redeemed through the Upgrade with Points feature. You also have the option to purchase your business or first class flight with points via Amex Travel.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best options out there.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!
- 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
- 10x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
- 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
- $550 annual fee
- Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 21.99% - 28.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Not all business or first class flights purchased with Ultimate Rewards points offer bottom-line good value, but there are a couple of sweet spots.
How To Use the Card To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
Purchasing premium flights with Ultimate Rewards points earned on your Chase Sapphire Reserve card is not always the best value for your points. A $6,000 business class flight, for example, would cost you 400,000 Ultimate Rewards points, even with the 50% bonus you receive for booking your flights via the Chase Travel portal.
However, there are situations where your Ultimate Rewards points can receive good value when booking a premium flight. For example, if you find an inexpensive business or first class ticket, you can secure it with points and receive excellent value. You may also find value when booking domestic first class tickets.
Another option for upgrading your flight is to utilize the card’s $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases. You can use a combination of points and cash to purchase a flight upgrade and the cash portion, paid with your card, will trigger the travel statement credit. You can also purchase a flight upgrade directly with the airline to trigger the credit.
Bottom Line: When you use Ultimate Rewards points to purchase flights via the Chase travel portal, you’ll receive 50% more in value for your points. Purchasing an expensive business or first class flight may not provide good value, however. You’ll want to use this option only for well-priced domestic first class or inexpensive international business and first class flights to receive the best value. Ultimate Rewards points may receive greater value for business and first class flights when transferred to airline frequent flyer programs and used to purchase award tickets.
The Best Cards for Transferring to Airline Partners
One of the best potential values for your rewards points may be realized by transferring the points to airline partners and subsequently redeem those miles for business or first class award flights.
There are several rewards programs that allow you to transfer points to airline frequent flyer programs. Let’s look at a few travel rewards cards that earn this type of transferable points.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Best Sub-$100 Annual Fee Card)
A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
- 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
- 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
- 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
- $95 annual fee
- No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
- Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
How To Use the Card To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of our favorite travel rewards cards. It earns flexible Ultimate Rewards points that have multiple redemption options and it comes with a long list of travel insurance benefits.
One of the most valuable ways to redeem Ultimate Rewards points via any premium Chase travel rewards card is to transfer, at a ratio of 1:1, to one of several airline partners. Once transferred, you can use the miles to purchase business or first class flights.
Additionally, you can redeem Chase Sapphire Preferred card Ultimate Rewards points via the Chase travel portal for 1.25 cents each. As mentioned previously, redeeming points via the travel portal for international business or first class tickets may not deliver good value due to the relative pricing of such flights. However, domestic first class or inexpensive business and first class flights may be worthwhile.
American Express® Gold Card
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
Apply With Confidence
Know if you're approved with no credit score impact
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The American Express® Gold Card is a game-changer.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
- 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
- 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
- 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com
- $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
- No lounge access
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
- Get the American Express® Gold Card in either the Gold, Rose Gold or Limited-Edition White Gold metal design. White Gold design is only available while supplies last.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Dunkin' locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
The Amex Gold card earns flexible Membership Rewards points that can be used to purchase premium flights via Amex Travel, or transferred to airline partners for potentially greater value when redeeming for award flights via a frequent flyer program.
How To Use the Card To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
Membership Rewards in your account can be transferred to several airline frequent flyer programs, most at a ratio of 1:1. You can then use the miles to purchase award flights with the respective airline and its partners.
Transferring rewards to airline partners is one of the best ways to receive top value for your rewards points, especially for business and first class tickets.
Several Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points (we mentioned a few earlier in this article) also allow you to transfer points to airline partners.
To find out if your card has this benefit, log in to your online Amex card account, click on Rewards, then Transfer Points. A list of current transfer partners will appear.
Capital One Miles Cards
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit 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.
- 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
- $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
- 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
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 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
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- 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®
- APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Popular Capital One Miles cards such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offer simple flat-rate earning structures yet give cardholders several flexible redemption options. We compare the best Capital One credit cards in this article.
How To Use Capital One Cards To Upgrade Your Airline Experience
Capital One’s airline transfer partners mostly have a transfer ratio of 1:1, so there is great value found when transferring rewards and then purchasing premium flights with miles.
Log into your Capital One card online account and on the homepage select Transfer Miles. You’ll then see the list of transfer partners.
Because Capital One miles can be a good option for securing upgraded flights, we’ve done some legwork and put together a list of suggestions for receiving the best value for your Capital One transfers.
The up to $300 annual travel credit on the Capital One Venture X card is also a good resource for securing a flight upgrade. You’ll need to make the purchase via Capital One Travel to trigger the credit. Additionally, the cash portion, when combining miles and cash to pay for an upgrade or first class ticket, is also an option for triggering the $300 travel credit.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.