Capital One Travel: Your Guide To Booking Flights, Hotels & Car Rentals

Key Takeaways

• The Capital One Travel portal allows cardholders to book flights, hotels, and rental cars using points or cash.
• Depending on which credit card you hold, you will earn bonus miles for every dollar spent on the portal.
• It is often best to transfer your miles to an airline or hotel partner to get the most value.

Trying to figure out how to use your rewards? Whether you’re a longtime fan of Capital One Miles or you’ve just jumped on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. train, there’s a lot to love about this flexible point currency.

Although it’s possible to transfer your Capital One miles out to a variety of partners, you can also use Capital One Travel to earn and redeem rewards for your stays. Let’s take a look at Capital One Travel, how it works, and when you should use it.

Why Book Travel Through Capital One Travel?

Capital One is heavily pushing its customers toward its travel portal — and for good reason. There’s a lot to love about Capital One Travel, and if you’re the kind of person who values simplicity and high rewards over elite status, it could be a good match for you.

Earn Miles or Points by Paying With a Credit Card

There are 2 ways in which you’ll earn miles or points when booking through Capital One Travel.

As a Capital One cardholder, you’ll earn a varying amount of miles depending on which card you use to pay:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

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 in's and out's 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 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.49% (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 cardapplication.

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 (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

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• 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
• Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations 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^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

The Capital One Venture X card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earns 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 spent everywhere else.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

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 in's and out's 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

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.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.49% (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 cardapplication.

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 (rates & fees)
• 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, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• 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

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The Capital One Venture card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earns 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per $1 spent on everything else.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's 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 Spark Miles card is a low-annual-fee business card that earns 2x transferable miles on every dollar you spend. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles card is a low-annual-fee business card that earns 2x transferable miles on every dollar you spend. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

Welcome Offer

Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$0 intro for the first year, $95 after that

APR

25.74% 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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a great option for business owners looking for an uncomplicated rewards card that earns double miles on every purchase they make and offers access to transfer partners, all for a low annual fee.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unlimited 2x miles per dollar spent on all purchases
• 5x miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2 complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge per year

Cons

• Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won’t expire for the life of the account
• Unlimited 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
• Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar from their purchases

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 25.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

The Capital One Spark Miles card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earns 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per $1 spent on everything else.

Capital One Venture X Business Card

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 in's and out's 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 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

150,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$2,700

Annual Fee

$395

APR

All charges made on this account are due and payable in full when you receive your periodic statement. The minimum payment due is the New Balance as indicated on your statement.

Why We Like This Card

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Business card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

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

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates and fees)
• 10x and 5x bonus categories are limited to Capital One Travel bookings

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get the best prices on thousands of options
• 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 through Capital One Travel
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®. Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and membership to Priority Pass through the Partner Lounge Network
• 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

Financial Snapshot

• APR: All charges made on this account are due and payable in full when you receive your periodic statement. The minimum payment due is the New Balance as indicated on your statement.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

The Capital One Venture X Business card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. earns 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 spent everywhere else.

You’ll still earn points even when paying with a different credit card; cards including the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® will earn you 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all travel, even when using Capital One Travel to book.

Earn Points With Your Loyalty Program

Flights booked through Capital One Travel are counted as paid tickets. This is true whether you use your Capital One miles for a redemption or use cash. Because of this, you’ll be able to earn frequent flyer miles on any flights that you book. Signing up is free and easy — there’s no reason for you to miss out on these miles!

The same can’t be said of hotel programs. Nearly all hotel chains will skip out on benefits if you don’t book your stay directly with the hotel. Not only will you miss out on your perks, but you’ll also lose the ability to earn elite night credits for your stays, which can be a real blow if you’re trying to earn elite status. Keep this in mind when you’re using Capital One Travel for hotel bookings.

Ease of Use

If you’re not a huge points and miles geek, it can make sense for you to book with Capital One Travel. This is because it’s simple; you simply log in, look for the flights/hotels/rental cars that you need, and then book. You won’t have to sift through endless programs trying to find the best rates, and it’s especially easy when you’re looking to redeem your Capital One miles. They’ll always be worth 1 cent each when used for travel via Capital One Travel, which is a solid redemption. It’s not the best, however, as you’ll see later on.

Price Match Guarantee

In a bid for your business, Capital One offers a price match guarantee on all of its hotel bookings. If you find a publicly available price within 24 hours that is better than the one you’ve booked, Capital One will match it.

Capital One also offers price-drop protection for its flights. If the Capital One price prediction tool recommends you purchase a flight and you do, the same tool will automatically keep monitoring the cost of the flight. If prices drop again, you’ll get a refund on some or all of the price difference.

Bottom Line: There are a lot of reasons to book with Capital One Travel, though you’ll want to be wary of limitations that arise from booking with a third party.

What Are Capital One Miles Worth?

We value points and miles according to a variety of factors, including how easy they are to use and redeem. Although you can use your Capital One miles for travel on Capital One Travel, there are plenty of other ways they can be redeemed.

The most valuable use of your miles occurs when you transfer them to any one of Capital One’s hotel and airline partners. In these cases, you can get outsized value for every mile. This is why we consider Capital One miles to be worth 1.8 cents each — nearly double the amount you’ll get when redeeming them within Capital One Travel.

How To Access Capital One Travel

You need to be a Capital One cardholder in to access Capital One Travel. Once on the page, you’ll log in to your account. After logging in, you’ll be brought to the portal’s home page:

From here, you can choose to book flights, hotels, or rental cars.

How To Book a Flight Through Capital One Travel

Booking a flight through Capital One Travel is fairly intuitive. After you log in and reach the landing page, you’ll want to select Flights in the toolbar up top:

This will bring you to the search page for flights. You’ll want to input all your information, including departure airport, destination, and dates of travel:

Like Google Flights, Capital One Travel will give you an estimation of price within a calendar feature:

Unlike Google Flights, however, Capital One has partnered with the booking site Hopper to tell you when you should book. You’ll be presented with detailed information regarding price predictions:

As you can see in the screenshot above, you have the option to freeze your price or set a price watch alert. If you’re looking to book immediately, you’ll want to scroll down, where Capital One will give you a list of results:

When selecting a flight, Capital One Travel will also give you a breakdown of information and the ability to book economy or first class tickets:

Once you’ve selected your outbound flight, you’ll pick the return. If booking a one-way, you’ll be taken to the checkout page.

Hot Tip: Capital One’s price drop protection automatically monitors the cost of flights you purchase and refunds you if prices fall. 

As is normal with checkout pages, you’ll need to fill in your passenger information and credit card information. You can also select seats and choose whether or not you’d like to redeem miles. Capital One will give you 1 cent per point of value when using your miles through Capital One Travel. While this isn’t terrible, there are much better uses of those miles — such as transferring to a partner and booking a reward seat.

Once you’ve input all your info, you’ll hit Confirm and Book. That’s it!

Bottom Line: Booking flights through Capital One Travel is both intuitive and easy. Plus, you’ll be able to earn frequent flyer points on your booking.

How To Book a Hotel Through Capital One Travel

If you’re looking to book a hotel through Capital One Travel, the process is simple. As before, you’ll start by logging into your account. Once you’ve hit Capital One Travel’s landing page, you’ll select Hotels in the top toolbar:

You’ll be taken to Capital One’s hotel search bar, where you can put in your travel destination and dates:

Once you select Search Hotels, you’ll be taken to a results page featuring an interactive map:

Along with filtering by rating and price, Capital One offers a variety of ways to narrow down your search:

As we mentioned above, Capital One Travel offers a hotel price match guarantee, which means you won’t find cheaper prices elsewhere. If you do happen to stumble across one on a publicly available site within 24 hours of booking, you can submit a price match request and, if approved, Capital One Travel will drop the cost down to the rate you’ve found.

Selecting a hotel from the search results will open a new tab where you can alter your information:

Scrolling down, you’ll be able to select the room type you prefer:

Once you’ve picked your room, you’ll be taken to the checkout page where you’ll fill out your traveler and payment information. You can also choose to use your Capital One miles for a value of 1 cent per point towards your booking:

Hot Tip: Be aware that booking hotels through Capital One Travel counts as a third-party booking — which means you won’t receive any elite status benefits or credit towards earning elite status when booking this way.

Once everything is filled in, you simply need to select Confirm and Book.

How To Book a Rental Car Through Capital One Travel

Just as with flights and hotels, you’ll log in to your account. From the landing page, you’ll select Car Rentals from the top toolbar:

You’ll be taken to the rental car search page where you can enter your information, including dates of travel and location:

Once you’ve hit Search Cars, you’ll be taken to the results page:

You can choose from a variety of filters, including the rental car company you’ll be booking, what type of car you prefer, and the cancellation policy of your booking. After picking the car you’d like to reserve, you’ll have the chance to review your booking:

If everything is correct, you’ll hit Reserve, which will take you to the checkout page where you can enter driver information and your method of payment:

As with hotels and flights, you can apply your Capital One miles to your rental car booking at a rate of 1 cent each. Again, there are better ways to use your miles, which we’ll discuss below.

Hot Tip: Check out our handy guide on how to save money on car rentals, including options with points, upgrades, cash savings, and more!

How Do the Prices Compare to Other Sites?

Is it actually worth it to book through Capital One Travel rather than other sites? How do the prices compare? Let’s take a look.

Flights

Here’s a flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR) in mid-May 2022:

Interestingly, Capital One Travel notes that this isn’t the best time to book. The cheapest options available are $715, and they’re all nonstop. However, Google Flights comes back with very different results:

Not only does Google suggest that prices are currently low, but it also returns an option that is nearly $200 less than what Capital One Travel is offering. A closer look reveals that although Capital One Travel has the outbound leg available of this cheap flight for $736 roundtrip, it doesn’t offer the same returns. Here’s what’s available from Google:

Meanwhile, here are the options you can get on Capital One:

Bottom Line: While Capital One allows you to book flights through its Capital One Travel portal, its prices aren’t always competitive with other offerings. Make sure to check a few other websites for flights to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

Hotels

So how do hotels on Capital One fare when compared to other booking options? This is especially pertinent as Capital One has its own price guarantee.

Hotels.com

Here’s a night at the all-inclusive Secrets the Vine Cancun in early June from Hotels.com:

Booking with Hotels.com will earn you 1 stamp towards a free night stay. After 10 stamps you’ll get a free night, which can be especially valuable when booking costly stays.

Priceline

And here are the results from Priceline, an online travel agency:

Bookings with both Priceline and Hotels.com can also be stacked with shopping portals. Using Rakuten with Priceline, for example, will earn you 5% back on your booking; this can either come in the form of $25.35 or 2,535 American Express Membership Rewards.

Booking Directly

Here’s how much it costs when booking directly with the hotel:

Secrets the Vine Cancun is a member of AMR Resorts, which was recently purchased by Hyatt. Although you can’t earn or redeem points with the property until later in 2022, Hyatt is offering a promotion for its cardholders for many new all-inclusive properties, including this one. Now through May 15, 2022, eligible cardholders will receive 10 points per $1 spent at these hotels.

This means that booking and paying with your The World of Hyatt Credit Card will earn you 5,070 World of Hyatt points. We value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, which means you’ll be getting $76.05 worth of points back on this booking.

Capital One Travel

Finally, here’s the rate within Capital One Travel:

With the 3 other sites we compared charging $507, Capital One Travel is a few dollars cheaper. But saving $15 doesn’t match the benefits other options are providing, like Hotels.com’s $200 resort credit.

There is, however, one case where booking via Capital One Travel is your best option. First, you won’t want to use Capital One Travel unless you don’t care about elite status — as we’ve mentioned above — so boutique properties can be a good option to book.

Second, as we mentioned above, those who hold the Capital One Venture X card earn 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels booked through Capital One Travel. In this situation, you’d earn 4,915 Capital One miles on your booking. We value Capital One miles at 1.8 cents each, which means you’ll earn $88.47 worth of miles. All in, you’ll net $403.53, which wins out compared to most other options.

Rental Cars

How good are rental car prices compared across multiple sites? The results are less exciting. Here’s what a 5-day rental from Los Angeles looks like at Capital One Travel:

RentalCars.com offers nearly the same price:

AutoSlash, meanwhile, saves you a full $65 on the cheapest rental car:

Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture X card offers 10 miles per $1 on rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and it comes with some nice car rental insurance coverage too.

Other Ways To Use Capital One Miles

Of course, redeeming your miles through Capital One Travel is just one way that they can be used. There is a multitude of uses for those miles.

Transfer to Travel Partners

Nearly always, the best use of your Capital One miles comes from transferring to hotel and airline partners. Capital One has many transfer partners from which to choose:

Hot Tip: Check out our guide on the best ways to redeem Capital One miles for max value.

Cover Travel Purchases

Just as when using your miles at Capital One Travel, Capital One will allow you to redeem your miles for recent travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent each.

Redeem for Cash-back

You can redeem your Capital One miles for cash-back, but this is a terrible use of miles. Capital One will only give you 0.5 cents of value per mile when redeeming to cash.

Get Gift Cards

There are a variety of gift cards available using your Capital One miles, but these still aren’t a great redemption. Your value will vary — and can even be as high as 1 cent per mile, but transferring to other partners will still give you better value.

Shop With Amazon

You can use your miles on a linked Capital One card, which will give you a value of 0.8 cents per mile.

Pay With PayPal

Paying with your Capital One miles through PayPal will net you 1 cent per mile, just the same as redeeming your miles within Capital One Travel.

Bottom Line: You can redeem your Capital One miles in a variety of ways, but only transferring them to hotel and airline partners will grant you more than 1 cent per mile in value. 

Final Thoughts

Capital One Travel is robust — and can be a good option for eligible cardholders who aren’t concerned about elite status. However, you’ll find better value for your miles when transferring to one of Capital One’s many travel partners. Regardless, you can find good deals within the travel portal, and the best price guarantee, combined with price drop protection, can make this portal tempting for many travelers.