If you’re a traveler like me, chances are you’re always looking for ways to make your travels more affordable. This is why I collect points and miles: they help me reduce my travel costs so that I can spend my money on what is In fact important…which usually means booking more trips!
One card that can help you earn more points and miles, which translates into more free flights and free hotel stays, is the Company Capital One Venture map. It’s an easy-to-use card, perfect for travelers who want to simplify collecting points and miles. Here’s everything you need to know about the card to help you decide if it’s right for you. This is a solid business card for those who don’t want a high annual fee card, but want additional benefits beyond just getting miles when you spend money.
What is this? THE Company Capital One Venture is the new rebranded version of Spark Miles from Capital One. But it does have some notable improvements that I think are worth adding to your portfolio. Here is an overview of the main benefits of the card:
A welcome offer of up to 150,000 miles Standard 2x miles on every purchase 5x miles on travel purchases (via their portal) $50 annual travel credit $50 annual statement credit Up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Hertz Five Star Status No foreign transaction fees The card’s annual fee is just $95, meaning it’s effectively free once you factor in the two statement credits. With 2x miles by default for every dollar spent, this makes this card a solid choice for everyday spending. And without a ton of different spending categories, the card is very easy to use, making it perfect for travelers who are new to the points and miles game.
Benefits of car rental In addition to giving you Hertz Five Star status, which allows you to avoid the counter in certain locations while offering a wider selection of cars, the card also offers car rental coverage when renting a car for business reasons. You’ll need to charge the full fee to your card and also decline the company’s collision insurance, but once you do that, you’ll be covered for collision and theft damages.
Although I don’t rent cars for work often, I appreciate the free collision coverage and the ability to avoid lines (especially at the busier rental locations).
Travel partners With this card, you’ll earn Capital One miles. You can use them like any other rewards program: to earn cash back, book travel directly, or transfer to travel partners.
The easiest option is to redeem your miles for travel on the Capital One travel portal, which works just like booking through Expedia or any other online travel agency. This is very simple. Simply search for and book your flight, hotel or rental car and choose “miles” as your payment method. It’s basically like using your miles as cash, at a value of one cent per mile.
Both options are very easy to implement, which is why it is a great card for beginners. And if this is the only way to use your miles, go for it! It’s better to use them rather than leave them lying around.
However, you can usually get more for your miles when you transfer them to Capital One transfer partners.
The ability to transfer to travel partners is what makes Capital One miles valuable. Although the actual value will vary depending on what you book, you can usually find airline and hotel redemptions worth much more than the aforementioned 1 cent per mile.
Transferring to travel partners takes a little more work than using the portal, but there are more tools than ever to help you maximize your miles (such as point.me to find flights and Awayz to find rewarded hotel stays).
Here are their current hotel and airline transfer partners:
Accor Live Limited Aeromexico Rewards Air Canada Aeroplan Avianca Lifemiles British Airways Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Privileges of choice Emirates Skywards Etihad Guest EVA Air FinnairPlus Flying blue I prefer hotel rewards Japan Airlines mile bank JetBlue TrueBlue Qantas Frequent Flyer Qatar Airways Privilege Club Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer PRESS Miles&Go Miles and smiles from Turkish Airlines Virgin Red Wyndham Rewards Who is this card for? This card is ideal for business travelers looking for an easy-to-use card to help them earn points and miles. Although I personally think that Capital One Venture X Business Card is a better card, it comes with a higher annual fee. So if you want a solid travel card for your business and don’t need the enhanced benefits of the Venture X card, this Capital One card is for you. And since the credits cover the annual fee, the card is essentially free!
*** The new Company Capital One Venture The card has an incredible welcome offer, a respectable 2x on every purchase, and solid perks for frequent travelers. And with its low annual fee, this card is a no-brainer for travelers looking for a new business card. I wouldn’t wait too long: this huge welcome offer won’t last forever!
Stop paying full price for your travels! Download my free Points and Miles Guide and learn how to use points and miles to travel for free! That’s how all the pros travel so much! In this guide, I will show you:
How to choose a credit card How to earn up to 10x Miles on your spending How to redeem your points And a ton of other money-saving tips!
Book your trip: logistical tips and tricks Book your flight
Find a cheap flight using Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the world so you always know nothing is left to chance.
Book your accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Reservation.com because it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.
Don’t forget travel insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft and cancellations. This is complete protection in case something goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I have had to use it several times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Security wing (ideal for budget travelers) Nomads of the world (ideal for mid-range travelers) InsureMyTravel (for those aged 70 and over) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Want to travel for free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation, all without any additional spending. Check my guide to choosing the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.
Need a rental car?
Discover the cars is an international budget car rental website. No matter where you’re going, they’ll be able to find the best – and cheapest – rental for your trip!
Need help finding activities for your trip?
Get your guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and much more.
Ready to book your trip?
Check out my resources page for the best companies to use when traveling. I list all the ones I use when I travel. These are best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.