The offer mentioned below for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is no longer available.
The summer travel season is upon us and with pandemic-related restrictions in the rearview mirror, people are looking to travel the world again. With higher demand, prices are surging on everything from a European vacation to a weekend theme park trip.
Vacations are expensive, but travel credit cards like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card help make them much more affordable. Thanks to its flexible redemption options, the card's lucrative 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that's equal to $1,000 in travel and it can go a long way in helping you check off your travel bucket list this summer and beyond.
What's the current Capital One Venture welcome bonus?
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a generous welcome bonus of $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that's equal to $750 in travel. That's an excellent incentive to get this card, considering the $95 annual fee. The card also offers generous ongoing rewards of 2X miles on all purchases, with even higher rates for travel-related purchases.
It's worth pointing out that the more premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is currently offering the same welcome bonus, but that card comes with a $395 annual fee.
Capital One miles are valuable because you can redeem them in a variety of ways, including for travel, merchandise, gift cards and more. The miles don't expire and there are no blackout dates or restrictions on when they can be used. Capital One miles can also be transferred to various travel partners for even more value.
So what can you do with 75,000 Capital One miles? The easiest way to redeem the bonus is for a $1,000 credit towards travel purchases, which is plenty. However, Capital One also has 18 airline and hotel partners that you can transfer points to. Most transfer ratios are at a 1:1 ratio and can cover everything from a hotel stay to a flight to Hawaii and beyond. Below are five aspirational trips you can book with the Capital One Venture bonus.
A European adventure
With the favorable currency exchange rate, there's never been a better time to travel to Europe. You can save even more by using your Capital One miles towards the cost of airfare. Air France and KLM's joint loyalty program, Flying Blue, is a 1:1 Capital One transfer partner, and round-trip flights to Europe start at just 30,000 miles. Plus, Flying Blue routinely offers discounted Promo Rewards, dropping prices by as much as 50%.
At the time of this writing, there are Promo Rewards for economy flights between the U.S. and Europe for as low as 21,000 miles round-trip. This is a fantastic deal, considering paid fares on transatlantic routes can sometimes cost over $1,000 during the busy summer season. With the Capital One Venture card's welcome bonus, you can cover two round-trip economy class tickets. By booking with miles, you will stretch your welcome bonus much further than if you were to use it for a travel statement credit. You'll get well over four cents per mile in value, which is rare for an economy-class award.
A family trip to Hawaii
One of the best uses of Capital One miles is transferring them to Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles program. Turkish Airlines is a United Airlines partner, meaning you can use this obscure currency to book domestic flights for a bargain. Tickets between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii are one of the most notable sweet spots, at just 15,000 miles round-trip in economy class. With 75,000 miles from the Capital One Venture card, you can cover up to five tickets – enough to take the whole family to Hawaii. Business class tickets to Hawaii cost a mere 25,000 miles round-trip, though award availability is much harder to come by.
A Wyndham vacation
As far as hotel loyalty programs go, Wyndham Rewards flies under the radar with some fantastic redemption options. With programs like Marriott and Hilton removing award charts, it's refreshing to see Wyndham publishing exactly how many points you need for a hotel night. Free nights cost 7,500 to 30,000 points per night per bedroom, providing ultimate flexibility if you're traveling with a group and need more space without a massive markup.
Wyndham boasts a vast property portfolio, which includes resorts and vacation rentals. With 75,000 points, you can book up to ten free nights at some Wyndham properties, which can get you thousands of dollars in value. You can stretch your points further by booking a "Go Fast" award, which starts at just 1,500 points and include a cash co-pay.
Domestic business class flights
At first sight, Capital One's foreign frequent flyer partners might seem intimidating and perhaps less useful than domestic programs. But you can get fantastic value by booking through programs like Turkish Miles&Smiles and Air Canada Aeroplan. Both airlines are Star Alliance partners, meaning you can book domestic United flights for fewer miles. Turkish Miles&Smiles charges just 25,000 miles round-trip for a business class ticket within the U.S., while Air Canada Aeroplan charges between 30,000 to 70,000 miles round-trip, but is easier to navigate. Both programs are a bargain, considering United's dynamic pricing model sometimes prices these same awards as high as 165,000 miles round-trip.
If you'd rather fly American Airlines, consider booking through British Airways Executive Club or Virgin Red for Delta flights.
A first-class flight to Japan
If you want to splurge on a once-in-a-lifetime experience, look no further than a first-class ticket to Japan on All Nippon Airways (ANA). ANA is known for offering one of the world's best first-class products, including private seats, exceptional service and delectable food.
With Virgin Red points, you can book a one-way first-class seat between the West Coast and Japan for just 72,500 points each way. East Coast departures cost 85,000 points each way. Alternatively, you can book business class for just 45,000 points or 47,5000 points each way, respectively.
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Bottom line
Between the generous welcome bonus and vast redemption options, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is ideal for anyone looking to maximize their credit card rewards. Whether you're looking to lounge on the beaches of Hawaii or step into a luxurious first-class cabin on an international flight, the card's welcome bonus can help get you there.
If you don't like the idea of transferring points and figuring out award availability, Capital One makes it easy by letting you redeem miles for travel bookings at one cent each. Simply book the hotel or airfare of your choice, pay with your card and knock $750 off your total.
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