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When Capital One announced a selection of airline credit cards for 2018, we knew it wouldn’t be long before the brand launched another travel destination. This happened at the end of 2021 – the same year Capital One launched the Capital One Venture X Reward Credit Card, the first travel bank credit card.
Today, Capital One is a major player in rewards travel with multiple travel credit cards and sponsors covering 15 airlines and three hotel brands. Capital One Travel has also improved since the portal was first announced, and in more ways than one.
Not only do you get more travel options to book with Capital One miles, cash or a combination of the two, but the brand also began offering the Capital One Premier Collection – a collection of luxury hotels and resorts that include perks on every booking.
If you’re a Capital One credit card holder – or if you want to be in the future – read on to find out which cards are available at Capital One Travel, how the portal works and their benefits.
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Most Capital One credit card holders have access to Capital One Travel.
All Capital One credit cards (not travel credit cards) give you access to the Capital One Travel portal. Credit cards from this provider also offer bonus cashback or extra miles for paid travel booked through the portal.
For example, Capital One Venture X earns 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through the portal. Currently, some Capital One credit cards offer 5 miles per dollar or 5% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One.
The following cards give you access to Capital One Travel:
When it comes to booking travel through Capital One, you should know that this site works just like any other booking engine. To book your travel through the portal with cash or miles, you first go to Capital One Travel and log into your Capital One account.
When you log in to your account, you will be asked to share information such as your desired dates and preferences when it comes to car rentals, flights or hotels.
When you find the trip you want to book, Capital One Travel lets you book with rewards, a credit card or a combination of the two. You can filter and select options based on your preferences, and you can search for information to compare options.
For example, let’s say you’re looking for a hotel in Berlin, Germany. As you can see in the picture below, a quick search for hotels gives you access to a map that shows the prices for different options in and around Berlin. You also have the option of choosing results based on Capital One recommendations, stars (high to low) or rates (low to high).
You can filter results based on hotel restrictions or amenities available at each location, making it easy to find accommodations that meet your needs.
Likewise, searching for flights through Capital One Travel yields mixed results. You have the option to search for one-way flights, round-trip flights or even multi-city flights. Like any other travel booking site, Capital One lets you choose your flight and class of travel.
Also, note that Capital One Travel makes redemption easy and familiar. All trips booked through Capital One come with a 1 percent redemption fee per mile. That means 75,000 Capital One miles are worth $750 in travel whether you use them to book flights, hotels or rental cars through Capital One Travel.
The process for redeeming miles is straightforward. After you select the hotel, flight or rental car you want to book, you will be brought to the reservation. At the end, you can choose to pay with your Capital One card or miles, or a combination of the two.
Remember, Venture, VentureOne, Venture X and Spark Miles card members can redeem miles to pay for any trip at 1 cent per mile, regardless of where they book. So, consider charging Capital One Travel reservations to your card and redeeming miles after the charge is made to your account. This way, you still earn miles on purchases, giving you a discount on your redemption.
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Enjoy extra benefits like price protection when you book through Capital One Travel.
Why should you use Capital One Travel for more options when planning a new trip? The first reason is to use your miles to make direct travel purchases, or to pay for your booking by combining miles with cash.
Some of the benefits of investing through Capital One include:
- Lowest hotel rates guaranteed: Capital One says it often adjusts hotel rates to “make sure it matches or beats Expedia and other travel sites.” This means that your hotel reservation may be as good or similar to what you can find elsewhere online, although you should do a quick price comparison to get the real deal.
- Cheap travel insurance: When you book a flight through Capital One, the price of the flight is monitored for 10 days. If the price drops during that time, you’ll only get $50 in travel savings credited to your account.
- Pricing options: When booking a flight, you will be given the opportunity to lower the price for the additional amount of money or miles. Capital One says that, if you choose this option, you can go back and pay it all off within a specified period of time at the original price you closed.
- Cost protection: With Capital One fare protection, you can receive a travel credit for the fare difference when you travel if you book fares at the gates within 24 hours. You must activate fare protection, however, meaning the difference will not be refunded to you unless you request it.
- Price forecasting: Capital One also offers a cost forecasting tool that lets you know when to close on a trip and when to wait. This tool can be very useful if your goal is to book trips at the best price.
Capital One Travel also has tools and equipment that you can use for free or purchase at an additional cost.
Capital One’s Premier Collection is a selection of hotels and resorts that are eligible for Capital One credit cards. These properties range from beach resorts to exclusive boutique hotels in the best locations around the world, and cardholders who book miles or credit cards get extra benefits in doing so.
Premier Collection is similar to American Express’s long-standing Fine Hotels + Resorts program that offers additional benefits to select cardholders, although the benefits and participating hotels differ between the two programs.
Premier Collection hotel reservations are only available to cardholders with a US-issued Capital One Venture X and/or Venture X Business credit card. The benefits of booking this property include:
- Earn 10 miles for every dollar you spend with Premier Collection.
- Get credit for up to $100 in dining, spa and other activities per stay.
- Breakfast every day for two.
- Free Wi-Fi access.
- Additional features such as early check-in, late check-out, room upgrades and more.
Capital One also offers “cancellation for any reason” travel insurance on eligible airline reservations. This offer comes at an additional cost, but allows you to cancel your trip and get (most of) your money or miles back for nothing.
If you’re hoping to help reduce the environmental impact of your trip, especially when flying, booking Capital One Travel can help you do just that. The card issuer says that, for every trip, hotel or rental car booked through Capital One Travel, the company plants two trees.
Emily McNutt
Capital One Lounge in DFW.
This benefit is a little different from Capital One Travel, but it’s still worth mentioning. Capital One launched their airport lounge at the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport (DFW), and there are two Capital One airports on the route at Denver (DEN) and Washington-Dulles (IAD).
Capital One Venture X cardholders get access to Capital One airport lounges, as well as membership to Priority Pass Select airport lounges. Members also have access to 100+ Plaza Premium airport lounges through Capital One’s public network. Currently, cardholders with a Capital One Venture or Spark Miles card can visit Capital One or Plaza Premium airport lounges.
Interestingly, the travel model allows anyone to check into Capital One airport lounges for a $65 fee per flight whether they have a Capital One credit card or not. Venture X cardholders receive two valid guests in the resort, and a low $45 travel fee for additional guests. Venture and Spark Miles cardholders can also pay a $45 per round trip fee on their add-ons or guests after using up to two trips.
Capital One Travel allows cardholders to browse and book travel using their miles, credit card or a combination of the two. The portal also offers features like price comparison and cheap flight protection, which can help ensure you don’t overpay when you don’t have to.
At the end of the day, this portal has made Capital One more competitive with Amex and Chase as they both have their own travel portals that allow consumers to book flights, hotels, rental cars and other trips with rewards or cash.
If you haven’t used Capital One Travel yet but have a credit card with your issuer, you can put your finger on the portal by logging in to compare prices the next time you book a trip.
Looking for a new travel credit card? Check out CNN’s Underscored list of best credit cards available here.
