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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used...
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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the hottest credit cards on the market, having enjoyed immense popularity ever since its release.
This credit card earns Capital One miles that can be used at airline and hotel partners for luxury award travel.
You can also use your Capital One miles for statement credits, gift cards, travel bookings on Capital One Travel, and online shopping.
That said, the most valuable way to use your miles is to utilize those airline and hotel transfer partners.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at how you can leverage the miles from this card’s welcome bonus for maximum value. You’ll probably be surprised at the value you can amass, especially considering how you can get a $5,000 business class flight for just 75,000 Capital One miles!
Let’s get right into it.
Capital One Venture X Card Welcome Bonus
Card Snapshot
The Capital One Venture X card is easily one of our favorite credit cards. With an impressive welcome bonus, this credit card offers incredible travel rewards designed for the discerning traveler. Let’s start off with the miles you’ll earn, which can be accumulated as fast as 10x:
10x Capital One miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
5x Capital One miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel
2x Capital One miles on all other purchases
We value Capital One miles at around 1.8 cents apiece, which translates to a maximum return on spending of a whopping 18%.
Also, the Capital One Venture X card comes with an anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles every year, as well as up to $300 back annually as a travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings, and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck.
Hot Tip: If you don’t value the travel credit, anniversary miles, and lounge access, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a similar welcome bonus and has a lower annual fee.
The 11 Best Ways To Use 75,000 Capital One Miles
You might be wondering how exactly to best use Capital One miles. But as long as you stick with using Capital One’s transfer partners at the right time, you can get some phenomenal value.
Let’s take a look at our favorite ways to do just that!
1. Fly Business Class One-way to Europe With No Fuel Surcharges
Use Avianca LifeMiles to fly LOT Polish business class. Image Credit: LOT Polish
At the top of our list is one of the most realistic, high-value ways to use Capital One miles.
Sure, there are other flights where you can enjoy huge redemption value like Qantas first class or American Airlines international Flagship First, but these are almost impossible to come by regularly.
But, using Capital One miles to fly to Europe in business class is made easy, thanks to Capital One’s strategic partnership with Avianca LifeMiles.
Total taxes and fees will likely be around $60 per person one-way, and you can book flights on airlines like United, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, LOT Polish, Austrian Airlines, and more.
These flights will cost around 63,000 Capital One miles transferred to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio:
Chicago (ORD) – Krakow (KRK) one-way in LOT Polish business class for 63,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
New York City (JFK) – Zurich (ZRH) one-way in Swiss Air business class for 63,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Lufthansa business class for 63,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
These tickets often sell for $4,000 to $5,000 one-way (and sometimes even more), so you can get exceptional value.
2. Book 5 Round-trip Economy Flights on United to Hawaii
United flies from many U.S. cities to Hawaii. Image Credit: United Airlines
One of the best ways, albeit less glamorous, to get phenomenal value with 75,000 Capital One miles is to fly round-trip from the continental U.S. to Hawaii in economy.
Thanks to Capital One’s partnership with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, you can redeem as few as 15,000 miles for round-trip economy flights to Hawaii. You can also book one-way tickets for half the price if it’s too difficult to find round-trip availability. This means (at least in theory) that you can get 5 round-trip economy tickets for 75,000 Capital One miles.
That said, this isn’t the easiest redemption to pull off — you’ll need to find Saver-level partner award availability on United’s website before making the booking on Turkish Airlines’ website. And in some cases, Turkish Airlines’s website isn’t able to display the correct flights on United, which would then require a phone call to Turkish Airlines.
Here are some great routes that United offers nonstop service on to Hawaii:
Denver (DEN) – Kona (KOA) one-way in United economy class for 7,500 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Hilo (ITO) one-way in United economy class for 7,500 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Newark (EWR) – Maui (OGG) one-way in United economy class for 7,500 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Kauai (LIH) one-way in United economy class for 7,500 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Honolulu (HNL) one-way in United economy class for 7,500 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
All of these routes could be booked for 7,500 miles one-way or 15,000 miles round-trip transferred to Turkish Airlines, though the main challenge will be to find Saver-level availability, especially if you need 5 tickets on the same flight.
3. Book Transcontinental Flights on United Polaris Class
United offers lie-flat business class seats on select transcontinental routes. Image Credit: Chris Hassan
The only way to book these flights is with partner airlines, and our favorite is Avianca LifeMiles, simply because of its relatively straightforward booking process and good award pricing.
You’ll still need to find Saver-level partner award availability on United Airlines’s website first before duplicating that search on LifeMiles’s website, but you can redeem 25,000 Capital One miles to Avianca LifeMiles for a one-way business class flight between the U.S. West Coast and East Coast.
Here are some great example redemptions you should consider:
Los Angeles (LAX) – New York City (JFK) one-way in United Polaris class for 25,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Newark (EWR) one-way in United Polaris class for 25,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – New York City (JFK) one-way in United Polaris class for 25,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Newark (EWR) one-way in United Polaris class for 25,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$41 in taxes and fees
4. Book Qatar Airways Qsuites One-way From the U.S. to the Middle East
Qatar Airways Qsuites is about as classy of a business class product as possible. Image Credit: Alex Miller
One of the world’s best business class products in the entire world is Qatar Airways Qsuites. And although its central hub at Doha (DOH) doesn’t attract tons of travelers every year, Qsuites is a fantastic way to access destinations in the Middle East.
Right now, Qatar Airways Qsuites is bookable through a nifty partnership from Capital One with British Airways Executive Club.
And while it’s true that you can redeem Capital One miles through other transfer partners to book Qsuites, such as Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, we favor this method due to the excellent redemption rates and significantly reduced fuel surcharges.
Expect to spend around $100 per person in taxes and fees when booking Qsuites between the U.S. and the Middle East. Best of all, you can spend less than 75,000 Capital One miles to book one of these flights!
Chicago (ORD) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 British Airways Avios + ~$102 in taxes and fees
Miami (MIA) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 British Airways Avios + ~$102 in taxes and fees
Philadelphia (PHL) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 British Airways Avios + ~$102 in taxes and fees
Seattle (SEA) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 British Airways Avios + ~$102 in taxes and fees
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Doha (DOH) one-way in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70,000 British Airways Avios + ~$102 in taxes and fees
5. Book Emirates Business Class One-way to Europe
Fly Emirates’ new A380 business class starting at 72,500 Skywards miles. Image Credit: Emirates
Did you know that Emirates offers some exceptional fifth freedom flights to Europe?
That means you can enjoy an Emirates business class experience without having to take a detour to the Middle East.
Best of all, fuel surcharges are generally pretty minimal on flights that don’t involve Dubai (DXB). Here are some great example routes to book:
New York City (JFK) – Milan (MXP) one-way in Emirates business class for 73,000 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$84 in taxes and fees
Newark (EWR) – Athens (ATH) one-way in Emirates business class for 72,500 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$84 in taxes and fees
Hot Tip: Another lovely fifth freedom flight you can book in Emirates business class is from Mexico City (MEX) to Barcelona (BCN), though it’ll cost you 80,000 Capital One miles transferred to Emirates Skywards.
6. Book a 2-in-1 Business Class Vacation to Europe With a Free Stopover
75,000 Aeroplan points could take you through Europe in Lufthansa business class. Image Credit: Lufthansa
If you’re in the mood to visit 2 destinations in Europe on the same trip, you can utilize Capital One’s partnership with Air Canada Aeroplan to book a business class flight to Europe, add a stopover, and get a business class flight to the second city, for just 5,000 additional Aeroplan points.
Normally, Air Canada Aeroplan charges 70,000 Aeroplan points for flights between the U.S. and the Atlantic region (which includes areas like Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) ranging from 4,001 to 6,000 miles in flight distance.
But if you stay within the distance requirement and want to add a stopover, you could do so for 75,000 total Aeroplan points.
Air Canada is a Star Alliance airline, which means you can book flights on airlines like Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, and more. Here are some fantastic routes you can consider booking:
Boston (BOS) – Zurich (ZRH) – Tel Aviv (TLV) one-way in Swiss Air business class with a stopover in Zurich for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$39 in taxes and fees
Chicago (ORD) – Munich (MUC) – Naples (NAP) one-way in Lufthansa business class with a stopover in Munich for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$39 in taxes and fees
New York City (JFK) – Brussels (BRU) – Rhodes (RHO) one-way in Brussels Airlines business class with a stopover in Brussels for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$39 in taxes and fees
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Istanbul (IST) – Bodrum (BJV) one-way in Turkish Airlines business class with a stopover in Istanbul (IST) for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$39 in taxes and fees
7. Fly to New Zealand in Air New Zealand Business Class
If you have a chance, you can also try the Air New Zealand 787 Dreamliner business class product! Regardless of what plane you fly, Air New Zealand business class is a great product. Image Credit: Air New Zealand
One of the most difficult places to access from the U.S. is New Zealand. Luckily, with Capital One miles, if you are super flexible and are traveling with at most 1 other person, you should be able to find Air New Zealand business class flights bookable with miles.
This airline is extremely stingy with availability, which means finding more than 2 seats on a particular flight is almost a foregone conclusion, except in extremely rare events.
The Air Canada Aeroplan award chart is well-suited to access excellent award prices. In fact, you can book flights from the U.S. to New Zealand in business class for 75,000 Capital One miles!
Houston (IAH) – Auckland (AKL) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$ in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Auckland (AKL) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$ in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Auckland (AKL) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 75,000 Aeroplan points + ~$ in taxes and fees
Hot Tip: At the moment, any flights from Chicago or New York to Auckland would fall outside the distance band and would cost 85,000 Aeroplan points, instead of 75,000 Aeroplan points.
8. Fly Etihad Business Class One-way From Europe to Africa or Asia
Fly Etihad business class from Europe to Africa or Asia for just 60,000 Aeroplan points. Image Credit: Greg Stone
Another great way to fly in style is Etihad Airways business class, which is operated almost entirely out of Etihad’s hub in Abu Dhabi (AUH).
And while Etihad’s U.S. flights can’t be booked for 75,000 Capital One miles, they can absolutely be booked on slightly shorter routes.
In particular, we love the idea of booking Etihad business class from Europe to Africa or Asia via Abu Dhabi.
For flights up to 5,000 miles in distance, you can redeem 60,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points. And for another 5,000 points, you can add a stopover in Abu Dhabi.
Here are some great example routes you can book:
Frankfurt (FRA) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Malé (MLE) one-way in Etihad business class with a stopover in Abu Dhabi for 65,000 Aeroplan points + ~$165 in taxes and fees
Istanbul (IST) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Bangkok (BKK) one-way in Etihad business class with a stopover in Abu Dhabi for 65,000 Aeroplan points + ~$64 in taxes and fees
Rome (FCO) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Mahé (SEZ) one-way in Etihad business class with a stopover in Abu Dhabi for 65,000 Aeroplan points + ~$165 in taxes and fees
9. Fly Air France or KLM Business Class One-way From the U.S. to Europe
Fly from the U.S. to Europe aboard Air France’s new Boeing 777-300 business class cabin. Image Credit: Air France
If you’re looking for an elegant way to fly across the Atlantic in business class, Air France (and to a lesser extent, KLM) can help you start or end your vacation on a high note.
With as few as 53,000 Capital One miles, you can fly in business class between the U.S. and Europe.
You’ll want to note that Air France-KLM Flying Blue prices its redemption flights dynamically, which means the price you pay may fluctuate a lot. So while it may cost as few as 53,000 Capital One miles, it can also cost as much as 400,000+ miles.
If you find yourself able to book these flights, you’ll pay around $230 per person in taxes and fees, which is a relative bargain compared to the $800+ in fuel surcharges that many European airlines levy.
Check out these example routes:
Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Athens (ATH) one-way in KLM business class for 55,000 Flying Blue miles + ~$223 in taxes and fees
Houston (IAH) – Paris (CDG) – Rome (FCO) one-way in Air France business class for 53,000 Flying Blue miles + ~$210 in taxes and fees
Miami (MIA) – Paris (CDG) – Lisbon (LIS) one-way in Air France business class for 53,000 Flying Blue miles + ~$210 in taxes and fees
10. Book LATAM Business Class One-way From the U.S. to South America
LATAM’s business class seats feature Thompson XL Vantage seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Image Credit: LATAM
If flying to South America in a comfortable business class product is at the top of the priority list for you, Capital One miles will come in handy.
Because Capital One miles can be transferred to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, it’s possible to fly on one of the best business class products to South America, thanks to LATAM.
The best way to book LATAM business class flights nowadays is to transfer your miles to Asia Miles; even better, Asia Miles has attractive redemption rates.
Here are some great example redemptions to book:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Santiago (SCL) one-way in LATAM business class for 75,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees
Miami (MIA) – Sao Paulo (GRU) one-way in LATAM business class for 61,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees
New York City (JFK) – Lima (LIM) one-way in LATAM business class for 61,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees
Orlando (MCO) – Sao Paulo (GRU) one-way in LATAM business class for 61,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees
11. Book Up to 5 Nights in a Vacasa Vacation Rental
Redeeming Wyndham Rewards points for Vacasa stays. Image Credit: Vacasa
The very last redemption we’ll be focusing on is somewhat of a pivot from airfare, and we’ll discuss accommodation/lodging.
Even though Capital One’s hotel partnerships with ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Wyndham Rewards, and Choice Privileges aren’t worth your consideration at first glance, there’s one particular unique way to get substantial value from your Capital One miles for accommodation.
Vacasa is a vacation rental management company, and its listings are often compared to Airbnb — however, Vacasa manages its properties, and it has properties in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica.
At the moment, for eligible listings (usually capped at a maximum of $300 per bedroom), you can redeem 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points per bedroom per night.
So for example, if you find a 3-bedroom house that’s priced at $900 per night, you can redeem 45,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night, which would net you a redemption value of 2 cents per point!
Just remember that if you find a 1-bedroom unit that charges $600 per night, you probably won’t be able to redeem Wyndham Rewards points for this due to the $300 per night maximum.
In other words, you can get up to 5 nights in a 1-bedroom Vacasa property with 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to Wyndham Rewards.
Final Thoughts
The number of ways you can redeem Capital One miles are limitless. Thanks to a lovely list of transfer partnerships that mostly transfer at a 1:1 ratio, you can get some serious value with your miles.
In fact, in this guide, we showed you that it’s possible to book a one-way business class flight from the U.S. to Europe, which often costs more than $5,000!
Our favorite transfer partners to use, in general, are Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Air Canada Aeroplan, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and Wyndham Rewards (for vacation rentals through Vacasa).
Let us know where you redeem your 75,000 Capital One miles in the comments section below!
For the Hertz President’s Circle status benefit, enrollment is required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
According to our valuations, Capital One miles are worth 1.8 cents each. That means 100k Capital One miles are worth $1,800.
It depends. With 75,000 Capital One miles transferred to airline partners, you have enough to fly business class to Europe and the Middle East. Keep in mind that these flights are subject to availability and are not widely available.
No, you can only transfer Capital One miles to its airline partners. However, the network of airlines you can book is quite expansive. For example, you can transfer your Capital One miles to Flying Blue, which can be used to book Delta flights. You can transfer Capital One miles to British Airways, which can be used to book American Airlines flights. You can also transfer Capital One miles to Turkish Airlines or Avianca LifeMiles, which can be used to book United flights.
Quite a lot, actually! With 75k Capital One miles transferred to travel partners, you can book a one-way business class flight to Europe, up to 5 round-trip tickets to Hawaii in economy, and even 5 nights in a vacation rental property.
You cannot transfer Capital One miles to Delta, but you can transfer Capital One miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue or Aeromexico, which can then be used to book Delta flights.
Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
2 comments
Chris
July 28, 2022
What about the (plentiful) Off-Peak flights between Chicago and New York and Madrid for 68K round trip on Iberia?
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
2 comments
Chris
July 28, 2022
What about the (plentiful) Off-Peak flights between Chicago and New York and Madrid for 68K round trip on Iberia?
Jarrod West
July 28, 2022
Hi Chris,
That is a fantastic use as well!
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
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