As travel picks up, I find myself using my Capital One Venture X credit card more and more. If you have not added this card to your wallet, do not delay in doing so. The latest addition of Plaza Premium lounge access makes the card even better.
Capital One Venture X – Still A Great Credit Card
Capital One has transformed itself over the last two years. What was once an irrelevant cashback program is now in the same league with American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards as a valuable and flexible currency to send to airline partners, including:
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Finnair Plus
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
For the next few weeks, this card is offering a 75,000 mile sign-up bonus, which would be smart to take advantage of if you do not already have this card. You are eligible for this offer even if you already have the (“regular”) Venture card.
Let’s review the perks of this card:
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening the account
- Lounge access at:
- Capital One lounges with two guests
- Priority Pass lounges (including restaurants) with two guests
- Plaza Premium lounges (including Virgin Atlantic lounges around the world) with two guests
- $300 in annual statement credit for hotel, flight, or car rental bookings made through Capital One Travel
- 10x Venture miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5x Venture miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel
- 2x Venture miles on all other purchases
- No cost to add up to four authorized users
- Authorized users receive the same lounge access benefits including their own Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
- 10,000 anniversary miles each year
- Pre-Check or Global Entry rebate
- Once every four years
- Hertz President’s Circle status
- Insurance
- Trip Delay – up to $500
- Lost Luggage – up to $3,000
- Mobile Phone – full protection minus $50 deductible
- Car Rental – full coverage for damage
The annual fee is $395, which more than pays for itself with the perks above, not even considering the sign-up bonus. Keep in mind you need good to excellent credit to apply for this card, though there is no concrete lower threshold for approval.
So yes, it’s a very solid card with a good balance of transfer partners and excellent earning benefits. Earlier this year, Capital One added Plaza Premium lounge access for cardmembers and that includes U.S. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounges in:
- Boston (BOS)
- Newark (EWR)
- New York (JFK)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington (IAD)
I just spent several hours in the Johannesburg (JNB) and JFK Clubhouses and really enjoyed both of them. It’s great to have access to these lounges and that benefit really makes me love this card.
CONCLUSION
If you do wish to sign-up for this card, consider signing up here to support Live and Let’s Fly (you’ll need to scroll down to find the application link)
But wherever you do sign up, please do sign up – this is an amazing card that should have a special place in your wallet.
Ben got a hold of Matthew’s password.
Kidding. I love the Venture X. Can’t go wrong with 2x on everything (I have lots of non category spend) and doesn’t need to have companion cards like Amex platinum or CSR to really shine.
@butt pirate jan, Capitol one doesn’t transfer to Hyatt so one can indeed go wrong with the venture X.
Damn, still butthurt about that huh, lol.
I am not loyal to any hotel points system so just using the Venture X and getting the 10x hotel spend on the travel portal works decently for me.
Is the $300 in annual statement credit on a calendar year basis or card anniversary?
It credits charge by charge until you reach the $300 limit and resets annually (each cardmember year).
Is this just a consumer card or do they also have a business card? My husband puts five figures a month on his Amex Plat card but has been considering getting a true business cc.
That would be the Spark card.
I’ll look into that.
You can stay in the Amex family with Blue business plus, 2x on all purchases. Platinum only makes sense for the 5x on flights and for cellular bills, for the superior phone insurance of AIG (vs assurion with chase & capitol one).
Matthew, what holds me back is the fact that you have to book on Cap1 Travel. 10x is great but I won’t get my Globalist or Diamond hotel benefits and can’t use my corporate discount on rental cars. I already have an Amex Platinum where I get 5x on airlines. Am I missing something?
That’s a problem. We used our travel credit when booking an independent hotel, but you’re right that I would never use it for a Hyatt booking.
Even so, I figure the annual fee is effectively $95 and unlike the AMEX Plat, the Priority Pass comes with a restaurant benefit and unlike Chase, you get Plaza Premium lounge access and Cap One lounge access (and even discounts at the Cap One Cafés).
Plus, I like have the Cap One partners (in addition to Chase and AMEX), particularly Turkish Airlines.
The sign-up bonus is merely icing on the cake.
Since I travel to basically two cities in North America and United serves them well with direct flights, I have the United Explorer card, also with pretty good benefits, and $95. annual fee. It also pays for Global Entry membership but it seems that there are no interview appointments even after 3 months of waiting. Not that I really care. I use “Mobile Passport” for free where you have it downloaded on your phone when you land back in the USA; It gets you to the front of the line coming into the US.
You’ll love the card even more if you live in DFW. The Cap One Lounge is pretty great. Solid food/drink selection (even the grab and go case has good stuff) and it’s never been crowded the half dozen or so times I’ve visited since I got the card. Though I am curious to check out the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal E next time I head somewhere.
The only bummer is that bonus points for travel only count if you use Capital One Travel. I don’t care about losing the hotel points that much, but I’d forgotten how much of a PITA booking a plane ticket through a travel agent is when you need to change/cancel it later.
Matthew, I appreciate that you’re not an overly aggressive credit card hawker. Your fellow bloggers who endlessly shill for credit cards are hard to believe because the reader doesn’t know if it’s the best card for the reader or if the reader’s application approval is the best card (most lucrative) for the blogger. When some of your fellow bloggers write “Why I Love XYZ Card” or “10 Things I Love About XYZ Card” it’s easy to think that #1 is “my commission”.
Due to the aforementioned appreciation, I would like to “sign up here to support Live and Let’s Fly” but recently (1-2 weeks ago) I could not find the “here” link. I suggest you have a permanent link at the top of your homepage, perhaps next to “HOME” “REVIEWS” “ABOUT” “CONTACT” “PRIVACY” “AWARD EXPERT” “ADVERTISING DISCLOSURE” you could have (link to) “CREDIT CARD MARKETPLACE”. Your readers are savvy enough to know, and it’s clear from your content, that you’re not a credit card commission mercenary.
Very kind. Thanks for your comment. And I do make every effort to be judicious about my card posts and would never push a card I was not fully behind.
@Matthew: That’s why your blog is my favorite travel blog.
Is it 2 guest for priority pass or unlimited guest. Link here does not state 2 guest for Priority Pass.
https://capitalonetravel.com/lounges/partner-lounge-network
Two guests was my understanding. Would be great if it is unlimited.
Agreed, curious how much One Credit Card at A Time paid to repost his dribble on this site?
It’s a nice lounge in DFW, probably a little overrated, but I like the Peloton. It’s too bad the showers “don’t work.” Or at least seem to be inoperable whenever I’m there. I’m sure this will eventually become the same thing as a Centurion Lounge, and that’s just a real shame.