Contrary to what you may have been led to believe based on the trend in recent years, a premium travel card doesn’t have to charge nearly $1,000 in annual fees to provide premium travel benefits — and the earning rates and benefits don’t have to be complicated, either.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was the first premium card I added to my wallet when it first launched, and it has remained my one and only ever since.
In my opinion, it’s an affordable option when compared to other premium travel cards. Not to mention, it retains easy-to-use perks like the $300 annual travel credit*, 10,000 bonus anniversary miles starting on your first anniversary and airport lounge access, and it earns 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase.
The cherry on top? Its strong early spending bonus for new cardholders: Currently, you can earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.**
Here’s a look at some of my favorite Venture X benefits and how I use them — during both my travels and everyday life here in New York City.
A growing number of gorgeous airport lounges
Lounge access is a game changer when traveling, and Venture X gives me access to a number of fantastic lounges during my travels.***
New York City happens to be home to Capital One’s newest and largest Capital One Lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)’s Terminal 4, and my Venture X card gives me complimentary access. The Capital One Lounge at JFK is open 24 hours a day (music to my ears as someone who loves booking the earliest flight possible, which often precludes me from visiting lounges that aren’t open that early), and the space is the perfect spot to hang out preflight.
Capital One also has lounge locations at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS); Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Dulles International Airport (IAD); Denver International Airport (DEN); and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) — with even more planned for the future. I often connect through DFW when going back home to Arkansas to visit family, and being able to access the Capital One Lounge has made a world of difference during layovers. And when I fly through airports that don’t yet have a Capital One Lounge concept, the Venture X card’s Priority Pass™ access gives me more options.
Of course, lounge access isn’t the only way my Venture X makes airport days easier. My Venture X gave me a statement credit after I applied for Global Entry.**** Being a frequent traveler, Global Entry and TSA PreCheck® help me get through the airport faster. I love a benefit that lets me spend less time in security lines and more time relaxing in the lounge.
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The Premier Collection and a generous travel credit
Arguably, one of the hardest aspects of planning a trip is figuring out the best place to stay. No one wants to waste miles, money or time off from work on a subpar stay.
Venture X comes with access to the Premier Collection from Capital One Travel, a curated list of hotels and vacation rentals where I can unlock premium benefits.
As a birthday treat, I recently spent two nights at the Pendry Manhattan West, a Premier Collection property from Capital One Travel nestled in New York City’s Hudson Yards neighborhood, and I cannot overstate how much I loved it. The views from my room? Iconic. The bed? Unbelievably comfortable. The hotel bar and restaurants? Mouthwatering. The service? Phenomenal.
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But the best part? The premium benefits I got by booking a Premier Collection hotel through Capital One Travel: daily breakfast for two, a $100 experience credit***** that I used at Bar Pendry, late checkout and even a room upgrade. Plus, I had the option of using my $300 annual travel credit or my Capital One miles toward my booking. Or, if I used my Venture X card for the booking through Capital One Travel, I could have earned 10 miles per dollar spent on my purchase.
Venture X can elevate what you do on your trip, too
Two underrated benefits that Venture X offers cardholders are access to Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining. I can score access to award-winning entertainment — from Broadway shows to concerts and more — and hard-to-get reservations thanks to the card.
I recently used Capital One Entertainment to book an exclusive cardholder experience for “Mamma Mia!” on Broadway that included a preshow reception, incredible seats for the show and an exclusive postshow Q&A with a few members from the cast. We even got special merchandise to take home.
The show was incredible and filled with joy, but the preshow reception was an unexpected highlight. Capital One reserved nearby restaurant Souvlaki GR Midtown West for cardholders to eat Greek hors d’oeuvres, drink “Mamma Mia!”-themed cocktails and build personalized charm keychains ahead of the show. It was the perfect preshow activity.
Of course, I’m a fiend for a good Broadway show, but Capital One Entertainment truly has something for everyone — from sporting events to concerts to comedy. I also have my eye on tickets for some of my favorite artists for concerts and different comedy shows, all available on Capital One Entertainment.
I love the flexibility and option to use my rewards on more than just hotels and flights. I can book these experiences by redeeming miles or paying with my Venture X card on Capital One Entertainment to earn 5 miles per dollar spent.
Capital One’s cardholder exclusives are for more than a show
More into baseball than Broadway? Venture X allows you to redeem rewards for cardholder-only tickets to MLB games between your favorite teams. For music lovers, Capital One hosted a special preconcert sound-check party at the iHeartRadio Music Festival earlier this year that was only bookable through Capital One Entertainment.
You can even book cardholder-exclusive getaways through Capital One Entertainment. A previous trip was a four-day itinerary planned by Capital One and their premium travel partner, PRIOR, to Rome that included a stay at the Small Luxury Hotels of the World-affiliated Palazzo Talia, private access to the Vatican Museums, private dinners and much more.
No matter what your passions are, Venture X can unlock access to incredible experiences that can help you make the absolute most of your travels.
Capital One Dining
Speaking of incredible experiences, another under-the-radar benefit of Venture X is the access it provides to Capital One Dining.
Recently, I scored a prime-time reservation to Nubeluz, a rooftop venue with unbeatable views of the New York City skyline (and the cocktails and food created by celebrity chef José Andrés certainly didn’t disappoint, either).
We booked a sunset reservation, and if you’ve never had a delicious cocktail while enjoying a bird’s-eye view of the New York City skyline during golden hour, you’re missing out. The vibe at Nubeluz transforms after sunset just like the city itself does, and we enjoyed a delicious meal (I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong no matter what you order, but we especially loved the tuna roll and the labneh with potato chips).
Prime-time reservations here can be hard to come by, but thankfully, Capital One Dining gives me access to customer-exclusive reservations in cities all over the U.S.
Why Venture X gets a standing ovation in my wallet
The icing on the proverbial cake is that all these benefits are incredibly easy to use. I don’t have to keep track of monthly credits to feel like I’m getting the full value. My Venture X benefits are simple to use, so I can focus on what really matters: making the most of every moment.
The annual $300 travel credit can be used easily through Capital One Travel. The 10,000-mile anniversary bonus can be redeemed alongside the rest of my Capital One miles, which are easy to accrue, as I earn at least 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase. Plus, the card gets me access to unique experiences like concerts, shows and hard-to-get reservations both at home and during my travels.
Given that the card also has a lower annual fee than other premium travel cards, it’s a win-win for me and my wallet.
Remember, new cardholders earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening. So, if you’ve been looking for ways to elevate your travel experiences with a premium travel card and easy-to-use benefits, definitely check out the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
*Annually, eligible Venture X primary account holders will receive a $300 Capital One Travel credit (“Credit”) to use toward purchases made through Capital One Travel. Each annual Credit will expire on the next account open date anniversary. The Credit will be available within Capital One Travel and can be applied to purchases at checkout. The Credit may be used in whole for a single purchase or in part over multiple purchases. Rewards will not be earned on the Credit. If the purchase using the Credit is canceled, the Credit will be restored if it has not expired. An expired Credit will not be restored upon cancellation. A Venture X card account must be open and in good standing to receive or use the Credit.
**Existing or previous cardmembers are not eligible for this product if they have received a new cardmember bonus for this product in the past 48 months.
***Access to lounges includes access to available participating Priority Pass lounges worldwide and Capital One Lounges. To access Capital One Lounges, eligible cardholders must present their physical Venture X card or digital lounge pass, found within the Capital One Mobile app. Access is not guaranteed and is subject to space availability. In order to access Priority Pass lounges, eligible cardholders will need to enroll after card activation. To learn more about lounge access policies, please visit the applicable Terms and Conditions for additional details.
****To receive a statement credit of up to $120, you must use your Venture X card to either complete the Global Entry application and pay the application fee, or complete the TSA PreCheck® application and pay the application fee. The credit will appear within two billing cycles and will apply to whichever program is applied for first. One statement credit per account will be given every four years, and your account must be open and in good standing when the credit is applied. Refer to the Application or Account Terms for additional details.
*****The Premier Collection hotel experience credit will be applied at checkout by the hotel to qualifying charges of up to $100 USD or the local currency equivalent. Qualifying charges vary by location, are subject to availability and must be charged to your room during your eligible stay; contact the hotel directly to confirm qualifying experiences. Advance reservations are recommended for certain experiences. Additional terms apply; see travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service for details.