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The Best Credit Cards for United Airlines Frequent Flyers in 2021

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Travelers have a wide selection of credit cards to choose from, which can make it difficult to figure out which one to apply for. Frequent travelers may think that a co-branded credit card from the airline that they are most loyal to is the best option, but that’s not always the case.

There are a number of things to consider when deciding which card is best including the benefits, rewards and annual fee of the card. When reviewing card offers, it’s important to compare features, but it’s equally important to keep in mind which benefits will serve you best.

In this article, we are focusing on credit cards that are a good fit for people who frequently fly on United Airlines. We’ll take a look at the most popular benefits you can expect to receive, and we’ll tell you which card is best for that travel perk.

We’ll also run through the airline’s co-branded credit cards and explain what they offer. If you are a frequent flyer on United Airlines, this guide will help you find the best card or cards based on your preferences and needs.

Best Premium Card for Lounge Access

United Airlines has a premium card that offers unlimited access to its more than 45 United Club lounges, but those are only in the busiest airports the airline serves. If you don’t see your major city on the list, it may be currently shut down. For example, SeaTac International Airport of Seattle has a United Lounge on concourse A but it is closed until further notice due to COVID-19. You can see a full list of United lounges that are currently open here.

The American Express Platinum card may be a better fit for United flyers because you get access to over 1,300 Priority Club lounges in 600 cities across 148 countries, and you can also use any of the 13 American Express Centurion lounges which are primarily in the US.

The card does have a very high annual fee of $695, but it comes with a $200 annual travel credit, elite status in Marriott and Hilton loyalty programs, and up to $200 a year in Uber credits, $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits and reimbursement of TSA PreCheck or Global entry fees. There are also other credits and perks to offset the annual fee including discounts on flights on over two dozen airlines through the International Airline Program.

The sign-up bonus on the Amex Platinum card is 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months after getting approved. The value of those bonus points and other benefits will definitely offset the annual fee the first year if you use all the credits.

Best Premium Flexible Points Card to Earn United Airlines Miles

You may think that having a co-branded United Airlines card would also be the best option to earn maximum rewards for your travels. But the Chase Sapphire Reserve can really help you boost your United MileagePlus balance because the Reserve card earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on all your travel and dining and one point on all other purchases. United is a Chase partner, so you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to your MileagePlus account and turn them into miles at a 1:1 ratio.

The card also has some great travel protection including trip cancellation/interruption insurance of up to $10,000 per person or $20,000 per trip. It also has trip delay reimbursement of up to $500 per ticket if the delay is more than 12 hours. If your bags are delayed more than six hours, you will be reimbursed up to $100 a day for up to five days. And it provides primary car rental insurance.

The Sapphire Reserve card does have a $550 annual fee, but you get a $300 travel credit to help offset the fee. It also comes with a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months, so that bonus and the other benefits and earning opportunities will more than cover the cost of holding the card the first year.

Best Mid-Tier Flexible Points Card for Earning United Miles

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the mid-tier card in the Chase Ultimate Rewards family of credit cards. It is a good choice if you want to earn flexible points that can be transferred to United, and it has the same travel protections as the Sapphire Reserve for a much lower annual fee.

The Preferred card costs $95 a year, and it is currently offering a limited time bonus of 100,000 points if you make $3,000 in purchases in the first three months of having the card. The Preferred card earns 2x points on travel, dining and food delivery and one point on everything else.

Best Card With No Annual Fee for United Flyers

Chase also issues the best card with no annual fee for United frequent flyers. The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns points in the same Ultimate Rewards program that the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards do, but there is no fee to hold the card.

You earn 5x points on grocery store purchases up to $12,000 per year. Travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal will also earn 5x points, and all other purchases earn 1.5x points which transfer to United at a 1:1 ratio like the other cards in the UR family. 

The Freedom Unlimited card has a $200 bonus offer after spending $500 in the first three months. The card also has a 0% introductory APR so this may be a good choice if you plan to carry a balance or just don’t want to pay an annual fee.

Best Small Business Card for United Airlines Frequent Flyers

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express also does not charge an annual fee, and it lets you earn 2x Membership Rewards points on all purchases up to $50,000 a year, and one point per dollar after that. 

Membership Rewards points can’t be transferred directly to United, but MR points do transfer to Star Alliance partners, so you can book a United award seat through one of those carriers. Or you can use the points to book travel on United through Amex Travel.

The welcome bonus is 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in the first three months. And like the Freedom Unlimited, it also has a 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months.

United Airlines Co-Branded Credit Cards

There are some key credit card benefits that will make your flights more enjoyable and save you money. Popular perks for frequent flyers include free checked bags, lounge access and upgrades. Frequent flyers on United may already have some of these perks because of the type of fare they book or because of their MileagePlus elite status.

But if you’re not flying in business or first class and/or don’t have elite status perks, a United Airlines co-branded card can help you access those types of benefits. Now that we’ve covered which non-United cards are best for earning, lounge access and other benefits, let’s go over the perks of holding a United Airlines co-branded credit card. 

United offers several co-branded personal credit cards through Chase, which include everything from premium cards to ones with no-fee. Benefits vary as you would expect, with the most expensive card in the lineup offering the greatest perks. We’ve outlined which cards are the best for the benefits most sought after by United passengers.

Best Credit Card for United Club Access

If you primarily travel from an airport that has a United Club lounge, then the United Club Infinite card is probably your best choice for lounge access. This premium United credit card has a $525 annual fee, but the annual United Club lounge membership alone (valued at $650) can justify the cost if you use it frequently.

Plus there are other benefits. You’ll get two free checked bags, which is a valuable benefit if you travel with multiple pieces of luggage or other goods that need to be checked. United Airlines charges $35 each way for your first bag, and $45 for a second checked bag, so the savings can really add up.

You’ll also get Premier Access priority check-in and boarding, 25% back on in-flight purchases, Premier Upgrades on award tickets and a $100 credit toward TSA Precheck or Global Entry. There are also other benefits including Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle elite status and access to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.

The Infinite card comes with a 75,000 point sign-up bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. This card will earn you 4x miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 2x miles on other travel and dining and one mile per dollar on everything else purchased using the card.

Best Co-Branded Card for Elite Status and Upgrades

Elite status in the United MileagePlus loyalty program (referred to as MileagePlus Premier) offers many benefits for frequent flyers including upgrades, but most miles earned through spending on credit cards do not help travelers achieve status.

The United Quest Card can help you move to the next tier in the airline’s frequent flyer program. You can earn up to 3,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) every year, which is enough points to move your status up one tier from Silver to Gold or Gold to Platinum. You’ll also receive 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent on the Quest credit card.

This card has a $250 annual fee, but you get a $125 statement credit towards United purchases including airfare. It also includes up to two free checked bags on every flight and free Premier Upgrades if available. You’ll also get priority boarding and 25% off in-flight purchases. This card earns 3x miles on United purchases, 2x on all other travel and dining including eligible food delivery, and one point per dollar on everything else.

The Quest card actually currently has a slightly larger sign-up bonus than the premium Infinite card, but the minimum spend to get the bonus is also more. You’ll receive 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months after the card is approved. You can also get 20,000 more bonus miles if you spend $10,000 total in the first six months for a whopping 100,000 United miles.

Best United Card for Free Checked Bag

All of the United Airlines credit cards that charge a fee come with a free checked bag, but the United Explorer Card offers the best value for most consumers who only need to check one bag when flying. 

This Explorer is the airline’s mid-tier co-branded card. It has a $95 annual fee which is waived the first year, so your bag won’t cost you anything to check. And if you take at least two roundtrips on the carrier and check a bag, you’ll cover the cost of holding the card in the second year and beyond. 

You’ll also have access to other card benefits which include priority boarding, a 25% discount on in-flight purchases, two United Club passes a year and TSA Precheck or Global Entry every four years.

This card comes with a 60,000 mile bonus once you spend $3,000 on the card in the first three months after opening the account. If you spend at least $6,000 total in the first six months,  you’ll get 10,000 additional bonus miles. The Explorer card also earns 3x points on United flights, 2x on hotels and dining and one point per dollar spent on other purchases.

Best United Credit Card With No Annual Fee

If you’re trying to avoid an annual fee but you still want a co-branded card to earn miles, the United Gateway Card is a good option. It’s also a good card to downgrade to if you don’t want to keep paying the annual fee on a United card.

The sign-up bonus is not as impressive as the other United co-branded cards, but the minimum spend is also much less. You can earn up to 15,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on the card within the first three months of having it. And if you spend a total of $3,000 in the first six months, you’ll earn 15,000 more miles for a total of 30,000.

This card is the only United card that does not come with a free checked bag or priority boarding, but it does earn 2x miles per dollar spent on United Airlines, at gas stations and on transit including local commuting charges. You’ll also get a 25% discount on in-flight purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi as you do with the other United co-branded credit cards.

Best United Small Business Card

If you own a business, you should consider the United Business card, which currently has a sign-up bonus of up to 150,000 bonus miles. The card includes a free checked bag, priority boarding and two United Club passes for one-time use every year. Employee cards are free, and like other United cards you get a 25% discount on in-flight purchases. The annual fee for this card is $99, and you can earn a $100 credit if you book seven flights a year that cost over $100 each.

The sign-up bonus is 75,000 miles after you spend $5,000 in the first three months, and an additional 75,000 miles if you spend a total of $20,000 in the first six months of having the card. You’ll also earn two miles per dollar on United purchases, dining, gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit, and one mile per dollar on everything else.

Credit Card Issuer Rules

There are also a few considerations depending on what company is issuing the credit card. All of the cards we consider the best for United Airlines frequent flyers are issued by either Chase or American Express. Both card issuers have some rules that could block you from getting approved or getting a sign-up bonus.

For example, Chase has a 5/24 rule, so if you have applied for more than five cards in the past two years you will not get approved for a Chase credit card. Also, you can only get one sign-up bonus every 48 months for a card in the Chase Ultimate Rewards family, so keep this in mind when planning your credit card application strategy. All of the United cards and Ultimate Rewards earning cards we covered are issued by Chase, so this is an important consideration.

Many people who plan on applying for several cards to earn bonus points and miles will often get their Chase applications in first so they don’t run afoul of the 5/24 rule. And if you don’t remember the last time you got a bonus on a particular Chase card, check your credit report to pinpoint the month and be sure to leave a little extra room to make sure you’ve cleared the four-year limit since earning your last bonus on a Chase Ultimate Rewards card. 

Also, most business cards don’t count in the 5/24 rule, so this might be a good choice if you are over the limit and still want a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to United.

American Express will only let you hold five credit cards at a time including personal and business cards. This rule is not as strict as Chase’s rule, so you may be approved for a sixth card, but it’s not likely. This only applies to credit cards, so your Amex charge cards don’t count.

Also, Amex only lets you earn a sign-up bonus once per lifetime for each of its products, so if you’ve previously held the Amex Blue Business Plus card but you still want a business card, then the Chase United Business card is probably a better option.

Credit Score Needed

One last important consideration is to make sure you have the right credit score to obtain the card you want before you take a hit on your credit score for applying. Most travel cards require a good or excellent credit score, so your FICO credit score should be 720 or better. You’ll also be asked about your income, and issuers will review your credit history to make their determination. 

In general, premium cards require a better credit score and history than mid-tier and no-fee cards, so don’t shoot too high if your credit score is borderline or your history is too short or has some negative items. For example, it’s harder to get the premium Amex Platinum card than other cards in the Amex Membership Rewards family, and the same is true for the Chase Sapphire and United co-branded cards. 

Check your credit score and history before you apply to make sure there are no challenges to obtaining your card of choice, or go down a tier or two on the card you’re thinking of getting if you don’t think you’ll get approved. For example, you might be better off applying for the Chase Freedom Unlimited or the Chase Sapphire Preferred instead of the Sapphire Reserve if your credit score is closer to 700.

Final Thoughts

Travelers have different needs and priorities, so it’s important to think about what you need or will use when selecting a credit card. If you don’t check bags because United offers a free carry-on and you travel light, then free checked bags will not benefit you.

Also, if you don’t arrive at the airport early enough to use a lounge and/or your flights do not usually have layovers, then lounge access is not valuable. And if you fly United regularly, you may have elite status that comes with some of the benefits that credit cards offer.

The sign-up bonuses offered can be very attractive, but you need to balance the value of those extra miles or points and the card’s benefits against the annual fees you have to pay to hold some of the cards we covered. You should also consider your spending categories to determine which card might help you maximize rewards. 

If you’re a frequent flyer on United for your business travel, but have another carrier in mind for your vacation plans that you want to fund with rewards, then a card with flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards might be a better choice. You can always transfer those miles to United or use them in the card issuer’s portal to book travel.

The Best Credit Cards for American Airlines Frequent Flyers in 2021

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image credit: aa.com

With all the travel credit cards available, it can be tough to pick the right one (here are some tips on how to pick the right one). A big sign-up bonus may catch your eye, but the annual fee and ongoing benefits are important things to consider before you hit that apply button.

Some travel credit cards have no fee, some are mid-tier cards that carry a $95 fee which is often waived the first year, and others are premium cards that will cost you $500 or more a year to hold. If there are annual fees involved, you need to consider whether you are getting enough benefits from the card to justify the cost and/or whether another card might offer similar benefits for a lower fee.

American Airlines has co-branded credit cards with both Citibank and Barclays that range from top-of-the-line premium cards with lots of benefits including airport lounge access to credit cards with less benefits but no annual fee. 

Benefits and Cost

Benefits can include lounge access, free checked bags, travel insurance, in-flight discounts and statement credits. Sign-up bonuses, rewards and annual fees are also big considerations for any credit cards you are thinking about applying for. Keep in mind that most premium cards that carry a high annual fee often have more than enough benefits and credits to offset the cost of holding the card, but only if you use them.

Another thing to consider is which perks you might already be getting with your elite status if you are a frequent flyer. Many cards and loyalty programs offer similar benefits to those offered to elite members of a frequent flyer program like American Airlines AAdvantage, so you may not need a particular perk if it’s already included with your status.

Depending on what you value most and what you are willing to spend to hold the card, an American Airlines AAdvantage co-branded credit card may or may not be the best choice for you. Also, since there are many credit cards available for travelers, chances are good that you might want more than one credit card if you travel frequently. If that’s the case, then it’s good to know which card should be used for what in order to maximize rewards and benefits.

To help you decide which card is best for you, we’ll look at a few credit cards that we consider the best ones for travelers who frequently fly on American Airlines, and then we’ll go over the lineup of American Airlines co-branded cards available and highlight their benefits.

Best Premium Card for Lounge Access

The Platinum Card from American Express (see credit score required for approval) provides you access to over 1,300 Priority Club lounges in 148 countries as well as access to American Express Centurion lounges. There are a dozen of them currently in the US and one in Hong Kong.

The annual fee is pretty steep at $695, but the card is currently offering 100,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus after spending $6,000 in the first three months after getting approved. These points don’t transfer to American Airlines, but there are some Oneworld alliance partners that are part of the Amex program and you can book American Airlines award seats through them. Or you can use the MR points to book American Airlines flights through the Amex travel portal.

The Amex Platinum card also offers a $200 annual travel credit, Marriott and Hilton elite status, and a host of travel credits including up to $200 a year in Uber credits, $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits and reimbursement of TSA PreCheck or Global entry fees.

The card also has some great reward earning potential including 10x on up to $25,000 in purchases at restaurants worldwide and at participating small businesses in the US during the first six months of membership. You’ll also earn 5x on flights booked directly with the airlines or through American Express Travel up to $500,000 per year, and you’ll earn 5x on prepaid hotel bookings through Amex.

(Related: See where the Amex Platinum card stacks up against the competition in our rundown of the best credit cards for airport lounge access.)

Best Mid-Tier Credit Card for Travel Insurance

The hottest card in the market right now is the Chase Sapphire Preferred (see credit score required for approval), which is offering an elevated sign-up bonus of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on the card in the first three months. The points don’t transfer to American Airlines, but you can use them to book flights on the carrier through the bank’s online booking portal. The sign-up bonus is worth $1,250 in free travel because you get a 25% bonus on points when booking through Chase.

The Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, and you earn two points per dollar spent on all dining and travel purchases and one point per dollar on everything else. But one of the best features of this mid-tier card is that It comes with great travel insurance including primary car rental insurance, up to $20,000 for cancelled or interrupted trips, up to $500 for trip delays of more than 12 hours and $100 per day for up to five days if your luggage is delayed.

Best Premium Card for Earning Rewards

The premium Chase Sapphire Reserve, which is the upgraded version of the Sapphire Preferred, is a great card for earning rewards for all of your travel. Also, it comes with all the same insurance protections of the Sapphire Preferred.

The biggest difference between the two cards is the annual fee, which is $550 for the Reserve compared to only $95 for the Preferred version. But you do get a $300 annual travel credit with the Reserve that will offset more than half the cost.

The sign-up bonus on the Reserve card is 60,000 points, which is worth $900 on travel booked through the Chase travel portal because the card gives you a 50% bonus when redeeming points that way. While you can’t transfer your points directly to American Airlines, Chase does have Oneworld alliance partners that you can transfer points to in order to book American Airlines award seats. Or you can book American flights using Ultimate Rewards points in the Chase portal.

The best thing about this card though is that it lets you earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points on all your travel, so if you travel frequently those points will really add up. You’ll also get triple points on dining worldwide, and one point per dollar spent on everything else.

American Airlines Co-Branded Credit Cards

American has quite a few co-branded cards with two issuers because of its merger with US Airways back in 2013. Many basic benefits on the cards are similar including earning double miles on American as well as priority boarding and rebates on in-flight purchases, but annual fees vary as does the spending needed to get sign-up bonuses, earn elite status miles and companion certificates. We’ll go over the choices and highlight the best thing about each card below.

Best for Earning Miles

image credit: citi.com

The mid-tier Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard can help you boost your AAdvantage mileage balance because it earns 2x points on American Airlines purchases as well as double points at restaurants and in gas stations. The card currently has a 50,000 mile sign-up bonus after spending $2,500 on the card in the first three months.

The AAdvantage Platinum Select card has a $99 annual fee, but it is waived the first year. Cardholders get a free checked bag on American Airlines domestic flights and one free checked bag for up to four companions, as well as preferred boarding and a 25% discount on in-flight purchases. If you spend $20,000 or more on the card a year, you’ll get a $125 American Airlines discount certificate. Learn more here.

Best for Admirals Club Airport Lounge Access

image credit: citi.com

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is a premium card that costs $450 a year to hold, but you’ll get an Admirals Club membership that is worth $650. Membership allows you to access any of the 50 Admirals Club lounges as well as some partner lounges, and you can bring immediate family or up to two guests with same-day boarding passes on American Airlines or a partner airline.

You’ll also get free checked bags for yourself and up to eight companions on domestic flights, priority boarding and a 25% rebate on in-flight food and beverages. Other benefits include a $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every five years. The sign-up bonus on this card is 50,000 AAdvantage miles after you make $5,000 in purchases in the first three months.

Best for Elite Status

image credit: aa.com

The AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard is no longer available to the public, but if you have this card you can earn elite qualifying miles (EQMs) and elite qualifying dollars (EQDs) toward American Airlines AAdvantage elite status. If you spend $20,000 or more on the card in a calendar year you will earn 5,000 EQMs, and if you spend $40,000 you’ll get an additional 5,000 EQMs. If you spend $50,000 on the card in a year, you’ll earn $3,000 in EQDs toward status.

There is no sign-up bonus for this card as you can no longer apply for it, but if you do hold it you’ll get preferred boarding, free checked bags for yourself and up to eight companions, and two $99 companion certificates good for domestic flights after you spend $20,000 in a year. 

The annual fee is $195 and the card earns 3x miles on American Airlines purchases, 2x miles on hotels and car rentals, and one point per dollar on all other purchases. It also has a $25 reimbursement per day for food and beverages and a $50 credit annually for WiFi on board the plane.

Best for In-Flight Discounts and Credits

image credit: barclaycardus.com

If you still hold the Aviator Silver card that is no longer being issued, you can upgrade to AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard. It currently offers a 60,000 mile sign-up bonus after making a single purchase, and the annual fee is $99. Cardholders get preferred boarding and a free checked bag.The card earns 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and one point per dollar on all other purchases.

With the Aviator Red card you get a 25% off in-flight food and beverages, and reimbursement for up to $25 a year for in-flight Wi-Fi. Because it’s a World Elite Mastercard you also get monthly $10 Lyft credit after taking five or more rides, and a 5% cash reward for shopping on Boxed. Another nice perk is cell phone protection of up to $800 per claim for a lost or damaged phone. There is a $50 deductible and the benefit can be used twice a year for up to $1,000 in claims.

Best No-Fee American Airlines Card

The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card is best for people who don’t want to pay an annual fee, but still want to earn AAdvantage miles with their credit card spending. You get 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores, and one point per dollar on all other purchases.

The sign-up bonus is 10,000 miles and a $50 statement credit after you spend $500 on the card in the first three months after opening the account. This is a small sign-up bonus, but it’s a very low minimum spend and you are not paying an annual fee. You’ll also get a 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases of food and beverages like other American Airlines AAdvantage cards.

Best Co-Branded Cards for Business Travelers

There are two banks issuing American Airlines co-branded cards, so there are multiple cards available for business travelers. The Barclays version has a lower minimum spend and sign-up bonus, but it can help you earn elite status. Both come with a free checked bag and a 25% rebate on in-flight purchases, and both allow you to earn a companion certificate if you spend $30,000 a year on the card. Below are more details on each of the American Airlines business credit cards.

Barclays Bank Card

barclaycardus.com

The AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard from Barclays comes with a generous 75,000 sign-up bonus. You’ll earn 65,000 miles after spending $1,000 in purchases within the first three months, and another 10,000 miles when one of your employees uses their card. The annual fee for this card is $95.

One of the best things about the Aviator Business card is it allows you to earn elite status. If you make $25,000 in purchases a year you will receive $3,000 EQDs toward elite status, and if you spend $30,000 per year you will receive a $99 companion certificate. Other perks include a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to four companions on the same reservation. You and your traveling companions will also receive preferred boarding and a 25% rebate on in-flight food and beverages.

This card earns 2x miles on American Airlines purchases, car rentals, at office supply stores and on telecom purchases. Everything else earns one point per dollar charged on the card. You’ll also get a 5% bonus on points earned every year.

Citibank Business Card

The CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard is another good option for small business owners that fly on American. The $99 annual fee is waived the first year, and the card offers a 65,000 mile bonus after spending $4,000 in the first four months of having the card.

Bonus categories for this card include 2x on American Airlines purchases, car rentals, gas stations, cable/satellite services and on telecommunications. You also get a free checked bag and a 25% rebate on in-flight purchases including food, beverages and WiFi. If you spend $30,000 or more on the card, you’ll also get a $99 companion certificate.

Final Thoughts

When reviewing travel credit cards it’s important to compare features, but it’s equally important to keep in mind which benefits will serve you best. If you fly American Airlines frequently, you may already have elite status that comes with its own benefits like lounge access and free checked bags.

Even if you don’t have elite status, you may not need a free checked bag or lounge access because you bring a carry-on bag and don’t arrive at the airport early enough to use a lounge so these benefits may not be valuable to you. If you’re collecting miles for a free trip, the bigger sign-up bonus may be attractive, and if you’re chasing elite status you may like a card that can help you reach the next tier.

Credit Score Needed and Bank Rules

Once you’ve narrowed down which card might be best for you, keep in mind that most travel cards require a good to excellent credit score. The more premium cards require your score to be closer to excellent, which is a FICO score of 720 or more, while the cards with no annual fee usually require at least a good credit score, which is between 690 and 719.

Banks also have rules on how often you can apply and when you can earn a bonus. For example, Citibank will only let you earn a bonus on an American Airlines card every 48 months. Barclays only allows you to earn a welcome bonus on the same card if you close the card and wait 24 months before applying again.

Neither Barlcays or Citibank have strict rules on how many cards you can hold, but if you intend to apply for more than one American Airlines co-branded card you should consider how much credit you already have with either Citibank or Barclays.

Citibank may not have a rule on how many credit cards you can open with them, but they do have a set amount of credit they will extend to you. On the other hand, Barclays has a 6/24 rule which is very much like Chase’s 5/24 rule where you can’t open more than five credit cards in the past two years or your application will be denied. With Barclays, you can not have gotten more than six cards in the past 24 months. With Chase you are pretty much guaranteed a denial if you go over the limit, while Barclays is a little more flexible but not much.

Your credit card history will be taken into consideration when you apply for a card with either of these banks, but they will also be checking your creditworthiness to determine your eligibility. To do this they look at your credit score, income and credit history.

Be sure to check your credit report before applying if you haven’t reviewed it lately to make sure your credit score is in the good to excellent range and that there are no mistakes on your report that might cause the bank to deny your application.

Top 11 Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

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Find out which credit cards unlock access to thousands of luxurious airport lounges worldwide.

Access to thousands of airport lounges is on the table for 2021. Getting the right card in your wallet is the secret to getting your body in a plush, comfortable seat inside an airport with great runway views, hot meals, work stations, private bathrooms and much more. Which cards pull out all the stops when it comes to lounging in style for free during stopovers? As airlines vie to recapture post-pandemic travelers, the cards have definitely been shuffled around a bit since 2019. The most exciting aspect is that airlines are expanding both their lounge offerings and their lounge access. Let’s cover the best credit cards for complimentary airport lounge access in 2021!

Here’s a look at the credit cards offering the best lounge access in 2021:

  • 1. The Platinum Card® from American Express: Access to the most lounges of any card! Choose from 1,200 airport lounges in 130 countries.
  • 2. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Access to 1,200 VIP airport lounges around the world via free Priority Pass Select access.
  • 3. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Delta SkyClub access with potential for a big status boost on your Medallion status with every purchase!
  • 4. HSBC Elite Credit Card: Free and unlimited LoungeKey access with an annual fee that’s lower than other elite cards.
  • 5. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®: Free American Airlines Admirals Club® membership with opportunities to jump to a higher status through card purchases.
  • 6. Mastercard® Black Card: Automatic enrollment in Priority Pass Select for access to more than 1,300 lounges around the world.
  • 7. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select access for entry to more than 1,200 lounges around the world when flying on any airline.
  • 8. American Express Green Card: $100 LoungeBuddy Credit.
  • 9. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Complimentary Priority Pass access with the bonus of complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status.
  • 10. United℠ Explorer Card: Two United Club passes per year with a card that offers opportunities to earn PQPs.
  • 11. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection with big potential to earn extra points and status upgrades.

The Platinum Card® From American Express

image credit: americanexpress.com

If it’s sheer volume you’re looking for, this personal credit card offers access to the largest number of airport lounges. Platinum Members enjoy totally unlimited complimentary access to Centurion Lounges with Priority Pass Lounges access. That’s a lot of luxury to be rolling your luggage into between flights! In fact, it adds up to access to 1,200 airport lounges spread across 130 countries. What’s more, AMEX is adding new lounges every year. All of that choice won’t seem overwhelming because cardholders can use the American Express app to swiftly find lounges on the go!

There’s also a really big cherry on top with this card. It is one of the rare cards to provide lounge access for a cardholder while also giving the green light for two additional guests. While most cards and lounges have been on a streak of restricting or phasing out guest perks, Platinum still rolls out a red carpet that’s big enough for two to three people every single time!

Let’s quickly cover some specifics of this card.

Yes, the limitless lounge access that goes along with this card comes with a price. The annual fee on the Platinum Card® from American Express is $695. However, a little perspective helps when justifying the decision to jump for this card. An annual Priority Pass membership costs $429. However, the AMEX Platinum is just a little more with actual AMEX-branded lounge access paired with Priority Pass membership. You’re also getting the prestige and credit boost of having this elite card.

The free lounge access is just skimming the surface of the perks offered by the AMEX Platinum. Let’s not forget that this card comes with 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels with a threshold of $500,000!

You can also make back half of your annual fee just by taking advantage of the card’s $240 digital entertainment credit that rewards you with $20 each month when you pay for select digital subscriptions using your card.

There’s also a $200 annual hotel credit, $200 annual airline fee credit, $200 Uber cash credit, $179 CLEAR credit and $300 Equinox Credit.

Lastly, AMEX will give you an annual Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® credit. While there are simply too many perks to get into with this card, the AMEX Platinum offers dozens of “extras” that include things like upgrades to Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite status or Hilton Honors Gold status without qualifying stays, free flight upgrades, car rental protection, special cruise privileges and more!

Chase Sapphire Reserve

image credit: chase.com

The caveat with Chase Sapphire Reserve is that you have to be looking specifically for robust Priority Pass access for this card to be worth it in terms of airport lounge access.

The Sapphire Reserve card actually mirrors many of the perks of the slightly more elite Platinum Card® from American Express for a lower annual fee of $550.

In addition, Sapphire Reserve is only slightly behind the elite AMEX card with its offering of access to 1,200 VIP airport lounges around the world via free Priority Pass Select membership. Lounge guests flashing their Sapphire membership enjoy perks like free snacks, drinks and Wi-Fi whenever they touch down! You can also bring along two guests per visit! 

Some of the other perks that pad this card include 3x points on worldwide dining and travel, 1:1 points transfers, a $300 travel credit and credits for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔®. There’s also a bump of 50 percent more points when redeeming airfare, car rentals, cruise reservations and hotels.

Some of the auxiliary perks of this card include $60 in DoorDash credits, a free DashPass subscription, a free year of Lyft Pink ($199 value), trip cancellation insurance, a rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, travel insurance and emergency medical and dental benefits. 

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

image credit: americanexpress.com

This card is perfect for a self-selecting group that prefers to fly with Delta. In addition to giving you free Delta SkyClub access, this card is going to catapult you to Medallion Status much faster! It’s a win-win deal.

With an annual fee of $550, this card will be a better bet for most than simply paying the $545 annual fee for Delta Sky Club membership because of all the perks and potential for earning back baked into it! In addition to complimentary Delta SkyClub access for you, this card throws in two one-time guest passes per year. While that’s not as generous as the two-guests-per-visit perk offered by both the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and AMEX Platinum, it’s still something. There’s also access to the Centurion® Lounge whenever you book flights with your card. Members with this card also get upgrade priority over other Medallion members within the same level and fare class. 

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has a nice roster of Delta-oriented perks. The big one is that you can earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases up to four times per year through the Status Boost perk. In addition, the Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) Waiver waives all other requirements for Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion Status if you make at least $25,000 in purchases per year with your card. 

Purchases made on Delta flights and Delta Vacations will earn you 3x miles. Everyday purchases made with your card will earn you 1 miler per dollar with zero limits on how much you can earn.

That challenges you to reach that $30,000 annual spending threshold for your Status Boost by using your card to pay for everything from gas to groceries. Some of the additional perks built into this card include a Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® credit, a baggage insurance plan, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, car rental insurance and access to the Premium Global Assist Hotline when you find yourself in a logistical or legal pinch while traveling.

HSBC Elite Credit Card

image credit: us.hsbc.com

The big draw of the HSBC Elite Credit Card is free and unlimited access to LoungeKey lounges. Of course, you might not be very familiar with LoungeKey. One of the newer players in the lounge industry, LoungeKey provides lounge access at more than 1,000 locations around the world for cardholders aligned with various credit cards. Coming in with a lower-than-average annual fee of $395, the HSBC Elite Credit Card offers decent perks. The bonus breakdown for purchases made with your card breaks down to 3x travel purchase points for airfare, hotels and car rental. While you’re getting 2x dining points, it’s 1x points for all other purchases. There’s also $400 in travel credits on the table. 

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®

image credit: aa.com

A favorite among people who fly with American Airlines, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® comes with a free Admirals Club® membership that’s valued at $650. That’s not bad when you consider that the annual fee for this card is $450.

This next point is why this card is worth considering even if you’ve already shelled out the fee to get Admirals Club® membership. The card will actually give you a prorated refund on membership if you’re an existing Admirals Club® member. Upgrading can be a great way to maintain the membership you already love while gaining some extra perks every time you spend. 

This card provides 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. You’ll earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. You can also jet your way to elite status with American Airlines faster once you have this card in your wallet. That’s because the card gives you 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 annually. You’re getting handed an opportunity to cultivate 50,000 bonus miles. The longer list of perks offered with this card includes priority boarding, one free checked bag on domestic flights, 25 percent off airline food and beverage purchases and Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® credits.

The perks on this card are neat and easy. While Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® won’t have much value for you if you’re already invested in another airline due to years and years of loyalty, it is probably the best card for getting free lounge access every time you fly if you’re an American Airlines devotee. 

Mastercard® Black Card

image credit: luxurycard.com

Offering automatic enrollment in Priority Pass Select, the Mastercard® Black Card provides access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. If you want to bring a guest along, the fee is $32 per person.

While the Mastercard® Black Card isn’t the only card to offer free Priority Pass Select membership, it does stand out for being a card that’s geared for luxury-oriented leisure travelers while having a $495 annual fee that’s lower than many other cards.

Cardholders receive $200 in annual air travel credit that can be used for airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and other flight-based purchases. All of your credits will automatically land in your account without any maneuvers on your end.

Members also receive a $1,000 gift card for TCS World Travel jet expeditions if they spend $35,000. The other perks to go along with this card include a Global Entry or TSA Pre✓ credit, baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, auto rental collision waiver, 24/7 Mastercard Global Service, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and travel assistance. 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

image credit: americanexpress.com

A no-brainer decision if you book stays at Marriott when flying, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card provides complimentary Priority Pass™ Select access for entry to more than 1,200 lounges around the world when you fly with any airline.

Also baked into this card is $300 in annual statement credits for purchases made at hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program.

This card shines for frequent travelers by offering 6x points on hotels, 3x points on dining and 3x points on flights. There’s also a $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit. You also get one free night as a reward each year for your card anniversary. 

American Express Green Card

image credit: americanexpress.com

If you spend part of the year in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain or Switzerland, this card is designed specifically for you.

While this card does come with lounge perks, it is not a heavy hitter in terms of lounge access by any means. The American Express Green Card only offers a single $100 Lounge Buddy Credit per year. However, that could be all you need if you’re just looking for lounge access one to two times per year when you’re making a trek home.

This card also comes with 3x membership rewards at restaurants, transit and travel. There’s 1x membership reward points on all other purchases. In addition, this card comes with great classic AMEX perks like a $100 CLEAR credit, trip delay insurance, upgrades via points, car rental loss/damage insurance, baggage insurance, purchase protection and more. The annual fee on this card is just $150.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

image credit: americanexpress.com

A great card if you’ve been coveting Hilton Honors Diamond status, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card grants your wish when you sign up! Yes, this card comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status.

This card also comes with Priority Pass access that opens up entry to 1,200 lounges around the globe. In addition to free entry for you, you’re getting free entry for up to two guests per lounge visit. The perks for hotel lovers keep coming with an astounding 14x points on hotels and resorts. You’re also getting 7x points on select travel and dining.

In addition, this card comes packed with credits like a $20 airline fee credit and $100 Hilton on-property credit. You’re also covered with extra cardholder perks like car rental loss and damage insurance, access to the Premium Global Assist® Hotline and a baggage insurance plan. The annual fee on this card is $250. 

United℠ Explorer Card

image credit: theexplorercard.com

If you fly with United a couple times per year, this card might hit the spot. First, the disclaimer on this card is that it is not a lounge superstar by any stretch of the imagination. You’re not getting the highly generous and unlimited lounge access that’s offered by many of the elite cards on this list when you go with this card.

However, United customers who fly once or twice a year might like the added perk of getting some free lounge access on top of enjoying what is a really solid credit card. The United℠ Explorer Card comes with two one-time United Club passes per year.

While visiting a United airport lounge, you can enjoy drinks, snacks and Wi-Fi in a very posh setting. However, this card probably isn’t worth signing up for just for that perk. That’s why knowing about some of the other nice features of this card helps with making your decision.

First, you’re getting 2x points on dining, hotel stays and United purchases. All other purchases get 1x points. There’s also the perk of getting one free checked bag per trip. That adds up to about $150 saved per flight!

If you’re climbing the points ladder with United, this card offers the chance to earn up to 1,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) per year. Each $12,000 spent equals 500 PQPs. What makes this card really stand out is that it’s the first on the list to offer perks for no annual fee! While there’s a $0 intro annual fee for your first year of owning the card, the fee does rise to $95 per year after that.

This card also includes Global Entry or TSA Pre✓ credit.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

While personal credit cards are famed for offering better lounge access than business cards, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one card to have your eye on if you often mix business with travel. This card offers big bonuses and big rewards! Of course, the big question has to do with what it offers in terms of lounge access. This card comes with complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection. That means access to more than 1,300 beautiful lounges across more than 140 countries.

In addition to pampering you with Centurion® Lounge and International American Express Lounge access, you can also visit partner lounges operated by big names like Delta Sky Club®. 

This card comes with 5X Membership Rewards points for your flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex’s travel portal. There’s also an airline bonus of 35 percent with the potential to get up to 500,000 points back per calendar year.

Some of the other perks included with this card are a $200 airline credit fee, $179 CLEAR Credit, a credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, car rental loss insurance, a baggage insurance plan, premium car rental privileges and Premium Global Assist® Hotline access. You’re also invited to skip to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status without the need to book the number of qualifying stays needed!

Next, it’s time to get to what makes this a “business” card. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express actually rewards you for making a larger purchase by offering more points! You’re getting 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more. It adds up for the potential of 1 million extra Membership Rewards® points each year! One of the priciest cards to own, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with an annual fee of $595.

Capital One Venture: credit score, income requirements + odds of approval

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Capital One has some very popular cards for travelers, and many people are familiar with them from their heavy promotion in television ads featuring celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Samuel L. Jackson. 

The ads talk about earning double miles on everything and trading them in for airline tickets with no blackout dates. The commercials end with the line “What’s in your wallet?” and many people have decided that one of the Capital One cards deserves a slot.

The Capital One Venture card is unusual though because while it calls its rewards miles, it doesn’t earn real miles in a traditional airline program. What you earn are points that can be used to book travel through Capital One’s portal, erase travel charges on your statement or transfer to travel partners.

Fixed Value Cards

Cards like those issued by Capital One and Barclaycard are known as fixed-value credit cards. They are different from airline co-branded cards that offer tens of thousands of miles as a sign-up bonus and the opportunity to earn bonus points on airline ticket purchases and other categories like dining depending on the card. Most other purchases on co-branded credit cards generally earn just one point per dollar spent on everything else.

Airline miles in a traditional reward program can only be redeemed for seats on the carrier they are affiliated with or its partner airlines, but the redemption value can vary depending on how they are used and you need to find an award seat in order to use them to get free air travel which is why Capital One talks about no blackout dates.

Fixed value cards like the Capital One Venture card however, have more predictable earning and trade-in value. All purchases earn 2x miles, and all miles are worth a penny each on trade in. For example, $10,000 in purchases will earn you 20,000 miles that can then be used to book travel or erase a travel purchase of $200.

Credit Score Required

Like most travel credit cards, you will need to have excellent credit to be approved. That means your credit score needs to be at least 720.

You may be eligible with a score as low as 700, but if the score is 750 or more that will give you the best chance at obtaining this card. You also need to have had a credit card with a limit over $5,000 for three years or more before applying.

If you don’t know what your credit score is you can find it at many online banking sites which offer a free credit score to those that bank with them. Or you can use a service like CreditKarma to see your credit score and credit report.

Your FICO credit score, which is the one that is used most often to screen credit card applications is made up of several factors on your credit report including:

  • payment history (35%),
  • the amount you owe (30%),
  • credit history (15%),
  • new credit (10%) and
  • your mix of credit (10%).

It’s a good idea to review your credit report for errors as that may impact your application. If you find something that is not correct, report it to the credit bureau and see if you can get the mistake removed before applying, especially if it is dragging your score down as it may stop you from getting approved. 

There are three credit reporting agencies that track your credit history including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You are allowed to get a free credit report from each of them annually so you can make sure the credit reporting agencies are reporting your credit history accurately. 

Credit History and Income Level Needed

There are a few things on your credit report that will cause your application to be denied. If you have ever declared bankruptcy or defaulted on a loan that will stop you from getting approved for the Capital One Venture card.  And if you have been more than 60 days late on a credit card, medical bill or loan in the past year they will also deny your application.

You will be asked what your income level is on the application, and in addition to wages you can report other sources of income like child support payments, though you can leave that out if you want to. There is no particular income level required for approval as what you earn is only one of the things that Capital One takes into account when reviewing your application. 

As with any credit card application, the higher your income is, the better your odds are of getting approved. If you are earning over $100,000 a year then this may help offset some less-than-stellar credit history as long as you don’t run afoul of the issues noted previously that will cause an automatic denial.

Odds of Approval

If you have an excellent credit score, good credit history and sufficient income, then you have very good odds of getting approved. 

Capital One doesn’t have rules like Chase’s 5/24 rule, where the bank will deny you if you have opened more than five cards with any issuer in the past two years. The bank does consider how many cards you have opened recently though, and although there is no particular number of recent applications allowed, it can be another reason for having an application denied.

If you’re worried about not getting approved for the Venture card or you think you may not qualify, you can see what Capital One credit cards you are pre-approved for with no impact on your credit report by using the bank’s pre-approval application. 

It will ask for your name, Social Security number, employment status, income and housing costs and it will determine whether or not you qualify for a number of Capital One cards including the Venture card.

Keep in mind that you can still get approved even if you are not offered this card when you check on pre-approval status, but your odds of getting approved are lower if Capital One is  not offering you this card when you fill out the pre-approval application. You can also still be denied, but it’s not likely if you’ve gotten pre-approval.

Who is the Capital One Venture Card For?

The Capital One Venture card is perfect for someone who is interested in earning free travel through sign-up bonuses and spending on a credit card, but wants more earning power for all of their spending and flexibility when it’s time to book travel.  Capital One has widened its appeal to travelers in recent years with the addition of travel partners that miles can be transferred to so that is another redemption option.

The Venture card is also good for people who don’t have the time or inclination to learn the nuances of frequent flyer programs, which can be complicated. Airline loyalty programs can often offer outsized value on redemption, especially for international travel in first or business class. But finding award space on the dates you want to travel can be challenging, especially if you want to travel to a popular destination during peak travel season.

With the Venture Rewards card you can have the best of both worlds. Points can be used to reimburse you for travel charges on your card, or you can use them to get even more value by transferring them to a travel loyalty program. 

You can also choose to book your travel through the Capital One travel booking portal, which is powered by Orbitz. Miles are worth the same penny per point as they are worth when you use them to erase a travel purchase, but you don’t have to wait for the charge to hit your statement and you can skip the extra step of erasing the charges so this is the simplest way to redeem your points for travel.

Capital One Venture Card Benefits

The Capital One Venture card comes with a 60,000 bonus miles for signing up and spending $3,000 in the first three months of opening the card. If you already have this card or you’ve received this bonus before you may not be eligible for this welcome offer.

You earn 2x miles on all purchases, so you don’t have to worry about using different cards to get bonus points for select categories. Other cards with a similar annual fee only let you earn double points on select categories like travel and dining purchases and everything else earns just a single point.

Even though the Capital One Venture credit card is promoted as a travel credit card, it is not affiliated with a particular airline or hotel like co-branded travel cards so there are no benefits like free checked bags or upgrades.

One nice thing about using Capital One rewards to erase an airfare purchase on your statement or to book travel through the bank’s portal is that you will still earn miles in an airline program or points in a hotel program because using your Capital One miles is the same as using cash to buy the ticket or book the room. This can help you achieve elite status faster and get perks like free checked bags or lounge access with your airline elite status.

Capital One Lounge Openings

image credit: capitalone.com

The card doesn’t offer extensive airport lounge access like some other cards, but it is opening its own lounges starting with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in fall 2021, with two additional lounges scheduled to open in Denver International Airport and Dulles International Airport outside Washington, DC, in 2022.

This follows in the footsteps of American Express that has opened its own Centurion lounges in  over a dozen airports to give its most valued cardmembers a premium lounge experience.

Capital One lounges will have all the amenities you would find in traditional airport lounges like high-speed WiFi, chef-inspired meals at dining stations, pre-packaged food that you can take on the plane with you, fully stocked bars, coffee stations and quiet work zones where you can charge your devices.

Other offerings, which vary by location, will include shower suites, relaxation rooms, yoga and cycling rooms, and luggage lockers so you can go out and explore a city during a long layover.  

Airline and Hotel Reward Program Transfer Partners

The Capital One Venture card also has travel partners that points can be transferred, unlike co-branded airline and hotel cards which earn points that stay within the frequent traveler loyalty program they are affiliated with and need to be used to book travel with that supplier or its partners.

There are currently 17 airlines and hotels that you can transfer your Capital  One miles to, but look at the transfer ratios before you pull the trigger on that as they vary.

There are several airline programs that have a 1:1 transfer ratio for Capital One Venture miles including Aeromexico, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Finnair, Qantas and TAP Air Portugal. Capital One miles also currently transfer to one hotel program at a 1:1 ratio and that is Wyndham Rewards, though Choice Privileges is expected to come on board this year at that transfer rate. 

These are the partners that you will get the most value from since you are earning miles at a rate of 2x per dollar. For these programs, 10,000 Capital One miles will translate to 10,000 miles in the airline or hotel program.

Several airlines have a less generous transfer rate of 2 Capital One miles to 1.5 airline miles, which is still a good deal because you’re earning the Capital One miles at double the rate of many other cards. The airlines that have a 2:1.5 mile transfer ratio include Air Canada, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, British Airways, EVA Air, JetBlue and Turkish Airlines. For these carriers, 10,000 Capital One miles will become 7,500 airline miles when transferred.

There are also a few airlines that transfer at a 2:1 ratio, which is not as good as the other transfer rates, but still useful especially if you are just looking to top off your account. The airlines that accept two Capital One miles for each airline mile are Emirates and Singapore. The ALL Accor hotel program also has a 2:1 transfer rate. In this case, 10,000 miles = 5,000 miles or points in the airline or hotel program.

Other Travel Benefits

The Venture One card also has some other benefits for travelers as it is a Visa Signature card. It offers travel accident insurance, and there are no foreign transaction fees. It also includes car rental collision damage waiver (CDW) so you can rent a car and avoid that costly insurance if you pay for the rental with your Capital One card. It also comes with a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Capital One Shopping

Capital One also has a shopping portal that looks for discount coupons at the online retailers you are shopping at and automatically applies them to your purchase. You can also use your points for purchases on Amazon. 

Or you can redeem your rewards at millions of online stores through PayPal. To do this you just need to link your Capital One Venture Rewards card to your PayPal account and use your rewards balance when checking out.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card

The Capital One Venture card has an annual fee of $95, and some people don’t like to pay a fee to hold a credit card. There are a lot of great benefits that can help offset that cost, but if you don’t want to pay a fee you might be interested in the Capital One VentureOne Rewards card, which sounds similar but has less benefits.

The VentureOne card also has a smaller sign-up bonus at only 20,000 points for spending $500 in the first three months, but that is a much more manageable minimum spend than the $3,000 in spending required to get the Venture card bonus. And you’ll only earn 1.25 miles per dollar compared to 2x with the Venture card, so you’ll earn less miles on your spending.

One attractive element of the VentureOne card though that is not offered with the Venture card is a 0% introductory APR for 12 months so this card may be a better fit than the Venture card for someone with a tight budget.

There is also a Capital One VentureOne Rewards card for people with good credit, but with that offer you won’t get a sign-up bonus. The card will still earn 1.25 miles per dollar spent so it is another option for people who have a credit score below the excellent range that is needed to get approved for the Capital One Venture card or VentureOne card with a sign-up bonus. Also, the APR on this card is higher than the other two at 26.99%.

Final Thoughts

The Capital One Venture card is a great travel card, especially for people that are just starting to collect miles and points for award travel, because it has a simple earning scheme that doesn’t require you to use different cards or watch for rotating bonus categories to earn bonus points.

It’s also good for experienced miles and points collectors, especially since Capital One added transfer partners back in 2018 and has been adding more every year. It is also more attractive to travelers now that Capital Once has started opening airport lounges, especially if you fly out of one of the cities where they have plans to open.

The Capital One Venture card is most often compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which is very popular with travelers. Both cards earn points that can be used in their own travel booking portal and both transfer to multiple airline and hotel programs.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a better transfer rate to most of its travel partners as they usually transfer at a 1:1 ratio, and you get a 25% bonus when booking travel through the Chase portal. But most of the spending on that card is only earning 1x per dollar. 

You also won’t be eligible for a sign-up bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you’ve gotten a bonus for either a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card in the past 48 months. And if you’ve applied for too many cards in the past two years, Chase will also not approve you because of its 5/24 rule.

As other banks tighten their rules about who can apply and get sign-up bonuses for their cards, Capital One has become a great option for people who may not qualify for travel rewards cards at other banks because of restrictions they have in place.

The Capital One Venture card is also a good option if you have several frequent traveler accounts, but not enough points in any of them to book award travel, because you can transfer your points to Capital One travel partners to reach your travel goal.

Another great selling point of the Capital One Venture card is that miles in its program don’t expire like many airline programs, and if you have a tendency to save up your points for a big vacation you don’t have to worry about an airline program devaluation which can greatly decrease the value of the rewards you’ve been saving.

And best of all, you can earn 2x points on your everyday spending, and can then use them for any airline ticket at any time as long as there is a seat available. This is a big plus for people who have had trouble using airline miles because they don’t understand how mileage programs work, or they travel during peak season and can’t use traditional miles because of limited award seat availability.

Delta Air Lines Baggage Policy & Fees + how to avoid paying them

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image credit: delta.com

You may have gotten a great deal on your airline ticket, but if you don’t know what you can or can’t take on board your flight you may be in for a surprise or even a shock at the check-in counter.

Since every airline has its own unique baggage policy, it’s important to check what is or isn’t allowed so you don’t overpack or have to leave something behind at the airport. Being aware of the baggage policy for the airline you are flying on can also help you avoid unnecessary fees.

You should know the size and weight restrictions for each piece of luggage or equipment you plan to bring, how many bags you are allowed, and what items are prohibited in the cabin and in checked bags.

We’re going to take a look at Delta Air Lines baggage policy to help guide you through the packing process and let you know what you can or can’t take with you on your Delta flight. We’ll also give you some tips on how you can avoid paying baggage fees on the carrier.

Delta Air Lines Baggage Rules

Like many airlines, Delta’s baggage allowance varies based on route, fare class, and whether you have elite status with the airline or if you carry one of it’s co-branded credit cards.

You can check in online or in the Delta app 24 hours before your flight and let the airline know how many bags you are taking with you. If you check in online, you drop your bags at the baggage drop. Let’s go over the rules for carry-on and checked bags.

You can check the baggage calculator on this page for a planned trip, or you can estimate the cost of checking bags for a particular route by entering your departure and destination as well as the type of fare you plan to purchase on Delta including Basic Economy, Main Cabin, Delta Comfort+, First Class, Delta Premium Select or Delta One.

You can also enter the dates of travel, your status with Delta’s SkyMiles frequent flyer program including whether you are a general member, Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion or Diamond Medallion, and the type of Delta credit card you have including the Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve cards from American Express or the business versions of those cards.

Checked Baggage Allowance

If you’re seated in the main cabin for a flight within the US for example, you don’t get any free checked bags if you don’t have a Delta credit card or elite status.  A passenger flying on a domestic flight with no status or co-branded credit card will pay $30 for their first checked bag and $40 for a second checked bag.

You generally get one free checked bag on International flights, but be sure to check Delta’s baggage calculator because that can vary by destination and fare class.

Whether you get a free bag because of your route, loyalty program elite status or Delta credit card, luggage must still be within limits or there will be an extra fee. Bags must weigh under 50 pounds, and the bag should not be more than 62 inches when you add up the length, width and height of the suitcase.

SkyMiles Elite Status

If you have Silver, Gold or Platinum Medallion status in the Delta SkyMiles loyalty program, your first checked bag is free. Medallion members traveling in basic economy, main cabin or Comfort+ seats between the US or Canada and any international destination can also check a second bag up to 50 pounds for free.

Medallion members traveling in Premium Select can check up to three free bags up to 50 pounds each, and Delta One or First Class passengers can check three free bags up to 70 pounds.

SkyMiles Credit Cards

If you carry one of six Delta SkyMiles credit cards by American Express including the Gold, Platinum or Reserve cards or business versions of those cards and you book your flight using the card, your first checked bag and a checked bag for up to eight more people traveling on your reservation is also free.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold card costs $95 a year, but the annual fee for the first year is waived. The SkyMiles Platinum card costs $250 a year, and the premium Reserve credit card costs $550 a year. Each card comes with additional benefits. For more details on sign-up bonuses and perks of holding the card, check here for details.

Include your SkyMiles number in your reservation, and the fee for the first bag for each passenger in the reservation will be waived. The free bag benefit does not apply to overweight or oversized bags. 

Excess Baggage Fees

Each passenger can check up to 10 bags on Delta or Delta Shuttle flights and up to four bags on Delta Connection flights, but they have to pay a fee for each bag beyond their allowance. Overweight and oversized bags, and items with a unique size, shape or weight are subject to extra fees. And if your bag exceeds both weight and size limits you could be charged fees for both.

If you are traveling within the US, USVI or Puerto Rico, a third bag will cost $150 to check each way, and each bag beyond that up to the maximum of 10 will cost $200 each to check.

Bags from 51-70 pounds in weight will cost an extra $100 one-way, and bags weighing from 71-100 pounds will cost $200 extra. Bags over 100 pounds are not allowed.

If the bag is bigger than the total 62 linear inches allowed, it is considered oversized. If the bag is 63-80 inches (length + height + width) it will cost $200. Bags that are over 80 inches are not allowed.

Those rates can go up for international travel based on the route. This chart has full details by destination or you can view them below:

Excess Baggage Fees for International Travel

Traveling From:Traveling To:Bag #3Bags 4-10
US / Canada + USVI, PRUS / Canada + USVI, PR$150$200 ea
US / Canada + USVI, PRCaribbean$150$200 ea
US / Canada + USVI, PRCentral America$150$200 ea
US / CanadaMexico$180$200 ea
Mexico / Caribbean / Central AmericaMexico / Caribbean / Central America$125$200 ea
US / CanadaHonduras / El Salvador$200$200 ea
US / CanadaGuatemala City$200$285
South AmericaUS / Canada / Mexico / Caribbean / Central America$200$200 ea
North / Central/ South AmericaEurope / North Africa$285$285 ea
AsiaEverywhere$200$200 ea
US / Canada / MexicoTahiti$285$285 ea
BrazilEverywhere else$200$200 ea
All other international destinations$200$200 ea

Carry-On Allowance

If you don’t qualify for a free checked bag and you’re trying to avoid paying a fee to check your luggage, you might want to bring your bag on board. Delta allows one carry-on and one personal item per passenger. 

The carry-on suitcase can go in the overhead bin and must be no more than 45 inches in size when you add up the length, height and width of the bag. In addition to meeting that overall size requirement, the carry-on cannot be more than 22 inches in length, 14 inches in width and 9 inches in height including handles and wheels, with the exception of small musical instruments that can fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.

There is no weight restriction for carry-on bags on most flights, but if you’re flying to Singapore (SIN) your carry-on should be under 15 pounds, and if your destination is Beijing (PEK) or Shanghai (PVG) your carry-on luggage should not be more than 22 pounds.

If the bag is too big or if the flight is very full and overhead space is limited, you will need to check your bag at the gate. There is no charge for the checked bag if it is because the plane is full. Also, if you are on a Delta Connection flight with less than 50 seats you can only bring a personal item on board.

Personal Items

In addition to a carry-on, each passenger is allowed to bring a personal item that they can store below the seat in front of theirs. Personal items include a purse, small backpack, laptop, camera bag, diaper bag or another item of a similar size.

You can also bring a few things that don’t count as your personal item like a jacket, umbrella, food and beverages purchased after you get through security, duty-free purchases, and special items like a stroller, wheelchair, child safety seat or assistive devices like a cane or crutches.

If you are planning to carry your luggage on board, keep in mind that there are restrictions on liquids, gels, aerosols and pastes. This includes beverages, hair products, toothpaste and suntan lotions. These items should not contain more than 100 milliliters (3.4 ounces) of product even if the container is only partially full.

Liquids need to be in a clear, quart-sized plastic bag that you can seal, and you will need to put it in a bin when you go through security. If you need to bring liquids that are bigger than that, they need to go in your checked luggage. There are some exceptions to this rule for necessary items like medication, breast milk, infant formula or juice which can get a special screening.

Infants and Children

All children traveling on Delta must be ticketed, but if they are under two years of age they can sit on your lap and their ticket is usually 10% of the cost of the adult ticket. Other children’s fares are discounted based on route.

Baggage rules for kids vary depending on the fare purchased. If they are traveling for free, they don’t get any baggage allowance. When traveling on an international ticket that costs 10% of the adult fare, children are allowed one checked bag up to 20 pounds with a maximum size of 34 inches (length + height + width).

You can check strollers and car seats for free, and you can bring an FAA-approved safety seat on board the plane for use during takeoff and landing if there is an empty seat in your row or if you have purchased a seat for the child.

In addition to a carry-on bag, parents can bring an infant or booster seat, bassinet, and a breast pump and cooler bag for an infant traveling with them. Seats and bassinets must be secured by a seatbelt and must meet carry-on size restrictions.

If the child’s ticket costs at least 50% of the adult’s fare, then the child gets the same baggage allowance as an adult.

Bringing Pets Onboard

You can bring a small dog, cat or bird on board the plane if they fit in a small, ventilated carrier that fits under the seat. The pet counts as your one carry-on item, but you can still bring a personal item on board. 

You pay a fee each way at check-in. Fees are $125 for flights within the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. It’s $200 for international routes or flights going to/from the USVI, and $75 for flights to/from Brazil.

If your pet is too big to fit in a carrier under the seat, they would normally have to be shipped aa cargo, but that is under embargo currently because of the pandemic. Check here for updates.

There are also some exceptions for small animals. Birds are only allowed on US flights excluding Hawaii, USVI, Puerto Rico and Guam. There are also currently some temporary suspensions on bringing dogs on board that were imported from countries that have a high risk for rabies, so check this link for more information on which countries are excluded and if the suspension is still in place when you plan to travel.

Valuable, Fragile and Other Items

In addition to items for infants and children, you can also bring medical supplies and equipment on your trip but rules vary. A wheelchair can be brought on board for example, but there are some rules governing battery operated ones. Let the airline know 48 hours in advance if you plan to bring one. You can also bring syringes on board as long as you have the corresponding labeled medication.

You can’t check valuable items like cash, jewelry, electronics, photography equipment, works of art and other high-value items in your luggage. You should bring those on board with you in your personal item or carry-on. If the item being checked is fragile, you will need to sign a limited liability waiver.

If the item is too large or too fragile to put in an overhead bin, you can purchase a seat with a bulkhead or divider in front of it for the item as long as the item doesn’t block emergency exits or the aisle. It cannot weigh more than 100 pounds and must be able to be secured with a seatbelt.

You can check sports equipment like a bicycle, but it will count as a checked bag and if it is overweight it will incur those extra fees. Bikes over 100 pounds or bigger than 115 linear inches are not allowed. For more details on restrictions on particular items like golf clubs, surfboards, ski equipment and other items, check the sports equipment page link above.

You can also bring musical instruments on board the airplane or check them. Small instruments can be carried on board as your free carry-on. Bigger instruments can be checked, but cannot exceed 150 linear inches and it can’t weigh more than 165 pounds including the case. You can also choose to purchase a seat for the instrument, but it has the same size and weight restrictions as instruments checked as baggage.

Prohibited Items

The Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA) sets the rules for what you can bring on the plane or check in your luggage, so those rules are the same for all US carriers. The main things to avoid in checked bags are flammable items, and avoid bringing anything that can be used as a weapon on board.

Some things like dynamite, gunpowder, flammable liquids and other hazardous materials are obvious items to avoid packing. But there are also other prohibited things that are less obvious like cooking spray, chlorine for pools and smart luggage with non-removable lithium batteries.

You might think that alcohol is prohibited, but you can bring up to five liters of alcohol in your checked luggage if it is under 70% alcohol (140 proof). Wine is not included in this limit. And if you want to bring mini-bottles of liquor on the plane, they must fit in the quart-sized bag that has your other liquids in it.

If you’re unsure about whether an item is allowed, you can check the TSA site or reach out to the agency on Facebook or Twitter at AskTSA.

When to Pay for Baggage

Many people avoid checking bags and just pack what they can fit in their carry-on in order to avoid paying fees, waiting for luggage at their destination, and to avoid possible delayed or lost luggage. But that’s not always practical.

If you are staying a week or more, especially at a colder destination that requires bulkier clothing, you may not be able to fit everything in a carry-on. When you’re traveling with children, especially infants, you often have to bring extra gear. And if you’re planning to surf or play golf and bring your own equipment, you’ll need to check those items. These are just a few examples of times when you will need to check baggage.

Credit Cards That Reimburse You For Checked Baggage Fees

These premium cards reimburse you for baggage fees.

If you do have to check bags and pay a fee, be sure to check your wallet to see if you have an airline credit on a premium credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum card.

Or you can erase the charges by using points on a travel credit card issued by Capital One or Barclays. With the Capital One Venture card for example, you can use 3,000 points to erase a $30 baggage fee.

Exclusions & Waivers

There are some exceptions to the rules. For example, active members of the military including United States Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Navy or Coast Guard that are traveling on military orders are allowed to bring up to five free bags that are up to 80 linear inches and up to 100 pounds each regardless of fare class.

Military members traveling for personal reasons get two free bags up to 50 pounds each if they are booked in basic economy, main cabin or Comfort+. And if they are ticketed in first class, Premium Select or Delta One, they can bring three free bags up to 70 pounds each.

You also need to be careful about what airline you are on even if you booked through Delta as that carrier may have different rules. If your flight is on a Delta SkyTeam alliance or codeshare partner airline, then be sure to check on that carrier’s baggage rules. 

If you have purchased duty-free items at the airport, they will not count as part of your baggage allowance or personal item. They will be delivered to your plane and you can pick them up before you board.

Final Thoughts

The best way to avoid baggage fees is to limit what you are bringing with you to a carry-on suitcase and a personal item. That’s not always possible though, so if you want to avoid baggage fees on Delta and you don’t have elite status, the easiest way to get a free checked bag is by having one of the carrier’s co-branded Amex cards.

Be sure to measure and weigh your luggage to avoid overweight and oversized baggage charges, and check the baggage calculator on the airline’s website so you are clear about how many checked bags you can bring on your flight so there are no surprises at check in.

If you do have to check bags and they are not free, be sure to check if you have any credit cards that will reimburse you for airline incidentals or allow you to erase travel charges on your card and be sure to use that card to pay for your checked bags so you can get a refund from the card issuer.
Once your bags are checked, you can track your luggage using the bag tag, confirmation or file reference number. And Delta has a 20-minute guarantee. If the bags don’t arrive at the carousel within 20 minutes of landing, you can fill out this form and get 2,500 Delta SkyMiles as compensation.

The Ultimate Guide to the Capital One Travel Portal [2021 Edition]

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logo credit: capitalonetravel.com

The official travel-booking arm of Capital One, Capital One Travel, is a portal full of flexibility, points potential and breezy bookings for cardholders.

In 2021, Capital One ensured that it would have its most exciting year ever by announcing a string of new offerings. There’s even a new 1:1 transfer tier in the mix to take loyalty to a new level!

There’s also some big news for lounge lovers that might make them consider converting over from whatever travel program they’re plugged into already.

The emerging developments with the Capital One Travel portal make it necessary to talk about the program’s long-standing setup, recent changes and the changes that are being rolled out in the months to come.

In a world of loyalty programs and booking websites, it’s time to investigate if Capital One Travel is the one.

Who is it For

First, Capital One Travel isn’t a “replacement” for Expedia, Orbitz or any other booking platforms you’ve been using to book your annual vacation. This is a program for serious spenders who do some serious spending on travel.

What’s more, the best way to really maximize your miles with this program is to take advantage of 1:1 miles transfers with partner airlines. Many of the best transfer deals are with international partners. When all is said and done, Capital One Travel if for people who trot the glob! It’s especially beneficial if you rack up tons of miles on business travel. 

The Basics of the Capital One Travel Portal

The concept behind Capital One Travel is nothing new in the credit card world.

Cardholders who sign up can reserve flights, hotel rooms and car rentals using miles, cash or a combination of miles and cash. People who use their cards the most stand to gain the most. However, where Capital One Travel stands apart is its flexibility. Let’s cover the basics of what life looks like once you’re flying, cruising and spending with Capital One.

You can book flights, hotels and car rentals using the same portal once you’re plugged into the Capital One ecosystem. However, being a Capital One Travel user hinges on the fact that you’ve already been approved for a Capital One credit card. You’ll need one of these cards to enter the Capital One Travel portal:

  • Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card.
  • Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card.
  • Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business.
  • Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business.

Owning any these cards comes with its own perks because you’re getting automatic bonuses like thousands of free miles if you spend a certain amount with the first few months of opening your card. However, the Capital One Travel portal brings the benefits to the next level by simply offering a very easy way to book your travel. It’s so easy to stay organized with your trip planning while also getting the perk of instantly applying your “free travel” in real time. No, the Capital One Travel portal isn’t really anything “brilliant” compared to most rewards sites and travel-booking platforms. However, it’s really great for what it is. 

What You’ll Really Like

Let’s start with what is probably the top reason to choose Capital One Travel over another option.

Capital One miles earned come with a fixed value.

That means you don’t constantly feel like you’re on a game show where you have to strategize to actually make your points do something for you. Capital One’s fixed-value travel miles mean that you’re never dealing with blackout dates or reward restrictions. The points you’ve earned are fully and truly yours to keep, use and enjoy! 

Yes, Capital One still has lots of catching up to do with competitors that are already firmly entrenched in the travel category. Its recent announcement about new lounges that we cover further down shows that Capital One is ready to get in the ring. While it’s still working out some kinks in terms of providing good transfer options, the strength of the Capital One Travel program rests in the strength of what you can do with your Capital One miles. Offering the ability to combine your miles transfers with fixed redemptions, Capital One Travel is worth looking at. Its increasing list of transfer partners makes this program much more attractive than it was even just a year ago.

Capital One also does something really neat with its travel miles that you don’t see a lot. Cardholders can actually redeem previous travel purchases that they’ve made within the last 90 days. Yes, that means that you can retroactively apply miles to flights, hotel rooms and general travel-related purchases. In fact, Capital One is shockingly lenient about what it will consider a travel-related purchase. If you used your Capital One card to make the purchases on the road, things like food delivery, streaming services and Uber rides can all count!

Booking Accommodations With Capital One Travel

Let’s start by talking about how you book flights. You’re simply entering your travel dates, departure destination and arrival destination to check for availability. Capital One gives you the option to search by lowest price if you prefer. Love a specific airline? Capital One will let you search by airline when displaying your results. 

The price-comparison features in the Capital One Travel portal really make you feel like you’re not getting pushed toward the most expensive option. For instance, the default is the lowest fare based on the idea that you’ll be purchasing an economy ticket. It also offers the rare perk of actually giving you a quick rundown of price difference between fares. 

Booking a hotel is equally as easy. Again, you’re just searching for available rooms based on the dates and location of your stay. This next part is where Capital One’s portal really shines as a shopper’s companion.

The platform doesn’t just display how much a room will cost you per night. It also does the math to show you the full cost of booking each room for your stay.

Next, it displays TripAdvisor ratings next to each option to help you avoid the need to leave the portal to do your “investigative” work. If you’re really serious about getting specific amenities at a hotel, Capital One gives you the option to simply turn on a filter to only see hotel rooms with specific amenities and features.

Honestly, it’s easy to forget that you’re not shopping with a “real” travel-booking website when you hunt for your hotel room with Capital One. They clearly aren’t just resting on the idea that you’re stuck in the funnel based on the fact that you want to cash in points.

Lastly, we get to car rentals. Capital One Travel starts you off by asking about where you want to pick up and drop off your rental vehicle. If you’re a visual person, you can select the option to see a list of available rental locations on a map. Everyone else can just scroll down the list that’s provided. In addition to being able to sort by lowest price, you can check off boxes to narrow your search down based on rental company, car type and car features. It’s beautifully straightforward.

Can You Book Travel Packages?

No, Capital One Travel doesn’t let you book packages.

However, there’s speculation that this is something that will be coming down the pipeline in the future as the company devotes more time and money to its travel program. This is the one area where it’s really lacking compared to options like Hotwire and Expedia.

If you use either of those third-party booking sites, you know that they often advertise amazing deals that place your whole trip just one simple click away. You also often get rock-bottom rates on last-minute getaway deals that bundle everything together with very little “planning” needed on your part. That’s something you’ll really miss if you’ve booked some little trips that ended up being some of the best experiences of your life all because you saw a hot deal come through in your email.

Does Your Elite Hotel Status Carry Over to Capital One Travel?

Here’s another category where going with Capital One Travel loses a few points. Due to the fact that it’s technically a third-party travel company, you’re not able to use your elite hotel status the way you can when you book directly with your preferred hotel. As a result, you’re losing the ability to take advantage of package deals the way you are with most third-party booking platforms while also losing the benefit of booking directly with the hotel chain you have elite status with. It’s a bit of a lose-lose situation if you happen to have status at a chain like Hilton or Marriott.

Honestly, someone who books frequent hotel stays might do better by using Google Flight Matrix to simply zone in on getting the cheapest flight that can be paired with a hotel room that’s booked directly with the hotel chain.

What’s New With the Portal in 2021

Spring of 2021 marked a big sea change for Capital One Travel. The common theme is expansion. For cardholders with the Capital® One Venture® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Spark® Miles for Business Credit Card and Capital One Spark® Miles Select Credit Card, this is what’s coming:

  • A new 1:1 transfer tier.
  • Loyalty partnerships with more airlines.
  • Access to new lounges.
  • An updated, AI-powered booking app in partnership with Hopper.

Let’s start with that new 1:1 tier for miles transfers. What does it mean? For cardholders with Venture® and Spark® Miles cards, the living is already pretty easy with 2X miles dished out with every purchase made any day of the year. It’s about to get better. Under the updated policy, Venture® and Spark® Miles cardholders can now look forward to 2X travel loyalty points on every dollar they spend when transferring precious miles to any member on a long list of new partners.

A big piece of news for global travelers, this new 1:1 transfer ratio is good for major global brands like Avianca (LifeMiles), Etihad (Etihad Guest), Asia Miles, AeroMexico (Club Premier), Finnair (Finnair Plus) and Qantas (Qantas Frequent Flyer). In an exciting turn of events, it even applies for Wyndham Rewards.

This helps to take care of the “downside” covered earlier because it’s a nice loophole around not being able to use elite hotel points when booking through Capital One Travel due to the fact that it’s technically a third-party travel site. If you’re already a loyal Wyndham Rewards member, the news could not be bigger. 

Most of the partners on the 1:1 ratio list previously had ratios of 2 points to 1.5 points. With the new update, members are effectively getting a boost of 33 percent more miles when they choose to travel with the 1:1 partners. All of Capital One’s other hotel and airline partners will maintain their existing ratios that range from 2 points to 1.5 points to 2 points to 1 point. The way that point values and miles values work out means that these lower transfer ratios aren’t necessarily bad deals even though they don’t have the wow factor of 1:1.

New partnerships with the loyalty programs of British Airways (Avios), Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges), TAP Air Portugal (Miles&Go) and Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles) are making things even more exciting. If you’re already plotting some trips, here’s a glance at what ratios look like right now when you’re using hotel and airline transfer partners:

  • Aeromexico Club Premier: 1:1
  • Air Canada Aeroplan: 2:1.5
  • Air France-KLM Flying Blue: 2:1.5
  • Alitalia MilleMiglia: 2:1.5
  • Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1
  • British Airways Avios: 2:1.5
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 1:1
  • Emirates Skywards: 2:1
  • Etihad Airways Guest: 1:1
  • EVA Air Infinity MileageLands 2:1.5
  • Finnair Plus: 1:1
  • JetBlue TrueBlue: 2:1.5
  • Qantas Frequent Flyer: 1:1
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 2:1
  • TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go: 1:1
  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: 2:1.5
  • Accor Live Limitless: 2:1
  • Choice Privileges: 1:1 (Pending)
  • Wyndham Rewards: 1:1

The real superstars on Capital One’s list of partners are the partners that provide that 1:1 ratio while being members of major airline alliances. For instance, an airline with a 1:1 ratio like Cathay Pacific that also happens to be a member airline of OneWorld alliance opens up options for redeeming miles for flights booked with fellow OneWorld airlines like American Airlines. Similarly, a Star Alliance airline like Avianca allows you to book flights throughout the United States and Europe using sister carriers like United and Lufthansa.

How Will the Collaboration With Hopper Change Capital One Travel?

Of course, the big buzz is that Capital One is in the midst of revamping its travel portal app in collaboration with Hopper. Let’s rewind to discuss Hopper to demonstrate just how big this is for members.

Hopper is a travel-booking platform that uses data to get customers the lowest prices on flights, hotels and cars. This “smart” booking platform is also designed to help travelers make better booking decisions using data-driven insights. That means you’re more likely to get the right accommodations at the right prices if you believe Hopper’s “claim to fame” that its algorithms create a 95-percent accuracy rate for giving you the best travel choices based on your personal needs.

All of these customer-friendly perks are now coming to Capital One Travel members. In fact, Capital One has already revealed which dynamic features will be carried over once it integrates Hopper’s AI-powered tech into its own booking platform. Here’s a look:

  • Price predictions.
  • Price alerts.
  • Dynamic pricing recommendations.
  • Better integration of Capital One Travel and Capital One Rewards to make it easier to redeem rewards.
  • Improved mobile app interface.
  • Improved inter-app messaging and support capabilities that make it easier to change or cancel reservations.

The big takeaway is that customers are going to be able to book with more confidence. For existing customers, the temptation to “check rates” against what they can find on other platforms is likely to vanish. While it looks like lots of bells and whistles coming through, there’s really just one big point to focus on.

This new platform update that’s being done in collaboration with Hopper ultimately protects Capital One cardholders from price volatility. In an era when hotel chains and airlines are increasingly using dynamic pricing tools to adjust prices in real time based on demand, this is a big deal for giving customers peace of mind without the need to obsessively check rates before making booking decisions. 

Did Somebody Say New Capital One Travel Lounges??

Yes! Capital One is peppering its news of an expanded and redesigned Capital One Travel portal with the announcement of two new lounges in the coming months.

The first is opening at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) before the close of 2021. The second is set to open its doors at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in 2022. Designed to be state-of-the-art rest zones, both lounges will feature Wi-Fi, work spaces, private showers, luggage lockers, relaxation suites and workout rooms.

As Capital One enters the lounge arena to do battle with big names like American Express for the first time, there’s still a lot that’s not known. As of summer 2021, Capital One had not announced who would be eligible for lounge access. While all cardholders may be permitted to use the lounges, it’s possible that only elite cards will get you entry. It’s also very likely that cardholders will still need to pay to get in most of the time. The only thing that Capital One has revealed so far is that cardholders will be eligible for special entry rates based on card type. Of course, free lounge access may be a carrot that is dangled for some of the top-tier cards that charge higher annual fees. 

Tips for Using Capital One Travel to Book Trips

If you decide to jump into the Capital One Travel pipeline, it helps to know how you’ll be redeeming the miles you earn through spending for travel. Like all programs in this vein, Capital One Travel requires that you be intentional and strategic to get the best deals.

Begin by becoming familiar with the different loyalty programs you can transfer all of your points to when you want to book a trip. This isn’t as simple as just selecting an airline because it’s on the list of partners. You’ll need to look at each airline’s reward chart to see how much the value will be when you redeem your miles.

Next, search for any reward seats that might be open.

Lastly, you can transfer your Capital One points to the loyalty program you choose. Just make sure you’re verifying the price against the value of the reward miles you have to transfer. You should never transfer your miles unless you have a specific seat ready to book!

Final Thoughts

The truth is that Capital One Travel hasn’t exactly been an industry leader. While you could sometimes get the lowest price through the portal, that wasn’t something that was to always be expected.

In fact, airfare and hotel rates pretty much sat at average compared to other booking channels. However, that’s likely to change now that Capital One is revamping it usability with Hopper. As an AI-driven, predictive platform, Capital One Travel appears to be gearing up to become the savviest booking platform in terms of pricing among credit card travel portals.

The brand’s decision to ramp up partnerships really makes this a great time to hop on if you’ve been looking for a dedicated travel portal where you can easily comparison shop while easily applying your miles.

The overall consensus is that Capital One Travel is a decent product that’s rapidly getting better.