Why Capital One Travel should be your only stop for booking (and enjoying) your next trip
No matter how often you travel or how savvy you are, planning and booking any trip can be an overwhelming task. Throw in two kids under 5 years old (like I have), and it's almost inevitable that you'll overlook something. So I'm always looking for the most efficient way to arrange my travel, including which card and program will offer me the most value.
That's where Capital One Travel comes in. It is more than just a booking platform; it has all the tools I need to help me travel smarter — which is why it's the first place I go when it's time to plan a trip.
See how Capital One Travel can transform your booking and travel experience.
In fact, Capital One Travel delivers value at all stages of travel — from the initial planning phase to the booking process to the travel experience and even back home, where all of the rewards you've earned can jumpstart your next trip. Sure, you can purchase flights, reserve rental cars and book your accommodations through Capital One Travel. But it also tells you if you're getting a good price on your flight, and if not, you can set up alerts for when it's time to book.
If you have a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges. Plus, there's a new culinary-focused airport concept — Capital One Landing — coming to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in partnership with legendary Chef José Andrés. And the recently-announced Premier Collection will offer luxurious accommodations and value-added benefits for Venture X cardholders.
In short, Capital One Travel makes it easy to be a smarter traveler while earning valuable rewards.
Keep reading to see everything you can enjoy with Capital One Travel.
Experience a better way to book travel
Does Capital One Travel finally answer the question, "When's the best time to book airfare?" Each situation is unique, but one thing's for sure: Capital One Travel makes sure you have all the information you need to feel confident both before and after booking your flight.
With its proprietary price prediction technology, Capital One Travel shows you a color-coded calendar as soon as you search for a flight, allowing you to see which dates have the lowest prices to fly to your desired destination. If prices are still high, there's no need to constantly monitor them yourself — you can create price alerts that'll notify you when it's time to book.
And it gets even better thanks to Capital One Travel's price drop protection, another tool automatically available to cardholders at no extra cost.
The premise is simple yet so valuable. If Capital One Travel recommends that you book a flight (or a price alert tells you to book), it will keep watching your itinerary for 10 days after booking. If the price drops during that time, Capital One Travel will automatically issue a credit for the price difference — up to $50 per ticket.
These features — price alerts and price drop protection — aren't found with any other card issuer's travel portal.
When it comes to hotels, you can trust that you're getting the best price as well. Capital One Travel utilizes proactive price matching with online travel agencies like Expedia. However, if you still somehow find a better price at the same hotel within 24 hours of booking, Capital One Travel will match the better price. This even extends to flights and car rentals.
But giving cardholders these unique, innovative insights and tools is just part of what makes Capital One Travel so valuable.
Earn extra rewards on travel
Cardholders can look forward to earning up to 10 miles per dollar when booking travel with Capital One Travel (depending on which card they hold). Capital One Venture X cardholders earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5 miles per dollar on flights. All other Capital One rewards cardholders — including the Venture, Savor, Quicksilver, Spark Business and Student product suites — earn 5 miles (or 5% cash back) per dollar on hotels and rental cars.
Once you've earned those valuable rewards, you can redeem them directly through Capital One Travel for future trips, or you can transfer them to one of over a dozen airline and hotel partners. Alternatively, Venture X and Venture cardholders can choose to cover recent travel purchases by redeeming their miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile. Even when I pay for my trip with Venture X, I could use the miles that I earned through Capital One Travel to then offset all (or part) of my travel purchases.
And then, during your trip, you can look forward to starting your vacation early — by kicking back and relaxing at a Capital One Lounge.
Start your vacation off right with special lounge access
There's no need to wait until you land at your destination for your vacation to begin. Venture X cardholders get unlimited complimentary access (plus two guests) to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network. Meanwhile, Venture cardholders receive two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or 100+ Plaza Premium lounge locations.
A Capital One Lounge is now open at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and two more locations are coming soon to Denver International Airport (DEN) and Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD).
And these aren't just your run-of-the-mill airport lounges.
Boasting a contemporary, light and airy layout, a Capital One Lounge features a premium dining experience, including health-conscious food options that are plated small bites served via dining stations rather than buffet-style. All food is freshly prepared with a focus on locally sourced ingredients — including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
For travelers in a hurry, there's a whole section of grab-and-go items — including artisanal nut mixes, fresh fruits, juice shots and rotating warm selections like breakfast sandwiches in the mornings or fresh-from-the-oven cookies in the afternoons. These sustainably-packaged selections are perfect for those without long layovers who still want some terrific food while traveling.
If you can spend some time in the lounge, you'll enjoy a fully stocked bar with craft cocktails on tap, local beers and hand-selected wines. A full-service coffee and espresso bar featuring La Colombe cold brew on tap appeals to even the most discerning coffee aficionados, while a custom, six-tap system of artisanal sodas and flavored waters keeps all members of the family happy.
Beyond these extensive food and beverage offerings, travelers can also take advantage of relaxation rooms, Peloton bikes, nursing rooms and showers where they can freshen up before (or after) a long flight.
Related: 5 distinctive amenities in the Capital One Lounge that impressed me the most
But that's not all.
Last month, Capital One announced a new offering as it continues to rethink the airport experience. Capital One Landings, a new chef-driven concept, will focus on bringing an elevated dining experience to the heart of the terminal. In partnership with the award-winning José Andrés Group, Capital One Landings will offer top-notch food for travelers on their way to the gate. The first locations will debut in Terminal B at LGA and at DCA in the near future.
And while you may never want to leave the comfort of the Capital One Lounge (or Landing), the luxury travel benefits continue upon arrival at your destination.
Elevate your hotel stay with the Premier Collection
In addition to Capital One Landings, the issuer continues to raise the bar for what travelers can expect with its Premier Collection of hotels and resorts, offering cardholders premium benefits with every stay. Capital One hand-picked these properties for their unparalleled service, immersive culture and authentic character — all to deliver exceptional experiences to travelers.
The Premier Collection will be available to Venture X cardholders later this year and will include hotels from all over the world — from city stays to villas and private island retreats. Cardholders will enjoy benefits like a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi and more. Venture X cardholders will also earn 10 miles per dollar spent on Premier Collection properties booked through Capital One Travel.
Bottom line
The Capital One Travel ecosystem continues to grow. With top-notch credit cards, an outstanding booking experience, luxurious lounges, new airport dining options and premium hotel perks, Capital One deserves a place at the top of every traveler's mind.
You can book your flights with confidence thanks to price alerts and the color-coded calendar. And you'll get a price match guarantee on all bookings — all while earning Capital One rewards to use on future travel.
The Capital One Lounge iat DFW will be joined by two more locations in 2023 (IAD and DEN), and as a complement, the issuer will debut its culinary-focused airport experience — Capital One Landing — at LGA and DCA to provide fresh, unique and inventive food and drinks for travelers in the heart of the terminal.
Plus Venture X cardholders have even more to look forward to with the Premier Collection, Capital One's curated set of luxury hotels and resorts.
So what are you waiting for? Join the many Americans (and TPG staffers) who are using Capital One Travel to elevate their trips — and unlock incredible value along the way.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa? or Mastercard? and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.