Capital One launches new premium travel card: Venture X

In an exciting announcement on Nov. 4, Capital One revealed a new premium travel card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The new card is the first premium product in the issuer’s lineup that can compete with the likes of The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, offering luxury perks like lounge access and statement credits.

“While the travel experience may look different for some people right now, it continues to be a passion point for many,” a Capital One spokesperson said. “With this in mind, Capital One is continuing to find new ways to offer best-in-class travel products and experiences that help people do what they love, wherever and whenever that may be. One way we are doing this is by introducing Venture X, our new class of travel card, which offers easy-to-use benefits and differentiated flexibility.”

The Venture X comes with up to $500 in annual credits and bonuses alone and an incredibly valuable sign-up bonus – all at a lower cost than competitors.

What the new Venture X offers

At $395 per year, the Venture X is an attractive credit card with a lot to offer both in terms of rewards and benefits.

Similar to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Venture X offers 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, but on top of that, cardholders will earn 5 miles per dollar on flights and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel. This is a highly competitive offer both in terms of everyday spending and travel purchases.

Cardholders can use miles to book through the Capital One Travel portal, transfer miles to more than 15 transfer partners or redeem rewards for any recent travel purchase, including vacation rentals, flights, hotels, rideshares, cruises and more.

Where the card truly shines, however, is in its list of benefits.

Here’s what Venture X cardholders can get:

• Up to a $300 credit annually for bookings made on Capital One Travel
• 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth $100 when redeemed for travel)
• Unlimited access to Capital One Lounges
• A complimentary Priority Pass offering access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide
• Up to $100 in statement credits for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
• Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status

This list might not be as extensive as the benefit lists on the Amex Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but it hits all the right points.

Cardholders get $300 in credits yearly toward travel, similar to the Reserve’s $300 annual travel credit, albeit it’s a bit more restrictive. There’s also a $100 anniversary bonus, which, combined with the travel credit, allows the card practically to pay for itself.

Like other highly desirable travel cards, the Venture X provides credits to cover the membership cost of either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, services design to speed up airport security screening for its users.

Lounge access is another essential benefit on premium travel cards, and the Venture X comes with the popular Priority Pass membership.

The issuer is also working on expanding its own lounge presence. Recently, Capital One announced the opening of the first Capital One lounge in the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and two more are planned to open in 2022 (one in the Denver International Airport and the other in the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.).

What new Venture X cardholders can get

Besides flexible rewards and excellent travel perks, new cardholders can take advantage of a generous sign-up bonus offer.

The Venture X currently offers 100,000 bonus miles for spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months with the card. The spend requirement is somewhat steep – cardholders will need to spend around $1,667 per month to meet it.

For many, it may mean putting all their spending on the card. However, the reward may very well be worth it: 100,000 miles can be redeemed for $1,000 in travel.

Additionally, for a limited time, cardholders can receive up to $200 in statement credits for vacation rentals like Airbnb and VRBO. This isn’t a common benefit on travel credit cards and may provide great value to those favoring vacation rentals over hotels.

Should you apply for the Venture X?

The Capital One Venture X is a perfect credit card for people interested in premium travel credit cards, and all the perks they’re traditionally associated with, but not willing to shell out more than $500 per year.

Without a doubt, cards like the Amex Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve offer outstanding value, which can make them more than worth the annual fees. But these cards charge $695 and $550 per year, respectively. For many average cardholders, a single charge of such a high amount is difficult to budget for, no matter the long-term value.

Paying $395 per year may be more doable and cardholders will still get to enjoy many of the benefits that make premium travel cards so desirable.

Plus, Capital One proves to be an innovative card issuer and continues to improve its offerings. Recently, the issuer revamped its travel portal, adding new price protection tools, options for flexible flight cancellation and more. The fact that Capital One is actively working on its airport lounge presence also demonstrates its intentions to stay and grow in the travel space.

These are all good signs for a potential Venture X cardholder. The Venture X is a great offer and we expect even more exciting news from Capital One in the future.

Bottom line

The Capital One Venture X is an excellent travel card that offers some of the most popular perks at a highly competitive price. Its $395 annual fee may seem steep, but it will still allow more cardholders who couldn’t afford this type of product before into the premium travel card space.