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Capital One is no stranger to making a big splash in the points and miles world. Since its stunning announcement in 2018 that it was entering the points and miles world Capital, One has grown from strength to strength. On April 20, 2021, Capital One made even bigger headlines announcing that it was adding even more partners and improving its transfer ratios to several of its existing partners. With all the changes, the program is even stronger, and the best redemptions options with Capital One Miles got even better.
Credit Cards that Earn Capital One Miles
Four-credit cards earn Capital One Miles. Two are consumer cards, and two are small business cards. Each card has its strength and weaknesses, as well as its earning rates. You can earn Capital One Miles with the following consumer cards.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Receive a 75,000-mile welcome bonus after making $4,000 of purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 10X for spending on hotels and car rentals.
- Earn 5X for flights booked via Capital One Travel.
- Earn 2X on everything else.
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings made using Capita One Travel
- Receive a $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck enrolment.
- Each account opening anniversary receive 10,000 bonus miles.
- When traveling, receive unlimited Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges internationally.
- The card carries a $395 annual fee.
The Capital One Venture X Credit Card is Capital One’s fits entry into the premium travel rewards credit card market, and it has made a big impression. The card delivers a host of high-end features and benefits, including unlimited lounge access and such, for a very reasonable annual fee. Competitor cards carry annual fees over $500 or $600, making the Venture X card excellent value!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The star performer in the Capital One stable of cards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card delivers a host of features and benefits, including:
- Get 75,000 miles (worth $750 in travel) after spending $4,000 within three months of getting the card
- Earn 2X miles on every purchase
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Receive a $100 statement credit (once every four years) towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R)
- The card carries no foreign transaction fees
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card carries a reasonable $95 annual fee
With 2X earning and a $95 annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid performer that stacks up favorably against other cards with a similar annual fee. When you factor in the flexibility and range of its transfer partners, the card is a standout performer against other premium cards with a much higher annual fee.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
The no annual fee card from Capital One, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, still delivers a strong performance. Features of the card include:
- A 20,000-mile welcome bonus when you spend $500 in the first 3 months of card membership.
- Earn non-expiring and unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase.
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
- The card carries no foreign transaction fees.
- The card carries no annual fee.
The following business cards earn Capital One Miles.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business delivers a strong package of perks and benefits. Features of the card include:
- Earn a 50,000 miles welcome bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of opening your account.
- Earn 2X miles on all your business purchases.
- The card carries no foreign transaction fees.
- Receive a $100 statement credit (once every four years) towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R)
- Transfer your miles to more than 15 travel loyalty programs.
- Free Employee cards.
- The card carries a $95 annual fee that is waived for the first year.
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
The Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business is a straightforward card with a decent set of features and earning rates, including:
- Earn a 20,000 miles welcome bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account.
- Earn 1.5X miles on all your business purchases.
- The card carries no foreign transaction fees.
- Free Employee cards.
- The card carries no annual fee.
With no annual fees and a 1.5X earning rate, the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business is an excellent option for small business and provide a decent return for little to no outlay.
Capital One Partners Transfer Ratios and Transfer Times
With the introduction of the new transfer partners and ratios, some are more attractive than others. However, one thing to note is that not all transfers occur at the same speed. It is crucial to keep the transfer speed in mind, especially if you are looking to book a flight award that cannot be held. Below you can find a table with the transfer ratios and times of the 19 Capital One Miles partners (16 Airlines and 3 Hotels).
You can transfer Capital One Miles to the following airlines:
| Airline | Transfer Ratio | Typical Transfer Time |
| Aeromexico | 1:1 | Instant |
| Avianca | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific | 1:1 | Up to one week |
| Etihad Airways | 1:1 | Up to 48 hours |
| Finnair | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qantas | 1:1 | Up to 24 hours |
| TAP Portugal | 1:1 | A few hours |
| Air Canada | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways | 1:1 | A few hours |
| Eva Air | 2:1.5 | Up to 24 hours |
| Turkish Airlines | 1:1 | Up to 1 day |
| Emirates | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines | 1:1 | Up to 24 hours |
You can transfer Capital One Miles to the following hotel loyalty programs:
| Hotel | Transfer Ratio | Typical Transfer Time |
| Accor | 2:1 | Up to 48 hours |
| Choice Hotels | 1:1 | N/A |
| Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | 1:1 | Instant |
Avianca LifeMiles- Our favorite Transfer Partner
With the introduction of the improved transfer ratio, Avianca has come to the for and is one of the best redemptions options with Capital One Miles. A Star Alliance member, Avianca LifeMiles, has an attractive award chart with lots of reasonably priced options that will let you leverage your Capital One Miles for excellent value. A business class award from New York to Frankfurt will set you back 63,000 miles plus $24.70 in taxes and fees, which is a great deal.
Alternatively, if you want to head over to the middle east from the US, then an award from New York to Dubai will set you back 78,000 miles one way plus taxes and fees. This particular award is Flying with Swiss Airlines (connecting in Zurich).
Avianca’s well-developed network of partners adds even more value when moving away from star alliance booking. Booking with Aeromexico (which is an Avianca partner despite being a member of SkyTeam), there is some excellent value to be had on flights from Mexico to South America. We found awards in business for 52,500 LifeMiles plus $61.37 in taxes and fees one way between Mexico and Buenos Aires. This is excellent value and is a special offer, with prices typically being in the region of 60,000 miles one way.
Etihad Guest
Etihad Guest is another program you can transfer your Capital One Miles to at a ratio of 1:1. One thing to note, though, is before your start dreaming of redeeming your miles for the palatial Etihad residence, it is not cheap. Flying Etihad using Etihad miles is generally a bad deal. The legendary Residence goes for an eye-watering 2.7 million miles one way.
Etihad Guest has some excellent redemption options heading both east and west from the United States. You can book American Airlines with Etihad Guest miles. One one-way from the US to Europe Sets you back 50,000miles in business, or 62,500 miles in first.
Digging around the distance-based Etihad Guest award chart, there is more value to be had heading west from the United States with ANA.
Depending on where you fly from on the US west coast, a one-way award in ANA business class to Tokyo with Etihad guest will set you back either 54,000 or 63,000 miles plus taxes and fees. As a bonus, Etihad taxes and fees for awards aboard ANA are extremely low.
TAP Portugal Miles&Go
Although it is a Star Alliance member, TAP Portugal has a relatively small footprint Globally. However, it does have some additional partnerships with the most interesting ones being Emirates and GOL. Unfortunately, when flying from North America on TAP metal, the awards leave a lot to be desired, especially in premium cabins, with one-way fares setting you back 100,000 miles one way.
In economy, things are a little better with all awards in TAP metal, including from the US to North Africa, setting you back 29,000 miles in economy.
If you want to book with a Star Alliance partner, there is some value to be had for awards from the US to Europe and North Africa or from the US to Central and South America, with one-way awards in business setting you back 80,000 and 50,000 miles respectively.
Overall, the TAP Portugal program is not bursting with value. And if you are looking at a star alliance award, you may be better off transferring your Capital One Miles to Avianca LifeMiles, which can deliver excellent value.
Finnair Plus
Finnair is an excellent airline with an impeccable safety record. On the other hand, Finnair Plus is of poor value for a loyalty program. If you are stuck with Finnair points, then your best options tend to be flights from Finland around northern Europe in economy or business.
Unless you want to book Finnair from Finland to northern Europe, you are better off transferring your points elsewhere. This is especially true if you are looking to leverage them for an award on a Oneworld member airline.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Similar to Finnair, Qantas does not have many standout awards with a “wow” factor. In fact, the majority are pretty poor value, and unless you already have Qantas points, then you might want to explore other avenues to use your Capital One Points.
Checking out the Qantas partner award chart shows up some interesting options, especially if you are after a unique experience.
A one-way flight from Doha to Sydney in the best business class product in the sky, the Qatar QSuite, will set you back 119,200 miles. While this is expensive, it is good value for over 14 hours in a QSuite. To put it in perspective, it is nearly double the flying time from London to Doha for less than double the price in miles.
You can check out our recent review of the fantastic QSuites here.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific does offer some fantastic deals on its own metal. The value of its awards increased in 2020 when the company stopped adding dreaded fuel surcharges to awards on its own metal. Asia Miles has a distance-based award chart for its own flights. While this limits you to routes to and from Hong Kong, it does, however, provide some excellent value and can be one of the best redemption options with Capital One Miles
Cathay has an excellent business class hard, and soft product and business awards are excellent value. Long-haul flights from Hong Kong (HKG) to Los Angles (LAX) will set you back 70,000 miles one way.
On the other hand, traveling further afield with a trip from New York to Hong Kong, you only have to come up with a few extra miles since the longer award is priced at 85,000 miles.
Aeromexico Club Premier
Aeromexico has several sweet spots, especially when considering that the airline used to price its awards in kilometers, not miles. Unfortunately, Aeromexico is not one of the programs that benefits from the new, improved transfer ratio. This significantly dents the value you can generate from your Capital One Miles.
The highlight for an Aeromexico award is flights from Mexico to South America which will set you back 150,000 miles round trip during the low season.
A one-way award from Mexico City to Sao Paulo in business class will set you back 75,000 Premier points and ~$76 in taxes and fees. With a ratio of 2:1.5, that works out as `100,000 Capital One Miles. While this is not a deal to write home about, it is still a good deal for 9 hours in Aeromexico business class aboard its Boeing 787.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Flying Blue has done away with its award chart a while back and moved to a dynamic pricing model for awards. While people have created unofficial Flying Blue award charts, they can not be relied on. Fortunately, to save time, Flying Blue has created an Award estimator tool to help you calculate the cost of your awards. For flights originating/ending in North America, the Flying Blue sweet spots include:
- Flight from the US to Europe in business.
- Flights from the US to North Africa in business.
- Flights from the US to the Middle East in Economy.
To maximize your value, it is best to experiment a little with the award estimator to figure out how to make the award work with travel plans.
One thing to remember is the Flying Blue is not a tier-one transfer with Capital One, so you only get a ratio of 2:1.5, not 1:1. This adds a layer of complexity and calculation you need to do when working out your awards. It is also the reason why Capital One may not be the best redemption option with Capital one points.
To maximize your value, it is best to experiment a little with the award estimator to figure out how to make the award work with travel plans. One thing to remember is the Flying Blue is not a tier-one transfer with Capital One, so you only get a ratio of 2:1.5, not 1:1. This adds a layer of complexity and calculation you need to do when working out your awards. It is also the reason why Capital One may not be the best redemption option with Capital one points.
One of the best option s for using the Flying Blue program is its monthly Promo Rewards sale. Every month awards to various destinations are discounted at between 25% and 50%. The discounts apply to economy, premium economy, and business class awards. Being European-based, the awards are on Air France/ KLM metal and originate/terminate in Europe. Needless to say, the largest number of discounted routes are Intra Europe. Although you regularly get some great options on routes to North America. With a typical month having three or four destinations in Canada and the US. This month flights from Amsterdam to Dublin and Cork in economy are discounted by 25%.
Alitalia MilleMiglia
A SkyTeam member and tier two transfer partner, with Capital One Miles transferring at a 2:1.5 ratio, there is very little value to be had with Alitalia. It is definitely not one of the best redemption options with Capital One Miles.
That being said, it is always worth having a look at Alitalia awards if you are looking to fly them from the US to Italy, where some value can be found.
Beware, over the last few years, the airline has hovered around the edge of bankruptcy and needed to be bailed out. This means it is not a safe location to park a substantial number of points. Since if the company goes under your points, are history!
Air Canada Aeroplan
Aeroplan has some great options on awards which provides some of the best redemption options with Capital One MIles. A glance at the Aeroplan award chart shows that flights in business class under 4,000 miles between North America and the Atlantic zone will set you back 60,000 miles. The price is whether you are flying with Air Canada or one of Star Alliance partners like United.
Some quick mileage calculations reveal that keeping your route under 4,000 miles leaves you plenty of options since the distance covers flights from New York to almost every major destination in Western Europe. JFK to London, Dublin, Paris, Geneva, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and much more all come in under 4,000 miles.
Even at the less than stellar 2:1.5 transfer ratio, a business class seat to Europe for 80,000 Capital One Miles one way still represents excellent value. It is one of the best redemption options for Capital One Miles.
British Airways Executive Club
Although BA is a second-tier transfer partner with a ratio of 2:1.5, if you are smart with your redemption options, there is some value to be had, especially if you can mitigate the astronomical taxes and fees the BA typically charges.
Using the British Airway distance-based award chart from the west coast to Hawaii on American Airlines can represent excellent value in economy.
A round trip in economy will set you back 26,000 Avios or 35,000 Capital One miles. With the negligible taxes and fees, this ward is a good use of your Capital One Miles.
Using the same chart, the same excellent value can be had for trips across the continental US. Flights between LAX and JFK round trip in economy will also set you back 26,000 Avios or 35,000 Capital One Miles, plus a small amount in taxes and fees.
JetBlue TrueBlue
The Jet Blue Award System is quirky and requires that you research and plan to get the most out of it. There is no award chart or dynamic pricing, and the cost of awards in points is linked to the cash price of the same ticket. This makes getting deals on various routes challenging since prices fluctuate.
Furthermore, JetBlue does not have a fixed exchange rate for its points. The value of the points varies from around 1.1 to 1.5 cents per point. These values differ from flight to flight, even ones on the same route.
Considering that Capital One Miles transfer to JetBlue at a ratio of 2:1.5 and the value of your exact redemption is opaque, JetBlue is not one of the best redemption options for Capital One Miles. This is especially true if you are transferring the total value of your award. On the other hand, if you already have a decent balance of JetBlue points, and have a redemption lined up, then transferring a few thousand Capital One Miles to get your award makes perfect sense.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Booking flights around North America can be a great option with Turkish airlines. Despite the less than stellar transfer ratio of 2:1.5, transferring Capital One Miles to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles can represent one of the best redemptions with Capital One Miles.
A glance at Turkish Airlines award chart shows that it charges 20,000 miles and 30,000 miles for round trip awards in North America in economy and business class, respectively.
Fortunately, Turkish Airlines has an extensive definition of what North America is. It includes the US, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda, and the Dutch Antilles.
Remember that Turkish airlines are a Star Alliance member, so you can book Domestic United flights for the above pricing, including round trip fares to Hawaii. 30,000 Turkish Miles would work out at 40,000 Capital One Miles, which is an excellent deal for a round trip to Hawaii in business.
Emirates Skywards
While Capital One has Emirates as a transfer partner, the poor transfer ratio of 2:1 destroys any value to be had. Emirates is not a member of any alliance, but it still has some great value redemptions on its own metal.
Typically, a saver return in business class from the US to Dubai will set you back 145,000 Skywards miles.
While that is excellent value, you would need 290,000 Capital One miles for the award, which is prohibitively expensive, and makes Emirates not one of the best redemptions with Capital One Miles.
Bear in mind that Emirates is also a transfer partner for Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership, and Citi ThankYou points. All transfer to Emirates Skywards at a much better ratio of 1:1. So if you are looking to use points for an Emirates Award, you are much better off sticking to one of those programs instead of using Capital One.
You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Emirates Skywards at a ratio of 3:1, which can in some instances be better value than Capital One transfers.
Singapore KrisFlyer
Singapore Kris Flyer is in a very similar situation to Emirates Skywards due to the abysmal transfer ratio of 2:1. Meaning that whatever good value award you find will cost you double the amount when you have to transfer Capital One Miles for the deal.
Even though Singapore Kris Flyer is an excellent option for redemptions on Star Alliance carriers, it is not one of the best redemptions with Capital One Miles.
Fortunately, if you have your heart set on an Award in Singapore’s Excellent first class or business class, you still have lots of options for booking with credit card points. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership, and Citi ThankYou points to Singapore Kris Flyer at a much better ratio of 1:1.
If you are looking for an Award on a Star Alliance carrier, Singapore may not be your best bet, and you may want to have a close look at Avianca LifeMiles, which has a better 1:1 transfer ratio. Bear in mind that the poor value could be compounded by excessive taxes and fees depending on the route and airline you want to travel with.
EVA Infinity MileageLands
Arguably the worst transfer partner Capital One has on offer. When it comes to awards, the program is weak and offers poor value. This is compounded and made worse when you factor in the 2:1.5 transfer ratio.
EVA Infinity MileageLands is a star alliance member. A look at its partners shows that you are much better off transferring your points to Avianca, Aeroplan, or virtually any other Star Alliance carrier. As far as we could determine, EVA Infinity MileageLands is not one of the best redemption options with Capital One Miles.
Hotel Partners
Generally, transferring credit card points to hotel loyalty programs is not the best value. Often you are best served by transferring credit card points to airlines. Redemption with hotel programs tends to represent poor value due to rooms’ cash price compared to the room’s points price. However, transfers can make sense in some cases, especially if you are just a few thousand points short of an aspirational redemption. Then transferring points can be one of the best redemption options with Capital One Miles.
Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Rewards can be a good option to extract great value from your Capital One Miles for hotel stays. Miles transfer to Wyndham at a ratio of 1:1. Wyndham Rewards structures its program with three simple tiers of award pricing per room. 7,500, 15,000, and 30,000 points per night.
When it comes to booking an award, you have to do some simple math to see if you are getting a good deal or not. Simply divide the cash price of the room you want by its award price in points to work out the value you are getting for your Capital One Miles.
Accor Live Limitless
You can transfer your Capital One Miles to Accor at a ratio of 2:1. Unlike other programs where you have to find award availability and such, Accor has a much simpler approach. You use blocks of 2,000 points to discount your bill by €40.
To receive 2,000 Accor points, you need to transfer 4,000 Capital One Miles. In turn, you can exchange these points for a discount of €40. This gives you a value of €1 cent per point or 1.2 USD cents per point (at the time of writing). This is a good value for hotel points, and generally, the stronger the Euro is against the dollar, the higher the value of your points. Checking the exchange rate will help you determine how good a deal you are getting for your Capital One points.
Choice Privileges
Choice Privileges, the loyalty program for Choice hotels, is one of the latest additions to the Capital One transfer stable. Capital One Miles will transfer to Choice Privileges at a ratio of 1:1, which is excellent news.
While not known for its range of luxury properties worldwide, Choice Hotels still has a wide range of properties around the world. If you are looking for a property on the cheaper end of the spectrum at a global destination, then Choice can provide some good options and can be one of the best redemption options with Capital One Miles.
Non-travel Redemptions
During the time of COVID-19, with travel restricted by law or choice, card companies introduced a host of non-travel-related redemption options for cardholders. Capital One was no different; currently, the Capital One options depend on the type of card you have. Non-travel Redemption options are available through June 2021.
Consumer Credit Card Options
Holders of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card can redeem their miles for Streaming services, takeout and food delivery services. The redemption is only valid for purchases that were made in the last 90 days.
Eligible streaming services include Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and Kindle unlimited. While eligible delivery services include Uber Eats, Postmates, and Doordash, amongst others.
Business Credit Card Options
Holders of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business can redeem their miles for phone services as well as food delivery and takeout. Most big-name phone providers are eligible, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. In terms of delivery and takeout, the list of qualifying businesses is the same as those for consumer credit cards.
What Points Panda Thinks
Capital One is a young program compared to its competitors and seems intent on taking the points world by storm. Do we love more transfer partners? Yes! Do we Like better transfer ratios? Yes! Do we like the way Capital one is heading? Definitely! The way Capital one is heading, it is starting to provide some serious competition, which is ultimately good for us, the consumer. Hopefully, they keep up the excellent work, and Amex, Citi, and Chase have to look over their shoulders and up their game!
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