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Capital One Venture Miles have been somewhat unpopular among the true experts in the points and miles community. The program isn’t among the top dogs because rewards don’t transfer to partners 1:1 and therefore aren’t as valuable. The points are kind of like candy corn. It’s still candy, but it’s not what kids want to find in their bags after a night of trick-or-treating. However, things are changing for the better.
Capital One has expanded its program by adding several new transfer partners and improving points transfer rates for select loyalty programs. Let’s take a look at all the updates.
Capital One Partners with Four New Loyalty Programs
In 2021, Capital One Venture Miles is adding four new transfer programs to its existing list of travel partners:
- British Airways Executive Club
- Choice Privileges
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Capital One cardholders will be able to transfer their rewards earned with the Venture- and the Spark-branded credit cards to British Airways Executive Club, TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles starting April 20. The transfer opportunity to Choice Privileges will be available some time later this year.
Perhaps the most exciting of the new partnerships is the one involving Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, which dethrones Citi ThankYou Points from being the sole rewards program whose rewards transfer to the program.
It’s possible to book one-way economy flights to Hawaii for 7,500 miles and one-way business-class flights to Turkey and other European destinations for 45,000 miles using Turkish Airlines miles.
Capital One Improves Point Transfer Ratios
Another fantastic news is that Capital One Venture Miles will transfer at an even ratio of 1:1 to select partners on the list. Effective April 20, the following loyalty programs will receive a conversion rate boost:
- Aeroméxico Club Premier
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Etihad Guest
- Finnair Plus
- Qantas Airways Frequent Flyer
- TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
- Wyndham Rewards
The Choice Privileges program also will be in the 1:1 transfer tier when point transfers go live.
Let’s remind ourselves that the Capital One Venture Card and the Capital One Spark Miles Card earn 2X miles per dollar spent on all purchases.
Because of the unfavorable conversion rates, Venture and Spark cardmembers have been earning 1X to 1.5X actual airline miles per dollar on every purchase. With the new conversion rates in place, the card will earn 2X miles once rewards are transferred to the aforementioned programs with the increased transfer rate.
So, the updated rewards conversion chart is as follows.
| Loyalty Program | Point Transfer Ratio |
| Aeroméxico 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 |
| ALL Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 2:1.5 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 2:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
| EVA 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 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 |
The addition of four loyalty programs extends the list of Capital One partners to 19.
Capital One to Open Two Airport Lounges
Capital One also announced the opening of two airport lounges: one at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) this summer and another at Dulles International Airport (IAD) in 2022.
The lounges are meant to cater to travelers with a short amount of time before their flight by offering food to-go as well as those on a long layover by offering craft cocktails, shower suites and even nursing rooms.
Listed among other amenities are high-speed Wi-Fi, lockers for carry-on luggage, cold brew on tap and multi-faith rooms for travelers to pray and meditate. If executed properly, the Capital One airport lounges would be nice enough to complete with The Centurion Lounges run by American Express.
Although entry rates or guest policies haven’t been disclosed yet, access will be based on the type of a Capital One card a member holds.
Should You Apply for the Capital One Venture Card?
In light of these changes, the Capital One Venture Card is looking more and more appealing.
You might recall that the card comes with a 100,000-mile welcome bonus right now. However, the bonus is tiered. You will earn 50,000 Venture Miles after spending $3,000 on the card in the first three months of account opening. You will then earn another 50,000 miles if you spend an additional $17,000 on the card within 12 months.
My position about going for the full bonus is the same. It’s a decent offer if you plan to get the first 50,000 miles, but the second 50,000 miles require a lot of spending on one card. You could be earning more points by spreading out the $17,000 requirement over multiple cards.
And, of course, if you’re under 5/24, consider applying for Chase credit cards first to maximize your rewards earning potential.
Final Thoughts
With the addition of four loyalty programs and increasing transfer rates with certain travel partners, Capital One is solidifying itself as one of the transferrable currencies to consider when applying for a travel rewards credit card.
The Venture Rewards program is going up to 19 transfer partners, nine of which will boast a 1:1 point transfer ratio. Earning 2X miles per dollar on every single purchase doesn’t sound bad when you know you no longer lose out in the transfer process with nearly half of the programs. If only the transfer rates improved on the other half… Baby steps.
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
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