All About Capital One Miles
Capital One miles are some of the easiest and most flexible travel rewards to use—especially for families, beginners, and anyone who doesn’t want complicated airline rules. If you’ve ever wondered what Capital One miles actually do and how to turn them into real trips, keep reading on.
What Are Capital One Miles?
Capital One miles are a type of travel rewards currency earned through Capital One travel credit cards, such as:
Capital One Venture Rewards
Capital One Venture X or Venture X Business
You earn miles when you spend on everyday purchases (groceries, gas, bills) or earn a large sign-up bonus after meeting a minimum spend on one of their credit cards. Most Capital One cards earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases (simple and predictable). The number of miles you’ll earn varies depending on the card you have, but several Capital One cards allow you to earn more miles for certain types of travel purchases.
What Can You Use Capital One Miles For?
Capital One miles can be used in three main ways:
Cover travel purchases you already made (also known as the purchase eraser)
Book travel through the Capital One Travel portal
Transfer miles to airline or hotel partners (best value for advanced users)
Let’s break each one down.
Option 1: Cover Travel Purchases (Best for Beginners)
This is the most popular and beginner-friendly way to use Capital One miles.
How It Works:
Book travel however you like:
Airlines (any airline)
Hotels
Airbnb
Trains
Rental cars
Tickets on Undercover Tourist (like Disney, LegoLand, etc.)
Vacation Packages
The charge posts to your Capital One account and codes as travel. This is very important. If you buy Disney tickets through Disney, it will code on your statement as “entertainment”, so that’s why UnderCover Tourist is a great option if you’re a family who frequents Disney parks.
Log in and select “Cover Travel Purchases”
Apply miles as a statement credit
Value:
1 mile = 1 cent
50,000 miles = $500 in travel
This method works great too when covering taxes and fees of airfare when covering the rest with other miles, such as Alaska, United, Southwest, etc.
Option 2: Book Through the Capital One Travel Portal
Capital One also has a built-in travel booking site similar to Expedia. Here — just like the Chase portal — you can book flights, hotels, rental cars, and experiences using miles instead of cash. This option works well if you want everything booked in one place, however, keep in mind that if you book one of these through the portal, you won’t be earning nights towards status such as Hyatt Globalist since you’re not booking through Hyatt.
Option 3: Transfer Miles to Airline Partners (Best Value)
This is where Capital One miles can stretch the furthest—but it’s optional. These miles can be worth up to about 1.7 cents each when transferred to a high-value travel partner.
How Transfers Work:
Currently, you can transfer Capital One miles to more than 15 airline loyalty programs. With most Capital One partners, the minimum miles allowed per transfer is 1,000. All of the following programs have a 1:1 transfer ratio (unless otherwise noted) — meaning that 1,000 Capital One miles will equal 1,000 airline loyalty points or miles:
You move miles from Capital One → airline program. Keep in mind, once you do this you cannot transfer back to Capital One!
Then book award flights through that airline. Always call or double check online that your tickets are available before you transfer; otherwise your miles are stuck until you’re able to use them.
Currently, you can transfer Capital One miles to more than 15 airline loyalty programs. With most Capital One partners, the minimum miles allowed per transfer is 1,000.
All of the following programs have a 1:1 transfer ratio (unless otherwise noted) — meaning that 1,000 Capital One miles will equal 1,000 airline loyalty points or miles:
Accor Live Limitless (2:1)
Aeromexico Club Premier
Air Canada (Aeroplan)
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Avianca LifeMiles
British Airways Executive Club
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Choice Privileges
Emirates Skywards
Etihad Guest
EVA Air (2:1.5)
Finnair Plus
Flying Blue
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
TAP Miles&Go
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Virgin Red
Wyndham Rewards
Cards that you can earn Capital One miles:
| Card Name | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | $0 |
• 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel • 1.25X miles on every purchase |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | $95 |
• 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel • 2X miles on every purchase |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | $395 |
• 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel • 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel • 2X miles on every purchase |
| Capital One Venture X Business | $395 |
• 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel • 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel • 2X miles on every purchase |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | $0 intro first year; $95 after |
• 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel • 2X miles on every purchase |
When it comes to which card to open, keep in mind your 5/24 status, as well as how frequently you travel. Some of these cards have frequent traveler benefits that far outweigh the annual fee.
Real Example: Family Trip to Mount Rushmore
My family of 6 was able to redeem Alaska miles for round-trip airfare from Nashville to Rapid City (since Southwest doesn’t fly there, and we don’t have any other airline miles currently). The taxes and fees for each person’s airfare round-trip is $40/ea. This means our airfare taxes total is $240. Since we will purchase this airfare with our Spark card, we will get miles from the purchase plus be able to use our miles to erase the airfare taxes!
Key Rules to Keep in Mind:
Venture Family Rule: If you earned a bonus on the personal Venture or Venture X in the last 48 months, you're ineligible for the bonus on the other Venture card.
48-Month Rule (Same Product): You must wait 48 months from when a bonus posts to earn it again on the same personal card (e.g., Venture, Spark Miles).
Final Thoughts
If you want simple, flexible travel savings, Capital One miles are one of the best places to start. Plus, with the above rule in place, you may want to get these cards sooner than later in your free travel journey.
You don’t need to be an expert—you just need a plan.
