Should the Venture X be in your wallet?
Tl;dr: It’s probably worth getting paid $5 a year to receive 2x points on all purchases and airport lounge access for you and up to 5 trusted friends or family members.
One time last year I was staying in a hotel in the middle of nowhere and decided to just get to the airport early–really early. I arrived at about 10 AM for a 6 PM departure. I hadn’t slept very well and I was on the verge of falling asleep. I quickly discovered that every departure gate would quickly be overrun by noisy travelers, even if it seemed empty and quiet when I arrived. I was also getting hungry. So I caved and paid $50 for a one-time United Club pass. It was the right decision on top of my bad decision (next time I’ll just get some sleep and get to the airport at a normal time). But I learned there’s real value in those lounges: chargers, comfortable seats, quiet space, and, crucially, food.
So while I knew spending $50 per pop just to go to a lounge was insane and unsustainable, given the number of flights I was taking, I was certainly willing to pay something to have access to them from time to time. A Priority Pass costs hundreds of dollars though, so that was a nonstarter. The Capital One Venture X seemed like a promising alternative, as it includes Priority Pass lounge access for free, along with access to Plaza Premium and Capital One lounges. (It used to offer a full Priority Pass, including access to free meals at airport restaurants, but that has been pared back to lounge access only). But I wasn’t sold on the card. The $395 annual fee was steep. It didn’t receive any bonus points on spending categories like dining, which is an important category for me, and one where many other cards excel. And although the card offered 10,000 points at renewal and $300 in statement credits for travel booked through Capital One Travel, I had never heard of, much less used, that booking platform. Was that $300 really worth $300?
Thankfully Shawn already had the $95-fee Venture card, and she told me that she already used Capital One to book most of her travel. The platform, an online portal similar to Expedia or Priceline, offers solid benefits. For flights, it tells you when the ideal time to buy is, and if you purchase a ticket when they recommend it, they will refund you up to $50 if the price drops in the next 10 days. Capital One Travel also offers a 24 hour price match guarantee and offers the ability to add cancellation protection to flights (even basic economy tickets) for a fee. When combined with the Venture X’s 10x points on hotel and rental car purchases, and 5x on flights, it’s very easy to make full use of that $300 travel credit.
And with the 10,000 points at renewal (the first year you “only” get the 75k bonus) being worth, at minimum, a $100 statement credit, the net cost to hold the Venture X for a year is -$5. Shawn quickly upgraded and I followed suit a few months later.
While it is best paired with a card that earns better bonuses on key categories like dining (e.g. the Amex Gold), given the low cost to hold the card, it’s a wallet essential if you can afford to pay the fee up front each year. For frequent air travelers, the lounge access can stretch that value proposition even further. Much further if you have a frequent travel partner, as you can bring a guest into most lounges for free or even add up to five authorized users for free and give them lounge access of their own, whether traveling with you or not (you’ll be responsible for any spending they put on their card). And while it’s not a great card for dining, it’s extremely useful to have a card earning 2x on everyday spending, and the massive 10x points on hotels and rental cars provide another great way to book travel.
If it sounds good to you, you can use our referral link to apply.
Welcome bonus:
75,000 after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
Best bonus: 90k when using a referral link (current as of Oct 6, 2023)
Annual fee:
$395
Credits/offsets:
$300 in statement credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel
10,000 bonus points on renewal
Earning rates:
2x base
5x flights booked via Capital One Travel
10x cars and hotels booked via Capital One Travel
Protections
•No foreign transaction fees
•Primary rental car protection
•Trip delay insurance (>6h or overnight stay, up to $500)
•Trip cancellation insurance (up to $2k/pp covered reason)
•Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000, including family members)
•Travel accident insurance
•Extended warranty, (1 additional year for warranties 3y or less)
•Return protection for 90 days ($300/item, annual $1,000/account)
•Virtual card numbers
•Cell phone insurance (up to $800, $25 deductible)
Perks
•Lounge access: Capital One, Priority Pass (no non-lounge), Plaza Premium
•Hertz President’s Circle Status: Guaranteed upgrades, ability to choose your vehicle in the President’s Circle section, no additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner in the U.S., 50% bonus points, expedited pickup, skip the counter, eReturn, Hertz Valet up to 4x/year, dedicated call center (some limited to participating locations)
•Visa Infinite concierge
•Up to 5 authorized users free (each receives lounge access, Visa Infinite perks, Hertz status)
•Capital One Dining, Entertainment (early and exclusive access)
•Free 6-month Cultivist subscription (auto-renew if not canceled)
Key Redemptions
Travel portal: 1¢.point (but will not earn points)
Best statement credit redemptions: Erase travel purchases (1¢/point)
Transfer Partners: Airlines: Aeromexico Club Premier, AirFrance Flying Blue, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Finnair Plus, KLM Flying Blue, Quantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, TAP Miles & Go, Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, Virgin Red; Hotels: Accor Live Limitless, Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards