Transferring Capital One miles to a travel partner provides a valuable way to maximize the potential of your Venture or Spark miles. By directly transferring your miles to one of Capital One’s partners, you gain access to a broader range of travel options, including the ability to book with partners not directly affiliated with Capital One.
This system not only extends the reach of your miles across the globe, but it can also provide a better return on your rewards by leveraging partner award charts and promotions. With the right strategy, these partnerships can truly amplify the power of your Capital One miles.
Capital One Transfer Partners – Airlines & Hotels
Capital One has an extensive list of transfer partners, including 15 airline programs and 3 hotel partners. Whether you’re looking to fly domestic or international or stay in luxury hotels or budget accommodations, there’s likely a transfer partner that aligns with your travel goals.
All partner programs require a minimum of 1,000 points to transfer.
| Capital One Transfer Partner | Transfer Ratio (CapOne > Partner) | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant |
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 | Up to 36 hours |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | Up to 36 hours |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 | Up to 24 hours |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | Instant |
| EVA Infinity MileageLands | 2:1.5 | Up to 36 hours |
| Finnair Plus | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | Instant |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | 1:1 | Instant |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Red | 1:1 | Unknown |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | Instant |
How to Earn Capital One Miles
Capital One offers a range of credit cards, some that earn Capital One miles and others that earn cash rewards. To maximize your travel rewards, focusing on earning miles is key. Here are the top Capital One cards for amassing Capital One Miles.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is Capital One’s premium travel card. It offers tons of earning opportunities, particularly when booking through the Capital One Travel Portal. This includes unlimited 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases. The card also comes with a $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel, complimentary access to Capital One lounges, and up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
The card has a annual_fees annual fee, which is easily offset if you’re someone who can get value from booking through Capital One Travel and likes the ease of 2X on everyday spend.
Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full.
Learn how to apply.Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the best travel credit cards for beginners. It offers a simple, yet valuable rewards system, earning a flat 2X miles per dollar on all purchases, which is best in class for an everyday spend card. It also earns 5X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, a step below the Venture X, but a much more affordable annual fee of annual_fees.
The card also comes with up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and two complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge each year.
If you value simplicity, this is a card that’s worth considering adding to your wallet.
Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full.
Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is one of the best business credit cards for everyday spending. The card is the business equivalent to the Capital One Venture card. Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on other purchases.
The card also comes with one statement credit for either $85 TSA PreCheck application fee or $100 Global Entry application fee and two complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge each year.
Annual fee: annual_fees.
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card is an outstanding choice for business owners seeking a straightforward and flexible rewards program.
Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full.
Learn how to apply for the Capital One Spark Miles for Business credit card.
Best Capital One Transfer Partners
When it comes to identifying the best Capital One transfer partners, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. The “best” partner for you will depend on several factors, such as where you want to go, what airlines you prefer, and how flexible your travel plans are.
However, the following are what I believe are the best transfer partners based on value.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Aeroplan is Air Canada’s airline program, known for its strong award chart. It is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes top airlines like United, Lufthansa, Turkish, Singapore Airlines, and Air Canada. In 2020, the Aeroplan loyalty program was revamped, eliminating carrier-based fuel surcharges and only requiring the payment of government taxes and fees.
The program is particularly advantageous for booking Star Alliance flights from the West Coast to Hawaii, U.S. to Asia business class flights, among others. A notable feature is the ability to book a stopover on a one-way award for only 5,000 points. Awards can be booked with fixed rates for partner airlines, and its partner award chart provides excellent value for short-haul awards to Canada and international premium-cabin awards.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Flying Blue, the combined mileage program for Air France and KLM, has recently implemented variable pricing for award flights. The program is partnered with all major transferable currencies (Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Bilt Rewards, and Capital One), offering flexibility.
Despite the absence of a published award chart, economy tickets from the U.S. to Europe range from 15,000 to 30,000 Flying Blue miles. Flying Blue offers monthly promo rewards for significant savings on award tickets. However, it includes fuel surcharges on most routes, which could increase the ticket cost.
Avianca LifeMiles
Avianca LifeMiles is renowned for booking Star Alliance partners such as United, Lufthansa, and ANA, with a favorable award chart for both domestic and international flights. Avianca doesn’t impose fuel surcharges, making the award tickets more affordable. Being one of the largest airlines in South America, Avianca offers easy acquisition of LifeMiles, which are also redeemable for lower-cost Star Alliance partner flights. Avianca’s award chart is advantageous for domestic flights within the U.S., which only cost 7,500 LifeMiles.
British Airways Executive Club
The British Airways Executive Club offers Avios points, valuable for booking flights on Oneworld alliance and partner airlines. Given its distance-based award chart, it provides several sweet spots for point savings on short-haul, non-stop award flights. However, fuel surcharges on most of its own flights and many partner awards could undermine some of the Avios redemption value.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Turkish Airlines’ loyalty program, Miles&Smiles, provides an excellent deal for booking flights on Turkish and Star Alliance partners. It offers one of the best award travel sweet spots: 7,500 miles for one-way flights from the U.S. to Hawaii. Turkish Airlines offers reasonable pricing on flights between Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, and Asia. Although fuel surcharges may be problematic, United-operated flights do not carry these additional costs.
Virgin Red
Recently added as a Capital One transfer partner, Virgin Red is the loyalty program for the Virgin family of brands. Virgin points can be redeemed on SkyTeam airlines such as Delta, Air France, Korean Air, and non-alliance partners like ANA and Hawaiian Airlines. There are several redemption sweet spots, including Delta One Suites and ANA business-class suites. However, fuel surcharges are applied on Virgin Atlantic flights.
How to Transfer Capital One Miles
Transferring Capital One miles to one of their many partner programs is relatively straightforward, but you’ll need to keep a few eligibility requirements and limitations in mind.
First, you need to own a Capital One card that earns transferable miles, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, or Capital One Spark Miles for Business. Secondly, you need to have an account with the transfer partner of your choice, and this account must match the name on your Capital One card. Finally, when transferring, you must do so in increments of 1,000 miles, and you can transfer up to 100,000 miles per day.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to transfer your Capital One miles to partner programs:
Step 1: Visit the Capital One website, log into your account and click “View Rewards” from the main dashboard.
Step 2: Click on “Convert Rewards.”
Step 3: Find the partner you’d like to transfer to and click on “Transfer Miles.”
Step 4: Enter the travel partner’s membership number and click “Next.”
Step 5: Input the number of miles you want to transfer (in increments of 1,000) and then click “Complete Transfer.”
Step 6: After clicking “Complete Transfer,” you’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Your miles will be transferred to the partner program within the time frame specified. And that’s it!
Other Ways to Redeem Capital One Miles
Transferring miles to partner programs isn’t the only way to redeem your Capital One miles. There are several other options to consider:
- Cover Travel Purchases: You can use your miles to cover travel purchases on your card, effectively erasing these charges from your statement. This is done at a fixed rate of 1 cent per mile.
- Book Travel through Capital One: You can use your miles to book flights, hotels, and rental cars directly through the Capital One Travel portal. This option can be incredibly lucrative with certain cards:
- Venture X cardholders earn an astounding 10x miles.
- Venture, VentureOne, and Spark Miles cardholders earn a solid 5x miles.
- Gift Cards: If you prefer, you can redeem your miles for gift cards from various retailers. The value of your miles can vary depending on the retailer, so it’s always good to check before redeeming.
- Cash Back: While not as valuable as other redemption options, you can opt to redeem your miles for cash back. Just bear in mind that this is done at a reduced rate of 0.5 cents per mile.
Remember, your travel rewards are only as valuable as how you use them. Understanding your options and being strategic can help maximize your Capital One miles’ potential.
Bottom Line
Capital One’s transfer partner program offers an excellent opportunity to get more value from your Venture and Spark miles. Understanding how to transfer and maximize these miles allows you to open up a whole world of travel possibilities. Remember, the best Capital One transfer partner for you will depend on your individual travel needs and preferences. So take the time to research each partner, understand your own travel goals, and make the most of this exciting program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What airlines and hotels can Capital One miles be used for?
Capital One miles can be transferred to Aeromexico Club Premier, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Choice Privileges, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, EVA Infinity MileageLands, Finnair Plus, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Virgin Red and Wyndham Rewards.
Can you transfer your Capital One miles to another account?
You can transfer your Capital One miles to a friend or family member, provided they also hold a miles-earning Capital One card like Capital One Venture X card, Capital One Venture card, or Capital One Spark Miles for Business.
Can you transfer Capital One miles to American Airlines?
No, you can’t transfer Capital One miles to American Airlines, but you can transfer your miles to British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Finnair, or Qantas and use those miles to book American Airlines flights.
Do Capital One miles expire?
No, Capital One miles do not expire for the life of the account. So as long as your account is open and in good standing, your miles will be available.
How much are Capital One miles worth?
Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each when redeemed through the Capital One travel portal. However, their value can potentially be higher when transferred to certain partner programs, depending on the specific award redemption. We value Capital One miles at around 1.8 cents per mile.
