10 ways to redeem the Capital One Venture X sign-up bonus

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Cardis a premium travel rewards credit card that offers various benefits such as earning an unlimited 2X miles on purchases, flexible redemption options, travel credits and travel insurance coverage.

While the card has a higher annual fee ($395) than other Capital One cards, it also provides enhanced rewards and valuable perks. If you travel frequently, it may be worth considering the card’s travel benefits, like the $300 annual travel portal credit and airport lounge access.

But what really stands out about this card is the generous welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within three months of account opening. This new cardmember bonus can go a long way in helping you fight the high costs of travel.

Here are 10 ways to consider redeeming the Capital One Venture X’s sign-up bonus for maximum value.

1. $750 worth of travel

The most straightforward way to redeem the Capital One Venture X sign-up bonus is as a $750 statement credit toward travel expenses, such as flights, hotel accommodations, vacation rentals, car rentals and more, paid for with your card. Another advantage of redeeming miles this way is that you don’t have to deal with blackout dates or fickle award inventory.

Furthermore, you’ll actually earn airline miles and hotel points when going this route. All you have to do is book directly on the hotel or airline website, provide your loyalty number, and pay with your Venture X card. You’ll earn loyalty program points and get to redeem miles toward offsetting your travel costs.

Using the sign-up bonus to cover travel expenses is certainly the simplest redemption option, but it’s not always your best value at just one cent per mile. According to Bankrate’s latest valuations, Capital One miles are worth an average of 1.7 cents each when you transfer them to a high-value travel partner. That process takes more planning, but the work should pay off in higher value for your rewards.

2. Two round-trip tickets within the U.S. or to Hawaii

Thanks to Capital One’s partnership with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, you can book one of the best airline sweet spots: 30,000 miles round-trip for United Airlines economy class tickets within the U.S., including to Hawaii. Considering United MileagePlus often charges 50,000 miles or more for these tickets, the Turkish award redemption is a downright bargain.

With the Capital One Venture X bonus alone, you can book up to two of these round-trip flights — plus one more if you count the miles earned meeting the spending requirement. You can plan a family vacation, go on multiple solo trips or treat your friends to a free getaway. This sweet spot helps you stretch your miles a long way.

3. Three one-way economy tickets from the East Coast to Europe

If Europe is on your bucket list, you can find some of the cheapest award rates through Air France and KLM’s joint Flying Blue loyalty program. Flights between the East Coast and Amsterdam or Paris start at just 25,000 miles each way. Since Flying Blue is a 1:1 transfer partner of Capital One, you can redeem up to three one-way economy class tickets to Europe with the Venture X sign-up bonus.

You can get even more value by taking advantage of Promo Rewards, which offer award discounts of up to 25 percent.

At the moment, you can book flights to Paris and Amsterdam from Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Detroit, and Portland for as low as 18,750 miles each way. Once you’re in Europe, you can find flights for even less, including from Amsterdam to Prague for just 5,625 miles one-way.

4. Eight (or more) round-trip economy tickets to London

If you want to fly specifically to the UK, Virgin Red is a great Capital One transfer partner to use. You can fly one-way between the East Coast and London (LHR) for just 10,000 miles and $109 in economy class. If you manage to find Saver award space, an economy class ticket between New York (JFK) and London (LHR) costs as few as 6,000 points each way. This is hands down the cheapest award ticket you can book to Europe.

It’s worth noting that flights departing out of London carry much higher taxes of roughly $280, so you’ll pay around $400 in taxes per round-trip. This can still be a terrific value when paid fares are high.

Alternatively, you can book a one-way flight to the UK, then use a different rewards currency to return home from nearby Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris. The taxes will be much lower, and getting to Paris from London is fairly easy and inexpensive.

5. A one-way economy class ticket to North Asia

The Avianca LifeMiles program has some of the best redemption rates for Star Alliance flights to North Asia. You can travel business class between the U.S. West Coast and Hong Kong for as little as 39,800 miles each way. Considering these flights can clock in at 14 hours or longer, it’s an exceptional use of miles.

You can transfer Capital One miles to Avianca at a 1:1 ratio, and sometimes, there are even bonus incentives for doing so.

6. A one-way business class ticket to Europe

If you want to bypass the bargains and splurge on a transcontinental business class ticket, Flying Blue offers a great deal. The Venture X sign-up bonus is enough for a one-way business-class ticket between the U.S. and Europe.

For example, New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) or Istanbul (IST) costs just 60,000 miles each way. Business-class flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Amsterdam (AMS) or Istanbul are also reasonable at just 60,000 miles.

7. Fly United Airlines to Australia

After meeting the spending requirement for the Venture X welcome bonus ($4,000 within the first three months), you’ll end up with at least 83,000 miles — 75,000 for the welcome bonus and 8,000 for the amount you’ve spent on the card. That’s more than enough for a round-trip economy class ticket to Australia.

You can transfer your Capital One miles to either Qantas Frequent Flyer or Finnair Plus. Both programs charge just 80,000 miles for a round-trip economy class ticket to Australia. The taxes will set you back around $200, which is a bargain considering a paid ticket to Sydney can cost upwards of $2,000 during peak season.

For a more comfortable in-flight experience, consider business class instead. Capital One’s transfer partner, Air Canada Aeroplan, requires just 75,000 miles one-way for a United Airlines business-class ticket departing from the West Coast.

Aeroplan uses a distance-based award chart, so you’ll need more miles if you’re flying from other parts of the U.S. — up to 87,500 points, to be exact.

8. Fly to South America in business class

Aeroplan’s distance-based award chart offers tremendous value on flights to South America that fall in the 2,501-4,500 mile distance band. These flights cost a mere 50,000 points one-way for business class ticket.

Examples of qualifying routes include Miami (MIA) to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and New York (JFK) to Bogota (BOG). In fact, the JFK-BOG flight falls slightly under 2,500 miles in distance and may price out at 50,000 Aeroplan points.

9. Fly round-trip to Dubai

Dubai is an exciting destination with something to offer for everyone. Thanks to Capital One’s transfer partnership with Emirates Skywards, you can redeem your Venture X welcome bonus for a round-trip economy class ticket to Dubai.

Skywards award tickets from the East Coast start at 30,000 miles each way, while West Coast flights will cost you 32,500 miles. These are very reasonable rates, considering most other programs require 40,000 or more for the same route (but often with a stopover).

Being able to fly direct and on such an esteemed airline with one of the most comfortable economy class cabins is a definite plus. In fact, as someone who avoids international travel unless I can do it in business class, I’ll go as far as to say Emirates is the only economy-class product I wouldn’t mind on a long-haul flight.

10. Redeem for gift cards

Redeeming Capital One miles for anything other than travel isn’t the best value, since you’ll often get less than one cent per mile. However, gift cards can occasionally be a good redemption, especially during the holidays or around events when gifts might put a dent in your budget.

While Capital One miles are worth around 0.8 cents each toward gift cards, the portal frequently runs “sales” where you can get greater value for your miles. For example, Capital One is offering select $25 merchant gift cards for 2,343 miles at the time of writing. At this rate, your miles are worth 1.1 cents each – which is more value than you’ll get on a direct travel redemption.

So, while transferring Capital One miles to airlines for premium awards offers the best value, you can utilize gift card sales to save money on essential purchases or gifts without cutting into your budget.

The bottom line

The Capital One Venture X card is worth it if you’re looking for a rewards card with a substantial sign-up bonus and ongoing rewards. While the $395 annual fee is quite steep, the card’s annual $300 Capital One Travel credit and annual 10,000-mile bonus can largely offset the expense.

Plus, the Venture X card’s sign-up bonus is substantial, regardless of whether you want a simple statement credit toward a travel expense or a pricey business-class ticket abroad. No matter your travel goals, the Venture X sign-up bonus can help you get there.