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Tag: Points

  • How I Saved $866 in One Week by Tracking my Reservations

    How I Saved $866 in One Week by Tracking my Reservations

    By Sarah Cash

    Key Takeaways

    • Track and rebook regularly: Monitoring your existing hotel reservations using tools like PointsYeah Hotel Collection Calendar view can lead to significant savings through better rates or award availability.
    • Optimize free night certificates: Use hotel loyalty program benefits and credit card perks at higher-value properties for maximum return.
    • Consider unique accommodations: Alternative lodging like capsule hotels can offer local experiences while saving money. Search for this with PointsYeah Hotel Collection.
    • Leverage flexible cancellation policies: Airlines like United offer free award flight cancellations, making rebooking risk-free.
    • Set price alerts: Use tools like PointsYeah Points Price Alerts, Explorer Alerts, and Hotel Alerts to automatically monitor award flight prices.
    • Strategic point usage: Reserve cash for expensive award periods and use points when rates are favorable.

    The Digital Nomad Advantage

    As a digital nomad with no home base, I book flights and accommodation almost every week of my life. That might sound exhausting to some, but it also means I have booked, canceled, and rebooked hundreds of reservations to maximize savings and discover new experiences. Here’s how I strategically manage my reservations and saved $866 in just one week.

    Capsule Hotel Stay: Saving $196 on Tokyo Accommodation

    The Opportunity

    A fellow nomad recently reminded me about Tokyo’s famous capsule hotels – known for being clean, comfortable, and offering premium amenities like hot tubs, and complimentary breakfast. I discovered a capsule hotel featuring free champagne and a traditional sauna for approximately $50 per night. You can do this by searching for Unique Hotels when searching PointsYeah’s Hotel Collection.

    The Decision

    I had already booked a two-night stay at an Intercontinental Hotel, leveraging my Ambassador status to receive one free weekend night. However, I decided to cancel this reservation for two reasons:

    1. The cost was relatively high compared to other Intercontinental properties worldwide.
    2. I genuinely wanted to experience Japan’s capsule hotel culture.

    The Savings

    • Original IHG cost: $452 for two nights
    • Capsule hotel cost: $256 for five nights 
    • Total savings: $196

    The Intercontinental would certainly have been more luxurious, but the capsule hotel provided a cultural experience while allowing me to save my Ambassador Weekend Free Night certificate for a higher-value property.

    Searching by Hotel Type 

    1. Navigate to PointsYeah Hotel Collection, which you can select from the left sidebar on the main page.
    2. Search for the desired category of hotels on PointsYeah by clicking the relevant circle underneath the search bar.
    3. Click “Unique Hotels” for local accommodations that you won’t find elsewhere.

    Key Lesson: Always evaluate whether unique local accommodations might offer better value than luxury hotels, and reserve your loyalty program benefits for maximum impact.  To do this, search for “Unique Hotels” in PointsYeah’s Hotel Collection.

    United Award Flight Optimization: $670 in TravelBank Savings

    The Situation

    I had originally booked two United business class flights in the South Pacific using United TravelBank funds. While monitoring award availability using Points Price Alerts, I discovered these flights were available in economy for just 15,000 miles plus $13 in taxes.

    The Analysis

    Both flights were overnight routes under two hours – short enough that business class wouldn’t significantly enhance comfort compared to longer routes where lie-flat seats provide real value.

    The Rebooking Strategy

    Thanks to United MileagePlus’s free cancellation policy, I was able to:

    1. Cancel the original TravelBank bookings (refunding $833).
    2. Rebook using 15,000 miles + $13 in taxes for both flights, a value of over 5 cents per point!  
    3. Preserve TravelBank funds for future premium cabin flights on longer routes.

    Key Lesson: Regularly monitor award availability using PointsYeah Points Price Alerts for existing bookings, especially with airlines offering free cancellations. Short flights may not justify premium cabin costs that could be better used on long-haul routes. 

    Hyatt Taipei Strategy: Mixed Bookings for Optimal Value

    The Challenge

    While attempting to optimize a Hyatt reservation in Taipei, I discovered that three of my eight planned nights were only bookable with cash, not points. I had originally planned on booking my stay solely with points.

    The Current Booking

    • Total cost: $448 cash + 25,000 Hyatt points for 8 nights
    • Expected earnings: 16,000 points through a Hyatt promotion
    • Net point usage: 9,000 points (25,000 redeemed – 16,000 earned)

    Searching by Hotel Collection Calendar 

    1. Navigate to PointsYeah Hotel Collection, which you can select from the left sidebar on the main page.
    2. Search for desired hotels on PointsYeah.
    3. Click “Award Calendar” on the tile for the hotel you want to stay at.

    Key Lesson: Even when you can’t immediately optimize an award booking, continue monitoring for improvements in award space using the Hotel Collection Calendar view. Mixed cash-and-points bookings can still provide excellent value.

    Queenstown, New Zealand and Lake Wakatipu

    Future Planning: New Zealand Award Alerts

    The Strategy

    Looking ahead to my trip to New Zealand next year, premium cabin award flights are currently expensive. Rather than booking immediately, I’m using PointsYeah Points Price Alerts and Explorer Alerts to monitor fare changes.

    Setting Up Points Price Alerts for my exact route

    1. Search for desired flights on PointsYeah.
    2. Click “Create Alerts” in the top right corner.
    3. Receive notifications when award prices drop or availability improves.

    Setting Up Explorer Alerts for a broader search

    1. Navigate to PointsYeah Daydream Explorer, which you can select at the top or from the left sidebar on the main page.
    2. Search for flights from anywhere in the US to New Zealand over your desired period of time to find more flights for your trip.
    3. Click the “Create Explorer Alerts” toggle at the top of the search.
    4. Receive notifications when award prices drop or availability improves.

    Key Lesson: For future travel, especially to expensive destinations, set up automated price monitoring with PointsYeah Points Price and Explorer Alerts rather than settling for current high rates.

    Essential Strategies for Travel Savings

    • Maximize Credit Card Benefits
    • Embrace Unique Experiences
    • Master Flexible Booking Policies
    • Implement Systematic Monitoring

    Conclusion: The Power of Strategic Rebooking

    This single week of tracking my reservations underscores how significant savings are possible through strategic rebooking. The $866 I saved is money that I can spend on travel experiences or invest elsewhere.

    I’m so grateful to live my life on the road. While this digital nomad lifestyle can be expensive, points and miles save me tens of thousands annually on flights and accommodations. The key is developing a routine for consistent monitoring and optimization.

    Your action items:

    1. Review your existing reservations this week.
    2. Set up price alerts for future travel with PointsYeah Points Price Alerts, Explorer Alerts, and Hotel Alerts.
    3. Understand the cancellation policies of your preferred airlines and hotels.
    4. Consider local accommodations by using PointsYeah’s Hotel Collection for your next destination.

    What could strategic rebooking save you on your upcoming travels?

  • Breaking: Citi ThankYou Points now transferrable to American Airlines

    Breaking: Citi ThankYou Points now transferrable to American Airlines

    We’ve been waiting for this, and it’s finally here. With the launch of Citi’s newest travel card, ThankYou Points are now transferable to American Airlines AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio.

    Until now, AAdvantage was the only one of the big four U.S. airlines without a major points transfer partner. Delta? Transfer from Amex. United and Southwest? Chase. But American had no option, until now. This opens the door to far more flexibility in finding high-value award seats.

    Daydream explorer is great at helping you visualize all the open award availability.

    AAdvantage has many low cost redemptions starting at 5k miles as of the time of this search. A quick browse through daydream explorer found over 100 nonstop flights priced at that 5k mile mark.

    Looking to stretch out?

    We’re currently seeing First Class seats to Tokyo for around 80,000 AAdvantage miles, on top-tier carriers like Japan Airlines.

    Most recent news regarding transfer partners has been negative. This however is great news for users of PointsYeah who now have even more flexibility to book their next trip. Be sure to update your filters, adjust your strategy, and explore the latest tools (and cards) that can help you take advantage of this change.. Learn more about the featured cards this month.

  • How to use Points and Miles within Europe

    How to use Points and Miles within Europe

    By Sarah Cash

    Key Takeaways for European Flight & Hotel Redemptions

    • Low-cost redemptions beat budget airlines: Some European routes cost as little as 4,000-7,500 miles plus minimal taxes
    • Orphaned miles find perfect use: Stranded airline miles and hotel points are an excellent use for short European stays 
    • Business class flights offer exceptional value: Premium cabin flights can cost much less using points vs. paying cash
    • Transfer bonuses maximize value: Strategic transfers from credit card programs can slash redemption costs
    • Flexible routing creates adventures: Use search tools to discover unexpected destinations at low mileage rates
    • Hotel program perks: Know specific hotel loyalty program discounts, like getting a fifth night free when you book with Marriott Bonvoy points. 

    Ryanair, easyJet, and other low-cost carriers abound in Europe, setting low prices for intra-European flights. While you can typically only redeem miles for flights on more full-service airlines like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, that may seem like a waste of points in comparison to the cash cost. However, there are many cases and reasons why using points for flights and hotel stays within Europe may actually be the wise decision.

    When Points Beat Budget Airlines on European Routes

    Let’s examine a flight from Bologna to Paris. This flight costs 4,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles and $21 in taxes—an extremely low cost, even compared to the cash price of $114. Because this is such a low-cost point redemption, it makes perfect sense to use points here rather than cash.

    Summer Olympics in Paris

    Orphaned Airline Miles 

    Use Air Canada Aeroplan to fly nonstop intra-Europe

    This flight from Krakow to Istanbul costs 7,500 Air Canada Aeroplan miles and $44 in taxes, compared to $138 in cash. Whether you should pay cash or use points becomes less clear-cut here. Though you come out slightly ahead when you use points, the cash cost may be low enough that you prefer saving your points for higher-value redemptions. Make sure you consider the cost of cancelling or changing the flight as well, since that is typically easy to do with an award flight, but much more costly with a cash ticket. 

    This scenario perfectly illustrates when you might want to use “orphaned” miles—those stranded in your airline or hotel loyalty account that cannot be transferred back to credit card programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards. These orphaned points remain in your account until they expire or are used, making intra-European flights an excellent redemption opportunity since they often cost fewer points. In short, if you have orphaned miles, or plans that may change, using points for your ticket will be more cost effective. If not, spending cash may be the smarter option if you have the money.

    Maximizing Business Class Value on European Routes

    Within Europe, business class journeys offer good award redemptions with much more convenience and flexibility. Take this example from Milan to Paris, which costs 8,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles and $28 in taxes, compared to $413 in cash for business class one-way.

    Flying business class for your journey will help ease travel stress, especially when you’re not paying much cash. Keep in mind that European business class typically won’t include wider seats, though you will receive increased baggage allowance, plus a more premium check-in and airport experience. For example, on an economy ticket, Air France lets you take one bag up to 50 lbs, and the ticket costs $111 in cash. But for the above business class ticket, you can take two bags at up to 71 lbs each, for just 8k points + $28 in taxes. If you’re on a longer trip and are carrying more luggage, this can be a great way to alleviate travel worries, and save time and cash. 

    Building Flexible European Adventures with Miles

    Use Daydream Explorer to help you find these hidden gems

    If you’re planning a European vacation, consider building your trip around cheap flight redemptions. Daydream Explorer serves as the best flight search tool when you have date and destination flexibility. Searching from Eastern to Northern Europe over the next couple months reveals opportunities like a nonstop flight from Warsaw, Poland to Riga, Latvia for just 6,000 United MileagePlus miles and $25 in taxes—compared to $150 cash. This highlights a super low-cost way to build an adventure while making your points and miles work efficiently for your travels.

    Strategic Hotel Point Redemptions

    Complement your flight strategy by leveraging points for European hotel stays to create an almost entirely free vacation. Transferring Citi ThankYou points to Choice Hotels at a 1:2 transfer ratio delivers exceptional value—4,000 Citi points becomes 8,000 Choice points for a free night in Paris. Even when cash rates are relatively low, using only 4,000 points for accommodations in a major European city is difficult to beat.

    Transfer bonuses apply to hotel programs just like airline loyalty programs. Through August 15, 2025, Chase is offering a 50% transfer bonus to Marriott, enabling luxury stays in Belgrade, Serbia, for 37,000 points per night at a St. Regis property. While substantial, you can optimize this redemption by combining it with Marriott’s “Fifth Night Free” benefit—stay five nights for the cost of four when booking with points. This strategy stretches your point balance while potentially accessing luxury properties that might otherwise exceed your budget.

    Bottom Line: European Points & Miles Strategy

    When searching for flights and hotels within Europe, follow these essential strategies: always compare cash rates against points redemptions, prioritize using orphaned points from your loyalty accounts, take advantage of credit card transfer bonuses, evaluate business class rates, maintain flexibility with both destinations and travel dates, and utilize hotel program perks like getting an extra free night.

    These optimization tips help you save cash for on-the-ground adventures throughout Europe. After all, it’s a lot harder to use points and miles for your crepes and concerts than for your flights and hotels!

  • Points in Action: July 2025

    Points in Action: July 2025

    At PointsYeah, we believe that travel dreams shouldn’t stay dreams — and our users prove it every day. In this new series, Points in Action, we’re sharing real stories from the PointsYeah community about how smart searches, strategic alerts, and one powerful tool helped make big trips happen.

    Tyler “Dublin” His Way Home from Europe

    “When flights to Seattle were expensive in July 2025, PointsYeah’s Explorer Alerts found me a 27k American Airlines miles flight from Amsterdam. Then, Price Point Alerts discovered an even better 27.5k Alaska miles flight from Brussels that included a free Dublin stopover. The real win came when another Price Point Alert caught the same Brussels route in business class for just 55k Alaska miles – doubling my miles for a luxury experience home.

    Tyler used PointsYeah’s Explorer Alerts and Price Point Alerts to make his trip home from Europe incredibly memorable. The power of the Explorer Alert allowed him to find his original availability before the Price Point Alert yielded even better opportunities. With PointsYeah watching all the programs at once, he didn’t have to manually check every day.

    Rahul Jetsetting Across the Globe Through Alliance Partners

    “I got an alert for Singapore Airlines nonstop business class Singapore to New York for only about 75k Air Canada points that I was able to book and will be doing later this year. I also booked a first class ticket from Dubai to Bangkok on Qatar Airways for only 50k American Airlines miles.”

    Never underestimate the power of the transfer partners. Rahul found an incredible value traveling from Southeast Asia to the US through Air Canada and yet another trip from the Middle East to Southeast Asia through American Airlines. PointsYeah does the work for you, connecting you with the best redemption possible through partners you may not have even thought of.

    Laura Bags First Redemption With Live Search

    “It was exciting to do a live search for our Switzerland trip and receive an alert that met our criteria. We booked using points for the first time, so we were nervous, but now we are excited to go!”

    Everyone remembers their first points and miles redemption and how nervewracking it can be. PointsYeah makes it simple with a straightforward, easy-to-follow search tool that can get you on your way to your next destination.

    Your Story Could Be Next

    Have you used PointsYeah to book an epic trip, unlock a hidden redemption, or stretch your points further than you thought possible? We want to hear about it!

    Send your story to yeah@pointsyeah.com with a photo, your trip details, and how PointsYeah helped. We can’t wait to feature your story in a future edition of Points in Action!

  • Cardpointers: The app we are using to maximize our points earning strategy

    Cardpointers: The app we are using to maximize our points earning strategy

    Most Users Save $750+ a Year with Cardpointers

    Most travelers are missing out on hundreds of dollars in rewards—not because they lack the right cards, but because they’re using them wrong.

    It happens every day:
    🕓 Forgetting an expiring credit
    🍽️ Using the wrong card at a restaurant
    💸 Overlooking a limited-time offer

    These slip-ups cost you real value.

    CardPointers fixes all of it.
    It shows you the right card to use—right when you need it.
    Tracks your offers and credits automatically.
    So every perk, bonus, and credit actually gets used..

    No guesswork. No spreadsheets. No missed points.

    Get 30% off → CardPointers.com/PointsYeah

    This app is sleek, fast and built to work with you everywhere. Dont believe us? They just won App of the Day from the Apple App Store on July 24th 2025.

    CardPointers helps users earn more points everywhere they shop for free. With CardPointers+, most users save $750+ every year — and for a limited time you can save 30% off the normal price.

  • How Buying Points Helped Me Fly My Family to Europe in Business Class for Less Than $900 Each

    How Buying Points Helped Me Fly My Family to Europe in Business Class for Less Than $900 Each

    Flying business class to Europe as a family of four? Most people think that’s a once-in-a-lifetime splurge. But with a little strategy, the right timing, and the right tools, I made it happen for a fraction of the cost.

    Here’s the full story of how I saved over $10,000 on our flights and turned a dream family trip into reality.

    Step 1: Catching the Points Sale of the Year

    In late 2024, Hawaiian Airlines ran a 100% bonus sale on miles. When you know how to use points, deals like this are impossible to pass up. I didn’t hesitate. I bought around 320,000 Hawaiian miles for $4,064.00 because I knew I could put them to work later.

    But here’s what made this special.

    At the time, there was a workaround that let you transfer Hawaiian Airlines miles to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. This was huge. Normally, getting points into Alaska is difficult, but this Hawaiian path opened up access to some of the best award redemptions in the game.

    I didn’t know exactly when I would use the miles, but I knew the opportunity was too good to miss.

    Step 2: The Search for Four Business Class Seats

    Fast forward to February and March 2025. I started searching for four business class tickets from the West Coast to Europe for a late spring or early summer family trip.

    Finding four seats in business class on the same flight? That’s not easy. But it’s possible if you know where to look.

    I spent weeks searching, checking routes, flipping through dates, and running searches across multiple airlines. I knew I needed a tool that could keep up with me and help me move fast.

    That’s why I used PointsYeah’s Daydream Explorer. It’s fast, flexible, and my absolute go-to for finding award flights. You can search across programs and dates in seconds, which saves a ton of time and opens up flights most people miss.

    Then I found it.

    Four business class seats from Las Vegas to Frankfurt on Condor Airlines for just 70,000 Alaska miles per ticket.

    Finding one seat at that rate is pretty rare. Finding four on the same flight? That’s tough, but this is exactly what Daydream Explorer is built for. It helped me spot this deal quickly before it was gone.

    I stared at the screen, double-checked the dates, the cabin, the taxes. I refreshed the page. I ran the search again. I triple-checked everything just to be sure.

    It was real. And I knew I had to move fast. Deals like this don’t wait around. If you hesitate, they’re gone.

    So I booked them immediately.

    The trip was locked in.

    The Final Numbers:

    • Total Miles: 280,000 Alaska miles
    • Cash Paid: $196.80 in taxes and fees

    Just out of curiosity, I checked the cash price for those same flights on Google Flights.

    $14,080 for 4 people.

    I booked them for less than $900 per person. That’s a savings of over $10,000.

    That’s not a discount. That’s a major win!

    Step 3: Flying in Style

    When the day finally came, it all felt surreal. We weren’t crammed in economy. We weren’t worrying about sleep, legroom, or whether our kids would be miserable for ten hours. We were flying in comfort. We were flying in business class.

    Boarding Condor’s A330, we settled into wide, spacious seats that fully reclined into beds. The cabin was quiet. The service was smooth. The food was surprisingly good. And when we took off, I had this moment of realizing this is why I chase points. It’s not just about saving money, it’s about creating moments that make travel easier, more enjoyable, and more memorable.

    The flight was perfect. We dined, we slept, and we landed in Frankfurt feeling refreshed, rested, and genuinely excited to kick off our European adventure.

    When you travel with your family, this matters. Arriving well-rested changes everything. It sets the tone for the entire trip.

    And the best part? I didn’t need to spend $14,000 to make it happen.

    This is the power of points. This is why I play the game.

    How Daydream Explorer Made It Happen

    It’s not just fast. It’s not just easy. It’s built to help you find flights most people miss. I could quickly scan wide-open date ranges, mix and match departure cities, and explore hidden opportunities that would have been buried in endless airline searches.

    While others are still clicking through airline websites, I’m already booking.

    If I wasn’t using Daydream Explorer, I never would have found those four seats. I never would have pulled this off.

    Looking back, this whole experience changed how I think about buying points.

    Buying Points Can Be a Game-Changer When It Makes Sense

    This trip really opened my eyes to what buying points can unlock. It’s not something I do for every trip, but when the right opportunity shows up, it can make a huge difference.

    When there’s a big sale, when you’ve done the math, and when you can actually find the seats you want, buying points can be the key to getting incredible value. It can turn flights that seem completely out of reach into something that’s possible.

    I didn’t buy points just to have them sitting in my account. I bought them because I had a real plan and a real way to use them.

    Buying points isn’t always the answer, but sometimes, it’s exactly what makes trips like this happen.

    Important: The Points Game Is Always Changing

    When I bought Hawaiian miles last year, the Hawaiian-to-Alaska transfer path was wide open. It was one of the best workarounds in the game. That path has since closed, and it’s a perfect reminder that these windows don’t stay open forever.

    Award programs, transfer partners, and sweet spots are constantly shifting. What works today might be gone tomorrow. We’ve seen it happen with Virgin Atlantic’s rising fees, Emirates’ recent Amex transfer devaluation, and other changes across the points landscape.

    The key takeaway?

    Maximize transfer bonuses and partner sweet spots while you can, but don’t move points speculatively. Wait until you find a real, bookable flight. Programs can devalue, transfer ratios can shift, and award space can vanish overnight.

    There will always be new deals, but the industry moves fast. Staying ready, staying flexible, and using the right tools is how you stay ahead.

    Final Takeaway: You Can Do This Too

    Buying points when the math works out can be one of the smartest moves in points travel. You don’t have to be an expert. You just need to:

    • Be ready to act when a deal drops.
    • Use the right tools, like Daydream Explorer, to search smarter and faster.
    • Trust the process.

    This is how you win with points.

  • Capital One Venture X Review

    Capital One Venture X Review

    You know all the makings of a premium travel credit card: It’s made of shiny metal; it comes with fancy perks like airport lounge access; it offers hundreds of dollars in travel-related statement credits per year; it’s got an eye-watering annual fee.

    The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card fits the bill as an unquestionable premium travel rewards card — but with an annual fee that’s considerably lower than its competitors. In fact, because of its effortlessly valuable yearly benefits, the card’s fee is effectively zero.

    Even better, the card earns super valuable (and super easy-to-use) rewards. This makes it a great option for anyone who travels even semi-regularly, whether you’re an award travel veteran or you’re just entering the world of miles and points.

    How do Capital One miles work?

    How to earn Capital One miles

    The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with an intro offer of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

    The card also has a high earning rate for everyday purchases:

    • 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 5 miles per dollar on airfare and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
    • 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases
    • 2 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases

    Up to 10X miles is beyond impressive. But the star of the show is its base 2X return rate. No matter how unusual your spending habits, you’re guaranteed to get a good return for your swipes.

    When it comes to travel credit cards, this earning structure is as straightforward as it gets.

    How to use Capital One miles

    Capital One gives you a few basic ways to redeem your rewards. You can:

    • Convert points into airline miles or hotel points with Capital One travel partners, such as Avianca and JetBlue.
    • “Erase” travel purchases you make with your card up to 90 days later at a rate of 1 cent each. You can redeem your miles for transactions like flights, hotels, public transit, even campgrounds.

    We’re a bit biased (and correct) when we say that converting your miles into airline and hotel rewards is hands-down the best way to use your points. It gives you the potential to book exponentially more travel than those other two options.

    For example, if you were to purchase the below $161 United flight from Eugene (EUG) to Phoenix (PHX), you’d spend 16,100 Capital One miles to “erase” the transaction. But by transferring Capital One miles to Avianca, the flight would cost just 7,500 miles and $5.60 in fees.

    Here’s a chart of the airline and hotel programs that partner with Capital One. All transfers are 1:1 unless otherwise specified.

    Accor Live Limitless (2:1)EmiratesSingapore Airlines
    AeromexicoEtihadTAP Portugal
    Air Canada AeroplanEVA Air (2:1.5)Turkish Airlines
    AviancaFinnairVirgin Red
    British AirwaysFlying Blue (Air France and KLM)Wyndham Rewards
    Cathay PacificJetBlue (5:3)
    Choice PrivilegesQantas

    No matter where you want to go, a Capital One partner can get you there — and PointsYeah can help you to quickly find a suitable award seat. Enter your origin and destination into the PointsYeah search bar and filter results to only show Capital One partners. We’ll take care of the rest.

    Or, if you aren’t exactly sure where you want to go, you can use the Daydream Explorer tool to enter countries or continents (or even all of Earth) as your destination and see what jumps out at you.

    Is the Capital One Venture X worth a $395 annual fee?

    The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card charges a $395 membership fee — but again, travelers may consider this card to be no-annual-fee. If you travel even once per year, the card can pay for itself without breaking a sweat. Here’s why.

    Yearly bonuses

    The Capital One Venture X comes with two incredibly useful annual rewards that post to your account after each cardmember anniversary, which make your annual fee effectively to zero:

    • Up to $300 in travel credit to be redeemed through Capital One Travel for flights, hotel stays, rental cars, etc. (you’ll also get this credit upon account opening)
    • 10,000 bonus Capital One miles (beginning on your first account anniversary)

    These perks alone can offset the $395 annual fee for even the intermittent traveler. The 10,000 bonus miles alone can be enough for a round-trip flight to lots of fun destinations (read our guide to where you can go with 5,000 miles or less).

    Access to airport lounges

    You’ve probably seen fancy airport lounges dotted throughout the concourse during your travels. But you may not know how easy they are to get into.

    With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you can enter over 1,300 airport lounges around the world. Airport lounges often come with free food and alcohol, fast Wi-Fi, tons of electrical outlets, and sometimes even showers and children’s play areas.

    The card confers access to Capital One Lounges, a collection of upscale lounges, as well as Capital One’s new restaurant-first concept — Capital One Landing. You’ll also get to use lounges within the ubiquitous Priority Pass lounge network. And you can bring two guests for free.

    And get this: Even Venture X authorized users will get their own airport lounge access. You can add up to four authorized users for free.

    Expedited airport security experience

    Every four years, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives you up to $120 in credit to reimburse you for the application fee to “trusted traveler” programs TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.

    TSA PreCheck costs $78 for a five-year membership. It gives you the ability to (practically) sprint through the domestic airport security checkpoints without having to remove your shoes or belt — or even take your laptop out of your bag. Plus, you’ll go through an exclusive security lane that processes much faster.

    Global Entry costs $120 for a five-year membership. It helps you to skip the immigration line when entering the U.S. from overseas. Instead of getting grilled by an immigration officer, just find a dedicated kiosk and it’ll quickly confirm your identity. Global Entry also comes with TSA PreCheck privileges.

    Excellent travel insurance

    The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an all-time great when it comes to protecting your travel purchases. Its insurance will automatically activate when you pay for your travel with the card.

    Here’s what you’ll get:

    • Primary rental car insurance. When renting a car, the card covers up to $75,000 against theft or damage. You don’t even have to tell your personal insurance provider about the accident — so your premiums won’t be affected at all.
    • Trip delay reimbursement. When your trip is delayed by at least six hours or requires an overnight stay, you’ll get up to $500 per ticket toward “reasonable” expenses. This can include a hotel room, meals at a restaurant, a phone charger, and more.
    • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Whether you’ve got to cut your trip short or cancel it before it begins, you can be reimbursed up to $2,000 per person for nonrefundable prepaid travel. Eligible reasons include injury or death of an immediate family member or if the carrier on which you’re traveling goes bankrupt.
    • Lost luggage reimbursement. Get up to $3,000 when the common carrier (airline, cruise ship, ferry, bus, etc.) loses your luggage.
    • Travel accident insurance. You’ll receive up to $1 million in coverage against accidental loss of life, limbs, sight, speech, or hearing if the tragedy is the common carrier’s fault.

    Trust me, these perks are better than what the vast majority of travel credit cards offer. If you travel regularly, you’ll get good use from these (but fingers crossed that you miraculously never need to use them!).

    Cell phone protection

    When you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, your phone is covered for up to $800 against damage or theft(max two claims and $1,600 in coverage per 12-month period).

    Top-tier Hertz elite status

    Hertz’s highest level of status is called President’s Circle — and it’s complimentary with the Capital One Venture X (though you’ve got to enroll your card). Without the card, you’d have to either complete 15 rentals or spend $3,000 with Hertz in a calendar year.

    President’s Circle comes with perks like:

    • 50% bonus points on paid rentals
    • Guaranteed upgrades
    • A dedicated customer service line

    Get special access to restaurants and events

    Capital One caters heavily to dining and entertainment. It partners with some restaurants to help you land a reservation even when the joint is fully booked. Its Capital One Dining platform also hosts special experiences like cooking classes with prominent chefs.

    And through Capital One Entertainment, you can book super popular music and sporting events and experiences through presale opportunities — so you can be one of the first to buy.

    Is the Capital One Venture X right for you?

    A $395 annual fee isn’t exactly a pittance. To decide if the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is worth the price point, ask yourself these simple questions.

    Do you fly a couple times each year? With its myriad air travel-related protections and its airport lounge access, the Capital One Venture X is especially valuable for flyers. You’re neglecting a lot of value if you don’t find yourself in an airport at least once or twice per year.

    Do you book travel through online travel agencies? When you book airfare, hotel stays, or rental cars, do you use a website like Expedia or Priceline? If so, you’ll make good use of the card’s up to $300 in annual travel credit — since it can only be redeemed through Capital One Travel. Plus, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns tons of bonus miles when you pay for travel through this platform.

    Do you like road-tripping? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards to use for renting a car thanks to its top-notch travel insurance and its 10X return rate for car rentals through Capital One Travel. It even offers the highest level of Hertz elite status (though you typically won’t get rental car elite status perks when booking via Capital One Travel — you’ll have to book directly with Hertz).

    Is the Capital One Venture X easy to get?

    Again, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel credit card. But it’s not notoriously hard to get. Here are some guidelines to follow:

    • Maintain a good credit score. We recommend that you not apply for this card unless your credit score is at least 720. While there may be anecdotal evidence of folks being approved with a lower score, a 720+ score gives you the best chance.
    • 48-month rule. If you’ve earned the welcome bonus on a Capital One Venture X within the past 48 months, you won’t be eligible to earn it again.
    • 1/6 rule. Capital One usually won’t approve you for more than one credit card application within a six-month period.

    So yeah, that’s the deal

    The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a more accessible annual fee. And because the fee can so easily be offset with perks like airport lounge access, $300 in annual travel credit, and 10,000 yearly bonus miles, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an easy win for just about every traveler.