This Travel Card Just Beat Amex Platinum at Its Own Game
Image source: Getty Images
A few years ago, I was sitting at an airport gate watching people disappear behind the frosted glass of the Amex lounge. That lounge access felt like the ultimate travel flex.
Back then, there was one clear way to get that experience: the American Express Platinum Card®. It was the gold standard, and it cost as much as one.
But that was before the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) showed up and changed what "premium travel" meant.
The card that made luxury simple
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card quietly built a loyal following by doing what Amex didn't. It made premium perks easy to use and worth the money.
You earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on all other purchases. Every year you keep the card, you get a $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles. Together, that's worth at least $400 toward your next trip.
That's before factoring in the lounge access, the travel protections (these are network benefits), and the $395 annual fee (see rates and fees), which is less than half of the Platinum Card®'s $895 (see rates and fees).
It's why we named the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card our Best Travel Credit Card for 2026.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= PoorOn Capital One's Secure Website.
Earn 100,000 miles (worth $1,000 in travel) when you spend $10K in the first 6 months
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
19.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
Rewards Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases.
2X-10X miles
Annual Fee
$395
Welcome Offer 100,000 Miles when you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening
100,000 Miles (worth $1,000 in travel)
-
If you want premium travel perks that easily justify their cost, this card delivers. You’ll get a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, plus 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth $100 toward travel) — perks that can offset the $395 annual fee.
Earn a 100,000-mile welcome bonus (worth $1,000 toward travel), unlimited 2X miles on everyday purchases, airport lounge access, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credits, and you’ve got one of the strongest premium travel cards available today.
Read Full Review -
- Big travel rewards bonus
- High rewards rate
- Travel credits
- Easy-to-use miles
- Annual fee
- Other card issuers have more valuable travel rewards
-
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
First-class comfort that feels effortless
You don't need to chase dozens of credits or remember promo codes. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives you Capital One Lounge and Priority Pass™ access after enrollment.
There's no foreign transaction fee, flexible mile transfers to more than 15 travel loyalty partners, and built-in protections-- these are network benefits-- that make every trip less stressful.
It's everything you want in a premium card, minus the homework.
The new face of travel luxury
The American Express Platinum Card® still has its fans, but the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card feels like the future. It delivers real-world value, not just prestige. It's the card you'll actually use on every trip, from the Uber ride to the hotel check-in.
Luxury isn't about who spends the most. It's about who figured out how to make comfort simple, and that's exactly why the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card took home the crown.
See why it won Best Travel Credit Card for 2026 and start earning today.
For award licensing inquiries, email [email protected].
Our Research Expert
Jake FitzGerald is a full-time Editorial Strategist and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, leading content production and distribution while also writing about credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial products. He has more than a decade of experience editing and shaping financial content to give readers clear, trustworthy money advice. His work focuses on delivering practical insights that empower people to make smarter financial decisions. Off the clock, he’s a fan of college football tailgates and still loyal to his favorite putter -- despite what his short game suggests.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
For rates and fees for American Express Platinum Card®, click here