Capital One Venture X Review: Is It Worth $395?

Saying that the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is my absolute favorite card is almost an understatement. I’ve had it since 2022 and it’s still the card I use almost every single day.

For me, the $395 annual fee is more than justified. I’ve gotten multiple business class tickets by using my miles over the years, saved so much money at airports by dining in the Capital One lounges, and easily used the $300 travel credit every single year.

There are a lot of travel rewards credit cards out there and it can feel really overwhelming to know which ones are actually worth it. Trust me, I get it. So let me make this decision really easy for you.

The Capital One Venture X is a great card for you if you want lounge access without paying an exorbitant annual fee, want an easy way to earn enough miles to fly business class, and don’t want to juggle multiple credit cards.

The card is probably not for you if you need complimentary lounge access for your travel companions or you’re looking for more luxury travel benefits.

You do need to be based in the USA to open up this credit card.

Why I’ve Kept this Card in my Wallet for Four Years

Is the Capital One Venture X worth the $395 annual fee? Well, I’ve willingly paid for it for four years.

I’ve opened almost every travel rewards credit card out there, and I’ve closed a lot of them because they just weren’t worth it to me. The Venture X is different.

The biggest reason is simple: I earn 2x miles on every dollar I spend.

I put about $3,000 a month on my Venture X, which means I earn 72,000 miles a year just from my normal spending. For context, I’ve booked business class flights to Europe for as little as 60,000 miles.

And that’s before the 10,000 anniversary miles I get every year, miles I’ve earned referring friends and family, and Capital One shopping offers.

Then there’s the $300 annual travel credit.

I just used mine to book a hotel in Charleston for our wedding anniversary, and this is where the $395 annual fee starts getting really easy for me to justify.

Four nights would have cost us about $1,500 without any deals. But because it was my first time booking a Premier Collection hotel, I got 20% off. The hotel was also offering a fourth night free, and then I applied my $300 Venture X travel credit.

My final cost? $745.08.

But wait, I’m not done.

Because I booked a Premier Collection hotel through the Capital One travel portal, I also got a $100 experience credit, free breakfast, and a free room upgrade.

So yeah…that one anniversary trip alone more than made up for my annual fee.

And lastly there are the Capital One Lounges.

I am personally obsessed with them and genuinely think they’re some of the best credit card lounges out there. Their food and beverage program is unmatched, so instead of spending money on mediocre airport food before a flight, I’m eating an actually delicious meal, sipping a cocktail, and spending $0. It doesn’t get better than that. I personally value each visit at around $50. I probably go to a Capital One Lounge or a Capital One Landing (their restaurant concept) at least five times a year.

And that’s not even counting how many times I visit Priority Pass lounges (also included with the card)

Can you see why I still have this card in my wallet four years later!?

My Simple Two-Card Strategy for Earning More Miles

I’ve opened a LOT of travel rewards credit cards over the years, but I don’t think the average person needs to do that to earn enough miles to fly business class. Unless you’re a full-time traveler or want to make points and miles a serious hobby, there’s a much simpler way.

I usually recommend my coaching clients start with a simple two-card setup.

Mine is the Capital One Venture X and the American Express Gold Card.

I use my Amex Gold for restaurants and groceries because I earn 4x points on those purchases. Then I use my Venture X for basically everything else because I know I’ll earn 2x miles.

That’s it. Simple.

As I mentioned, I put about $3,000 on the Venture X every month, which earns me about 72,000 miles a year.

Then I spend about $2,000 a month on restaurants and groceries with my Amex Gold, which earns me another 96,000 points a year.

So without constantly opening new credit cards or trying to remember which of 10 cards I should use, I can earn around 168,000 points and miles a year from my normal spending with just two cards.

And the best part? You can do the exact same thing with your own everyday spending.

How the Venture X Welcome Offer Can Get You Closer to Business Class

I just showed you how I earn thousands of miles every year from my normal spending, but you don’t have to wait a year to build up a big stash of Capital One miles.

When you first open the Venture X, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in 3 months.

And because you’ll also earn 2x miles on that $4,000 of spending, you’ll actually end up with 83,000 miles.

If you’re new to points and miles, you’re probably thinking, Okay…is 83,000 miles a lot?

Yes.

To give you an idea of what that can actually get you, this is what I have personally used my miles for:

1. I flew Lufthansa first class in a lie-flat seat, got driven to the aircraft in a Porsche, and was offered caviar all for just 60,000 miles
2. I’ve eaten one of the best business class meals I’ve had with the most intricate cutlery in KLM business class to Amsterdam for 60,000 miles
3. I’ve enjoyed a flight from London in an incredibly comfortable lie-flat seat with impeccable service in British Airways First Class for 68,000 miles

Now, if you’re brand new to points and miles, you might be looking at that list and thinking, “Okay, but that’s not actually possible…is it?”

I promise it’s not as complicated as you might think. Once you know how to search for flights, it becomes a lot easier and dare I say, addicting.

And if figuring that out feels overwhelming, this is exactly the kind of thing I help my points and miles coaching clients with. We look at the miles you already have (or figure out which ones you should earn) and build a strategy around the trips you actually want to take.

Capital One Transfer Partners Are Where the Real Value Is

While the Capital One Travel portal is easy to use, I rarely redeem my miles there. When I’m planning an international trip, I usually look at Capital One’s transfer partners first.

Basically, instead of using your miles directly through Capital One, you can move them to participating airline loyalty programs, which most of the time gets you much more value.

This is where the Venture X can go from being a simple everyday spending card to a powerful travel rewards card.

Capital One has transfer partners across several major airline alliances, which gives you a lot of flexibility when you’re looking for an award flight.

And this is how I’ve been able to turn everyday spending into some pretty incredible flights. I’ve used my Capital One miles for Lufthansa First Class, KLM Business Class, British Airways First Class, and Qatar Business Class.

You don’t need to know every transfer partner or understand every award chart to get started. I usually start by finding the flight I want, then compare which Capital One transfer partner offers the best award price before moving my miles.

The Little Things That Make the Venture X Better to Use

There are also a few smaller features that aren’t necessarily reasons I’d get the Venture X on their own, but they make me enjoy using the card more.

One of my favorites is the real-time spending notifications. Every time my card is charged, I get a notification on my phone showing the amount in U.S. dollars. I especially appreciate this when I’m traveling internationally because I can immediately see what I’ve spent without doing the currency conversion in my head.

I also genuinely like using the Capital One Travel portal. I don’t use it often but when I need to my $300 credit, the Venture X travel portal is easy to navigate. The filters are useful, and I like having features such as price predictions when I’m deciding whether to book now or wait.

The Biggest Venture X Downside Is Lounge Guest Access

Of course, no credit card is perfect, and the biggest Venture X downside for many travelers is the new lounge guest policy.

As of February 1, 2026, Venture X cardholders no longer get complimentary guests at Capital One Lounges. If you want to bring someone in, you’ll need to:

• Purchase a guest pass for $45 per adult or $25 for children ages 2–17 (children under 2 are free).
• Pay a $125 annual lounge-access fee for an additional cardholder.
• Spend $75,000+ in a calendar year to unlock two complimentary lounge guests for the remainder of that year and the following year.

Priority Pass guest access has changed, too. You’ll need to pay $35 per guest unless they’re an eligible additional cardholder with their own lounge access.

This could be a significant downside if you travel as a couple or family. A family that previously entered lounges together for free could now end up paying every time they visit.

Personally, this change doesn’t affect me much because my husband and I both have the Venture X, so we each have our own lounge access. But if only one of us had the card, I’d consider the new guest policy a much bigger drawback.

Is Venture X Worth It? Why I’ll Always Keep This Card in My Wallet

For me, the Capital One Venture X is absolutely worth the $395 annual fee. It’s become one of the cards I use most because it makes earning travel rewards simple while giving me benefits that genuinely make my trips better.

A few years ago, I was sitting in a cramped terminal chair, eating an overpriced, soggy sandwich, and feeling overstimulated by the never-ending stream of announcements. I didn’t even know lounge access or business class was something attainable.

Now, I can walk into an airport lounge, grab a meal, find a quiet place to sit, and actually relax before my flight. And the miles I earn from cards like the Venture X have helped me travel in ways I never thought were possible.

That’s ultimately why I love points and miles. It’s not about collecting as many points as possible—it’s about making travel better.

If you’re the kind of person who wants to enjoy the benefits without obsessing over them, this might just be your “one and done” card.

And if you want to use your points and miles for experiences like business or first class but aren’t sure how to actually find and book them, that’s exactly what I help my points and miles coaching clients do.