Capital One transfer partners: the most valuable options for 2024

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Capital One transfer partners offer incredible versatility, allowing you to maximize the value of your rewards across an array of travel options. With the ability to transfer miles to various airline and hotel partners, Capital One provides a gateway to unlocking exceptional savings on travel and value for your miles. By leveraging these transfer partners, you can stretch your miles further, often requiring fewer miles than other rewards programs require.

Between 15+ transfer partners and the ability to redeem miles for direct travel bookings, the sky is (quite literally) the limit.

If navigating 15+ airline and hotel loyalty partners for the best value sounds overwhelming, we’ve got you covered. We’ll dive into each Capital One transfer partner and whether it’s worth transferring your miles. Here’s everything you need to know about Capital One’s airline and hotel transfer partners:

• Aeromexico Club Premier

• Air Canada Aeroplan

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue

• Accor Live Limitless (2:1)

• Avianca LifeMiles

• British Airways Executive Club

• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

• Choice Privileges

• Emirates Skywards

• Etihad Guest

• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (4:3)

• Finnair Plus

• Qantas Frequent Flyer

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

• TAP Miles&Go

• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

• Virgin Red

• Wyndham Rewards

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Capital One airline transfer partners

Capital One has 15 airline transfer partners spanning all three alliances – Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance – eliminating the need for an airline credit card. Not only can you transfer Capital One miles to airlines, but you can also redeem them for virtually any flight in the Capital One Travel portal. Miles are worth just one cent each when you redeem them this way, but this can be a good option when cash fares are relatively low.

• Aeromexico Club Premier

• Air Canada Aeroplan

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue

• Avianca LifeMiles

• British Airways Executive Club

• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

• Emirates Skywards

• Etihad Guest

• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (4:3)

• Finnair Plus

• Qantas Frequent Flyer

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

• TAP Miles&Go

• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

• Virgin Red

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Aeromexico Club Premier

Aeromexico Club Premier isn’t the best program for Capital One mile transfers since flights to Mexico cost more than what other programs charge. Amex Membership Rewards has a 4:3 transfer ratio to Aeromexico, which makes some transfers worthwhile. However, most redemptions aren't worth it since Capital One miles transfer to Aeromexico at a 1:1 ratio.

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Air Canada Aeroplan

Air Canada is one of the few airlines that has improved its frequent flyer program over the years rather than devaluing it. The program uses a distance-based award chart, which is usually not a good indicator since coveted international flights will cost more. However, there are some sweet spots, like flights between the West Coast and Hawaii starting at just 12,500 points each way and short-haul flights under 500-mile distance for 6,000 points.

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Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Air France and KLM’s joint Flying Blue loyalty program is one of the best Capital One transfer partners. Flying Blue has some of the cheapest award flights to Europe and North Africa. You need as few as 15,000 miles each way in economy class to Marrakech (RAK) or 55,000 in business class. This is a fantastic deal, considering most airlines charge close to these rates for domestic flights. You can also fly to Europe from both coasts, starting at just 20,000 miles each way. Through Promo Rewards deals, you can sometimes save up to 50% on these fares.

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Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca Lifemiles is known for its frequent mileage sales, whereby members can purchase miles at a substantial discount. But transferring Capital One miles to Avianca Lifemiles can be a good move if you want to keep costs at a minimum. The program has excellent deals on international award flights. You can book a one-way business class ticket to Europe for just 63,000 miles each way, and award availability for Star Alliance flights is pretty abundant.

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British Airways Executive Club

British Airways Executive Club can be a great program for Capital One miles transfers. British Airways is a member of the Oneworld alliance and offers short-haul flights for as low as 4,500 Avios each way. It’s also great for American Airlines award flights between the West Coast and Hawaii, which cost just 13,000 Avios in economy class. You’ll want to avoid Avios for long-haul British Airways flights since they tend to carry exorbitant fuel surcharges.

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Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program offers a few sweet spot awards, including American Airlines flights to Europe for 50,000 miles each way in business class. The program can also be a good choice for booking Qatar Airways flights to the Middle East from 75,000 miles each way.

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Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards has some steep redemption rates for award flights. But if you want to experience the airline’s lavish first class without the high price tag, transferring Capital One miles to Emirates can make sense. You can redeem just 87,000 SkyMiles each way for a first-class ticket between New York and Milan.

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Etihad Guest

Etihad Guest isn’t the best program to transfer your Capital One miles to. Etihad vastly devalued its loyalty program in 2023, increasing redemption rates for award flights. If you need to use miles for a Oneworld alliance flight, consider transferring Capital One miles to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles or British Airways Executive Club (for short-haul fights).

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EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (4:3)

EVA Air is a Taiwan-based member of the Star Alliance, with reasonable awards to Europe, South America and the Middle East. Economy class tickets to South America and Europe cost just 69,000 miles round-trip. Business class to South America is a bargain at 105,000 miles, while Europe costs 130,000 round-trip. Even business class flights to the Middle East are reasonable at 135,000 miles round-trip. These rates are even cheaper when factoring in Capital One’s 4:3 transfer ratio to Eva Air Infinity MileageLands.

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Finnair Plus

Finnair’s loyalty program doesn’t offer the best value for your Capital One miles. Redemption rates are steep compared to other airlines, and even upgrade awards cost nearly as much as others charge for award flights.

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Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas Frequent Flyer isn’t the best option for Capital One transfers since award prices are fairly steep. However, you might find value in redeeming miles for flights within Australia, starting at 6,400 each way.

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Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance carrier, meaning you can use KrisFlyer miles to fly United Airlines to Hawaii for just 35,000 miles round-trip in economy class. Singapore Airlines is consistently voted one of the world’s top airlines, so even redeeming Krisflyer miles for flights to Asia can be a great value.

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TAP Miles&Go

TAP Miles&Go is a great program for long-haul Star Alliance award flights. You can travel between the U.S. and Portugal for just 100,000 miles round-trip in business class. If you like long-haul flights, TAP Miles&Go offers a bargain redemption from Australia to the U.S. on Emirates: 130,000 miles round-trip. What makes this exceptional is that the flight goes to Dubai first, so you can spend maximum time flying Emirates business class at a reasonable rate.

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Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is the best Capital One Transfer partner for Star Alliance flights. The program has some of the cheapest award rates for flights anywhere. You can fly round-trip within the US for just 15,000 miles in economy or 25,000 in business class. Business class flights to Europe are also a bargain at just 90,000 miles round-trip. These rates are significantly lower than what you’ll pay through most other frequent flyer programs.

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Virgin Red

Virgin Red is the loyalty program for Virgin Atlantic and its sister companies. Virgin Red Points can be used for lots of great “sweet spot” awards, including 10,000-mile economy class tickets between the East Coast and London. Virgin Red also has a vast partner network that includes ANA Mileage Club, Delta SkyMiles and others. This enables you to redeem miles at relatively favorable rates across numerous frequent flyer programs and airline alliances.

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Capital One hotel transfer partners

Capital One has three hotel partners to which you can transfer Capital One miles. Before transferring, you’ll want to compare rates on the Capital One Travel portal and decide whether booking travel with cash or miles is better. With cards like the Venture X, you’ll earn up to 10 miles per dollar spent and you might need to redeem fewer miles than if you were to transfer rewards to a hotel loyalty program.

Regardless, the wide selection of transfer partners and flexible use of Capital One miles might negate the need for a hotel credit card entirely.

• Accor Live Limitless (2:1)

• Choice Privileges

• Wyndham Rewards

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Accor Live Limitless (2:1)

Accor Live Limitless is the loyalty program for hotel brands like Banyan Tree, Fairmont, Mondrian, Novotel, Pullman and others. It has a vast portfolio of amazing hotels around the world you can book with points. You can redeem 1,000 Accor points towards 20 Euros worth of hotel bookings, making them worth around 2.1 cents each. While this is an excellent value, Capital One miles transfer to Accor Live Limitless at a 2:1 ratio. So you may be better off avoiding a transfer and redeeming your miles at 1 cent each towards Accor hotels listed in the Capital One Travel portal.

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Choice Privileges

Choice Privileges has over 7,000 hotels worldwide, including brands like Radisson, Cambria Hotels, Park Inn and Country Inn & Suites. Free nights start at 8,000 points per night or 6,000 for a Points + Cash award. Choice Privileges can be an excellent place to transfer your Capital One miles for low-cost award redemption rates.

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Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards is a high-value hotel loyalty program that can be a worthwhile Capital One transfer option. Free nights start at just 7,500 points per bedroom because Wyndham lets you book various timeshare properties with multiple rooms. This can be an excellent value for families or large group travelers who want to save money on hotels without paying tens of thousands of points nightly per room. Wyndham even has cash and points awards that start at 1,500 points per night.

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Tips for maximizing your Capital One miles

Maximizing your Capital One miles involves a strategic approach to amplify their value. First, it’s essential to get a card that rewards your personal spending habits. If you spend significantly on travel, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can be an excellent option since it earns up to 10 miles per dollar on travel. The Capital One Spark Miles card might be a better fit if you want a business card with a low annual fee that rewards all spending. Picking the right card is the first step in maximizing your miles.

The next step is to use your miles for the highest value possible. A great way to ensure this is by comparing award redemption rates across airlines and choosing the best one for you. For example, the cheapest award flights within the U.S. are usually with Turkish Airlines, which charges 15,000 miles round-trip for United economy class tickets. You can get even more value from transfers by redeeming miles for business and first-class tickets.

Lastly, Capital One sometimes offers bonus miles when you transfer rewards to certain partners. This can help you get more value from your miles and save on award flights.

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What are the best Capital One transfer partners?

The best Capital One transfer partners depend on your travel goals. If you’re looking for low redemption rates on domestic flights, Turkish Miles&Smiles is an excellent option since you can book domestic flights for just 15,000 miles round-trip in economy class. British Airways Avios can be great for short-haul flights, with awards starting at just 4,500 Avios each way.

Flying Blue is an excellent choice if you’re looking for great deals on international flights. The program routinely offers discounts as high as 50% on already low redemption rates. For example, you can fly between the East Coast and Marrakech (RAK) for just 20,000 miles each way in economy and 50,000 in business.

Avianca Lifemiles is great for booking Star Alliance flights, offering business class tickets between the East Coast and Portugal for just 35,000 miles each way. That’s nearly half of what other Star Alliance programs, like United MileagePlus, charge for the same flights.

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How to transfer Capital One miles to partners

Capital One’s transferable miles can open up incredible travel opportunities when used strategically through airline and hotel partners. You can seamlessly transfer your Capital One miles to various loyalty programs by following a few simple steps. Here’s a step-by-step guide for transferring Capital One miles to partner programs:

1. Login to your Capital One account.

1. Click on the “Explore Rewards & Benefits” tile on the bottom left side of the page.

1. Select the “Convert Rewards” tile.

1. Click “transfer miles” next to your preferred airline rewards program.

1. Enter your membership number for the program you want to transfer miles to and hit “next.”

1. Enter the number of miles you want to transfer. Then select “complete transfer.”

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Credit cards that earn Capital One miles

Capital One offers four personal and three business travel credit cards that earn Capital One miles. All of these cards earn above-average rewards on all expenses, while some include lucrative category bonuses on select spending. For example, the Capital One Venture X card earns up to 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. Several cards offer major perks at global events and concerts through Capital One Entertainment.

When choosing a card for Capital One miles, look for a card that best rewards your spending habits. Here’s a brief overview of credit cards that earn Capital One miles:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

• Capital One Venture X Business: Earn 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first three months from account opening.

• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within the first three months of account opening.

• Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 within the first three months of account opening.

• Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit: Earn a $500 cash bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months.

• Capital One Spark Cash Plus: Earn a $2,000 cash bonus when you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Additional Bonuses: Earn a $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year.

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FAQ

Can I transfer miles from Capital One to Amex?

While you can’t transfer Capital One miles to Amex, the two programs have 13 transfer partners in common. So if you have Capital One miles and Amex points, you can transfer rewards to any of the following programs: Aeromexico Club Premier, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Krisflyer, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Miles&Smiles and Virgin Atlantic Red.

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Can you transfer Capital One miles to United miles?

You can’t transfer Capital One miles to United. However, you can transfer Capital One miles to numerous Star Alliance programs that let you book United flights. These include Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca Lifemiles, Singapore Krisflyer, TAP Air Portugal and Turkish Miles&Smiles.

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How do I transfer my Capital One miles to Delta?

You can’t transfer Capital One miles to Delta. However, you can transfer them to Flying Blue or Virgin Red and then book Delta flights using those rewards.

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.