- Home
- Personal Finance
- Credit Cards
- Travel Credit Cards
This travel card is a favorite among Kiplinger readers. See why so many recommend it.
By
Sean Jackson
Edited by
Carla Ayers
Published
17 August 2026
In
Features
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
- Copy link
- X
When you shop for a car, paying full price is usually frowned upon. Should you use the same premise when booking your trips?
This is where the best travel credit cards come into play. With generous miles or points back, you can score significant discounts on your trips along with a few other perks. To find the best travel rewards credit cards, we asked you, as part of our Readers' Choice awards — an online survey conducted every winter to recommend the best based on factors such as customer service, overall satisfaction and most recommended.
Here are three reasons why you chose the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card as the top option. I'll also include the other travel cards earning high rankings.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Sign up1. Abundant travel perks
Here's an example of the many travel perks this credit card offers you:
Swipe to scroll horizontallyFeature
Detail
Benefit to Traveler
Lifestyle Collection Stay
Receive a $50 experience statement credit on each stay
Late checkout, early check-in and room upgrades, when available
Travel Booking Bonus
5x Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Maximizes earnings on major travel expenses.
Redemption Rate
Miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each against qualifying travel purchases.
Versatile and simple redemption process
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
Statement credit up to $120.
Covers the cost of essential expedited security programs.
Transfer Partners
Ability to transfer miles to over 15 airline and hotel partners.
Provides flexibility for maximizing value beyond 1 cent per mile.
As you can see, you'll earn elevated miles back when using Capital One's travel portal. The other benefit of this approach is that it is among the most affordable for credit card portals, according to The Points Guy. It means not only are you receiving exceptional rewards for regular travel, but you're also not overpaying either.
Furthermore, Capital One offers a price match. If you book flights, hotels or rental cars through their portal and find a lower price on another website within 24 hours, you can contact Capital One and they'll issue a travel credit for the difference.
Today's Top Travel Accessory Deals
4Pcs Elastic Hat...4Pcs Elastic Hat Clip for Travel, Hat Holder Hands Free Bag Accessory for Traveling Bags, Backpacks, Purses, Totes Black $5.29Viewat Amazon
MEIXINZHI 3Pcs...MEIXINZHI 3Pcs Cotton Hat Clips for Travel, Knitting Travel Hat Clip for Bag Backpack Luggage, Beach Vacation Cruise Essentials $6.59Viewat Amazon
Face Shadow...Face Shadow Polarized Sunglasses Fit Over Glasses for Women UV400 Lens $9.99Viewat Amazon
Travel Accessory...Travel Accessory Jewelry Pouch Budd Leather $42.99Viewat Wayfair
Tumi Travel...Tumi Travel Accessory Garment Bag - Black $295Viewat Macy's2. Flexible and easy redemption
One Kiplinger reader shared, "I never had a problem redeeming my points/miles. Very easy to do." There are a few ways to redeem miles easily:
- Pay for past purchases: After using your Capital One Venture Rewards card for travel purchases, you'll earn miles. Once those apply to your account, you can use these miles, at a rate of one mile per cent, to pay for some or all of your recent travel purchases.
- Transfer miles to participating partners: Another option is to pool your miles and transfer them to more than 15 travel partners, including airlines and hotels. Some transfers could fetch you higher redemption rates, such as moving your miles to Air Canada.
Overall, these options give you more ways to redeem miles, helping you save even more on future trips. By removing the complexity from the redemption process, this card ensures that your rewards are actually usable — turning miles into real savings rather than just numbers on a screen.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
This is the most recommended travel card by Kiplinger readers, thanks to flexible mile redemptions, exceptional service and ample travel perks.
View Deal3. Proactive fraud detection
One of the main reasons this credit card received such a high ranking was the customer service Capital One provides, especially fraud detection. One reader noted, "The card has been excellent at holding fraudulent costs, waiting to ask. It has caught every legit fraud and rarely halts non-fraud. "
Overall, this card is a great fit for regular travelers who want to save on flights, access elevated hotel experiences, and redeem travel rewards flexibly. This card will not be great for travelers seeking airport lounge access, luxury travel perks, and other credits, such as dining and shopping.
Along with Venture Rewards, these cards also ranked highly among our readers:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- The American Express Platinum Card
While the Venture Rewards card is a fantastic all-around choice for many, these alternatives offer different strengths — so consider which travel goals matter most to you before you apply.
Related content
- Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards: Maximize Miles, Points, and Benefits
- This Might Be the Most Underrated Travel Card for Simplicity
- Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards 2026: Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Sean JacksonPersonal finance eCommerce writer Sean is a veteran personal finance writer, with over 10 years of experience. He's written finance guides on insurance, savings, travel and more for CNET, Bankrate and GOBankingRates.