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Keith: “How I’d Use the Capital One Venture 40,000 Mile Bonus”

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    With the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, you can earn 40,000 Venture miles (worth $400 in travel) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.  Lots of folks like this card because the rewards program is so simple.

    I’ve asked the Million Mile Secrets team how they’d use the card’s sign-up bonus.  Here’s team member Keith!

    Keith:   The Capital One Venture card was the first travel rewards credit card I applied for when I started in the miles & points hobby several years ago.  The straightforward rewards program appealed to me.  And I wasn’t traveling frequently at the time.
    I’d Use Venture Miles to Save $400 off the Cost of a Mediterranean Cruise to Visit Italy and Greece Again!
    Credit card application rules have changed a lot since I got started.  So it would NOT be the first card I’d get if I was starting over.  But using Venture miles to save money on travel inspired me to apply for other travel cards with lucrative sign-up bonuses and perks.  That’s how I got to 12 cards in my wallet.

    While the Capital One Venture might not fit into my current credit card strategy, the sign-up bonus offers an easy way to save $400 on a trip or other travel purchases.  So I would consider applying for the card in the future.

    I’ll share 4 ways I’d spend the 40,000 Venture mile sign-up bonus!

    How WE Would Use the Capital One Venture 40,000 Mile Bonus

    $400 in Travel Savings With the Capital One Venture Card

    I’m not considering the Capital One Venture right now because I’m hoping to get under the Chase “5/24” card limit and earn valuable sign-up bonuses with Chase Ultimate Rewards cards.  And opening another personal card like the Capital One Venture means I’d have to wait longer.

    But if I do earn the 40,000 Venture mile sign-up bonus in the future, these are the ways I’d consider using the $400 in travel savings.

    1.   Save on a Cruise

    I love cruises!  I’ve had memorable experiences on a few cruises, including to the Caribbean and to different ports in the Mediterranean Sea.

    With the Capital One Venture card, you can pay for a cruise with the card.  Then, use miles to “erase” all or part of the charge!

    I searched Priceline and found a sample 7-night itinerary for an Eastern Mediterranean cruise, which costs ~$1,100 per person.  Redeeming 40,000 Venture miles for this charge means I’d essentially save almost 40% off the cost of the cruise.

    An Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Sounds Like Fun!

    The cost doesn’t include flights.  But I could transfer points from another card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve to airline partners to book award flights.

    Using Venture Miles to Offset the Cost of a Cruise to the Beautiful Island of Santorini Would Be Amazing!

    2.   JetBlue Mint Business Class Flight

    My wife and I travel back and forth between Los Angeles and New York often to see friends and family.  And we like to book JetBlue Mint Business Class tickets when they’re less than $700 each way.

    My Wife and I Don’t Mind Sitting Further Apart When We’re Able to Select Spacious JetBlue Mint Business Class Suite Seats!

    Using 40,000 Venture miles to save $400 on a comfortable transcontinental flight would be a sweet deal!

    3.   Boutique Hotel Stay

    I typically use Starwood or Hyatt points to book free hotel stays.  But sometimes our travels take us to a destination where there aren’t any chain hotels, which means you have to pay cash for a hotel.

    For example, my wife and I recently traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and stayed at the historic Gettysburg Hotel.  Earning Venture miles to offset the cost of stays at independent hotels like this one in the future would be a nice way to experience a travel destination!

    Venture Miles Can Come in Handy to Save on Stays at Independent Hotels, Like the 220-Year-Old Gettysburg Hotel

    Similarly, we could pay for an Airbnb stay and erase the charge using Venture miles.  My wife and I met a few friends in Fort Collins, Colorado, last year and had a terrific experience with Airbnb.

    4.   Rideshare Fares With Uber and Lyft

    My wife and I share a car, so I use Uber and Lyft often.

    The Capital One Venture Sign-Up Bonus Could Cover $400 Worth of Uber or Lyft Rides!

    I could use 40,000 Venture miles to get $400 worth of rides!

    Capital One Venture Card Offer

    Link:   Capital One® Venture® Card 

    Link:   My Review of the Capital One Venture Card

    The Capital One Venture card earns 40,000 Venture miles (worth $400 in travel) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.

    You’ll also get:

    The card has Visa Signature Benefits, which include:

    Live Near a Capital One Cafe? Pay With Your Capital One Venture or Other Eligible Card and Get 50% off Coffee Purchases!

    And for folks who live near a Capital One Cafe, you can get 50% off coffee purchases when you pay with your Capital One debit or credit card.  There’s a new location that just opened in Santa Monica, California.

    Bottom Line

    The Capital One Venture card sign-up bonus is worth $400 toward travel purchases.

    Team member Keith says he’d take advantage of the savings to go on a cruise, fly JetBlue Mint Business Class, stay at a boutique hotel, or toward rideshare fares.

    The great part about earning Venture miles is they’re very easy to redeem.  Simply make a travel purchase with your card.  Then, log into your account and “erase” the purchase with miles!

    How you would redeem 40,000 Venture miles to save on travel?

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)