In 2021, Capital One stepped into the premium travel card space when it launched the card_name. This card directly competes with card_name and the card_name. In my opinion, it’s definitely giving both of these cards a run for their money.

Welcome Bonus

Currently, the card_name comes with a solid welcome bonus. bonus_miles_full

These miles can be worth $750 if you redeem them for travel directly through Capital One. However, these miles can be worth significantly more if you transfer them to one of Capital One’s travel partners. I’ll list our the transfer partners down below.

Annual Fee

This card comes with a $395 annual fee. This is significantly less than other premium rewards cards and comes with comparable benefits. Like all cards with annual fees, you should be getting more in benefits than the cost of the fee. So let’s get into the benefits.

Venture X Benefits

This card_name comes with some fantastic benefits. This isn’t a comprehensive list but here are several of my favorite benefits.

Travel Credit – You will get up to $300 in statement credits each year for travel booked directly with Capital One Travel. In my opinion, getting the full $300 credit is super easy to do.

Anniversary Bonus – Starting on your first card anniversary, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles each year. If you use these miles as a statement credit, their worth $100.

Lounge Access – With this card, you’ll get a free Priority Pass membership to airport lounges around the world and Capital One lounges. This give access for both you and 2 guests. of all the lounges I’ve visited, the Capital One lounge in DFW is by far my favorite!

Hertz Status – You’ll get free Hertz President’s Club status just by having the card. I love this benefit! When you rent with Hertz, you can pick any car from the President’s Circle row when you rent a midsize car or above. Plus, you can skip the rental counter and go straight to your car which can save so much time!

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck – You get up to a $120 statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.

Cell Phone Protection – If you pay your monthly wireless phone bill with your card_name, you’re eligible for up to $800 in coverage per claim with a maximum of two claims and $1,600 per 12-month period. There is a $50 deductible applies per occurrence.

There are other free benefits, like trip delay insurance, primary car rental insurance and extended warranty coverage and others as well.

Earning More Miles

Earning more miles with the card is pretty straightforward. You can earn more miles with the card_name in the following ways:

10X – You’ll earn 10 times the miles on every dollar you spend on hotels and car rentals when booked directly with Capital One Travel.

5X – You’ll also earn 5 times the miles on all airfare purchases made directly with Capital One Travel.

2X – Finally, you’ll earn 2x miles on all other purchases you make with the card.

Redeeming Your Miles

Transferring Miles – Capital One has several fantastic travel partners you can transfer your miles to. Typically, this is the best way to get the most value out of your miles.

Statement Credits – You can also redeem your miles to offset travel purchases via statement credits. You can offset any purchase the codes as travel using your miles at a rate of 1 cent per point. This is a simple way to redeem your miles.

Future Travel – You can book travel directly with Capital One Travel and use your miles to pay for it. Again, you can redeem your points at a flat 1 cent per point for this as well.

Gift Cards – You can redeem your miles for a variety of gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Cash Back – If you want straight cash back, you can request it at a rate of 0.5 cents per point. Please don’t do this. If you want the cash, just get a bunch of gift cards to stores where you shop.

Capital One Transfer Partners

All miles transfer at a 1:1 ratio with the respective partners, with the exceptions noted below. You can transfer the miles you earn with the card_name to the following travel partners:

• Aeromexico Club Premier – Miles transfer instantly
• Air Canada Aeroplan – Miles transfer instantly
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue – Miles transfer instantly
• Avianca LifeMiles – Miles transfer instantly
• Accor Live Limitless (2:1) – Miles transfer in 1 day
• British Airways – Miles transfer instantly
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles – Miles transfer in 5 days
• Choice Privileges – TBD Transfer Time
• Emirates Skywards – Miles transfer instantly
• Etihad Guest – Miles transfer within 24 hours
• Eva Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5) – Miles transfer within 36 hours
• Finnair Plus – Miles transfer instantly
• Qantas Frequent Flyer – Miles transfer within 24 hours
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer – Miles transfer within 36 hours
• Tap Portugal – Miles transfer instantly
• Turkish Airlines – Miles transfer instantly
• Virgin Atlantic Red – Miles transfer instantly
• Wyndham Rewards – Miles transfer instantly

Some of my favorite ways to use my Capital One miles are to transfer to Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program to take advantage of their sweet spots. I also like us British Airways for flights to Mexico and nonstop domestic routes.

Final Thoughts

The card_name is one of my favorite travel rewards cards. In fact, both my wife and I have this card in our wallets. I think the benefits are top-tier and easy to use. I think most people can easily get enough value out of this card to make it worth paying the annual fee each year. If you don’t have this card, I would strongly recommend you taking a closer look to see if it’s right for you.

The post Capital One Venture X Credit Card Review appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points. So when they have a business card that comes with a large welcome bonus and no annual fee, you get my attention. Besides, if own a business, or have a side hustle, I always recommend having a business card to keep your expenses separate.

In order to open a Chase business card, you have to be under 5/24. In a nutshell, that means you can only have applied for fewer than 4 personal credit cards within the past 24 months. Otherwise, Chase will automatically decline you. If you want more information on this, read this article I wrote about Chase’s 5/24 rule.

The Welcome Bonus

New card_name cardmembers can earn a fantastic welcome bonus. bonus_miles_full This bonus is paid in Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This is a fantastic bonus for a card that doesn’t have an annual fee.

If you liked that, keep reading and I’ll show you how to make these points worth even more.

Earning Points

Earning points is pretty simple with the card_name. On most purchases, you’ll earn 1 Ultimate Rewards point for every dollar spent. However, the card comes with a couple bonus categories that let you earn points faster.

You’ll earn 2x points on purchases made at gas stations and restaurants. These bonus points are limited to the first $25k in combined purchases made each anniversary year in these categories. Plus, you will earn 5x points on all purchases made at office supply stores and on internet, phone and cable services. The bonus is also limited to a combined $25k in purchases for these categories each anniversary year.

Using Your Points

The card_name is marketed as a cash back card. The cash back earned on this card is given to in the form of Ultimate Rewards points. If you only have this card, you can only redeem those points for cash.

However, one great feature of the Ultimate Rewards program is that Chase gives you the ability to combine all of your points into one account. By doing that, you can now transfer your points to one of Chase’s travel partners so you can get even more value out of them! That’s why I always recommend having one of Chase’s premium cards in your wallet.

One of my favorite Chase transfer partners is Hyatt. We have used our points to to stay at the Ventana Big Sur that typically costs over $2k per night. We’ve also used our Chase points to fly our family to Hawaii! By moving your points to a premium card, you can easily get more value out of your points.

Other Benefits

The card_name comes with a couple other benefits that I like; primary car rental insurance and extended warranty coverage.

Car Rental Insurance – By paying for your entire rental car with this card, you get primary collision damage waiver coverage. Simply decline the collision insurance when renting your car. Here’s a great article from One Mile at a Time about the CDW coverage that comes with Ink business cards.

Extended Warranty – On eligible purchases, you can extended the US manufacturer’s warranty coverage by one additional year simply by paying for the item with this card. I’ve used this coverage multiple times over the years and has saved me a lot of money.

Final Thoughts

The card_name is a fantastic card and you should really consider adding it to your wallet. With no annual fee, a large welcome bonus and great bonus earning categories, this card is one of my favorites. I typically earn the most points each year using this card.

The post Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Review appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Chase just made a big move with the launch of their new Freedom Flex credit card. The Freedom Flex card is Chase’s newest no annual fee, cash back credit cards. This card essentially replaces the Freedom card because it is now no longer open to new applicants.

What makes this credit card so great is that it comes with earnings rates and benefits that are typically reserved for premium cards like the card_name.

Cash back credit cards generally earn a modest flat rate purchases made with the card. Occasionally they’ll have spending categories that will earn bonus points but are generally capped at a certain amount. Aside from those bonus categories, there really aren’t any other significant benefits that come with cash back cards.

This is understandable considering cash back card usually don’t carry an annual fee. However, the launch of the Freedom Flex card has completely changed the landscape of credit cards with no annual fee. Here’s everything you need to know to see if this card is right for you.

Welcome Bonus

The Freedom Flex card comes with a very generous welcome bonus for new cardmembers. First, you will earn a $200 bonus after spending just $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account. The bonus is paid by depositing 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points into your account. These points can be redeemed for $200 or you can combine them if you have one of Chase’s premium cards and redeem your Ultimate Rewards points in several different ways.

Unfortunately, if you already have the Chase Freedom credit card, you aren’t eligible for the welcome bonus. I’ve had the original Chase Freedom card for over 17 years so I wasn’t eligible for the bonus. However, you are able to call Chase customer service and request a product change to this card, which is precisely what I did.

Earning Points

The Freedom Flex card has several great new ways to earn Ultimate Rewards points. I love that the new bonus categories are for places people commonly buy things.  Plus, you’ll earn an unlimited 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases made with the card.

Rotating Bonuses –  You will earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly bonus categories like the original Freedom card. These quarterly bonus categories have included purchases at gas stations, Amazon and home improvement stores. They change each quarter and the bonus is limited to the first $1,500 in combined spending in those categories. Just remember you have to log into your account each quarter and activate this bonus.

Travel – You will earn a generous 5% cash back on all travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards website.

Dining – This is my favorite bonus category. You’ll earn an unlimited 3% cash back on all dining purchases. This also includes takeout using the popular delivery services.

Drug Stores – Purchases made at drug stores will also earn you 3% cash back.

Card Benefits

All of Chase’s credit cards have been part of the Visa network for the past several years. However, Chase has chosen to partner with Mastercard for the new Freedom Flex card. This means you will be able to take advantage of the World Elite Mastercard benefits if you have this card.

There are a few more benefits than these but here are a few of the top benefits that come with this card.

Cell Phone Insurance – This is my favorite new benefit that comes with the card. When you pay your cell phone bill with your Freedom Flex card, all of the phones listed on your account are covered by the insurance. You are covered up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year in coverage against theft and damage. This can easily save you a couple hundred dollars a year if you’re paying for insurance through your carrier.

Shoprunner – You get a free Shoprunner membership for having the card. This gives you free 2 day shipping and return shipping at over a hundred online retailers.

Lyft Credit – Earn a $10 credit each time you can 5 Lyft rides in a calendar month. This is limited to 1 credit per month.

Final Thoughts

Chase has definitely put other banks on notice with the launch of the Freedom Flex card. The card has excellent bonus categories, valuable benefits and doesn’t charge an annual fee. I think these changes will cause other banks to make adjustments to their cards which is a win for consumers. If you don’t already have this card, I think you should strongly consider applying for it.

The post Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card Review appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

My wife and I try to get away every year to celebrate our anniversary.  We live in the Phoenix area, so we’ll usually just pick one of the local resorts we haven’t tried before.  The past two years we’ve stayed at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain and the Hermosa Inn which were absolutely incredible!

This year we planned well in advance for a trip to Cabo to take advantage of the Avios sweet spot to Mexico. Unfortunately, in light of global events, our trip was cancelled due to travel restrictions. In an effort to salvage our anniversary trip I scrambled to find an alternate location that was closer to home.

Earlier the same week, the Ventana Big Sur resort announced they were reopening their hotel as an all-inclusive resort. I’ve heard amazing things about the resort, and I’ve always wanted see Big Sur, so I knew this is where I wanted to go.

Getting There

Where Is It – Big Sur is a beautiful stretch of the Central California coastline. The resort is located up on a hill overlooking the ocean in the heart of the town.

How To Get There – The closest airport to Big Sur is in Monterey (MRY), which is located about an hour north. We decided to fly into San Jose (SJC) because we have the Southwest Companion Pass and found flights for only 5,442 points total. The drive from San Jose to Big Sur is about 2 hours if you don’t stop. San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Louis Obispo (SLO) are all just a little further way if you need other options.

Rental Car – You will also need to rent a car while you’re there. Don’t forget to use Autoslash to track the price of your rental.

Pro Tip – I would recommend flying in the night before and staying at a hotel near the airport. This way you can take your time driving down the coast before you’re scheduled to arrive at the Ventana Big Sur.

Booking It

With Points – The Ventana Big Sur is a luxury Hyatt Alila resort. With the hotel changing to an all-inclusive resort, one night here can easily cost $2,000 when you include taxes and fees. However, this is a Category 8 hotel so you can book a standard room for only 45k World of Hyatt points per night!

Remember, you don’t pay taxes or resort fees on Hyatt award stays. When you factor in the all-inclusive offerings like food and activities, this is an incredible value! When we stayed there, we actually stayed when it was a lower category property and during a promotion so we only paid 24k points per night which made the value even more incredible!

Booking Tip – When searching for availability, I found award space for two nights. However, when I went to book it, the site said there was no award availability. I searched for the 2 nights individually and was able to find space, so I made two separate reservations and then emailed the hotel to combine our reservation. I don’t know if this was a glitch with the site but just be aware of it in case you run into a similar situation.

Paying Cash – If you choose to pay with cash be sure to use a card that gives you bonus points travel purchases. The card_name credit card gives you 4x on Hyatt purchases. Other great cards to use are the card_name or the card_name.

Parking, Check-In & Fees

Parking – The Ventana resort offers both valet and self-parking for free.

Check-In – We couldn’t wait to get there, so we requested a noon check-in. It was the first day they were open, so they were easily able to accommodate our request. The regular check-in time is at 4 pm. If you aren’t able to check-in early, you can still grab a bite to eat and explore the hotel while you wait for your room to be ready.

We were met at our car by several members of the hotel staff who helped with our luggage and showed us where to check in. During check-in they explained the all-inclusive offerings and helped us schedule any activities we wanted to try. Everyone was genuinely nice and helpful and the process was seamless.

Service Charge – If you paid for your stay with cash, a $90 per day service charge is added to your rate. This fee is meant to cover most gratuities for the staff. If you pay for your stay with points, this fee is not charged to your room.

Pets – The Ventana Big Sur is a dog-friendly hotel. A per stay fee of $150 is charged and they will provide you with a dog bed and water bowl for your room.

The Room

The Ventana Big Sur only has 59 total rooms and suites. Reward stays are booked into standard rooms at the resort. However, we were upgraded to a Big Sur suite when we checked in. The hotel was only operating at 50% capacity so I’m assuming the upgrade was a result of availability and not because of the Hyatt Discoverist status that comes with the card_name.

The rooms are spread out over several buildings throughout the property. Our suite was at the far end of the property next to the Mountain pool.

The resort grounds are immaculately kept and almost all of the rooms are located down a single path from the Social House where you check-in.

Some rooms will face the beautiful mountains and forest. Others, depending on the location, will have a view of the ocean.

The room was spacious and decorated in a beautiful rustic mountain cabin theme. There room had a king bed and it was the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve slept on in an incredibly long time.

In front of the bed was a sitting area with two leather chairs in front of a wood burning fire place. The hotel provides each room with multiple fire kits. Simply place the bag of wood in the fire place and then light it with a match. It’s a wonderful way to relax at the end of the day.

The opposite side of the room has a large bath tub to relax in. Next to it is a spacious shower with a rain shower head. I loved the

Next to the bathtub is a large two sink vanity with plenty of room to get ready.

Out the back door is a large balcony overlooking the ocean. The balcony had a sitting area with a hammock and I definitely spent my fair share of time relaxing out there.

Dining

The Sur House – The main restaurant at the Ventana Big Sur is the Sur House. It’s a gorgeous location with outdoor seating that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

To get there, you can either walk along a beautiful trail that’s about 1/4 mile long or they’ll drive you there in one of the hotel’s enclosed golf carts.

You can enjoy both breakfast and dinner here and the food was absolutely spectacular! We enjoyed  a 6 course meal the first night and then a juicy steak the next night. The kitchen was slow the first night but that was to be expected because it was their first night open as an all-inclusive property. Our server was fantastic and beyond friendly. The entire team really made dining there an unforgettable experience.

Casual Dining – Throughout the day you can enjoy outdoor dining located next to the Meadow Pool. There are several delicious options to choose from so you should try as many as you can while you’re there.

You can also enjoy a bite to eat from the lounge chairs by the pools or on the lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

In-Room Dining – The hotel also offers in-room dining that you can order from a tablet in your room. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast each morning from the comfort of our bed.

Amenities

Being an all-inclusive resort, the Ventana Big Sur also offers several wonderful amenities you can enjoy. While not a complete list, here are some of the highlights. Unfortunately, due to world events at the time, several of the amenities were closed while we were there so I wasn’t able to take a picture of those.

Pools – The hotel has two large pools that are both kept at a comfortable temperature year round. Each pool has plenty of seating and umbrellas to keep you comfortable throughout the day.

Hot Tub – There’s a gorgeous infinity-edge hot tub by the Meadow Pool that I could sit in all day.

Japanese Baths – There’s a bath house by the Mountain Pool that’s open 24 hours. I think the infinity hot tub is a much better location but the Japanese Baths are open 24 hours. There’s no roof on the facility so it can be a fun place for some late night stargazing. The baths were closed while we were there, so I’m taking the staff at their word.

Picnic Lunch – You can enjoy a delicious picnic lunch overlooking the ocean or in the Redwood forest. You can schedule this with the hotel a few days before you arrive.

S’mores – Each night you have the opportunity to roast s’mores in the Redwoods.  It’s a fun way to end each night of your stay.

Fitness Center – Next to the bath house is a small fitness center if you like to exercise while you’re on vacation. I can barely exercise at home so I wasn’t planning on trying it out. Fortunately, it was closed while we were there so I didn’t feel too guilty about trying all of the food options and then sitting by the pool.

Spa Alila – The hotel has a full service spa that offers several treatment options. The spa was also closed so we weren’t able to enjoy it while we were there.

Hiking & Yoga – There are hiking trails around the property that make a perfect afternoon walk. Each morning the resort offers complimentary yoga classes. I took the trail around the hotel which was gorgeous. As you can imagine from earlier comment about exercising, I didn’t partake in the yoga classes.

Social Hour – Each afternoon in the Social House there’s a social hour where you can enjoy a drink of the day and mingle with other guests.

Do You Need More Points?

Is the Ventana Big Sur now on your bucket list but you don’t have enough points to stay there? Hyatt is a transfer partner with Chase, so it’s easier than you think to earn enough points. You can leverage your existing Chase cards to quickly earn points or you can add a new card to your wallet that has a great welcome bonus. Here are a couple suggestions.

World of Hyatt – The card_name is a great card to have for Hyatt stays. bonus_miles_full

card_name – The card_name card is the travel card I recommend most often for beginners. bonus_miles_full These points can be transferred easily to your World of Hyatt account.

card_name – The card_name card is an excellent card for frequent travelers. bonus_miles_full These points are also transferable to your World of Hyatt account.

Final Thoughts

The Ventana Big Sur is definitely one of the best hotels I’ve ever visited. The staff, food, accommodations and amenities were top notch and the location was incredible! When you add in that you can pay for your stay using Hyatt points, it’s an absolute steal. If you’ve ever wanted to visit Big Sur, this is where you need to stay. Have you stayed here before? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought.

The post The Alila Ventana Big Sur Is Worth Every Point appeared first on Easy Travel Points.