BRAND
Feature
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
American Express Platinum
Capital One Venture X
Welcome Bonus
60,000 Chase UR (after $5,000 spend in the first 3 months after account opening)
80,000 Amex MR (after $8,000 spend in the first 6 months after account opening)
75,000 Capital One Miles (after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months after account opening)
Earning Structure
10x hotels & car rentals and 5X on flights (Chase Travel), 3x travel & dining
5x flights, 5x hotels (Amex Travel)
10x hotels & car rentals, 5x flights (Capital One Travel), 2x everything
Lounge Access
Priority Pass + Sapphire Lounge
Priority Pass + Centurion Lounge + Plaza Premium
Priority Pass + Capital One Lounges + Plaza Premium
Statement Credits
$300 Chase Travel
$200 Amex Travel + Multiple Statement Credits
$300 Capital One Travel
Redemption Options
1.5 cents per point through Chase Travel + transfers to Hyatt, United, Aeroplan, etc.
1 cent per point through Amex Travel + transfers to ANA, Aeroplan, Delta, etc.
1 cent per point through Capital One Travel + transfers to Turkish, Flying Blue, Emirates, etc.
Best For
Flexible redemptions, travel & dining points
Statement credits, luxury perks, high-end lounges
Lower annual fee, everyday spend bonuses, ease of use
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: $550 annual fee, but the $300 travel credit effectively lowers the cost to $250 for frequent travelers.
- Amex Platinum: $695 annual fee, but multiple credits (airline, Uber, hotel, Walmart+, CLEAR, etc.) can bring the effective cost to ~$150-$200, assuming you use them.
- Capital One Venture X: $395 annual fee, but the $300 travel credit + 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100) means you can easily get $400 in value for a card that costs you $395 a year.
Each card earns points differently, with some excelling at travel purchases and others offering broader spending bonuses.
- 10x points on hotels and car rentals booked through the Chase travel portal
- 5x points on flights booked through the Chase travel portal
- 3x points on all other travel & dining
- 1x points on everything else
- 5x points on flights booked directly or via Amex Travel (up to $500K/year, and then 1x for the rest of the year)
- 5x points on prepaid hotels via Amex Travel
- 1x points on everything else
- 10x miles on hotels & car rentals (Capital One Travel)
- 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals(Capital One Travel)
- 2x miles on everything else
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Priority Pass, Sapphire Lounges
- Amex Platinum: Priority Pass, Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges
- Capital One Venture X: Priority Pass, Capital One Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges
- Redeem points for 1.5 cents each through the Chase Travel Portal.
- Transfers to 14 programs including Hyatt, United, Southwest, and Air Canada Aeroplan.
- Hyatt transfers make Chase points extremely valuable for hotels, while United and Southwest transfers are great for domestic redemptions.
- Transfers to 20 programs including ANA, Aeroplan, Delta, British Airways, and more
- Best for the most airline partner options.
- Transfers to 15+ programs including Turkish Airlines, Air France/KLM, Emirates, and others
- Good list but less valuable than Chase or Amex.
- You want flexible points that transfer to both top airline and hotel programs.
- You spend a lot on travel and dining (3x points).
- You want the easy 1.5x redemption value on Chase Travel.
- You fly frequently and use Centurion Lounges.
- You book premium flights and want high-end airline transfer partners
- You can maximize Amex’s numerous statement credits.
- Transfers to 15+ programs including Turkish Airlines, Air France/KLM, Emirates, and others
- Good list but less valuable than Chase or Amex.
- Best Overall Travel Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve – strong transfer partners, flexible redemptions, and good travel perks.
- Best for Luxury Perks & Lounges: Amex Platinum – best for premium travelers who maximize high-end benefits.
- Best for Everyday Use & Low Annual Fee: Venture X – ideal for frequent travelers who want strong benefits and simple spend bonuses with a lower annual cost.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
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