“How do you guys afford to travel so much?”
It’s one of the questions we get asked the most, and the answer might surprise you. No, we’re not “trusties” (trust fund kids). We’re not independently wealthy, either. And we’re definitely not paying cash for every flight and fancy hotel we book.
The answer is quite simple. We’re big fans of travel hacking credit cards – using credit card sign-up bonuses and rewards from our everyday spending to help fund our traveling lifestyle.
Over the years, we’ve used travel rewards to score free flights, incredible hotel stays, and perks that make our adventures a whole lot more comfortable, like airport lounge access and TSA PreCheck. And two of our favorite cards for making that happen are the Capital One Venture X and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
In this post, we’ll dive into both of these premium travel cards, focusing on our real-world experience using them.
Full disclosure: This post contains referral links, and we may receive a points bonus if you sign up for either card through our links, at no additional cost to you.
Those bonuses help keep us on the road so we can keep churning out fun and useful content to inspire you to live out YOUR travel dreams.
Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Let’s get this show on the road!
Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: The Basics
Before we get started, both are premium travel credit cards. That means they both offer tons of perks, but they also have high annual fees and generally require good to excellent credit.
If you’re interested in the best travel credit cards for beginners, you can check out the younger siblings of these two cards — the Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Here’s a quick glance at how these two cards stack up against each other. Let’s get ready to rumble in this steel cage match of Capital One Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve!
| Venture X | Sapphire Reserve | |
| Annual Fee | $395 | $795 |
| Annual travel credit | $300 through Capital One Travel | $300 on eligible travel |
| Anniversary miles | 10,000 | None |
| Hotel Credits | None | Up to $500 for The Edit collection + general $250 credit |
| Dining Credits | None | Up to $300 at eligible restaurants |
| Base rewards on purchases | 2x | 1x |
There’s a lot more to unpack when it comes to the Venture X vs. Sapphire Reserve, especially those hefty annual fees. But we’re not here to compete with the Guys and Nerds who spend all day analyzing every little credit card perk.
We’re here to share how we’ve actually used these cards to travel the world, and help you decide which one might be worth adding to your wallet.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, launched with a $450 annual fee in 2016. It’s now a whopping $795! Meanwhile, the Venture X charges $395, but its $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles can effectively offset the entire fee if you take full advantage of them.
The Sapphire Reserve takes a little more effort to justify, but its travel, hotel, and dining credits can add up quickly. The trick is figuring out which benefits you’ll actually use, rather than getting distracted by a bunch of perks that sound great on paper.
Travel Benefits and Airport Lounge Access
Before we move on, let me just say that we have had the Chase Sapphire card since 2017. We both started with the Preferred, then I had the Reserve, and now Rachel has it. It is basically our ride-or-die card.
Rachel got the Venture X a few years ago, and when they changed the lounge access rules last year, I decided to get my own. For full transparency, we both have the Venture X at the moment; I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and she has the Reserve.
That means we are paying a combined $1,680 for two cards each. Are we insane? Yes. But not because of credit card fees…
I would have to spend some quality time with a calculator, but I am willing to bet that we are getting AT LEAST $5,000 in value from these cards this year.
Let’s compare the two.
Capital One Venture X: Travel Benefits & Lounge Access
- Airport lounges: Complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and Landings, plus 1,300+ participating Priority Pass lounges worldwide (enrollment required).
- Lounge guests: No complimentary guests by default as of February 2026. Guests cost $45 at Capital One Lounges ($25 for ages 17 and under) and $35 at Priority Pass lounges. Spend $75,000 annually to unlock limited complimentary guest privileges at Capital One locations.
- Authorized users: Pay $125 annually per additional cardholder to add lounge access.
- Luxury hotel perks: Capital One Premier Collection offers a $100 experience credit, breakfast for two at hotels, and potential upgrades. Lifestyle Collection provides a $50 experience credit and other perks.
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: Up to $120 application fee credit every four years.
- Rental car benefits: Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status and primary rental car collision damage coverage on eligible rentals.
- Travel protections: Trip cancellation/interruption coverage, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage protection, and travel accident insurance, subject to the benefits guide.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
Why do we keep this card in our wallet?
Because at the end of the day, Capital One pays us $5 to keep it. We use the $300 travel credit, and the 10,000 anniversary points are worth at least $100, so yeah.
We also both got Global Entry through this card, which is worth $120 and saves a ton of time and energy when flying home from abroad.
The Capital One lounges are really nice, which is why I got my own card when they changed the rules recently. It was worth it for us to each have our own card, because sometimes we travel solo, and I want to hit the Denver airport lounge at 6 am after no sleep from New Orleans. Sorry if you don’t…
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Travel Benefits & Lounge Access
- Airport lounges: Complimentary access to Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club and 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges worldwide.
- Lounge guests: Up to two complimentary guests at Chase Sapphire and participating Priority Pass lounges.
- Luxury hotel perks: The Edit offers benefits such as a $100 property credit, daily breakfast for two, potential upgrades, and early check-in/late checkout.
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: Up to $120 application fee credit every four years.
- Rental car protection: Primary collision and theft coverage up to $75,000 for eligible rentals.
- Travel protections: Trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage and baggage delay coverage, emergency evacuation, and limited emergency medical/dental benefits.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
- Extra travel perk: Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through December 31, 2027.
Honestly, this doesn’t even scratch the surface of this card. There are also credits for StubHub, Lyft, and DoorDash, plus complimentary Apple Music and Apple TV subscriptions.
Yeah, StubHub sucks, and I hate them, but I used one of those $150 credits for WrestleMania, and Rachel’s planning to use the other for a New Year’s Eve show.
I made a spreadsheet when Rachel got the Sapphire Reserve to make sure we could justify that whopping $795 annual fee. We surpassed it within a couple of months.
At this point, the card is practically paying her to travel. Badass.
But enough of the mumbo-jumbo. Let’s show you how WE actually use these cards to TRAVEL.
How We Earn and Redeem Travel Rewards
This is where the real magic happens, folks! We earn travel rewards through everyday spending, welcome bonuses, and strategically using different credit cards for different purchases.
The best part is turning those points into actual adventures. And we’re not just talking about a random hotel night here and there. We’ve used our rewards to help us follow our favorite bands around the country, visit friends and family, and even enjoy some pretty swanky hotels.
Here are just a few of our travel hacking wins from 2026 alone!
Our Chase Travel Rewards Wins
Chase is our ride or die for hotel stays, largely because we can transfer Ultimate Rewards points directly to World of Hyatt. What can I say… we are Hyatt fangirls now, and rightfully so. Just look at where they’ve taken us in 2026 alone:
- Phish at the Sphere AND WrestleMania in Las Vegas: 13,000 Southwest points for flights from Puerto Vallarta and 57,000 Hyatt points for five nights at the Hyatt Place Vegas.
- Viva El Gonzo in Cabo: 21,500 Hyatt points for three nights in Cabo before the festival. More money for music and margaritas!
- Phish at Madison Square Garden (summer tour): 31,000 United miles to fly from Asheville to Newark, plus 40,000 Hyatt points for two nights at Hyatt House Chelsea – which would have cost $1,000 in cash.
- JamCruise: 22,000 Southwest points to fly from Puerto Vallarta to Fort Lauderdale and 45,000 Hyatt points for three nights at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
And then there’s our recent trip to Greece, where the Chase Sapphire Reserve really flexed its muscles.
- InterContinental Crete: We stacked a $250 credit from The Edit with another $250 Chase hotel credit, then used 17,500 Ultimate Rewards points and paid just $2 out of pocket for the room.
- Elounda Mare: Another $250 The Edit credit, 27,000 Ultimate Rewards points, and just $10 out of pocket for the room.
Best of all, we got early check-in, late checkout, complimentary breakfast, and $100 to spend on food and drinks at EACH resort. The second resort even upgraded us to a massive suite!
All told, we spent 44,500 Chase points and just $12 out of pocket for four nights at two luxurious resorts on the Greek island of Crete, thanks to $750 in Chase hotel statement credits.
The regular cash price for those four nights was around $1,500, and probably closer to $2,000 if we’d actually paid full price for that suite.
That $795 annual fee doesn’t seem so scary after a vacation like that, does it?!
I also scored tickets to see Oasis in Manchester next summer (dream come true!!), and transferred Chase points to Aer Lingus to book flights from Chicago to Dublin, then transferred more points to Hyatt for one night in Dublin and four nights in Manchester.
After running the numbers, this would have cost us around $2,500 more if we’d booked the same flights and hotels with cash!!
Did I spend $600 on Oasis tickets? You’re damn right I did!
Do I care? Hell no, because I just saved over two grand on flights and hotels. ‘Cuz tonight, I’m a rock & roll star!
InterContinental Crete
Elounda Mare
Our Capital One Travel Rewards Wins
Capital One has been especially useful for booking flights through airline transfer partners like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Air Canada Aeroplan.
- King Gizzard tour: 15,500 Flying Blue miles to fly from LaGuardia to Asheville.
- Billy Strings at Ionia Freak Fair: 26,000 Flying Blue miles for round-trip flights between Tennessee/North Carolina and Detroit.
- Back to Mexico: 15,000 Aeroplan points for Sasha’s flight from Asheville to Puerto Vallarta, and 30,000 Aeroplan points plus a $350 travel credit for Rachel’s round-trip flights between the Tri-Cities and Puerto Vallarta.
Not too shabby, right?
The takeaway? We don’t just collect points for the sake of watching a number grow. We use them to make more travel, concerts, and adventures possible without constantly draining our bank accounts.
Turn Your Holiday Shopping Into Your Next Vacation
With the holiday shopping season approaching, now could be the perfect time to turn money you’re already planning to spend into points for your next adventure. Preferably, a trip down to Mexico to visit us this winter!
Both the Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Reserve offer welcome bonuses that can give your travel rewards balance a serious boost. If you’re already planning some big purchases, you might be able to meet the minimum spending requirement without changing your budget.
Think about Halloween costumes and candy, Thanksgiving travel and fixings, Christmas decorations and gifts, New Year’s Eve concert tickets and hotels…
Are you going to spend a few thousand dollars between now and January 1st?
I hate to break it to you, but the answer is probably yes. So why not let your money work for you? Here’s a look at the current spending requirements and sign-up bonuses for these cards:
| Capital One Venture X | Chase Sapphire Reserve | |
| Sign-up Bonus | 75,000 | 100,000 |
| Minimum spend | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Time to meet spend | 3 months | 3 months |
| Average monthly spend | ~$1,333 | $2,000 |
| Annual fee | $395 | $795 |
One important thing: Travel hacking only works in your favor if you’re paying off your credit cards in full every month. Interest charges can wipe out the value of those sweet sign-up bonuses in a hurry.
And don’t spend extra money just to earn points! The whole idea is to get rewarded for purchases you were already going to make.
Also, these welcome bonuses are for eligible new cardmembers. Make sure you review the current offers and terms before applying.
This is a good time to remind you that these are not your only options. The Capital One Venture card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred are both only $95 a year, and they are also STACKED when it comes to rewards.
If you haven’t played the travel hacking game yet, just go with one of those.
Seriously. Do it yesterday.
You can come back to this post or even message us privately if and when you want to tackle one of these premium cards.
We spent YEARS working on this, and we were so intimidated by the premium cards – and for good reason. Start small and work your way up. That’s what we did, and we are living proof that it works.
Ready to Start Travel Hacking? Come Visit Us in Mexico!
We hope you found this post informative. To be honest, we only sat down to write it during our Greek island vacation because so many friends asked how in the hell we managed to spend four nights in luxury resorts for just $12 out of pocket and a stash of credit card points.
It took a lot of work. And spreadsheets. And trial and error. We messed up time and time again.
If a couple of wooks who met at a music festival and started dating on Phish tour can use credit card points to fly around Europe and stay in luxury resorts, you can too. Seriously. Believe in yourself! Surrender to the flow.
We’re happy to help if you have any questions. Drop us a line anytime. If you use our link to apply for a card, we’ll gladly share our tips for making the most of those points.
And we REALLY want you to use those points to come visit us in Mexico. The first taco and tequila shot are on us.
Cheers, team. Travel opens doors, and we’re waiting for ya on the other side!
— Sasha and Rachel
