Ok, now you have all these points in your Capital One account, what do you do with them?
Step 1. Decide where you want to go and what airlines you are planning on using or a hotel chain.
Step 2. Sign up for that airline or hotel chain rewards program and get an account number (it's free to sign up). Once you have an account you can research how many points are needed for your flight or hotel stay. You can also use several websites to do the work for you (AwardHacker or point.me)
Step 3. Log into your Capital One travel portal and transfer the points needed from your Capital One account to airline or hotel accounts.
Step 4. Log into the airline you just transferred the points to and book your ticket using points. *You will need to pay the taxes on whichever airline or hotel you choose. Prices will vary
Step 5. Pack your bags and you're going on vacation!
What are airline alliances and why do they matter?
Airline alliances: groups of airlines that have partnered together. These groups let each other book flights on one another’s airlines and even redeem points on their airlines.
Why it matters: Understanding airline alliances opens up more ways to maximize your points. You can begin to consider - What airline alliance do I need to earn points for vs. locking yourself into one airline.
Example: You can transfer points to United to book on Lufthansa. There are also unofficial partnerships that airlines have. A great example of this - You can transfer points to Virgin Atlantic to book a flight in ANA's.
Pro Tip: With Capital One Miles, you’ve got the ability to mix and match your redemption options. Either transfer them to a travel partner or use fixed-value rewards to: book new travel via Capital One Travel, redeem for gift cards, or redeem for cash.
I recommend transferring your capital one travel points and booking with the airlines directly. More bang for your buck.
Check out this blog post: Credit card hacking, how to get points to save money on travel
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