How to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners

Guide to Capital One’s Airline Partners

Some of the most valuable rewards cards are those that allow you to transfer points to certain partners such as airline frequent flyer programs. Transferability gives you more flexibility, providing a variety of redemption options and possibly giving points a higher value. 

With an eligible Capital One card, you have the ability to transfer the miles you earn from everyday purchases to numerous airline partners. In the case that one transfer partner is of more value to you, you have the option to choose among the 15 Capital One airline partners. 

How to earn Capital One miles

There are four credit cards that earn transferable Capital One miles. Depending on the card, you’ll earn between 1.25x and 2x miles per dollar spent on qualifying purchases. 

1. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 
2. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: 20,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
3. Capital One Spark Miles for Business: 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 
4. Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business: 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

How to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners

1. Click “Rewards Miles” on your account home page

To transfer your Capital One miles to airlines, begin by logging into your Capital One account. One the home page, you’ll see a link under your rewards miles total that says “Rewards Miles”. Click on the link. 

2. Click the “Transfer Your Rewards” box

Scroll down to see your redemption options for Capital One miles and click the “Use My Miles” button in the “Transfer Your Rewards” box. 

3. Choose the airline you want

From there, you’ll see airline partners that you can choose from. Capital One currently has 15 total airline partnerships, most of them with a transfer ratio of 2 to 1.5. The exceptions are Emirates, Accor, and Singapore Airlines, which have a transfer ratio of 2 to 1. A transfer ratio of 2:1.5 means that you’ll get 1.5 miles/points for every two Capital One miles you transfer. For example, you’ll get 750 Air Canada miles for every 1,000 Capital One miles you transfer. 

To get the best value for your Capital One miles, you’ll want to choose an airline partner with a favorable transferable ratio and a useful loyalty program. 

4. Enter your frequent flyer number 

When you click on the airline you want, a pop-up window will appear, where you’ll have to enter your airline membership number. 

5. Complete transfer

Enter the number of miles you want to transfer. Note that the minimum number of miles you can transfer is 1,000 miles, but above that, you can transfer in increments of 100, which is flexible when compared to most programs. 

Double-check that the number of miles you entered is the exact number you want to transfer. Once your transfer is complete, you cannot transfer your miles back to Capital One. 

Once you click the “Complete Transfer” button, you’ll see a “Success!’ pop-up that includes a confirmation code you can save and/or print. Note that while Capital One miles transfer to some airline partners are instant, others have a lag. For example, Cathay Pacific, EVA Infinity, and Singapore Airlines have a 24+ hours turnaround. 

Capital One Airline Partners 

• Aeromexico
• Air Canada (Aeroplan)
• Air France & KLM (Flying Blue)
• Alitalia
• Avianca
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• Etihad
• EVA Air
• Finnair
• Hainan Airlines
• JetBlue
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Singapore Airlines

Bottom line

The ability to transfer Capital One miles to 15 airline partners is a valuable feature for many cardholders. When it comes to flying domestic flights, Capital One’s lineup of transfer partners falls short. However, if you travel overseas frequently, you can enjoy award travels to essentially any place in the world.