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Get a sam's club membership for just $14 - the lowest price we've seen, a costco executive gold star membership comes with a free $40 gift card right now, the best travel vpns: expert tested.

Best Card to Pair with the Amex Gold: 4 Options to Consider

Vault’s viewpoint.

• The Amex Gold card is ideal for restaurants worldwide, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, but not other everyday expenses.
• Getting another credit card that offers higher earning potential in other categories can optimize your rewards strategy.
• The best credit card to pair with Amex Gold is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Amex Gold and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

While the Amex Gold has generous rewards for restaurants worldwide, U.S. supermarkets and flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, all other eligible purchases only earn 1X points. One of the best credit cards to pair with Amex Gold is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for several reasons.

Complementary Rewards

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card fills the gaps that Amex Gold has and offers a minimum of unlimited 2X miles on all purchases. On top of the flat rate rewards , you can also earn 5X miles when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.

So a good strategy would be to use the Amex Gold for restaurants worldwide, U.S. supermarkets and flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for all other everyday purchases as well as hotels and rental cars that are booked through Capital One Travel. For travel lovers, this can cover all your bases and ensure you’re optimizing your rewards and spending.

Lower Annual Fee

The Amex Gold card has an elevated annual fee clocking in at $250. While it’s not the most expensive travel rewards card on the market, it’s a step above many other mid-tier rewards cards.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card annual fee is more than 50% lower than the Amex Gold at $95, making it easier to stomach. Pairing a card with a higher annual fee with another that has a lower annual fee can balance out your strategy and ensure you’re not spending a good chunk of change on annual fees.

Extra Travel Perks

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with two major travel perks that the Amex Gold doesn’t offer as part of its suite of benefits:

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit. You can get up to a $100 credit on either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. To qualify, you must use your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card when paying either application fee and be in good standing with your account. You’ll get a statement credit, which you’re eligible for every four years.
• Travel Accident Insurance. Having both of these cards can round out your travel protections so you cover your bases. If you use your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to purchase your fare, you could have insurance kick in for a covered loss at no cost when you use your card to purchase your fare. These benefits go well with Gold benefits like the baggage insurance plan*.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

After spending $4,000 in first 3 months from account opening

Why Would You Want To Pair One Card With Another?

If you have a rewards-rich card like the Amex Gold, you might wonder why you’d want to pair it with another card. You might think getting another card is a distraction, but in reality, it’s a way to diversify your rewards. There are many potential benefits when you take advantage of each card.

Different Rewards Programs

The Amex Gold card offers users Membership Rewards Points, while the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns you miles. Having two different rewards programs can be advantageous as each card has a different reward structure and redemption value. When it’s time to take advantage of your rewards, you might find that one is more valuable than the other. Having both can help you assess the redemption value and decide which is most effective.

Pool Together Rewards With a Transfer Partner

Since the Amex Gold and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Cards are from two different credit card issuers, you get different rewards and can’t pool them together. But both Amex Gold and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card have transfer partners that overlap. For example, the following are transfer partners for both Amex and Capital One:

• Emirate Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Singapore KrisFlyer

That means you can pool your points and miles together by transferring them to one of those eligible partners. Doing so can increase your rewards, which can help you book award travel faster. For frequent fliers on airlines associated with these rewards programs, this strategy can be particularly effective.

Fill the Gaps

All rewards credit cards have unique benefits, but also limitations. To optimize your rewards strategy, it can be a good idea to mix and match different credit cards. In this case, Amex Gold should be your go-to card for restaurants worldwide (plus on takeout and delivery in the U.S.), U.S. supermarkets, and flight purchases that are booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

But everything else, like subscriptions, utilities , gas, insurance, etc., should be on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. If you only had the Amex Gold, you’d earn only 1X points. But when using the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll earn 2X miles. Having more than one card paired with another ensures you’re maximizing your rewards and being strategic with your spending.

Other Cards To Consider

While the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card may be the best credit card to pair with Amex Gold, there are other compelling options to consider.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is popular with travel lovers and rewards enthusiasts—and for good reason. The card has a significantly lower annual fee of $95 than its premium counterpart, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® at $550.

The card has an attractive welcome bonus and offers up to a $50 hotel credit each year in the form of statement credit for stays booked using the Chase Travel portal. Somewhat similar to the Amex Gold, you’ll earn 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out) and on online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).

While you can earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com with the Amex Gold, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card offers 5X points on travel purchased using Chase Travel and 2X points on all other travel purchases. This is a great complement as Chase has an expansive definition of travel purchases including:

• Car rental agencies
• Discount travel sites
• Campgrounds
• Toll bridges and highways
• Parking lots and garages

Your Amex Gold would be ideal for purchasing flights (booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com) and your Chase Sapphire Preferred® for all other eligible travel-related purchases. When you get a Chase Sapphire Preferred® card you start earning Chase Ultimate Rewards. Your rewards are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel using Chase Travel, elevating the point value to 1.25 cents instead of 1 cent.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

If you want another American Express card, the best credit card to pair with Amex Gold is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express . While the card doesn’t earn you Membership Rewards like Amex Gold, you earn cash back through Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. This can help offset costs and lower your credit card balance. The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Despite having two different reward types, this is a great pairing with the Amex Gold as it has significant earning potential in many categories that fall under everyday spending. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns you 6% cash back on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transit, and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. For everything else you only earn 1% cash back. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card has a higher redemption value for statement credits at one cent each for every Reward Dollar compared to the Amex Gold’s Membership Rewards which are worth 0.6 cents when used this way. Your best bet is to use your Amex Gold in categories like travel which have a higher redemption value while earning cash back as a statement credit with the Blue Cash Preferred Card.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

If you want to pair your Amex Gold with a premium card that can earn you more Membership Rewards and unlock more travel perks, The Platinum Card® from American Express is your go-to option. The card has a high spending minimum requirement to earn the welcome bonus but a high value earned that matches the spending. Though the annual fee is $695 ( see rates and fees ), there are numerous credits to take advantage of that help offset this cost including:

• Up to $200 hotel credit back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when charged to your card (two-night stay required on The Hotel Collection)
• Up to $240 digital entertainment credit (up to $20 in statement credits each month) on eligible purchases made directly from one or more of the participating providers
• $155 Walmart+ credit to cover the cost of $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (plus tax) back in statement credit after you pay each month with your card
• Up to $200 Uber Cash that’s use it or lose it savings for eligible Uber Eats and rides in the U.S. annually, made up of $15 issued monthly and a bonus $20 in December
• Up to $200 airline fee credit in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged to your card by one selected qualifying airline
• Up to $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit back in statement credits each calendar year when you use your card to pay for membership
• Up to $300 Equinox credit in statement credits annually for cardholders who use their card to pay for an eligible membership
• $100 fee statement credit for Global Entry every four years when you pay with your card or $85 fee statement credit for TSA PreCheck application fee every four and a half years

Some credits may require enrollment and there are terms that apply. If you can take advantage of these benefits, the annual fee isn’t so bad. Through The Platinum Card® from American Express, you earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1X), 5X points on eligible prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel, and 1X points on all other eligible purchases.

This is a great companion with the Amex Gold because you can earn more Membership Rewards. Plus, the card has high earning potential for eligible flights and hotel stays through American Express Travel and provides premium benefits the Gold card doesn’t. The Platinum Card® benefits include lounge access at over 1,400 airport lounges through The Global Lounge Collection. Through the card, you’re also eligible for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status which can help elevate your hotel experience and get added perks.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will applying for an amex gold card affect my credit score.

If you’re interested in applying for the American Express® Gold Card, you can go to the website and check your approval for the card with zero impact on your credit. You can submit an application, which will lead to a hard inquiry that can cause a temporary drop in your score.

Is It Hard To Get Approved for the Amex Gold Card?

As a rewards credit card, it can be more difficult to get approved for the American Express® Gold Card. Typically, you’re recommended to have at least good to excellent credit to qualify and sufficient income.

Does the Amex Gold Card Have Foreign Transaction Fees?

If you’re traveling abroad, there’s no need to worry as the Amex Gold card doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees ( see rates and fees ). So that’s one less cost to think about when planning for international travel.

The post Best Card to Pair with the Amex Gold: 4 Options to Consider first appeared on Newsweek Vault .

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The Guide to Oneworld Elite Status

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Table of Contents

How to get Oneworld elite status

Oneworld elite status tiers and benefits, oneworld status match opportunities, reciprocal benefits with oneworld elite status.

The Oneworld alliance is one of the top three major global alliances and includes airlines from around the world.

Airline alliances help airlines expand their network of destinations and the markets they serve by affiliating themselves with other carriers around the world. Many of these alliance members code-share with each other, which means that they sell seats on each other’s flights to expand their footprint. That is the primary benefit to airlines, but there are benefits for consumers too.

Participating member airlines in the alliance agree to handling and transferring baggage between each other’s flights, assisting with each other’s flight disruptions when possible and sharing loyalty program perks and privileges. This makes traveling with alliance carriers easier. Travelers with elite status on one member airline can enjoy a variety of perks on other member carriers.

They also provide travelers with reciprocal frequent flyer benefits that allow more perks for elite status members, as well as the ability for all frequent flyer members to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights.

Maybe you're an elite status member with American or Alaska Airlines. Here's what should you know about Oneworld elite status.

» Learn more: The guide to the Oneworld alliance

You can't actually independently earn Oneworld elite status. Instead, you have to earn elite status with a Oneworld member carrier by meeting the qualifications with one of the airline’s own frequent flyer programs.

The Oneworld alliance currently has 14 full airline members:

Alaska Airlines .

American Airlines .

British Airways.

Cathay Pacific.

Japan Airlines.

Malaysia Airlines.

Qatar Airways.

Royal Air Maroc.

Royal Jordanian.

Each airline has its own individual qualification metrics . Once you achieve a certain status tier within an airline’s program, it will directly match to a Oneworld elite status tier, and you will simultaneously have Oneworld elite status too.

Your physical or digital elite status card from your preferred Oneworld airline frequent flyer program will display an oval in the corner indicating the color of your status. The next time you fly Oneworld, you can start using your benefits.

Oneworld elite status is available in three tiers:

As you move into higher tiers, you earn bigger and better benefits when flying Oneworld airlines. This means that you can enjoy perks even when you fly another Oneworld airline despite not having elite status within that carrier’s own loyalty program. Oneworld elite status is, in a way, like having status on all of its members.

For example, a flyer holding American Airlines Executive Platinum status also has Oneworld Emerald status. That flyer could enjoy special benefits even when flying other Oneworld airlines such as Cathay Pacific or Finnair.

Within American Airlines, here's how each elite status tier maps to Oneworld elite status:

» Learn more: The guide to the American Airlines AAdvantage program

Other airlines have their own individual tiers that map to Oneworld elite levels. You can check your Oneworld tier from that airline in Oneworld's drop-down menu . These are the benefits that come with each level.

Oneworld Emerald

Access to business and first class lounges.

Access to priority check-in.

Fast track at select security lanes.

Priority boarding.

Preferred or reserved seating.

Priority status on standby waitlists.

Priority baggage handling.

Extra baggage allowance.

Oneworld Sapphire

Access to business class lounges.

Oneworld Ruby

Some elite status members can also enjoy perks when flying on Oneworld Connect partner carriers .

One notable thing missing from this list is reciprocal upgrades for holding Oneworld elite status on member carriers. This is not a published benefit on all carriers, although the alliance says it's working on a program that will allow this on some fares.

Unlike SkyTeam and Star Alliance , Oneworld does not have its own alliance-branded lounges, though plans are in the works to introduce those too.

While there are opportunities to status match between individual airlines , there is no option to status match directly between alliances, since status is tied to a member airline’s tier. Instead, you would have to be approved for a status match from one individual airline’s program to another.

Once approved for that status match on another airline, the new elite tier you hold with it would match to one of Oneworld’s individual elite status levels.

If you have elite status with a Oneworld member airline like American or Qantas, you may already have qualified for Oneworld status. Take a look at your elite status card (either physical or digital) and search for the colorful oval in the corner — this will indicate your status tier.

In the future, keep as many flights as possible within the Oneworld alliance so you can enjoy your hard-earned travel benefits.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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Engineered Garments and Reebok Unveil Metallic BB4000 II Sneakers

Available now in gold and silver..

Engineered Garments and Reebok unveil their latest collaboration, the BB4000 II sneaker collection, inspired by 1980s university style and hip-hop. This reimagined retro court shoe features two striking colorways, metallic gold and silver. The BB4000 II also features an embossed logo on the quarter panel that adds a signature touch reflecting the collaboration’s exclusive nature. Below the upper, the sneakers boast a chalk-colored midsole that contrasts with the metallic tones, sitting atop a classic gum rubber outsole that ensures durable traction.

Daiki Suzuki , founder of Engineered Garments, has focused the design on the distinctiveness of 1980s fashion sneakers, which often featured bold metallic finishes and standout color contrasts. Suzuki explains, “The idea of searching for silver and gold accents in the style of the 1980s led me to explore old-school basketball shoes. Reebok’s BB4000 II closely matched my envisioned image, prompting this unique blend.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Engineered Garments Official (@engineered_garments_official)

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Money latest: The 'German classic' that's a healthier and cheaper alternative to crisps

Crisps are on the menu as we see where you can make healthier choices for the best value. Elsewhere, the boss of Sainsbury's has insisted customers like self-checkouts - do you agree? Leave your thoughts in the box below.

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The family home where Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps to raise nearly £40m for the NHS during the first COVID lockdown is up for sale for £2.25m.

The Grade II-listed Old Rectory is described as a "magnificent seven-bedroom property" by estate agents Fine & Country.

In a video tour of the house, a sculpture of Captain Tom with his walking frame can be seen in the hallway, while a photo of the fundraising hero being knighted by the Queen is on a wall in the separate coach house building.

Introducing the property, an estate agent says in the tour video: "I'm sure you'll recognise this iconic and very famous driveway behind me as it was home to the late Captain Sir Tom Moore who walked 100 laps of his garden, raising over £37m for NHS charities."

It comes less than three months after the demolition of an unauthorised spa pool block in the grounds of the property in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

Speaking at an appeal hearing over that spa, Scott Stemp, representing Captain Tom's daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband, said the foundation named after the fundraising hero "is to be closed down" following a Charity Commission probe launched amid concerns about its management.

For the full story, click here ...

"Status symbol" pets are being given up by owners who get scared as they grow up, an animal charity has said, with the cost of living possibly paying a part in a rise in separations.

The Exotic Pet Refuge, which homes parrots, monkeys, snakes and alligators among others, says it receives referrals across the country, including from zoos and the RSPCA.

"They're a status symbol. People will say, 'OK, I'll have an alligator or a 10ft boa constrictor'," co-owner Pam Mansfield told the BBC.

"But when the animal gets big, they will get too frightened to handle them, and then the pet has to go."

She added people who want to get rid of the pets sometimes call zoos for help, which then call on her charity.

In some cases, owners don't have licences to own dangerous animals, she says, blaming a "lack of understanding" for what she says is a rise in the number of exotic animals needing to be rehomed.

She says people "just don't have the space" for some snakes, for example, with some growing to as much as 12ft and needing their own room.

The cost of living crisis has also forced owners to give their pets away, she says.

Her charity has also been affected by those increased costs, with the electricity bill rising to £10,000 a month at their highest, to fund things like heated pools for alligators.

Private car parks are accused of "confusing drivers" after introducing a new code of conduct - despite "doing all they can" to prevent an official government version.

The code of practice launched by two industry bodies - British Parking Association and the International Parking Community - includes a ten-minute grace period for motorists to leave a car park after the parking period they paid for ends.

It also features requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an "appeals charter".

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

That comes after a government-backed code of conduct was withdrawn in June 2022, after a legal challenges by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "We're flabbergasted that the BPA and the IPC have suddenly announced plans to introduce their own private parking code after doing all they can over the last five years to prevent the official government code created by an act of Parliament coming into force.

"While there are clearly some positive elements to what the private parking industry is proposing, it conveniently avoids some of the biggest issues around caps on penalty charges and debt recovery fees which badly need to be addressed to prevent drivers being taken advantage of."

BPA chief executive Andrew Pester said: "This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists."

IPC chief executive Will Hurley said: "The single code will benefit all compliant motorists and will present clear consequences for those who decide to break the rules."

Sky News has learnt the owner of Superdry's flagship store is weighing up a legal challenge to a rescue plan launched by the struggling fashion retailer.

M&G, the London-listed asset manager, has engaged lawyers from Hogan Lovells to scrutinise the restructuring plan.

The move by M&G, which owns the fashion retailer's 32,000 square foot Oxford Street store, will not necessarily result in a formal legal challenge - but sources say it's possible.

Read City editor Mark Kleinman 's story here...

NatWest says its mortgage lending nearly halved at the start of the year as it retreated from parts of the market when competition among lenders stepped up.

New mortgage lending totalled £5.2bn in the first three months of 2024, the banking group has revealed, down from £9.9bn the previous year.

The group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland and Coutts, also reported an operating pre-tax profit of £1.3bn for the first quarter, down 27% from £1.8bn the previous year.

An unexplained flow of British luxury cars into states neighbouring Russia continued into February, new data shows.

About £26m worth of British cars were exported to Azerbaijan, making the former Soviet country the 17th biggest destination for UK cars - bigger than long-established export markets such as Ireland, Portugal and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's ascent has coincided almost to the month with the imposition of sanctions on the export of cars to Russia.

Read the rest of economics and data editor Ed Conway 's analysis here...

Rishi Sunak has hailed the arrival of pay day with a reminder his government's additional National Insurance tax cut kicks in this month for the first time.

At last month's budget, the chancellor announced NI will be cut by a further 2p - so some workers will pay 8% of their earnings instead of the 12% if was before autumn.

The prime minister has repeated his claim this will be worth £900 for someone on the average UK salary.

While this additional cut - on top of the previous 2p cut in January - does equate to £900 for those on average full-time earnings of £35,000, there are two key issues with Mr Sunak's claim:

• Once the effect of all income tax changes since 2021 are taken into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies reports an average earner will benefit from a tax cut of £340 - far less than £900;
• Moreover, anyone earning less than £26,000 or between £55,000-£131,000 will ultimately be worse off.

In short, this is because NI cuts are more than offset by other tax rises.

We explain below how this is the case...

Tax thresholds

This is partly down to tax thresholds - the amount you are allowed to earn before you start paying tax (and national insurance) and before you start paying the higher rate of tax - will remain frozen. 

This means people end up paying more tax than they otherwise would, when their pay rises with inflation but the thresholds don't keep up. 

This phenomenon is known as "fiscal drag" and it's often called a stealth tax because it's not as noticeable immediately in your pay packet.

That low threshold of £12,570 has been in place since April 2021. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility says if it had increased with inflation it would be set at £15,220 for 2024/25.

If that were the case, workers could earn an extra £2,650 tax-free each year.

Less give, more take

Sky News analysis shows someone on £16,000 a year will pay £607 more in total - equivalent to more than three months of average household spending on food. 

Their income level means national insurance savings are limited but they are paying 20% in income tax on an additional £2,650 of earnings.

In its analysis , the IFS states: "In aggregate the NICs cuts just serve to give back a portion of the money that is being taken away through other income tax and NICs changes - in particular, multi-year freezes to tax thresholds at a time of high inflation."

Overall, according to the institute, for every £1 given back to workers by the National Insurance cuts, £1.30 will have been taken away due to threshold changes between 2021 and 2024.

This rises to £1.90 in 2027.

The UK could face a shortage of cava due to a drought in the sparkling wine's Spanish heartlands.

The Penedes area of Catalonia is dealing with its worst drought on record, with vineyards across the region so parched the roots of 30-year-old vines have died.

It's left shrivelled red and green grapes languishing under intense sun, fuelled by fossil-fuel driven climate change.

Cava is an increasingly popular drink in the UK, with 17.8 million bottles sold in 2023 - an increase of 5% from the previous year, when Britons stocked up on 16.8 million bottles, according to the Cava Regulatory Board.

That makes the UK the fourth-biggest buyer, behind only the US, Belgium and Germany.

Workforce slashed

The problems have been compounded after Catalonia-based cava producer Freixenet announced it will temporarily lay off 615 workers, almost 80% of its workforce.

Under Spanish law, companies facing exceptional circumstances can lay off staff or reduce working hours.

This measure is expected to take effect from May and it is not known how long it will last.

Price rises

One industry source told retail publication The Grocer  that cava shortages would push up prices "certainly for next year" if there isn't enough supply.

This could last for years if the drought persists, they added.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney told MailOnline the staff cuts at Freixenet can only mean one thing - price rises.

However, she added, supermarkets say they are not experiencing any issues right now.

Parents are being hammered by rising childcare costs, according to a new study that suggests they may spend more than £160,000 raising their child to the age of 18.

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown has found that parents with children pay £6,969 a year more than couples without.

Over 18 years and assuming an annual inflation rate of 3%, that amounts to a whopping £163,175, the investment platform said.

Its study also found that parents were less likely to have money left at the end of the month.

Single parents carry the biggest burden, with the research suggesting they have just £85 left on average compared to £365 for couples with children.

Hargreaves Lansdown also found just 23% of single parents reported having enough emergency savings to cover at least three months' worth of essential expenses, compared to 63% of couples with children.

Parents are also at a slight disadvantage when it comes to pensions, the research found, with only 43% of couples with children on track for a moderate retirement income, compared to 47% without. Only 17% of single parents have a decent projected pension fund.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at the firm, said "having children is one of the most expensive decisions a person can make".

She adds that as a result of having a child, "financial resilience suffers across the board", and added: "For single parents, life is even tougher, and they face far lower resilience on almost every measure.

"It means we need all the help we can get."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

One of the top stories shaking up the markets this morning is that UK-based mining company Anglo American has rejected a major $38.8bn (£31bn) takeover bid.

Details of the attempted buyout by Australian rival BHP emerged yesterday  - sending Anglo American shares soaring.

The deal would have created the world's biggest copper mining company - with the news coming as the price of the metal hit record highs this week.

However, Anglo American has now dismissed the proposal as "opportunistic" and said BHP had undervalued the company.

Anglo's shares are slightly down by 0.8% this morning - suggesting investors may not have given up hopes that a deal could eventually be agreed.

However, overall the FTSE 100 is up around 0.4% this morning, buoyed by strong reported earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet.

It's helped the index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, hit yet another intraday (during the day) record of 8,136 points this morning.

The winning streak comes after a week of all-time highs on the index - including a record close of 8,078 points yesterday. The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

Among the companies doing well this morning is NatWest - despite the bank reporting a fall in pre-tax profits of nearly 28% for the first quarter of the year.

Shares in the lender are up more than 3% after its results were better than expected by analysts.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16, almost on a par with yesterday.

Meanwhile, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has crept up slightly to $89 (£71).

Self-checkouts - they're like marmite, people seem to either love them or hate them.

But the boss of Sainsbury's has claimed that his customers do  enjoy using self-checkouts, despite criticism that that machines don't always provide the convenience promised.

Simon Roberts told The Telegraph that there are more of them in Sainsbury's stores "than a number of years ago" as shoppers like the "speedy checkout".

But despite this, he said there won't be a time when they'll replace cashiers completely.

"Over the last year, where we've put more self-checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there," he said.

His comments come after northern supermarket Booths ditched self-checkouts at all but two of its sites after customer feedback. 

Walmart and Costco in the US have also scaled back on the systems.

Let us know in the comments - do you love or hate self-checkouts?

We've all heard consumer advice that's repeated so often it almost becomes cliché. So, every Friday the Money team will get to the bottom of a different "fact" and decide whether it's a myth or must.

This week it is...

'Smart meters save you money'

For this one, we've enlisted the help of Dr Steve Buckley, also known as the Energy Doctor and head of data science at Loop...

So do smart meters help you save? 

"The short answer is both yes and no," Steve says.

"Installing a smart meter by itself won't magically reduce your energy consumption. But, by giving you easy access to your energy usage data, smart meters pave the way for savings that you couldn't achieve otherwise."

Before smart meters, most households only found out how much energy they had used when the bill arrived. 

By that stage it's too late to address wasteful usage, leading to what's known as "bill shock". 

"With a smart meter, you can see your usage and costs in real-time through an in-home display or an app provided by your supplier," Steve says. 

"This immediate feedback encourages you to use less energy. If you measure it, you can control it."

In 2022, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero found that homes with smart meters used about 3.4% less electricity and 3% less gas. 

"This might not seem like a lot, but it adds up to a saving of over £50 per household annually," Steve says.  

If all homes in the UK made similar cuts, that would amount to savings of around £1.5bn and a potential reduction in CO2 emissions by about 2.7m tonnes each year. 

"Good for individual households but also great for the planet," Steve says. 

Smart meters are often installed at no extra cost to the consumer - it's effectively free data for households. 

Limitations

Smart meters are more or less what you make of them - a simple, free tool that allows you to see headline figures. 

However, "without detailed analysis, it's tough to identify and eliminate" where you could be wasting money, Steve says. 

Apps like Utrack, Loop and Hugo Energy can help you work out where you might be losing money by offering a more detailed breakdown if connected to your smart meter. 

Those tools are often free, but you may need to register your card details as proof of address. 

The tools give a number of useful insights, including looking at consumption in other households of similar size or monitoring where chunks of your money are going, such as to a faulty boiler or the "phantom load" (energy wasted by devices left on unnecessarily).

Myth or must?

Although smart meters alone don't reduce energy bills, they are a vital tool to help energy efficiency and cost savings. 

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Find the best credit card for you

American express gold card vs capital one venture rewards credit card: which is the best for your needs, what makes a card valuable it largely depends on your spending habits and redemption preferences..

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit  americanexpress.com  to learn more.

The American Express® Gold Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ) are both top travel cards and rewards cards .

Both cards earn transferrable travel rewards you can use to book nearly any type of travel. And their benefits can easily make paying either annual fee worth it . What the decision boils down to is, where do typically spend the most with a credit card and how you prefer to use credit card rewards.

CNBC Select compares the most important aspects of both cards, so you can choose the best one for you.

American Express Gold vs Capital One Venture

American express® gold card.

4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Not applicable

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Balance transfer fee

Foreign transaction fee, credit needed.

Excellent/Good

See rates and fees , terms apply.

Read our American Express® Gold Card review .

• Up to $120 dining credit annually ($10 a month) for purchases made with Grubhub, Goldbelly and other eligible restaurants (after a one-time enrollment)
• Up to $120 Uber Cash annually ($10 a month) for U.S. Uber Eats orders and U.S. Uber rides (card must be added to Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit)
• Strong rewards program with 4X points earned at restaurants and 3X points earned on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com
• Baggage insurance plan covers up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage that is damaged, lost or stolen
• No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
• No introductory APR period
• $250 annual fee
• Estimated rewards earned after 1 year: $1,074
• Estimated rewards earned after 5 years: $2,969

Rewards totals incorporate the points earned from the welcome bonus

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

N/A for purchases and balance transfers

19.99% - 29.99% variable

$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you

• 5 miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit up to $100 every 4 years
• No introductory APR
• There’s a $95 annual fee

Winner: Capital One Venture

The American Express® Gold Card has a higher $250 annual fee (see rates and fees ) compared to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , which is $95 annually (see rates and fees ).

Paying a $250 annual fee may seem like a lot, but if you look closely at the Amex Gold's benefits , it's not as daunting. The card's statement credits of up to $120 per year for dining and $120 per year in Uber Cash , nearly offset the annual fee entirely.

That said, the Capital One Venture Rewards card's annual fee is easier to justify paying. Every year cardholders get two free airport lounge passes and every four years they receive up to a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry . (see rates and fees )

Earning rewards

These two cards have rewards programs geared toward very different consumers. If you're looking for a simple rewards program, the Capital One Venture has you covered with 2X miles per dollar on all purchases. Plus, you earn more rewards on eligible travel: 5X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel .

The American Express® Gold Card is geared toward foodies. Cardmembers earn 4X American Express Membership Rewards® points on dining (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in combined purchases, then 1X), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com, 1X points on all other purchases. Terms apply.

CNBC Select worked with the location intelligence firm Esri , who provided us with a sample annual spending budget of $22,126. We used this sample budget to break down how much money you could earn (subtracting the annual fee) if you optimized using each card over five years.

The budget includes six main categories: Groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953).

We found you could earn an estimated $3,287 after five years with the Capital One Venture. With the Amex Gold, you can earn $2,162 after five years. (This is after the annual fees and assumes you earn the welcome bonus .)

While the estimates we included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your spending habits.

Redeeming rewards

Winner: tie.

Both cards allow you to redeem your points or miles in a variety of ways, and the best options are typically transferring rewards to travel partners or using them to directly pay for travel. American Express and Capital One both have strong lists of partner loyalty programs, but Amex has a slight edge. Amex has more transfer partners, more choices for domestic flights and excellent partners for business and first-class awards .

Capital One vs. Amex transfer partners

However, utilizing transfer partners to get the most out of your credit card rewards can be a tedious and complicated process. And sometimes, there aren't awards available for flights or hotels when you want to travel.

Capital One solved this problem by allowing cardholders to redeem miles for one cent each to offset any travel purchase. This allows you to use Capital One miles to indirectly pay for any flight, hotel, rental car, etc., even if that same travel isn't available for a points booking through a loyalty program. American Express has a similar option where you can pay with points when you book through American Express Travel , but you'll get less value. With this option, each Amex point is worth one cent each for flights booked through Amex Travel and roughly 0.7 cents each for other Amex Travel redemptions. You can also redeem Amex points for statement credits, but the value drops even further to 0.6 cents per point

The bottom line is, Amex Membership Rewards points have more potential value and Capital One miles are more flexible.

Capital One Venture card offers 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

The American Express® Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months of card membership.

Additional benefits

Winner: amex gold.

Both cards offer some of the same travel and purchase-related perks, but also a variety of other unique benefits. Here's a breakdown of these cards' perks:

Both cards have:

• No foreign transaction fees (Amex Gold, see rates and fees ) (Capital One Venture, see rates and fees )
• *Travel assistance services
• *Purchase protection
• *Extended warranty protection
• *Baggage insurance

Capital One Venture cardholders enjoy these added perks:

• Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
• MasterRental Insurance**
• Hertz Five Star status
• Master RoadAssist®**
• Exclusive access to premier culinary, music and sports events through Capital One Entertainment and Dining

**Benefit available to accounts approved for the World Elite Mastercard product, subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the World Elite Mastercard Guide to Benefits. See Account Terms or Application Terms for more details. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

American Express® Gold Card holders enjoy these added perks:

• Amex Offers , where you can earn statement credits or bonus Membership Rewards® points at select retailers
• Free 2-day shipping on eligible items at over 100 online stores with ShopRunner (one-time enrollment required)
• Entertainment access to exclusive presales and premium seating at concerts, plays, sporting events and more
• Up to $120 in annual dining credits (up to $10 per month) at Grubhub , Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and participating Shake Shack locations
• $120 in Uber Cash ($10 per month)
• Up to $100 in experience credits when you book rooms through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
• *Trip delay insurance

Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.  Sign up here .

Is the Capital One Venture card or the Amex Gold card better?

Neither card is inherently better, but both could be the right card for you , depending on your situation. The Capital One Venture is a good card if you're just starting to earn credit card rewards because its reward structure is simpler. And the Amex Gold card is amazing for anyone who wants to make the most of their dining and grocery expenses and understands how to get the most value out of Amex points .

Can I get the Capital One Venture card and the Amex Gold card?

You can have both the Amex Gold card and the Capital One Venture card at the same time. Having both cards could help you maximize the rewards you earn, plus Amex and Capital One share several transfer partners, so it could make sense. However, if you have both cards, you'll need to pay two annual fees and manage the benefits for two cards.

How much are Capital One miles worth?

The value of Capital One miles depends on how you use them . When you use miles to erase a travel charge, they are worth one cent each. When you transfer miles to a travel partner the value varies but could be double what'd you receive with other redemptions.

Bottom line

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and American Express® Gold Card are both competitive rewards cards that provide useful benefits for cardholders. But depending on what you want in a travel credit card, one card could be better than the other.

If you're looking for straightforward earning and redemption options, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best option. It earns at least 2X miles per dollar on all purchases and the miles are worth at least one cent each for travel.

However, if you want to maximize your rewards on restaurants and groceries at U.S. supermarkets , the American Express® Gold Card can be a great asset with its 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). And Amex points can be incredibly valuable when you transfer them to the best American Express travel partners .

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of  credit cards ,  banking  and  money , and follow us on  TikTok ,  Facebook ,  Instagram  and  Twitter  to stay up to date.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here .

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.  Please visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details.  Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company

**For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

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What I've learned from multiple car rentals with the Capital One Travel portal

Update : Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

When the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card burst onto the scene there was quite a bit of buzz about earning 10 Capital One miles per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings. Earning 5 miles per dollar with the standard Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was already amazing, so I was intrigued by the ability to double my earnings.

The catch? To earn those eye-popping returns I'd need to book travel through the Capital One Travel portal .

For as long as I've been a road warrior, my preference has always been to book directly. While booking through a travel agent can have advantages, booking through an online travel agent never offered much upside for me. Horror stories from other travelers about long hold times and poor customer service when plans changed kept me away. But, the chance to get 10 Capital One miles per dollar spent was enough to make me take the plunge.

With over a dozen hotel bookings under my belt, I can confidently report that the Capital One Travel portal is easy to use and sometimes offers compelling savings versus booking with other online travel agencies (OTAs) or booking direct. I've changed and canceled numerous hotel reservations through the portal with no problems at all. And better yet, the 10 points per dollar post quickly , in some cases before I even finish my stay.

Similarly, I've seamlessly booked flights on multiple airlines with the Capital One Travel portal. My secure flight information was transmitted accurately and PreCheck was on all my boarding passes. As you'd expect, the 5 miles per dollar earned on airfare posts without issue.

Rental cars are the only area where I have encountered challenges, and I'm not the only one.

There are positives and negatives from my first half dozen car rentals through the portal. Let's go over what I've learned.

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Capital One may have more generous grace periods

If you've ever been a road warrior you know that there are literally hundreds of different rates for rental cars, all with the same rental car company.

There are all sorts of discount codes, some of which actually increase your base rental rate in the name of earning miles or points in some other program. Hertz has a couple of different discount categories (CDP and PC) that can collectively move rates all over the place depending on type of vehicle, length of rental and rental location.

In short, it can be tough to get truly apples-to-apples comparisons on rental car rates across different platforms. With that caveat, I found an interesting pattern on shorter rentals of one to three days in length. In most cases, rentals through the Capital One Travel portal seemed to have higher daily rates but a more generous grace period for return times (at least that's the best explanation I could come up with).

Consistently, I would see a higher daily rate on Capital One's site versus what the Hertz website showed me. However, Capital One would consistently charge me for one less day of rental time, thus making the rental cheaper overall. Here's an example:

Here you can see the total rate of $188.51 for a two-day rental with a base rate of $127.50 per day. But, on the Hertz site, we see something different:

As you can see, I used the Capital One Venture X CDP code for the rental and the daily rate comes out to $72.44 per day, much cheaper than the Cap One Travel portal rate of $127.50 per day. However, Hertz is charging me for two days, whereas Capital One only charges for one. The rental ends up being about $20 cheaper.

I saw gaps of almost $100 on shorter rentals where the car type, dates and times were the same. There could be a lot of reasons for these variations (I'm convinced car rental pricing is at least in part voodoo witchcraft). At the end of the day, Capital One Travel seems to charge for fewer days in certain circumstances, making those rentals a better deal overall.

Related: How to never pay full price for a rental car

Venture X cardholders get complimentary President's Circle status, but...

One of the benefits of the Venture X card is complimentary President's Circle status in the Hertz Gold Club Rewards program .

President's Circle has two key benefits that I use frequently. First, upgrades are a standard benefit for President's Circle members. This can save a ton of money if you rent a smaller vehicle with the confidence you'll get upgraded to something bigger and/or more luxurious. In locations with President's Circle aisles, you can have your pick of SUVs, sports cars and luxury sedans, all for the price of a full-size rental.

The bigger benefit for me as a road warrior is the better availability of vehicles. In some smaller airports, cars can sell out quickly. In those high-demand situations, I'm virtually always able to get a car as a President's Circle member, whereas my employees who don't have that status are shut out. Side note: authorized users on your Venture X account can get complimentary President's Circle status as well.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use that status when booking through the Capital One Travel portal. At smaller locations that don't have dedicated aisles for Gold, Five Star and President's Circle, the agents were able to find my reservation but my folder wasn't pre-printed, nor was my Hertz Gold Plus Rewards number even attached to my reservation.

This wasn't a big deal at smaller airports since I would have had to stop at the counter regardless. At a bigger airport, such as Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, it's a big problem. The line for folks with a standard rental can easily be dozens of people deep at all hours of the day.

And, while I persuaded the folks at the Gold counter to help me out a couple of times, I wasn't always successful getting them to do so. The walk back to the regular Hertz counter was a pitiful one as I realized how long I would have to wait. In some instances, my 10 miles per dollar posted correctly. In others, where I got a Gold representative involved to help me, no bonus miles were posted to my account.

While this is consistent with third party bookings and most car rental agencies, I was hopeful that Capital One had figured out a way around this since they are bestowing Hertz status as part of the benefits of the card. This doesn't appear to be the case.

Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related: Who should (and shouldn't) get the Capital One Venture X card?

The Capital One Travel portal doesn't have the best selection

While there are some money-saving rates on the portal, Capital One clearly doesn't have all the inventory loaded into its portal.

I haven't discovered a consistent theme for what's missing just yet. The most common occurrence is no inventory for one car rental company at a specific location. This does seem to happen more frequently when I'm trying to book a last-minute reservation (within a couple of days of pickup).

For example, I've had a few instances where no Hertz rates showed up on the Capital One portal even though I could still book cars on the Hertz website. Since these were close-in bookings, it's possible the only inventory left was being held for elite members of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program. In other instances, only discount car rental agencies such as Payless would have cars available at popular airports.

Additionally, it seems pretty clear there are no international locations or rates loaded into the Capital One portal (at least not yet). We asked our TPG Lounge members to weigh in and a number of them noted being unable to find any international rates, so I'm not the only one with this issue.

Related: 11 common rental car mistakes — and how to avoid them

Bottom line

The rental car portion of the Capital One Travel portal seems to have some quirks that make it less of a star than the flight and hotel portions.

Earning 10 Capital One miles per dollar is appealing, but it's important to know what you're leaving on the table. In my examples, the cancellation policy through Capital One was slightly more restrictive than booking direct with Hertz (generally 48 hours prior as opposed to same-day cancellation). And, Capital One collected a deposit, which was promptly returned when I did cancel more than 48 hours ahead of time. Depending on the savings on a specific rental, you may be comfortable with these inconveniences.

At the end of the day, you should absolutely factor the generous 10 miles per dollar earning rate into your decision-making. At the same time, just like any other car rental, make sure you compare your price, car options and benefits with the rental car's own website. In some cases, using the Capital One portal might not be worth the hassle.

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Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology .

Capital One Travel: Your Guide To Booking Flights, Hotels & Car Rentals

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Why Book Travel Through Capital One Travel?

What are capital one miles worth, how to access capital one travel, how to book a flight through capital one travel, how to book a hotel through capital one travel, how to book a rental car through capital one travel, rental cars, other ways to use capital one miles, final thoughts.

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Trying to figure out how to use your rewards? Whether you’re a longtime fan of Capital One Miles or you’ve just jumped on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card train, there’s a lot to love about this flexible point currency.

Although it’s possible to transfer your Capital One miles out to a variety of partners, you can also use Capital One Travel to earn and redeem rewards for your stays. Let’s take a look at Capital One Travel, how it works, and when you should use it.

Capital One is heavily pushing its customers toward its travel portal — and for good reason. There’s a lot to love about Capital One Travel, and if you’re the kind of person who values simplicity and high rewards over elite status, it could be a good match for you.

Earn Miles or Points by Paying With a Credit Card

There are 2 ways in which you’ll earn miles or points when booking through Capital One Travel.

As a Capital One cardholder, you’ll earn a varying amount of miles depending on which card you use to pay:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel
• Unlimited complimentary access for cardholder and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• 10,000 bonus miles awarded on your account anniversary each year
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
• Add authorized users for no additional annual fee ( rates & fees )
• No foreign transaction fees ( rates & fees )
• $395 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck ®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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• Best Ways to Use Venture X Points
• Capital One Venture X Credit Score and Approval Odds
• Capital One Venture X Lounge Access
• Capital One Venture X Travel Insurance Benefits
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The Capital One Venture X card earns 10 miles per $1 spent  on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 spent everywhere else.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card   is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Access to Capital One transfer partners
• $95 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Limited elite benefits
• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• How To Find the 75k or 100k Bonus for the Capital One Venture
• Travel Insurance Benefits of the Capital One Venture
• Capital One Venture Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Card [Detailed Comparison]
• Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture
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The Capital One Venture card earns 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per $1 spent on everything else.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles card is a low-annual-fee business card that earns 2x transferable miles on every $1 you spend. (Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a great option for business owners looking for an uncomplicated rewards card that earns double miles on every purchase they make and offers access to transfer partners, all for a low annual fee.

• Unlimited 2x miles per $1 spent on all purchases
• 5x miles per $1 spent on hotel and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2 complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge per year
• Up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• Free employee cards
• Extended warranty coverage
• Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that
• Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won’t expire for the life of the account
• Unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
• Skip the lines with up to a $100 statement credit on TSA PreCheck ® or Global Entry
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
• Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
• APR: 26.24% (Variable)
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The Capital One Spark Miles card earns 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per $1 spent on everything else.

Capital One Venture X Business Card*

Capital One Venture X Business Card

The Capital One Venture X Business card offers at least 2x miles on all purchases, and comes packed with premium perks.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Business card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

The Capital One Venture X Business card is a great all-around premium rewards card that helps you rack up miles on all of your business expenses.

From 2x miles on all purchases, airport lounge access, an annual travel credit, complimentary employee cards, and more, there is plenty to love about the Capital One Venture X Business card.

• Unlimited complimentary access for cardholder and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges
• No-additional-fee employee cards ( rates and fees )
• No preset spending limit
• No foreign transaction fees ( rates and fees )
• $395 annual fee ( rates and fees )
• 10x and 5x bonus categories are limited to Capital One Travel bookings
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
• This card has no preset spending limit, so you get purchasing power that adapts to your spending needs. The annual fee on this card is $395
• Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
• Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get the best prices on thousands of options
• Every year, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
• Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
• Skip the lines with up to a $100 statement credit on TSA PreCheck ® or Global Entry. Then enjoy unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and a network of 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Priority Pass™ and Plaza Premium Group lounges
• This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
• Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection with a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits on every booking
• APR: All charges made on this account are due and payable in full when you receive your periodic statement. The minimum payment due is the New Balance as indicated on your statement.

The Capital One Venture X Business card earns 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 spent everywhere else. *(Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.)

You’ll still earn points even when paying with a different credit card; cards including the Chase Sapphire Reserve ® will earn you 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all travel, even when using Capital One Travel to book.

Earn Points With Your Loyalty Program

Flights booked through Capital One Travel are counted as paid tickets . This is true whether you use your Capital One miles for a redemption or use cash. Because of this, you’ll be able to earn frequent flyer miles on any flights that you book. Signing up is free and easy — there’s no reason for you to miss out on these miles!

The same can’t be said of hotel programs. Nearly all hotel chains will skip out on benefits if you don’t book your stay directly with the hotel . Not only will you miss out on your perks, but you’ll also lose the ability to earn elite night credits for your stays, which can be a real blow if you’re trying to earn elite status. Keep this in mind when you’re using Capital One Travel for hotel bookings.

Ease of Use

If you’re not a huge points and miles geek, it can make sense for you to book with Capital One Travel. This is because it’s simple; you simply log in, look for the flights/hotels/rental cars that you need, and then book. You won’t have to sift through endless programs trying to find the best rates, and it’s especially easy when you’re looking to redeem your Capital One miles. They’ll always be worth 1 cent each when used for travel via Capital One Travel , which is a solid redemption. It’s not the best, however, as you’ll see later on.

Price Match Guarantee

In a bid for your business, Capital One offers a price match guarantee on all of its hotel bookings . If you find a publicly available price within 24 hours that is better than the one you’ve booked, Capital One will match it.

Capital One also offers price-drop protection for its flights . If the Capital One price prediction tool recommends you purchase a flight and you do, the same tool will automatically keep monitoring the cost of the flight. If prices drop again, you’ll get a refund on some or all of the price difference.

Bottom Line: There are a lot of reasons to book with Capital One Travel, though you’ll want to be wary of limitations that arise from booking with a third party.

We value points and miles according to a variety of factors, including how easy they are to use and redeem. Although you can use your Capital One miles for travel on Capital One Travel, there are plenty of other ways they can be redeemed.

The most valuable use of your miles occurs when you transfer them to any one of Capital One’s hotel and airline partners. In these cases, you can get outsized value for every mile. This is why we consider Capital One miles to be worth 1.8 cents each — nearly double the amount you’ll get when redeeming them within Capital One Travel.

You need to be a Capital One cardholder in to access Capital One Travel . Once on the page, you’ll log in to your account. After logging in, you’ll be brought to the portal’s home page:

From here, you can choose to book flights, hotels, or rental cars.

Booking a flight through Capital One Travel is fairly intuitive. After you log in and reach the landing page, you’ll want to select Flights in the toolbar up top:

This will bring you to the search page for flights. You’ll want to input all your information, including departure airport, destination, and dates of travel:

Like Google Flights , Capital One Travel will give you an estimation of price within a calendar feature:

Unlike Google Flights, however, Capital One has partnered with the booking site Hopper to tell you when you should book. You’ll be presented with detailed information regarding price predictions :

As you can see in the screenshot above, you have the option to freeze your price or set a price watch alert. If you’re looking to book immediately, you’ll want to scroll down, where Capital One will give you a list of results:

When selecting a flight, Capital One Travel will also give you a breakdown of information and the ability to book economy or first class tickets:

Once you’ve selected your outbound flight, you’ll pick the return. If booking a one-way, you’ll be taken to the checkout page.

Hot Tip: Capital One’s price drop protection automatically monitors the cost of flights you purchase and refunds you if prices fall. 

As is normal with checkout pages, you’ll need to fill in your passenger information and credit card information. You can also select seats and choose whether or not you’d like to redeem miles. Capital One will give you 1 cent per point of value when using your miles through Capital One Travel . While this isn’t terrible, there are much better uses of those miles — such as transferring to a partner and booking a reward seat.

Once you’ve input all your info, you’ll hit Confirm and Book . That’s it!

Bottom Line: Booking flights through Capital One Travel is both intuitive and easy. Plus, you’ll be able to earn frequent flyer points on your booking.

If you’re looking to book a hotel through Capital One Travel, the process is simple. As before, you’ll start by logging into your account. Once you’ve hit Capital One Travel’s landing page, you’ll select Hotels in the top toolbar:

You’ll be taken to Capital One’s hotel search bar, where you can put in your travel destination and dates:

Once you select Search Hotels , you’ll be taken to a results page featuring an interactive map:

Along with filtering by rating and price, Capital One offers a variety of ways to narrow down your search:

As we mentioned above, Capital One Travel offers a hotel price match guarantee , which means you won’t find cheaper prices elsewhere. If you do happen to stumble across one on a publicly available site within 24 hours of booking, you can submit a price match request and, if approved, Capital One Travel will drop the cost down to the rate you’ve found.

Selecting a hotel from the search results will open a new tab where you can alter your information:

Scrolling down, you’ll be able to select the room type you prefer:

Once you’ve picked your room, you’ll be taken to the checkout page where you’ll fill out your traveler and payment information. You can also choose to use your Capital One miles for a value of 1 cent per point towards your booking:

Hot Tip: Be aware that booking hotels through Capital One Travel counts as a third-party booking — which means you won’t receive any elite status benefits or credit towards earning elite status when booking this way.

Once everything is filled in, you simply need to select Confirm and Book .

Just as with flights and hotels, you’ll log in to your account. From the landing page, you’ll select Car Rentals from the top toolbar:

You’ll be taken to the rental car search page where you can enter your information, including dates of travel and location:

Once you’ve hit Search Cars , you’ll be taken to the results page:

You can choose from a variety of filters, including the rental car company you’ll be booking, what type of car you prefer, and the cancellation policy of your booking. After picking the car you’d like to reserve, you’ll have the chance to review your booking:

If everything is correct, you’ll hit Reserve , which will take you to the checkout page where you can enter driver information and your method of payment:

As with hotels and flights, you can apply your Capital One miles to your rental car booking at a rate of 1 cent each. Again, there are better ways to use your miles, which we’ll discuss below.

Hot Tip: Check out our handy guide on how to save money on car rentals , including options with points, upgrades, cash savings, and more!

How Do the Prices Compare to Other Sites?

Is it actually worth it to book through Capital One Travel rather than other sites? How do the prices compare? Let’s take a look.

Here’s a flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR) in mid-May 2022:

Interestingly, Capital One Travel notes that this isn’t the best time to book. The cheapest options available are $715, and they’re all nonstop. However, Google Flights comes back with very different results:

Not only does Google suggest that prices are currently low, but it also returns an option that is nearly $200 less than what Capital One Travel is offering . A closer look reveals that although Capital One Travel has the outbound leg available of this cheap flight for $736 roundtrip, it doesn’t offer the same returns. Here’s what’s available from Google:

Meanwhile, here are the options you can get on Capital One:

Bottom Line: While Capital One allows you to book flights through its Capital One Travel portal, its prices aren’t always competitive with other offerings. Make sure to check a few other websites for flights to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

So how do hotels on Capital One fare when compared to other booking options? This is especially pertinent as Capital One has its own price guarantee.

Here’s a night at the all-inclusive  Secrets the Vine Cancun in early June from Hotels.com :

Booking with Hotels.com will earn you 1 stamp towards a free night stay . After 10 stamps you’ll get a free night, which can be especially valuable when booking costly stays.

And here are the results from Priceline , an online travel agency:

Bookings with both Priceline and Hotels.com can also be stacked with shopping portals . Using Rakuten with Priceline, for example, will earn you 5% back on your booking; this can either come in the form of $25.35 or 2,535 American Express Membership Rewards .

Booking Directly

Here’s how much it costs when booking directly with the hotel:

Secrets the Vine Cancun is a member of AMR Resorts , which was recently purchased by Hyatt. Although you can’t earn or redeem points with the property until later in 2022, Hyatt is offering a promotion for its cardholders for many new all-inclusive properties, including this one. Now through May 15, 2022, eligible cardholders will receive 10 points per $1 spent at these hotels.

This means that booking and paying with your The World of Hyatt Credit Card will earn you 5,070 World of Hyatt points. We value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, which means you’ll be getting $76.05 worth of points back on this booking.

Capital One Travel

Finally, here’s the rate within Capital One Travel:

With the 3 other sites we compared charging $507, Capital One Travel is a few dollars cheaper. But saving $15 doesn’t match the benefits other options are providing, like Hotels.com’s $200 resort credit.

There is, however, one case where booking via Capital One Travel is your best option. First, you won’t want to use Capital One Travel unless you don’t care about elite status — as we’ve mentioned above — so boutique properties can be a good option to book .

Second, as we mentioned above, those who hold the Capital One Venture X card earn 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels booked through Capital One Travel. In this situation, you’d earn 4,915 Capital One miles on your booking. We value Capital One miles at 1.8 cents each, which means you’ll earn  $88.47 worth of miles . All in, you’ll net $403.53, which wins out compared to most other options.

How good are rental car prices compared across multiple sites? The results are less exciting. Here’s what a 5-day rental from Los Angeles looks like at Capital One Travel:

RentalCars.com offers nearly the same price:

AutoSlash, meanwhile, saves you a full $65 on the cheapest rental car:

Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture X card offers 10 miles per $1 on rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and it comes with some nice car rental insurance coverage too.

Of course, redeeming your miles through Capital One Travel is just one way that they can be used. There is a multitude of uses for those miles.

Transfer to Travel Partners

Nearly always, the best use of your Capital One miles comes from transferring to hotel and airline partners. Capital One has many transfer partners from which to choose:

Hot Tip: Check out our guide on the best ways to redeem Capital One miles for max value .

Cover Travel Purchases

Just as when using your miles at Capital One Travel, Capital One will allow you to redeem your miles for recent travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent each .

Redeem for Cash-back

You can redeem your Capital One miles for cash-back, but this is a terrible use of miles. Capital One will only give you 0.5 cents of value per mile when redeeming to cash.

Get Gift Cards

There are a variety of gift cards available using your Capital One miles, but these still aren’t a great redemption. Your value will vary — and can even be as high as 1 cent per mile , but transferring to other partners will still give you better value.

Shop With Amazon

You can use your miles on a linked Capital One card, which will give you a value of 0.8 cents per mile .

Pay With PayPal

Paying with your Capital One miles through PayPal will net you 1 cent per mile , just the same as redeeming your miles within Capital One Travel.

Bottom Line: You can redeem your Capital One miles in a variety of ways, but only transferring them to hotel and airline partners will grant you more than 1 cent per mile in value. 

Capital One Travel is robust — and can be a good option for eligible cardholders who aren’t concerned about elite status. However, you’ll find better value for your miles when transferring to one of Capital One’s many travel partners. Regardless, you can find good deals within the travel portal, and the best price guarantee, combined with price drop protection, can make this portal tempting for many travelers.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding The World of Hyatt Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Information regarding the Capital One Spark Miles for Business was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.  

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i book travel with capital one.

You can go to Capital One Travel to book travel with Capital One.

What airline can I use my Capital One miles on?

Capital One miles can be used with virtually any airline, whether you’re booking through Capital One Travel or booking directly with the airline.

How do I see my trips on Capital One?

After logging in to Capital One Travel , you’ll find your trips in the My Trips section in the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Can you book Southwest through Capital One Travel?

Unfortunately, you cannot book Southwest flights through Capital One Travel . You can, however, book flights directly with Southwest and pay with your Capital One card. You can then redeem miles against your purchase within 90 days via Purchase Eraser.

Does Capital One use Expedia?

No, Capital One uses a proprietary blend of search tools for its Capital One Travel portal.

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About Carissa Rawson

Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and more.

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The Most Beautiful Stations on the Moscow Metro

You might have heard that there are some beautiful metro stations in Moscow. Soviet decorations, chandeliers, mosaic painting and statues are common in many of the stations. The good news is that the Moscow Metro does not cost a lot of money and many of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro are on the same line, so you can almost get on and off at each station to visit these. Over the New Year holidays, I had a free afternoon and decided to visit some of these stations. Check out what I found below…..

The main stations that you will want to visit are on the Number 5 line, also known as the Circle Line. An advantage of this line is that you can get to it very easily and quickly no matter where you are in Moscow. The announcements on the metro are in Russian as well as English so you don’t need to worry if your Russian language skills are not good.

If, like me, you arrive in Moscow via train from Kyiv , then you will arrive at a metro station which many Muscovites believe to be the most beautiful of them all…..

Kievskaya metro station was opened in 1954 and features white marble walls which curve upwards and have with large mosaics surrounded by a gold trim in a very classical style. The mosaics depict life in Ukraine and was designed by a Ukrainian who wanted to display Ukraine’s influence and contribution to Soviet Russia.

Kievskaya, one of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro

Soviet era artwork between the arches

Mosaic with golden trim

People carrying flags is a common theme

Going into battle

Belorusskaya

If you look at a map of the metro , you will want to go in a clockwise direction on the circle line. So you will want to get on the train going in the Barrikadnaya direction and not Park Kultury. Stay on this line until you reach the 2nd station, Belorusskaya. This station was built in 1952 and like Kievskaya also features white marble pylons and a plaster ceiling.

The ceiling features 12 mosaics in an octagonal shape depicting Belarusian life, while the tiling on the floor is said to resemble a Belarusian quilt. One of the passageway exits of the station has a statue called ‘Belarusian Partisans’ of three men wearing long coats, holding guns and carrying a flag.”

Belorusskaya metro platform

Soviet artwork on the roof

The hammer and sickle features prominently in the metro artwork

Three men carrying guns, holding the flag…

Mayakovskaya

To get to the next station, we need to change onto the green line (line 2) and go just one stop to the station of Mayakovskaya. This station has an art deco theme and, for some, resembles an elaborate ballroom. The columns are faced with stainless steel and pink rhodonite while the marble walls and ceiling have 34 mosaics with the theme “24-hour Soviet Sky. Apparently, Stalin resided here during the 2nd World War as the station was used as a command post for Moscow’s anti-aircraft regiment.

Mayakovskaya metro

24-Hour Soviet Sky mosaic

Bomber planes

It looks like planes flying over Red Square

Novoslobodskaya

It’s time to get back on the metro and return to Belorusskaya. At Belorusskaya, change to the circle line again and continue clockwise to the next station, Novoslobodskaya. With its 32 stained glass panels, this station reminds me of a church. The panels were designed by Latvian artists and are surrounded by a brass border.

Novoslobodskaya metro

The platform of Novoslobodskaya metro

Stained glass artwork

The golden trim around artwork is also very common

Prospekt Mira

Back on the metro and again just one stop until our next station, Prospekt Mira. This station was originally called Botanichesky Sad after the nearby Botanical Gardens of the Moscow State University. The pylons are covered in white marble and decorated with floral bas-relief friezes. The ceiling is decorated with casts and several cylindrical chandeliers.

Prospekt Mira metro station

Notice the floral decoration

Komsomolskaya

On the metro once more and once more we are going just one stop to the next station – Komsomolskaya. This station is famous for its its yellow ceiling. The chandeliers in this station are huge. The photos below do not do this station justice.  For me, this station resembles a presidential palace.  You hace to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it.

Because of it’s location, this is one of the busiest stations in the Moscow metro as it serves three of the main train stations in the city – Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, and Kazansky so be prepared for a lot of people.

Komsomolskaya metro

The yellow ceiling seems to go on forever

Yellow ceiling and artwork

One of the ceiling mosaics

Elektrozavodskaya

When you are ready to leave Komsomolskaya metro station behind, then get back on the circle line and go one stop to Kurskaya and change to the blue line (line 3) and go to two stops to the Elektrozavodskaya station. This station gets it’s name from a nearby electric light bulb factory and has a somewhat industrial but also futuristic style, with 6 rows of circular lamps (there are 318 lamps in total). I think this is one of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro for how unique it is. The station was opened in 1944 after a delay because of the 2nd World War and features 12 marble bas-reliefs of the struggle on the home front during the war.

The Komsomolskaya metro station

The struggles of war at home

Fixing machinery

Hard at work

Making weapons

Building a tank

Even the station sign is elaborate

Ploschad Revolyutsii

Back on the metro line 3 (but in the other direction), getting off at the 3rd stop – Ploschad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). This is located underneath the square in Moscow of the same name and is a short walk from Red Square in the city centre. It is the perfect place to end a visit around Moscow’s metro. The station features red and yellow marble arches with a total of 76 sculptures in between each arch. The sculptures are supposed to represent the people of the Soviet Union and include soldiers, farmers, industrial workers, children etc… I noticed a lot of people touching the golden chicken in the photo below as well as the show of the woman. I am assuming that this is for good luck.

Industrial worker

Touch the chicken for good luck

Sculpture of the people of the Soviet Union

Woman reading a book – touch the shoe for good luck

In education

Parent and child

These are some of what I think are the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro. Which ones are your favourite? Would you add any to this list?

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19 comments.

Kievskaya definitely caught me off guard. Didn’t know Moscow metro stations were THIS extravagant! Mayakovskaya is gorgeous too with the marble walls and mosaics. I might just need to book a flight over to admire all of these!

Do it! Kievskaya was my first introduction to the Moscow metro as I got an overnight train from Kyiv.

You know, in the States, all we ever hear is bad stuff about Russia. It’s nice to see other (and lovely!) dimensions of such a controversial place.

It’s the same in the UK which is why I prefer going to see somewhere and making up my own mind. It’s all ‘politics and bullshit’ as I say

I went to Moscow about 13years for Christmas and went to train stations, so I can see these amazing mosaics and chandeliers. I agree with you that are beautiful Stations for sure and I could of wandered around for days. I think Kievskaya is definitely my favourite out of them all and I even have some similar pictures as you.

I imagine Moscow would have been a little different 13 years ago but these stations have probably always looked beautiful

Food and Footprints

You chose some great stations for this write up! Beautiful details in these stations and would love to visit them sometime. Particularly like the Komsomolskaya station with that yellow ceiling!

Thank you very much. Komsomolskaya seems to be a lot of peoples favourite stations too

Sumit Surai

Wow! Without the text I would have thought them to be some museum or gallery.

I know exactly what you mean!

Rosie Fluskey

Wow, it is just stunning! How does anyone get to work with so much to look at. I’m surprised at the very bourgeois-looking Komsomolskaya station. I would have thought it was all too Tzarist looking, but then I haven’t been to Russia yet lol. This has just made me want to go more!

Wow, that’s a lot of artwork. I wonder how old some of these pieces are?

Generally most of the stations are from 1940-1960 approximately. The later stations are more functional than style.

My mother-in-law was in Moscow fifty years ago and still raves about the metro stations. So far, I could not imagine much. But now! The pictures are great and I think it’s almost a pity that this splendor is underground. But for every user of the Metro can enjoy a free trip to the world of art. Susanne

True. It is like having a free trip to an art museum/gallery. I hope that you can one day visit Moscow and see for yourself.

Oh wow, I would never have known that these were metro stations. The ceilings remind me of how you need to look up sometimes, even in the commuter rush!

It is true about life in general, we just go from A to B looking directly in front of us instead of around us

Wow, I would have never guessed that these were stations. The decor is so pretty and not one I’m used to seeing at metro stations. Love the ceiling at The Komsomolskaya metro station.

They certainly don’t look like metro stations. The ceiling there is one of my favourites too!

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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