The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card are great credit card options for travelers.
The Venture X delivers both everyday value with unlimited 2x miles on purchases and premium comfort through comprehensive airport lounge access for you upon enrollment. You’ll also receive $300 in annual travel credits plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, creating substantial ongoing value.
The Hilton Aspire Card offers top-tier Hilton Diamond status and valuable travel credits. This premium card provides excellent rewards for Hilton stays and nice perks that can easily offset the annual fee for frequent Hilton guests.
(All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Deals Points and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.)
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Overview: Capital One Venture X vs Hilton Aspire Amex
Welcome Bonuses
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X currently offers the following welcome bonus:
bonus_miles_full
Hilton Honors American Express
The Hilton Aspire Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months.
Earning Rewards
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X earns miles that you can transfer to airline and hotel points partners, which you can earn at the following rates:
- 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel.
- 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel.
- 2 miles per dollar on other purchases.
Hilton Honors American Express
The Hilton Aspire Amex earns Hilton Honors points at the following rates:
- 14 points per dollar at Hilton Hotels and Resorts.
- 7 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com.
- 7 points per dollar on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies.
- 7 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- 3 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Winner:
The Capital One Venture X because Capital One Miles are worth 2-3 times the value of Hilton Honors points, and the Venture X earns at least 2x miles on all spending.
Card Benefits and Perks
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X offers the following benefits:
Annual Travel Credit: You’ll get $300 in travel credits each year to spend through the Capital One Travel portal. Use this credit for flights, hotels, and car rentals – and unlike other premium cards, there’s no complicated redemption process. Simply book your travel through the portal and watch the credit automatically apply to your statement.
Anniversary Miles Bonus: Every year on your account anniversary, Capital One deposits 10,000 bonus miles into your account – no spending requirements needed. These miles provide incredible flexibility – transfer them to airline partners for premium cabin redemptions or use them to cover $100 worth of travel purchases. This annual gift helps offset the card’s cost and rewards your loyalty year after year.
Priority Pass: Enjoy complimentary Priority Pass™ membership, granting you unlimited access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide upon enrollment. Escape the hustle and bustle of the terminal and relax in a comfortable lounge with amenities like free Wi-Fi, food, and drinks.
Capital One Lounge Network: Enjoy unlimited access to Capital One’s growing collection of premium airport lounges. These spaces offer locally-inspired food options, premium beverages, and relaxation areas that elevate your pre-flight experience.
Hertz Status: Receive Hertz President’s Circle elite status, which offers benefits such the ability to choose your car at Hertz Ultimate Choice locations when you book an intermediate car or higher, complimentary upgrades, a 50% points bonus, and a free additional driver.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit: This card offers a credit for TSA PreCheck (expedited airport security) or Global Entry (expedited airport security and customs).
Travel Benefits
Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide.
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card.
Travel Accident Insurance offers coverage for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier when the trip is purchased using the eligible credit card.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: You’ll get 24/7 access to emergency support worldwide, including medical referrals, legal help, and lost luggage assistance. While the service itself is included, you’re responsible for any actual costs incurred.
Purchase Benefits
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Cell Phone Protection: When you use your card to pay your monthly phone bill, you’ll receive valuable coverage against damage or theft of your device.
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.
Visa Infinite Benefits: In addition to great travel and purchase protections, Visa Infinite offers other perks such as the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection, rental car discounts, and special memberships
Visa Infinite Concierge can help you with travel planning, buying tickets, booking reservations, and other tasks.
Capital One Special Perks
This card offers special perks for being a Capital One cardholder:
- Capital One Travel: Access the Capital One Travel portal for exclusive prices on flights, hotel stays, and more. Pay with your rewards, your card, or a combination of the two.
- Capital One Entertainment: Access exclusive music, sports, and dining experiences through Capital One Entertainment. This could include pre-sales, special event tickets, tickets for suites, and more.
- Capital One Dining: Access exclusive cardholder-only reservations at restaurants and tickets to special culinary experiences.
- Capital One Cafes: Get 50% off drinks using your Capital One card at Capital One Cafes.
- CreditWise: Get access to your credit score access and receive alerts about changes to your Experian or Transunion credit reports with Capital One’s tool CreditWise.
Hilton Honors American Express
The Hilton Aspire Amex offers the following benefits and perks:
Hilton Diamond Status: Receive automatic Hilton Honors Diamond Elite status as long as your account is open. Diamond status offers the benefits of 100% points bonus on eligible hotel stays, room upgrades (if available), executive lounge access, premium Wi-Fi, breakfast or daily food and beverage credit, and fifth night free on award stays.
Free Night Award: Holding the card earns you one free night award at almost every Hilton hotel each year, which can be great for high-end properties.
Earn Additional Free Nights: You can earn additional free night awards when you spend $30,000 and another free night when you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
Up to $400 in Hilton Resort Credits: Each calendar year, you will receive $400 (up to $200 from January to June and $200 from July to December) in statement credits for eligible purchases at eligible Hilton resorts. Spending includes dining, activities, room rates, and spa treatments.
Up to $200 in Annual Flight Credit: Receive up to $200 in annual flight credits ($50 per quarter) for airfare purchases on flights directly from the airline or through AmexTravel.com.
Up to $100 Hilton Credit: Receive a $100 credit for incidentals when you book a two-night paid stay at the Waldorf Astoria or Conrad properties via HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard or over the phone and quote booking code ZZAAP1.
CLEAR Plus: Receive a complimentary membership to CLEAR Plus, which is an airport membership program that allows travelers to expedite their way through airport security using biometric identification such as eye scans or fingerprints.
Travel Benefits
National Elite Status: Receive a National Car Rental Executive status, which offers the benefits of Executive area access allowing you to choose any full size and above in the Executive Area and only pay the midsize rate, guaranteed upgrades when you reserve a full-size through luxury vehicle, and one free car rental day for every six car rentals
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Purchase Benefits
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
Cell Phone Protection: When you use your card to pay your monthly phone bill, you’ll receive valuable coverage against damage or theft of your device.*
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
It depends on what benefits you want. The Hilton Aspire offers valuable Hilton Diamond status and several credits that can be used at Hilton and on flights.
But I like the Venture X better because of its Priority Pass membership and its $300 annual credits that can be used on hotels, flights, and other travel purchases.
Value of the Annual Fees
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X charges a $395 annual fee, which positions it lower than competing premium travel cards.
You can offset much of this cost through valuable perks like a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) on your account anniversary.
Hilton Honors American Express
The Hilton Aspire Card has a $550 annual fee (rates & fees). While this may seem steep, the card offers significant benefits that can help offset the cost. You’ll receive complimentary Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night reward, up to $400 in Hilton resort credits, up to $200 in airline flight credits, and more.
Winner:
The Capital One Venture X because you can easily offset the annual fee without much effort.
Redeeming Rewards
Capital One Venture X
When it comes to redeeming Capital One miles, you’ve got fantastic flexibility that sets this program apart from competitors. You essentially have two main paths: fixed-value redemptions or transfers to travel partners—with the latter typically delivering superior value.
The fixed-value route is straightforward. You’ll get 1 cent per mile when redeeming for travel purchases made in the last 90 days, booking new travel through Capital One, or selecting gift cards. This simplicity is perfect for travelers who spot a great cash fare or need to cover miscellaneous travel expenses that points programs typically don’t handle well.
For maximum value though, transferring to Capital One’s impressive partner lineup is your best bet. Most airline transfers occur at a favorable 1:1 ratio, effectively making your everyday spending worth double miles on cards earning 2x. The program features 15+ airline partners across all major alliances:
- Air Canada Aeroplan and Turkish Airlines for Star Alliance flights
- British Airways and Cathay Pacific for oneworld access
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue for SkyTeam travel
- Several non-alliance options like Emirates and Etihad
Hotel transfers include Wyndham Rewards and Choice Privileges at 1:1, plus Accor at a 2:1 ratio.
Some particularly valuable redemptions include Air Canada’s transcontinental business class awards from 25,000 points, Air France-KLM’s business class to Europe from 60,000 miles, and Finnair’s domestic Alaska Airlines flights for just 11,000 miles.
The real power of Capital One miles lies in their versatility—you can mix redemption styles based on what delivers better value for each trip. For inexpensive domestic flights, fixed-value redemptions often make more sense, while international premium cabins typically deliver exceptional value through transfers.
| Capital One Transfer Partners | |
AeroMexico
|
Air Canada (Aeroplan)
|
Air France (Flying Blue)
|
Avianca (LifeMiles)
|
British Airways
|
Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles)
|
Emirates
|
Etihad
|
EVA (2 to 1.5)
|
Finnair
|
Japan Airlines (2 to 1.5)
|
JetBlue (5 to 3)
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore (KrisFlyer)
|
TAP Portugal
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Virgin Red
|
Accor (2:1)
|
Choice Hotels
|
| I Prefer Hotels (1 to 2) |
Wyndham
|
Hilton Honors American Express
Hilton Honors points offer flexibility and value for travelers, with over 7,500 properties worldwide available for redemption. While the program uses dynamic pricing instead of a fixed award chart, members can still find excellent deals, especially during peak travel periods. The best way to use Hilton points is typically for hotel stays, where we found during our data study that you should get, on average, about 0.51 cents per point in value.
To maximize your redemptions, search for properties within your point budget during your desired travel dates. Elite members benefit from a fifth night free on award stays, stretching points even further. For those short on points, the Points & Money option allows for customizable combinations of cash and points.
Hilton also offers premium room awards, letting you book suites or rooms with better amenities using points. This can be particularly useful for families or those desiring extra space. Beyond hotel stays, Hilton points can be redeemed for unique experiences through Hilton Honors Experiences, including exclusive events and activities.
While other redemption options exist, such as transferring to airlines, using points for Amazon purchases, or booking car rentals, these typically offer lower value. Focus on hotel stays and experiences to get the most from your Hilton Honors points. With strategic planning, you can turn your points into memorable stays at properties ranging from budget-friendly options to luxury resorts worldwide.
Winner:
The Capital One Venture X wins because it offers flexible redemptions. Plus, Capital One miles are just more valuable than Hilton points.
The Verdict
Travelers can benefit a lot from the Venture X and Hilton Aspire credit cards. It’s hard to choose between the two because each card is valuable in its own way.
However, the Capital One Venture X wins because it offers better redemptions for cardholders. Unlike Hilton, Capital One miles can be transferred to several airline and hotel partners, potentially increasing its value. The card also offers other premium perks like free Priority Pass access and a $300 annual travel credit that can be used on any travel purchase, including hotels and airlines.
The Hilton Aspire Amex could also be a good option to go along with the Venture X card if you stay at Hilton Hotels several times per year.
Which card are you going to choose?
