My 6 favorite Capital One Venture X benefits

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a top-rated travel credit card offering premium perks for a $395 annual fee — over $150 less than luxury cards with similar benefits. But numbers aside, what I love about this card is how its perks and extras come through for me when I'm traveling and want to feel pampered. Out of the six cards that I have, the Venture X is definitely one of my favorites.

To give you a better idea of how the Venture X might find a similar place in your heart (and wallet), I've compiled a list of my favorite benefits and how they've helped me make the road more comfortable.

The Venture X gives cardholders complimentary Hertz President's Circle® status. I don't see this perk discussed in articles about the card as much as I feel it should be. Maybe not enough people rent cars to justify the attention, or perhaps the benefit's expiration date of Dec. 31, 2024 makes it seem too transitory to talk about. But anyone who likes to hit the road and doesn't want to depend on ride-share services will find plenty to enjoy with this benefit.

Hertz President's Circle elite status comes with the following benefits:

• Guaranteed upgrades: You can qualify for a guaranteed one-class car upgrade.
• Bonus points: You'll earn 50% more points on all rentals, or 1.5x points per dollar spent.
• Widest Ultimate Choice availability: You can pick any car from an Ultimate Choice lot.
• Dedicated Hertz Rewards phone line: You get access to a dedicated Hertz phone number for President's Circle members.

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.

I've never gotten to try the Ultimate Choice lot perk since those lots are usually located at airports. In my experience, renting a car at airport car rentals is significantly more expensive than in city locations, and I go for the latter. On the other hand, I once was offered an upgrade from a small to a large sedan at a city location in Bellevue, Washington, so I'm not complaining.

Normally, to become eligible for President's Circle status, you need to complete 15 rentals or spend $3,000 with Hertz. That sounds like a lot of car rentals — I'm happy I get to experience Hertz's special treatment with my credit card for free.

A solid package of travel insurance benefits is a must for a travel credit card. The Venture X offers the following:

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which may provide reimbursement if you need to cancel your trip or cut it short
• Trip delay coverage, which may cover lodging and meals if your trip is delayed
• Lost luggage reimbursement, which may reimburse you for damage or loss of your luggage
• Primary rental car insurance, which can cover damage or theft of the rental car with no effect on your personal car insurance policy

I always try to book my trips on a card that comes with good travel protections, and the Venture X offers all the essentials. On the other hand, you can get these with a more affordable card. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (which I also have) offers all these travel insurance benefits and only costs $95 for the annual fee per year.

In the days before the Venture X made its way to my wallet, I once had a trip from Moscow, Russia to Austin, Texas, that took 14 hours and had two layovers. During the stop in Helsinki, Finland, I had to run to make the connection. But when I made it to the second layover in Chicago and had an hour to kill, the exhaustion began to settle in as I tried to get comfortable sitting at the gate. By the time I arrived in Austin, I felt like a crumpled paper bag.

Relaxing in a lounge makes layovers something you almost look forward to, but you usually either have to have elite airline status or pay a fee to get in. Another option is to fork out for a premium-cabin ticket.

Or you can have a credit card that offers complimentary lounge access.

With the Venture X, you get access to over 1,300 lounges worldwide from Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Group. You can also access Capital One lounges, but so far there is only one open in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with locations at Denver International Airport and Dulles International Airport opening later in 2023. I checked it out and found it comfortable, clean and spacious — and the food was tasty (and free!).

A word of caution: that airport lounge life is easy to get used to. You might not want to get back to waiting at the gate ever again.

Every time I find myself in a regular airport security line, I feel like I should wear a neck brace for the whiplash I'm about to experience. First I'm standing around with my shoes off for what seems like forever, my old Doctor Who socks for the world to see. Then I need to put my shoes back on with the speed of light and shove my laptop back in my already overstuffed carry-on backpack so that I'm not in anyone's way.

The Venture X helps keep my airport security experience as sane as possible by providing a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to pay for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership. PreCheck allows you to go through a separate security line at the airport and you get to keep your shoes and jacket on, and your electronics in your bag. Global Entry includes PreCheck benefits and also lets you clear customs quicker when you travel internationally and arrive back in the U.S.

I haven't had a chance to use my Global Entry privileges yet, but PreCheck is such a time-saver. Each time I used it, I was able to go through the security line in less than 10 minutes without anyone knowing my favorite sci-fi show by glancing at my feet.

Note that you can get the same benefit with a more affordable card. For example, the Venture X's sibling card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card both offer this perk at a $95 annual fee.

The Venture X offers 2X miles on everything. This makes earning rewards incredibly easy. I use this card on all purchases that don't fit bonus categories on my other rewards credit cards: utilities, haircuts, PlayStation games, Jazzercise On Demand, you name it. This way, I ensure I get extra rewards on everything I spend.

A double rewards rate on everything is a somewhat rare feature. You can find it on some cash rewards cards, such the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card and the Citi® Double Cash Card (with the latter, you get 1% cash back when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off).

If you'd like double travel rewards without the big price tag, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is also worth looking into: It earns the same 2X miles on everything with an annual fee of $95 per year.

All of the above wouldn't persuade me to get the Venture X — if it didn't practically pay for itself.

Of course, premium travel cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve also offer a ton of statement credits — but they're also more expensive. The Chase Sapphire Reserve leaves you with $250 to recoup after you use the card's $300 annual travel credit. The Amex Platinum reminds me of a coupon book with all the statement credits it offers, but none of them fit my spending. I can't afford Equinox even with $300 in annual credits and most of the hotels eligible for the $200 credit are also out of my budget even with the credit. I can definitely afford Walmart, but I shop there too rarely to take advantage of Walmart+ membership credits. Terms apply.

However, the Venture X gives me a $300 annual statement credit to spend on travel by booking through the issuer's travel portal. Plus, I get a 10,000-mile annual bonus on each card's anniversary worth $100 when redeemed through Capital One Travel. Together, they provide $400 in value to spend on my trips. With how much travel currently costs, it takes me two trips out of state at the very most to spend this money — and offset the card's $395 annual fee.

For a $395 annual fee, the Capital One Venture X packs incredible value. From nice-to-haves like elite status at Hertz to generous rewards and annual credits, this card more than justifies its cost. If you travel at least a few times a year and watch your budget but don't mind feeling VIP on your trips, you'll likely be as happy with the Venture X as I am.

Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

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

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