Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

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The search for the best premium travel rewards card continues. Today, we compare the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. The first one is a more all-around travel rewards card, while the second has excellent American Airlines benefits. Which should you apply for?

Welcome Offer

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. According to Capital One, these points are worth about $750 when you redeem them for travel.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.. According to American Airlines, you can use AAnytime awards for any seat on American Airlines or American Eagle for as low as 20,000 miles each way.

Because of the flexibility and high value of the Venture X welcome offer, we give it the win in this category.

Cash Back Rewards

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns you at least 2x miles on every purchase, every day. You also get a $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles each year, which are worth about $100 in travel. You get elevated rewards on hotels and rental cars and a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. You also get access to Capital One airport lounges. Currently, there are three: Dallas-Fort Worth, Dulles International Airport and Denver. Capital One plans to open more. You and two guests also get access to Priority Pass lounges, and there’s over 1,300 of those, plus access to 100+ Plaza Premium lounges.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® earns you 10x miles on hotels and car rentals booked through American Airlines, 4x miles on all eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1x mile on all other purchases. The other major benefit to this card is that your first checked bag is free when you fly American, and that offer extends to as many as eight of your companions flying on the same reservation. You also get 10,000 loyalty points after you reach 50,000 loyalty points and another 10,000 loyalty points when you reach 90,000 points in a calendar year.

As to which card gets the win, it’s a tough call. The Citi card has better benefits for those who fly American Airlines, and the Capital One card has more flexible benefits. For most people, Capital One is more useful, so they get the nod here.

Here are the details for each card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Rewards:  

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

Rewards:

Rates and Fees

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has an annual fee of $595, whereas the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has a slightly lower fee of $395. However, the Capital One card has the $300 travel credit, plus the anniversary miles, which are worth $100 in travel. This makes the card better than free. The Citi card does have a few benefits, like $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget car rentals, $120 on Lyft and $120 on Grubhub, but none as enticing as the credits you get with the Venture X.

Neither card has foreign transaction fees, and neither card is offering a 0% introductory APR at this time.

This is an easy win for Capital One.

Who the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is Best For

As far as premium travel rewards cards go, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a fantastic deal. With the $300 travel credit and the anniversary point bonus, it’s like Capital One is paying you $5 a year to carry this card. Plus you get access to 1,400+ Capital One, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium airport lounges.

Another nice benefit is that Capital One will price match, so if you’re booking travel through the Capital One portal and find a lower price somewhere else, Capital One can match it. And since “easy” is a high priority when making travel arrangements, most people report positive experiences with the Capital One portal. Plus, you get cell phone protection. This is a great card for anyone who travels even a few times a year.

Who the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is Best For

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with a complimentary Admirals Club membership, worth about $650. If you are loyal to American Airlines, this card is perfect for you. You can also add authorized users, which is nice if you’re traveling with family and everyone wants lounge access. Without a card, lounge access costs $59, so if you visit Admirals Clubs at least 8 times a year, this card is worth it. You also get 25% off any inflight purchases you make with your card.

Does it Make Sense to Get Both Cards?

Possibly, if you travel quite a bit and prefer to fly with American Airlines. However, you’ll have to consider the fees. The Venture X card does offer a travel credit that makes up for the annual fee. But if you want both cards, you’ll also have to pay the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® fee, and it doesn’t have a travel credit to redeem. For most people, one or the other will stand out as being a better fit.

Approval Odds

The credit score data listed below comes from publicly available information in a number of forums. The accuracy of the information cannot be verified. Keep in mind that credit card issuers consider more than an applicant’s credit score and that underwriting standards change over time.

What Credit Score Do You Need to Get the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

What Credit Score Do You Need to Get the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

Both cards require excellent credit to be considered for approval, so choose the card that fits your travel profile best.

Bottom Line

These cards are both for frequent travels. If you like to fly with American Airlines when you go anywhere and live near a hub, the Citi card will be a good fit. The Capital One card is more flexible and will appeal to a broader audience. But either card can be a good value for the right person.