How to Book 2026 Travel With Capital One miles

There comes a moment every year… usually somewhere between holiday chaos and New Year optimism… where we convince ourselves that next year is the year we finally take that big bucket list trip.

Then life happens, award space disappears, and you’re rewatching “Emily in Paris” because that’s as close to Europe as you'll get. 🙃

But in 2026, we’re turning things around, friend!

Right now, the timing is honestly perfect for anyone who wants to plan ahead. Airlines are releasing 2026 award seats, prices are still pretty reasonable, and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card just brought back its rare 100,000-mile welcome offer with six months to earn it.

If you’re even slightly thinking about a 2026 trip, this is one of the easiest ways to set future you up for success. So, here’s how to actually make this happen.

Start by Choosing Your Preferred Destination

Most people get tripped up and pick the card first and the destination later.

You’re going to do the opposite.

Think about what you want your 2026 spot (or spots) to be. Two business-class seats to Europe? A long-overdue Japan trip in the winter? A Hawaii vacation you’ve been putting off for years?

Whatever that dream is, name it.

That decision will shape everything else: how many miles you'll realistically need, which airline programs you’ll lean on, and when you should start searching for seats. The clearer you are now, the easier this whole thing becomes later.

Why the Venture X Offer is Perfect for 2026 Planning

The Venture X hasn’t had a six-figure welcome offer since its 2021 launch, and this current version is genuinely compelling: Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening - equal to $1,000 in travel.

Six months is the key. Most welcome offers give you 90 days. Here, you get half a year, which is long enough to hit the minimum spend with normal life stuff like travel bookings, holiday purchases, or literally just… bills.

By the time spring rolls around, you’ve likely earned your bonus when airlines are opening or refreshing the second half of 2026. And if you’ve ever tried to search for flights a few months before travel… well… you get it.

How to Earn More Than 100k Miles

Capital One has a quiet superpower. You can convert cash back from certain cards into miles as long as you hold a miles-earning card like the Venture X.

This is where “partner” cards come in, especially the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card or SavorOne Rewards from Capital One.

Picture this:

• Venture X gives you the 100,000-mile bonus and earns 2x on everything

• Savor Cash Card/SavorOne Rewards from Capital One earns at least 3% back on dining, groceries, entertainment, and streaming

• You convert that cash back into miles 1:1

Suddenly, your grocery runs and dinner dates are earning 3x Capital One miles, and your regular spending is earning 2x without thinking about it.

It’s not unrealistic to head into early 2026 with 130k to 160k miles using this setup… all before booking anything. That’s a lot of miles, y’all.

Where Those Miles Can Actually Take You

A six-figure balance in Capital One miles is more powerful than people realize, mostly because of how flexible the program is.

You can transfer miles to more than 20 airline and hotel partners… ok, love! With that in mind, let’s talk about some real 2026 potentials.

Option One: Europe

If you’re dreaming of Europe next summer or fall, 100k to 150k Capital One miles can go a long way:

• Aeroplan regularly prices business class between North America and Europe in the 60k to 70k range one-way, depending on distance and airline.

• Virgin Atlantic has historically offered low pricing on some Virgin (or Delta routes and partner sweet spots), especially to London and other European cities, even as low as 29,000 miles in business class.

So, you could use your miles to book one direction in business class (some lie-flat seats, or something chill like that), and handle the other direction with economy or premium economy, and still have plenty of miles to put toward your hotel stay.

Option Two: Hawaii

Turkish Airlines used to offer the internet’s favorite “10k to Hawaii” award. Those days are sadly gone. 🫠

Turkish recently increased partner pricing across the board, including United-operated domestic flights, and Hawaii awards now run closer to 25k one-way in economy.

Womp womp womp…

But here’s the good news:

You can still use programs like Aeroplan to fly from the West Coast (cities like San Francisco) to Hawaii on United for as few as 12,500 points each way.

So, a 100k to 150k Capital One balance still covers round-trip flights for the whole family.

Is it as fun as 10k? No. Is it still a great vacation at a steep discount? For sure.

Option Three: Japan

Japan tends to scare people because premium cabin space is elusive, but Capital One’s partners genuinely help here.

• Aeroplan, Asia Miles, and Capital One’s newer additions, like JAL Mileage Bank, all open doors to Japan in both economy and premium cabins.

• Virgin Atlantic has long offered competitive ANA pricing when you can catch it (space varies, but the value can be good).

If you can be flexible with dates or route, it’s fully possible to use 100k to 140k miles to book one direction in business class, then fill in the rest with either a cheap cash fare or economy awards.

Japan is one of the best uses of a big Venture X bonus, especially for some fall foliage or spring 2026 cherry blossom trips.

Timing Is Everything

Airlines typically release award seats 11 to 12 months in advance, and then again in waves throughout the year. That means the early parts of 2026 are already on the board, and the mid-to-late parts are opening soon.

So if you:

• Get the card now

• Use the next six months of normal purchases to earn your 100k+

• Begin checking award calendars early next year

… you’re walking into the perfect strategy: maximum availability, maximum flexibility, and enough miles to actually book the trip(s) you want.

No more panic-searching four months before your trip and wondering why all that’s left is a $2,100 middle seat on a Tuesday morning at 5 am.

Bottom Line

2026 is your year! You can do it! I believe in you!

You don’t need to become some award travel wizard to make a 2026 bucket list trip happen. You just need to:

• Pick the trip early

• Take advantage of the Venture X offer while it exists

• Use the long six-month runway to earn points with normal spending

• Pair it with a Savor Cash Card or SavorOne Rewards Card if you want to take things to the next level

• Start looking at those award seats

2026 is coming either way. You might as well have a business-class seat waiting for you.