Starting Jan. 1, 2025, both cards will lose free access to airport lounges, so current cardholders should use their two complimentary passes by Dec. 31, 2024. After that, cardholders must pay a special rate of $45 per visit – compared with the standard rate of $65 for non-cardholders – for themselves and their guests to access Capital One Lounges.

The Capital One Aspire Travel Platinum Mastercard earns 1 reward mile per dollar on every purchase, which you can redeem for travel, account credits or gift cards. This offers more flexibility but less rewards value, earning around $278.51 annually compared to $348.31 with the Capital One Smart Rewards Mastercard.

Like almost anything in life, the right choice for a credit card is the one that meets your specific needs.  Premium credit cards such as the American Express Centurion Card might be attractive to those who like to flash their cash—it has an initiation fee of $10,

The Capital One VentureOne provides a straightforward approach to earning travel rewards without an annual fee, though its earning potential is limited compared to premium travel cards.