The Next Level of Luxury Travel Credit Card Offerings
Credit card brands are expanding their luxury offerings to include highly curated trips, Michelin-starred meals and priority reservations
A recent report by Grand View Research valued the luxury travel industry at $1.48 trillion, projected to reach $2.36 trillion by 2030. Savvy travelers know their credit card is key to unlocking exclusive benefits to elevated their travel experience like lounge access, hard-to-get reservations and cardholder-only hotel exclusives. Now, credit cards are raising the bar with new, more luxurious offerings to meet customer demand—and build loyalty.
Rare Access Through Group Itineraries
According to Capital One’s inaugural “Luxury Trend Forecast 2026,” the number one trend is cultural connection and authenticity, revealed through food, art and cultural events. In addition, 83% of luxury travelers seek exclusivity of access to places and activities.
Founded in 1994, Capital One is one of the younger credit card companies in the market. Until about a decade ago, they were best known for “breakthrough, upmarket mass credit cards that were simple and straightforward,” says Lauren Liss, Senior Vice President of Business Analysis, Premium Products, Rewards & Marketing at Capital One.
In 2021, the company launched Venture X, a premium travel credit card. Its initial offerings included travel credits, lounge access and a points bonus every account anniversary. In the five years since its inception, Venture X increased offerings to include access to events and entered into partnerships with travel brand Prior and art club Cultivist.
In 2020, Capital One teamed up with Michelin for events across the U.S., such as Michelin star reveal parties. This relationship now goes a step further: in fall 2025, Capital One hosted Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders on an inaugural wine-and-culinary Michelin-guided trip to Bordeaux, the first of what will be more international trips with this recognizable culinary leader.
Over the five-day trip, guests dined at an array of Michelin-starred restaurants. The spherical presentation of seaweed and salted butter at one-starred Les Belles Perdix commanded a good 15 minutes of conversation. At two-starred La Table de Pavie, by decorated chef Yannick Alleno, guests covered their heads with a napkin for a traditional ortolan-style pigeon course. On the final night, a grilled tomato starter stole the show at two-starred La Grand’Vigne, located in the three-Michelin Key Les Sources de Caudalie, which served as home base for the entire trip.
Days were filled with tours and tastings at some of Bordeaux’s top Châteaux, such as Château Pavie, a Grand Cru Classe “A” estate and Troplong Mondot, a 1er Grand Cru Classe, both in Saint-Émilion, and Château Malartic-Lagraviére, a Grand Cru Classe estate in Pessac-Leognan, classified for both its white and red wine. Along with oenological excursions, activities such as an optional pastry class, caviar tasting and a guided tour of the Monolithic Church in Saint-Émilion dotted the itinerary.
“As I’ve talked to our cardholders, what I found is that luxury travel is different for different people, and even the same person in very different experiences or moments wants to travel in unique ways,” says Liss, adding that they’re “creating flexibility so that luxury travel can mean different things across the entire journey.”
According to Liss, the trip sold out in 12 hours, and many attendees frequently partook in Capital One cardholder events. This demand, and loyalty, will continue to drive how Capital One designs their itineraries. “When we think about our products and our services, I do think that what we’re offering [with our cards] is something that fits into your life, versus you trying to plan your life around it,” she says. “And that is similar to our experiences as well. There are different types of trips for everyone and they offer a ton of value.”
Alongside Capital One x Michelin’s foray into curated group trips, Chase Sapphire launched a new program at the beginning of 2026 called Sapphire Reserve Trips, available to its Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve Business cardholders. These excursions, planned by Chase Travel, kick off in February with a ski trip to St. Moritz. Throughout the year, locales such as Jaipur, India, Abu Dhabi, and Turks and Caicos will be featured. According to the media release, select itineraries align with Chase Travel’s 26 Trips in 2026 list.
More Perks For Planners
For those seeking more autonomy in their planning and travel, both Citi and Mastercard unveiled new products in the second half of 2025. According to Courtney Joseph, Head of Reward Products and Premium Customer Experience at Citi, proprietary research found that the number one way premium cardholders want to use their credit card rewards is to treat themselves, with more than half (53%) wanting to use rewards on travel and 47% wanting to use them on dining.
To wit, they launched the Citi Strata Elite Card, with the ability to earn 12x points on hotels, car rentals and attractions, and 6x points on air travel booked through the Citi Travel platform. Additionally, cardholders earn 6x points on both dining and restaurant delivery.
The Strata Elite Card also provides access to experiential perks. “Nationwide, we will host immersive experiences offering cardmembers access to some of the most sought-after restaurants, top chefs and influential voices in culinary,” says Joseph. Citi will ramp up events in partnership with The Supper Club, kicking off with a dinner in February at Cafe Carmellini in New York City with Chefs Andrew Carmellini, Ryan Bartlow (Ernesto’s and Bartolo), and Ari Schor (Beba).
“Overall, we often see higher loyalty and usage from cardmembers who engage with experiential benefits,” says Joseph. “It reinforces the idea that the card aligns with their values and their lifestyle. It is not only about access; it is about identity and community.”
Even Mastercard, an originator of unique experiences, continues to innovate. Its Priceless program, a marketplace of cardholder perks, launched in 1997. Building on previous successes, it expanded its offerings with the launch of its new Mastercard Collection for its World, World Elite, and World Legend cardholders in July 2025 with a higher-tier suite of dining, entertainment and travel upgrades. Built on the premise of using time intentionally to pursue passions, Collection focuses on streamlined airport travel, granting cardholders access to Fast Track security lanes and admittance into Fast Track and Taste of Priceless dining spaces. Cardholders also obtain priority reservations at desirable restaurants and presale tickets to LiveNation entertainment events.
Depending on how you like to travel, whether through high-touch set itineraries or with perks to ease travel pain points, there are many new options to explore with your credit card of choice.
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