The Travel Card’s Next Act: Erasing Friction

The Decision Brief Sarah Moore, SVP, Capital One Travel Moderated by Darren Frei, Skift Studio Sponsored by Capital One Travel THE VERDICT Capital One is positioning itself as more than a credit card company. It sees itself as a travel platform, and travel brands should be paying attention. Moore said launching Capital One Travel in 2021, later than many competitors, gave the company a chance to see what was already in the market, understand what modern travelers wanted, and build with a technology-first approach. “No one really owns the customer today. They own their own decisions,” Moore said. As a bank, Capital One also has access to customer information and transaction data that can help it understand how people prefer to travel. Moore said the opportunity is to use that information to make it easier for customers to find what they need based on what Capital One knows about them. For OTAs, hotels, and airlines, the bigger question is what happens as Capital One moves beyond rewards and booking to build more of the travel relationship itself. PATHS FORWARD Make personalization contextual. Moore said the same customer traveling for work, with a spouse, or with four kids can need very different experiences. Without that context, she said, “it’s just the same offering that you’re giving me.” The variable is the trip, not just the traveler. Stay with the customer after the booking. Moore said Capital One provides flight updates, lounge information, and support around what travelers can do at their destination after the transaction is complete. The goal is to become “that travel companion” throughout the journey. Staying relevant after booking creates another opportunity to build trust before the next trip. Build around experiences, not just inventory. Moore said more than 70% of Capital One customers are looking at some kind of event or live experience when they travel, and many plan trips around those activities. She pointed to partnerships with MLB, touring artists, and José Andrés as examples of how Capital One is extending beyond flights and hotels. WHAT TO WATCH Capital One explicitly sees itself as a travel platform, not simply a credit card company with booking capabilities. Moore said customers expect the company to support them throughout the journey, “from end to end,” including booking and servicing. She also said Capital One launched a dedicated travel app in the past year that has been “heavily utilized.” The competitive question is how much of the traveler relationship Capital One can build around its existing financial relationship with customers. Moore said earning trust means being there when something goes wrong and knowing when to step up. She said that kind of support is what builds trust and can help earn the next booking. The open question is whether Capital One can consistently deliver that level of support across the full travel journey as it expands further into travel. Access all the Skift Takeaways from this event, as well as full session videos, presentation documents, and more editorial coverage at our Skift Global Forum attendees hub.