United Begins Selling Boutique Air Flights to Telluride Airport (TEX)
Update 8/28/18: United has confirmed that Boutique Air flights earn miles in the MileagePlus program. Additionally, you'll be able to redeem miles for these flights to TEX, however awards aren't appearing just yet. See this page for current earning rates.
I learned a new airport code today! It's TEX, and while Google Flights will probably insist that you must be trying to type "Texas" in the destination field, TEX is in fact code for Telluride Regional Airport, a tiny field just six miles from Telluride (and its namesake ski area) in Colorado. With an elevation of 9,078 feet, TEX also happens to be the highest airport in North America with commercial service.
That commercial service is operated by the one and only Boutique Air, which is launching nonstop flights to Denver (DEN) beginning Wednesday, August 29, 2018. The new flights will significantly cut down on travel time, bringing the 90-minute commute from Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) down to just 10 minutes.
Boutique operates a small fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprops — inside, they resemble a light private jet, with seating for just eight people.
Interestingly, Boutique Air is partnering with United on this launch — you can even pair TEX flights with an itinerary connecting in Denver. While they aren't yet appearing in Google Flights, you can find DEN-TEX legs on United's site.
Additionally, according to a press release, "Passengers on Boutique Air flights can earn miles and redeem miles for flights through the United MileagePlus frequent flyer program." I haven't been able to find awards either online or via United's phone agents, however, so I've reached out to the airline to confirm. You can book paid itineraries beginning today, though.
As you might expect, these connecting itineraries don't come cheap — at first I figured that had more to do with Boutique's fares, considering the same round-trip flights between New York (LGA) and Denver were pricing at $256.
Boutique's selling its own flights for $294 round-trip, however — as a result, you'll pay $550 when booking these same flights separately, a savings of $257 over United's single-itinerary price.
Pricing discrepancies apart, this is an exciting development. I'm especially intrigued by the prospect of redeeming United miles to book a seat on Boutique Air's flight to TEX, but redemption levels and award availability have yet to be confirmed. Still, with reasonable fares from Denver, I could definitely justify spending $300 for the opportunity to avoid a 13-hour round-trip drive after arriving at DEN, as I'm sure could many other skiers this coming winter season.
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Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
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- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month