Why it's getting even harder to get into airport lounges now
Capital One is the latest company to limit access to booming airport lounges to combat overcrowding.
Starting Feb. 1, Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders will no longer be able to automatically take a guest into lounges or bring authorized second card users.
They will instead have to pay $125 annually for each additional cardholder to keep their lounge access, $45 per adult guest per visit and $25 per guest 17 or younger. The $125 fee also includes second cardholder access to a network of Priority Pass lounges.
'As airport lounges continue to grow in popularity across the industry, we've seen our customers increasingly encounter wait times to enter them,' Capital One said in a statement. 'It is important to us that we maintain a great airport lounge experience for our Venture X and Venture X Business customers, while continuing to deliver best-in-class premium travel cards at an accessible price point.'
Primary cardholders will have to spend at least $75,000 per calendar year to bring up to two complimentary free guests to Capital One lounges and one guest to Capital One Landings, smaller lounges built for travelers who tend to spend less time at the airport, like those heading to short flights.
The $75,000 spending requirement for complimentary guests matches what American Express announced two years ago, also a measure to minimize crowding and keeping the clubs feeling exclusive.
Credit card companies have ramped up their airport lounge networks in recent years, opening new locations to handle demand. And airport lounge access has been a central perk attached to rewards cards, which generally come with an annual fee.
The Venture X card, which launched in 2021, is $395 a year, less than the $695 a year American Express charges for its Platinum card or the $550 JPMorgan Chase charges for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, both of which come with airport lounges.
'When it comes to lounges, Capital One is a challenger brand; they're an underdog,' said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group.
Capital One has lounges at Denver International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. It plans to open one this year at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and one of its Landings at LaGuardia Airport.
But the new restrictions show Capital One isn't immune to its popularity leading to big crowds.
'Like Amex, like Chase, these lounges have become victims of their own success,' Harteveldt said. 'No lounge operator wants them to be as overrun as the public areas of the airport.'
Airlines have also raised prices to access airport lounges and built larger ones to accommodate the influx.
Delta Air Lines, for example, has made sweeping changes to its lounge access policies, like getting rid of unlimited visits in favor of annual caps.
And last summer, Delta unveiled its first Delta One lounge, dedicated for customers in its highest class of cabin. It plans to open a new one in Seattle later this month.
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Free Night Award and no blackouts apply to standard rooms only as defined by each participating property; contact the property before booking to check availability. To view the full Terms and Conditions, visit You will receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy ® Silver Elite status with your Marriott Bonvoy ® American Express ® Card. This complimentary Silver Elite status benefit is only available to the Basic Cardmember. If your Card is cancelled for any reason, your complimentary Silver Elite status provided with the Card will be cancelled. If you reach £15,000 in net purchases charged to your Account in any Cardmembership year, you (the Basic Cardmember) will be enrolled for at least 12 months in the Gold Elite tier of the Marriott Bonvoy ® loyalty programme (unless you are already enrolled in an equivalent or higher level – Marriott Bonvoy ® associates excluded). 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On or before 1 March of each subsequent calendar year, a maximum of 15 Elite Night Credits will be credited to your Marriott Bonvoy Member Account operated by Marriott International, Inc., in accordance with Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions To be eligible to receive the 15 Elite Night Credits with this Card, you must be the Basic Cardmember, your Card account must be in good standing at the time of the 15 Elite Night Credit deposit, and you must have an active Marriott Bonvoy ® programme Account. To receive the 15 Elite Night Credit deposit, your Card account must be linked to a Marriott Bonvoy ® programme Account in your name. You will receive a maximum of 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year even if you have more than one Marriott Bonvoy ® Credit Card account or have more than one Marriott Bonvoy ® programme Account. American Express is not responsible for fulfilment of this benefit. It will take approximately eight weeks from the Card account approval date for the credits to be applied to your loyalty account. American Express Services Europe Limited has its registered office at Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9AX, United Kingdom. It is registered in England and Wales with Company Number 1833139 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. © 2024 American Express Company. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2025 American Express Company. All Rights Reserved.
