Everything You Need to Know About Capital One Lounges

Capital One has made a big splash in the world of credit card airport lounges in 2022 with the unveiling of their very first branded airport lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

After years of planning and months of construction, the long-awaited Capital One Lounge is quite a sight to behold. From complimentary premium food options to Peloton exercise bikes, Capital One’s first airport lounge may have just cast a shadow on its competitors’ offerings.

However, the Dallas lounge is not the only Capital One Lounge that will be opened this year. There have also been confirmed plans to open Capital One lounges at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in 2022 as well. Plus, it’s been made clear that Capital One won’t stop expanding its network.

So, with so much hype around the current and upcoming Capital One Lounges, which cards do you need to get complimentary access? Are there any other ways to get into them? Where will they be? And what’s actually inside? Let’s take a look at what you can expect from Capital One Lounges.

Locations of Capital One Lounges

So far, the Capital One Lounge in Dallas is the only Capital One airport lounge that is open, but Capital One has announced a plan to build more throughout the United States and possibly abroad.

However, with the reveal of several Chase Sapphire Lounges and the ever-expanding network of The Centurion Lounges by American Express, it may be hard to find real estate as easily as Capital One might like.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

The first-ever Capital One lounge is located in Dallas, and it’s an impressive space that has set the bar for all airport lounges to come. The 10,000-square-foot space has a beautiful design with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow you to view the planes coming and going as you await your flight.

DFW’s Capital One lounge can be found near Gate D22 in Terminal D, which is home to American Airlines as well as international carriers, including Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways.

The luxurious amenities at the Dallas Capital One Lounge are far superior to any other airport lounge that has been built to date and will probably serve as an example of what Capital One plans to do with the future locations.

Denver International Airport

Although the Capital One Lounge in Denver has yet to open, Capital One has confirmed that it’s supposed to open sometime before the end of 2022. It’s likely that this will be their second location.

The plan for the Capital One Lounge in Denver includes a 11,200-square-foot space that will be located in Concourse A, which is home to American, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Air Canada, Aeroméxico, Air France, British Airways and several other airlines.

A major hub, Denver International Airport receives a high proportion of connecting traffic, so Capital One will likely place a lot of emphasis on relaxation rooms and shower suites for connecting passengers when designing the Capital One Lounge. Apart from that, fairly little is known about what it will look like.

Washington Dulles International Airport

Being that Capital One is headquartered in the U.S. capital, it’s no surprise that it has decided to open one of the first branded airport lounges at Washington Dulles International Airport. In fact, it was the first Capital One lounge to be announced back in the beginning of 2020. However, it probably won’t open until around the end of 2022.

The Capital One Lounge is set to be located in the main terminal just after security. This lounge will probably be comparable in size to the lounges in Denver and in Dallas. However, the exact dimensions haven’t yet been released.

In terms of design, Capital One has wanted to alleviate the stress of getting from the terminal to the gate, so there will probably be quite a bit of focus on the grab-and-go food concept at the Capital One Lounge in Washington. Thus, cardholders will be able to quickly stop by the lounge and grab a bite to eat before getting to their gate.

How to Get Into a Capital One Lounge

Whether you have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card in your wallet, another company’s credit card or no credit card at all, you can get into the Capital One Lounges one way or another.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The only way to consistently get into Capital One airport lounges for free is by holding the premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The Capital One Venture X Card was meant to compete directly with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express. However, the Capital One Venture X Card has a smaller annual fee of $395. Now, these Capital One airport lounges are just one more selling point for the premium card.

For Capital One Venture X cardholders, access to the Capital One Lounge in Dallas (as well as any upcoming lounges) is free. All you have to do is show your Capital One Venture X Card at the desk or pull it up in your smartphone app.

Cardholders also can bring two guests per visit into the lounge at no cost. Any additional guests will cost $45 per person. Children under the age of 2 can enter for free. On top of that, you can add up to four authorized users on your account for free, and each can access the lounge and even bring two guests with them at no cost.

Capital One Venture X cardholders also have Priority Pass Select membership, which grants complimentary access to all Priority Pass lounges and restaurants for them plus two guests.

The Capital One Venture Credit Card

Capital One Venture card holders also get some benefits from the new Capital One airport lounges, just not as many as Venture X cardholders. Venture cardholders receive two free annual day passes to Capital One Lounges. Unfortunately, guests cost $45 per visit. However, you can use one of your two annual passes to bring a guest in for free.

Once you’ve used up your free passes, you can still enter the lounges at a discounted rate of $45. You can also bring in as many guests as you want for a discounted rate of $45 per person.

All you have to do to receive your free pass or entry discount is to show your Capital One Venture Card at the desk or open up your smartphone app.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business Card

Similar to the Venture Card, business owners with a Capital One Spark Miles for Business Card are eligible for two free passes and future visits are $45 per person. Simply show your card or open your app at check in to receive access.

Paid Entry for Everyone

If you don’t have a Capital One credit card in your wallet, you can still enter the Dallas Capital One Lounge (or any of the upcoming Capital One lounges) for a fee of $65 per person.

This entry fee is on the pricier side, likely because Capital One wants to prevent their lounges from getting overcrowded. Most other airport lounges charge $50 to $59 per passenger. However, the extra amenities offered in Capital One lounges makes up for the difference in price.

Capital One Lounge Hours and Restrictions

As of now, the Capital One lounge at Dallas Airport is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., but Capital One claims that it plans to expand these hours in the near future.

However, similar to many other airport lounges, you’re not allowed to enter Capital One Lounges more than three hours before your flight departure. Again, this is probably a way to prevent the lounges from getting overcrowded or to discourage people from consuming an excess amount of the complimentary offerings.

Unfortunately, this three-hour rule still applies if you have a long layover. It’s probably worth asking the desk attendant if you can enter earlier, though, especially if you’re a Capital One cardholder.

The policy also states that you can’t enter a Capital One Lounge on arrival unless you have a connection.

Inside the Dallas Capital One Lounge

Capital One has set a new standard for airport lounges with its premiere lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It’s filled with top-quality complimentary offerings, comfortable decor and fantastic amenities. One can expect that Capital One will continue to follow this model for its future airport lounges.

Layout

The 10,000-square-foot layout of the DFW Capital One Lounge has several distinct areas for working, consuming refreshments, relaxing and even exercising. When you first enter, you’ll be greeted with a main reception desk and an area for luggage storage. Then, you can make a reservation with the attendants for a prayer room, a shower suite, a workout room or a nursing room.

Straight past the reception desk, you’ll find a cube-shaped display with all sorts of different food and drink options. There are grab-and-go food options for those who don’t have time to sit down for a full meal and plated food options for those who want to sit down and relax at one of the surrounding banquet tables.

If you continue on past the dining section, you’ll come to the floor-to-ceiling windows that give visitors a view of arriving and departing planes. These windows flood the room with natural light and are lined with comfortable seating.

The bar area of the Capital One Lounge features a chic bar with plenty of wall decorations and tables where you can enjoy your drinks. Just around the corner is a “child-friendly” area where parents can bring their drinks and watch after their kids.

There is also a wellness section of the lounge that includes a shower suite, an exercise room, two prayer rooms, two napping rooms and a nursing room. The workout room and napping rooms at the Capital One Lounge in Dallas also have views of the airport’s runway.

Finally, the lounge features a separate corridor with four individual bathrooms. All of them are well-maintained and contain cloth towels, hand soap, hand lotion and bidets.

Food and Beverages

When it comes to food and drinks, the DFW Capital One Lounge has spared no expense. All of the food options are presented in a central cube that has different offerings on each, ensuring that you won’t have to wait in a long buffet line.

There are also no set menus for the Capital One Lounge. Most of the offerings are prepared in the in-house kitchen using locally sourced ingredients and will rotate based on what’s in season. In fact, they even present lists of their local suppliers near the dishes. Each of the dishes, including the grab-and-go options, are beautifully presented and fairly healthy.

If you’re looking for a drink, you can go over to the bar and choose from a wide selection of beverages, all of which were curated by the Austin, Texas-based company Unfiltered Hospitality. They have beer and cocktails on draft, including a beer called Yellow Rose Airport Pilsner that was created specifically for this lounge.

There is also a menu of upgraded beverages, including beer, wine and cocktails, that must be paid for individually.

Amenities

Perhaps the most necessary amenity in any airport lounge is a charging station, and every seat at the Capital One Lounge in Dallas is equipped with power outlets that have both USB and standard three-pronged outlets.

The workout room has ample space for several people to exercise at the same time. There are several yoga mats, an array of resistance bands and two Pelotons bikes.

The two napping rooms were designed with the help of a company called Metropods. The actual sleeping pods have a futuristic design that allows you to swivel and enjoy almost-complete darkness. You can also press a button to activate the sleep sequence and stare at a ceiling that mimics the night sky while listening to relaxing music and feeling a soft vibration. The room also includes a comfortable sleep mask and blanket.

Bottom Line

For a long time, The Centurion Lounges operated by American Express were the gold standard in terms of co-branded airport lounges. However, the opening of the Capital One Lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has shown that Capital One believes its airport lounges to be an important part of its marketing strategy in the future.

From state-of-the-art sleeping pods to Peloton bikes to incredible food offerings, Capital One paid attention to every detail while building its first airport lounge. Surely, if they continue to model their future lounges after the one in Dallas, more and more people will start applying for the Capital One Venture X and the Venture Cards. And who could blame them?