Join Capital One Lounge Waitlist

I'll probably do a Capital One lounge review in a future post, which are probably my favorite lounges in the United States right now, but wanted to drop a little nugget of knowledge for future travelers first. My buddy Drew, a Capital One Lounge aficionado, has been using this tip for a while now to perfection. In this post I will show you how to join the Capital One lounge waitlist before you even arrive. This cuts down on the time you have to spend walking around the terminal looking at overpriced trinkets and ugly Cowboys jerseys (if in Dallas like me).

Updated 10/16/24: with some new tips & info

Where Are The Lounges Located

Currently the Capital One lounge network has three locations. They are as follows:

• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
  • Located in Terminal D by Gate D22.
• Washington Dulles (IAD)
  • Located in the Main Terminal just beyond TSA PreCheck®.
• Denver (DEN)
  • Located in Concourse A near Gate 34 on the Mezzanine Level.

Who Has Access To The Capital One Lounges?

Technically, anyone can access a Capital One lounge, but it comes with a steep $90 fee unless you have a card that gets your free or discounted access. The following cards provide that perk:

• Capital One Venture X
  • Free access for the cardholder, their authorized users and up to two guests per visit
  • After that they can pay $45 per each additional guest.
• Capital One Venture X Business
  • Free access for the cardholder and up to two guests per visit.
  • After that they can pay $45 per each additional guest.
• Capital One Venture Rewards
  • Cardholders get two free passes into the lounge each year until 1/1/25
  • After that they can pay $45 per guest / visit. This will be the cost for all visits starting in 2025 too.
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business
  • Cardholders get two free passes into the lounge each year until 1/1/25
  • After that they can pay $45 per guest / visit. This will be the cost for all visits starting in 2025 too.

Why You Want To Join The Capital One Lounge Waitlist As Soon As You Land

Before we get into the how, we should talk about the when and why. It is a well known fact that most airport lounges are overcrowded and have been turning away people right and left. Plus, the last thing you probably to do is stand in line for 30 minutes to get into a lounge during a shorter layover. That is where joining the Capital One Lounge waitlist comes into play.

Most people do this by walking to the lounge and adding their name to the list. It is so bad that they have two people doing this outside the elevators to the lounge in Dallas. That is wasted effort, since it can take you 10 or 15 minutes to get to the lounge if you don't land in the same terminal as the lounge. Then you may have to wait another 20 or 30 minutes to get the text that you are next on the list to get in.

By joining the waitlist online as soon as you land you can cut down on lost time. Many times you will likely get access around the time you actually arrive to the lounge. The same could be said if you are departing for the airport with the Capital One lounge. Join the waitlist as you are driving up, or parking your car.

They do give you a 10 minute grace period to arrive after you get the text. I am not sure how heavily they enforce this, but it is something to be aware of.

Step By Step Process For Joining The Lounge Waitlist

Here is how you join the Capital One lounge waitlist online. You will need to have the Capital One banking app downloaded to do this. The same app you would log in to manage your credit cards and bank accounts with Capital One.

Step 1: Scroll Down To The Rewards Balance & Select Travel

Down towards the bottom of the Capital One banking app you will see your Capital One miles balance. Under your total you will see a Travel button as an option, click that.

Step 2: Select Lounges

On the next page you will want to select Lounges from the list of four options at the top of the page.

Step 3: Pick The Lounge You Are Visiting

On the next page you will have a list of the Capital One Lounges to select from. I was a little surprised it didn't already know which one I was closest too, but I suppose that isn't a bad thing when you think about it.

Step 4: Enter Your Info

Next up you will need to add your name, phone number and party size to the waitlist. You will then receive a text telling you are now on the list and that they will text you when it is your turn. There should be an estimate wait time that shows up while working your way through the app portion of this too.

What If You Can't Join The Waitlist?

If you do not see the option to join the waitlist this is because the lounge is not yet at capacity. The app may show that the lounge isn't very busy right now or it could say it is even very busy. No matter what it says, if you can not join the waitlist then you should be able to walk in once you get there. I would continue to check it every few minutes until you actually get there if it shows as very busy in case it goes over capacity. Then you can be one of the first to jump on a waitlist.

What If You Are Not The Main Cardholder, Can You Still Join The List?

If you are the authorized user on the account you can still get in on the action. What you would need to do is log into the main account holders Capital One account and make the authorized user an account manager. That unlocks access to all of the travel benefits on your own Capital One login. Thanks for the tip to ToP Facebook Group member Donnie.

Join Capital One Lounge Waitlist: ToP Thoughts

Now that you know how to join the Capital One lounge waitlist it should make your travels that much smoother when transitioning on of the airports that has one. These are currently some of the best lounges in the United States, and that is why there will often be a wait to get in. Especially if many are willing to shell out the cash price to get in.

I thoroughly enjoyed both my visits to the Capital One lounge in Dallas. Being able to cut the 30 minute wait to enter down to 10 minutes by the time I arrived made it all the more sweeter. Do yourself a favor and get the frozen Irish coffee while you are there. It is out of this world! The food is pretty good too.

Let me know if you have ever used the waitlist in the Capital One app when visiting over in the ToP Facebook Group.