Capital One Removing Lounge Access
A majority of travelers really like lounge access. Call it brilliant or call it foolhardy, but most folks want free lounge access while traveling. Since the pandemic struck in 2020, and a return to travel in a big way, we've see all kinds of lounge issues. Overcrowding, closures, you name it. It can be bad. But still, the traveling public demands lounge access. Since Covid, Capital One joined the lounge game and opened its own lounges, with plans for many more to join. With the successful launch of premium travel cards, however, those lounges quickly filled up. In a move that should surprise no one, Capital One is removing lounge access from all cards except the Venture X and Venture X Business.
RELATED: What Lounge Can I Access? Bookmark this post to see what lounge you can access with your various credit cards.
Lounge Access from Capital One Cards
Prior to this announcement, various Capital One cards had lounge access. This access included the Capital One lounges and Plaza Premium lounges. Historically, the cards offering lounge access were these:
- Venture X: unlimited access for yourself, and up to 2 guests at a time at Capital One or Plaza Premium lounges
- Venture X Business: unlimited access for yourself, and up to 2 guests at a time at Capital One or Plaza Premium lounges
- Venture: 2 lounge passes per year at Capital One or Plaza Premium lounges
- Spark Miles for Business: 2 lounge passes per year at Capital One or Plaza Premium lounges
Obviously, the Venture and Spark Miles had much less lounge access than the premium cards. That makes sense for a $95 annual fee and these cards were two of very few cards with an annual fee under $100 to offer any lounge access.
Lounge Access After 2024
Beginning on January 1, 2025, neither the Venture or the Spark Miles for Business cards will offer any lounge access. The good news here is that each card WILL have 2 lounge access passes to use in 2024. Moving beyond 2024, however, you need a Venture X or Venture X Business to get free access to the Capital One lounges. Likewise, you need either of those cards, or an American Express Platinum or Business Platinum, to access Plaza Premium lounges.
Capital One Removing Lounge Access – ToP Thoughts
While devaluations are never a good thing, kudos to Capital One for giving Venture and Spark Miles cardholders over a year to prepare. Leaving lounge access intact for 2024 is a customer-friendly policy, even in a devaluation. Moving forward, there are plenty of cards that give you free lounge access. Whether or not strategizing for this perk is a debate for another day.
What are your thoughts on this move? Come over to our Facebook group and let us know your thoughts.
