With restaurant-quality meals, craft cocktails curated by celebrated bars, and wellness amenities like zero-gravity nap pods, Capital One lounges make a compelling case for certain cardholders to arrive early at the airport. For years, the company boasted one of the industry’s most popular lounge access policies: For a $395 annual fee, primary cardholders of Venture X and Venture Business cards have received complimentary access to all Capital One lounges and “Landings” as well as Priority Pass lounges (a separate network of more 1,700 lounges worldwide that Capital One participates in), plus up to two guests.
However, as of February 1, 2026, Capital One no longer allows most Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders to bring guests into its airport lounges for free. Instead, travelers now have to pay $45 per adult guest and $25 for children under 18 at Capital One lounges and $35 per guest at Priority Pass locations—a notable downgrade for a card that has long marketed complimentary guest access as one of its biggest perks.
The move comes as airport lounges across the industry have become victims of their own popularity. As premium travel cards surged in sign-ups during and after the COVID pandemic, and as spaces designed as quiet retreats increasingly developed waitlists and lines out the door (it can take between 45 and 60 minutes to get into the Capital One Lounge in Denver [DEN], for instance), the company has continued to adjust its policies to tackle the challenges of overcrowding.
Primary cardholders can still enjoy free access to the brand’s five lounges, currently in Dallas (DFW), Denver, Las Vegas (LAS), New York’s Harry Reid International Airport (JFK), and Washington Dulles (IAD). They also have free access to the forthcoming lounge in Charlotte (CLT), announced in January 2026; to the Landing, a restaurant-style space, currently available only at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C.; and to a soon-to-come Landing at LaGuardia Airport (LGA). However, if they want friends or family to join them as guests, a fee is required, ranging from $25 to $45 per guest (unless they’re high-spending Venture X Business cardholders; more on that below).
Capital One announced the move in June 2025 via an email to cardholders. “As airport lounges continue to grow in popularity across the industry, we’ve seen our customers increasingly encounter wait times to enter them,” the email stated. “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.” Signage with the same verbiage has also since appeared in lounges across Capital One’s network.
Exceptions to the new policy changes
Venture X Business cardholders can take advantage of two exceptions to the policy changes. The first: They’re still allowed two complimentary guests to Priority Pass lounges (but not Capital One lounges and Landings; the new guest fees still apply there). Big spenders benefit, too: Anyone who charges $75,000 or more on their card in a calendar year will be permitted to bring in two guests to Capital One lounges or one guest to Landings for free for the remainder of that year and all of the following year.
Similarly, authorized users (those who aren’t the primary cardholder but are still allowed to make charges on the card) will lose complimentary lounge access. However, primary cardholders can add lounge access to other cardholder accounts by paying $125 per card.
While the new fees still cost less than buying a single-visit lounge pass ($90 for visitors without a Venture X or Venture X Business Card), the new policy could push cardholders to revisit their credit card strategy. Families or groups in particular who once relied on free guest privileges may find the math less compelling, especially if multiple $45 guest fees stack up on every trip.
Capital One’s newly announced changes mark the latest example of airlines and credit card companies making significant changes to their lounge-entry policies. In February 2025, Delta Air Lines introduced restrictions to its popular Sky Club lounges, limiting the number of visits per year based on which credit card travelers hold. And United reorganized its lounge membership program to introduce a charge for guests and an increased annual fee. Meanwhile, some credit card companies have also scaled back their lounge benefits, including American Express, which used to allow two free guests per cardholder but in 2023 began charging $50 per guest.
This story originally published in June 2025 and was updated on February 2, 2026, to include current information.
