This was bound to happen, all the other credit companies have put in similar restrictions as their lounges have gotten more popular.
As of February 1, 2026, no free guests ($45 for adults, $25 for kids), and additional cardholders have to pay a $125/year fee for lounge access. The days of a family getting one card, having the spouse be an additional cardholder, and the kids get in free as guests, are over early next year. https://onemileatatime.com/news/capital-one-venture-x-lounge-access-changes/ |
The only time anyone should plan to use a lounge is a long layover. If you are using a lounge prior to departure, you got to the airport too early. |
We travel with our kids and have to get to the airport pretty early to ensure we have sufficient time. Something like a late gate change can really take forever if you have kids. Plus, feeding a family at the airport is expensive. I don't mind getting there a little early to get a free meal at the lounge. |
Thank heavens.
Airport lounges have been so crowded for so long that I have skipped them in favor of a relatively uncrowded gate. Very happy for them to get rid of the screaming-kid families, and let the business travelers be able to do some actual work. |
The cap 1 lounges have nice grab n go and sandwiches which are good for stocking up pre flight. |
Yeah I love that, especially because you have a lot.more long flights departing out of Dulles. It's a great option. A couple times before a west coast flight I stopped there for 5 minutes, got a coffee and pastry, and grabbed a sandwich and salad for the middle of the flight. |