In 2021, Capital One launched a salvo into the airport lounge arena with the opening of the first Capital One Lounge in DFW airport. Capital One Venture X cardholders have unlimited access to the lounge, while Venture Rewards cardholders have two lounge passes per year.
The lounge has been getting great reviews since the it opened last year, but I hadn’t been able to stop by yet. Recently, on a short layover in DFW, I was finally able to check it out. I had high expectations going in, and all I can is “wow.” This sets a new standard for domestic airlines lounges in the US.
Lounge Details
- Open daily from 6am to 9pm
- Capital One Venture X Cardholders and authorized users have unlimited visits for the cardholder and up to two guests. Additional guests are $45 each.
- Capital One Venture Rewards and Spark Miles for Business Cardholders receive 2 free visits annually. Additional visits are $45 each.
- Children under 2 can enter for free and are not considered one of the two guests.
- The general public is allowed to purchase day passes for $65 each.
- Cardholders can only use the lounge within 3 hours of departure. Access is not allowed for arriving flights.
In addition to the usual lounge offerings, the Capital One Lounge offers the following (most of which can be reserved at the front desk):
- Exercise room with Peloton bikes and yoga mats
- Relaxation room with day beds
- Shower suite (Yes, singular. There’s only one and it was in use when I was there)
- Prayer Room
- Nursing Room
- Individual Restrooms with changing tables
Inside the Lounge
The lounge is located in Terminal D right next to gate D22, which is primarily used by AA (in fact, the AA Flagship Lounge is right next door), along with some international airlines like British Airways and Qantas. It’s right across from the SkyTrain, offering easy access from other terminals. There is a small foyer with an elevator that goes up to the lounge on the second floor.
Upon entering the lounge, the first impression is of spaciousness, especially for those of us used to the more tightly-spaced (and crowded) Amex Centurion Lounges. The entire space is just over 10,000 square feet and it’s designed in a way that makes it feel incredibly open.
The seating is a mix of tables, sofas, easy chairs and variety of different individual seats. Almost all of the seating that I saw had charging ports or outlets in the immediate area.
The food and beverage options are incredible. As opposed to having one, centralized area, there are several distinct stations that each supply unique offerings. As soon as you enter, there is a coffee station that features hot and cold coffee (as well as cold brew on tap).
Across from that, is a cooler heavily stocked with a huge variety of drinks and food: yogurt, sandwiches and wraps, salads, fresh juices and cold drinks.
It’s quite the offering and it’s completely acceptable to grab goodies to take with you on your flight. I had a boxed sandwich that was delicious
There is also a hot/cold buffet, but it’s organized in an ingenious way, wrapped around the central bookshelf-like area in several different places.
There were loose themes to each part: one area had hummus, pita and falafel; another had meats and cheese, another had Creole-themed small plates, yet another had barbeque and brisket sandwiches. Again, the variety was incredible.
Everything was individually portioned, giving it more of a tapas feel than a traditional steam-table buffet.
The buffet also had cold drinks on tap: soda, iced teas and kombucha. Not having to get these from the bar was a great touch.
In the back is a lovely bar area that has even more seating.
All of the drinks are complimentary except for the super-premium liquors. There is an extensive menu, or you can order any cocktail you’d like (I had the Turtle Creek Spritz, which was delightful).
There is beer and hard seltzer on tap, six wines by the glass and a granita-like frozen Irish Coffee machine that several folks were waxing poetic about
Final Thoughts
I must say, I was absolutely blown away by the Capital One Lounge in DFW. To me, it sets a new standard for US airport lounges, and there’s really nothing that I’ve been to domestically that’s close (I haven’t yet been to an AA Flagship Lounge, however). The space, design, food and beverage is all a pretty substantial step above what’s offered in Amex’s Centurion Lounge or Delta Sky Clubs…and without the severe overcrowding that’s common in each of those. Capital One hit a home run here. There are 2 more locations opening up this year in 2023 (Washington-Dulles and Denver) and I’ll be interested to see what they’re like. If they’re anything close to the DFW lounge, Capital One will be the head of the class when it comes to US lounge offerings. Amex better watch its back.