Capital One Slashes Venture X Lounge Access Perks in 2026

Starting next February, primary holders of Capital One’s Venture X cardholders will no longer be able to automatically bring complimentary guests or additional cardholders into the credit card provider’s and Priority Pass lounges.

This is disappointing news because the Venture X Rewards and Venture X Business Credit cards have been one of the best wallet additions for frequent flyers. The cards offer $300 in travel credits annually and 10,000 bonus miles on each account anniversary—well offsetting their $395 annual fee.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Card / Photo: Capital One

But many signed up just for the generous lounge access. Primary cardholders received unlimited access to Capital One’s network of lounges and Landings and Priority Pass lounges—a total of 1,300 spaces in airports around the world. They could also bring two complimentary guests into the lounges or one to Capital One Landings, the restaurant/lounge concept Capital One has introduced at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and will soon launch at LaGuardia (LGA)

Photo: Courtesy of Capital One Landing DCA

Furthermore, with the Venture X Rewards card, authorized cardholders received the same access, including the guest passes. You can add up to four additional users to the card for no further charge.

Changes coming next February

However, starting February 1, 2026, Capital One is limiting who can access lounges with the Venture X cards, citing overcrowding.

From that date, only primary cardholders will be able to tap into lounges. But they’ll no longer be able to automatically bring guests for free.

Photo: Courtesy of Capital One Landing DCA

Instead, Capital One is reserving guest privileges for high spenders. Spend at least $75,000 in a calendar year across your entire Venture X account (including primary and authorized cards), and you’ll retain complimentary guest passes at Capital One Lounges and Landings—although not at Priority Pass locations.

Members who don’t meet that spending threshold can still pay to bring guests into Capital One Lounges and Landings, at a rate of $45 for adults and $25 for children under 17. Children under two are free.

Guest passes for Priority Pass lounges are $35 per person.

Photo: Capital One Denver. Courtesy of Capital One

Additionally, authorized card users won’t automatically receive lounge access. However, card members can pay $125 per additional user to extend this perk to them. This also applies to Venture X Business Cards, where authorized users didn’t previously have any way to gain lounge access.

Here’s Capital One justifying the changes: “As airport lounges continue to grow in popularity across the industry, we’ve seen our customers increasingly encounter wait times to enter them. 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.”

While crowding and lines have become an issue at airport lounges over the past few years, few Capital One cardholders will welcome these restrictions on their lounge access.

Capital One Lounges and Landings

Capital One launched its first lounge—at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)—in 2021. In just four short years, the credit card issuer has made its space destinations in the country’s premier airports, with gourmet menus, partnerships with local eateries and breweries, and polished design.

Photo: Courtesy of Capital One

There are now five Capital One airport spaces:

• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Washington, D.C.: Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Las Vegas: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
• Washington, D.C.: Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) – a Capital One Landing

Capital One also has plans to open a lounge at New York (JFK) and a Landing at LaGuardia (LGA).

Meanwhile, Priority Pass is a network of 1,700 airport lounges, private spaces, and restaurants, often added as a perk on rewards credit cards.