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Major lounge access changes are coming for Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders starting February 1, 2026. The beloved free lounge perks for authorized users and guests are ending, replaced by new fees, spend requirements, and tighter guest limits. Here’s the complete story: what’s changing, why, how it compares to other premium cards, and what you can do to maximize your travel benefits in 2025 and beyond.
NerdWallet: Capital One Venture X Holders Are Losing Beloved Lounge Access Perks
📰 What’s Changing? The 2026 Venture X Lounge Access Overhaul
🗓️ Effective February 1, 2026:
💬 Capital One’s statement: “We want to 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.”
⚠️ Who is affected most? Families and cardholders who relied on free lounge access for spouses, kids, or friends will feel the biggest impact.
AwardWallet: Capital One Venture X Lounge Access for Guests Is Changing
- Authorized users lose complimentary lounge access. No more free entry for additional cardholders unless you pay a $125 annual lounge fee per person.
- Free guest access is ending. Cardholders must spend $75,000 per calendar year to keep bringing guests into Capital One Lounges and Landings for free. Otherwise, guests are $45/adult and $25/child (17 and under); under 2 is free.
- Priority Pass guest access is restricted. Venture X cardholders will pay $35 per guest at Priority Pass lounges. Venture X Business cardholders can still bring two guests for free.
- No change to primary cardholder access. The main cardholder keeps unlimited access to Capital One Lounges, Landings, and Priority Pass lounges.
- Authorized users can still be added for free, but no lounge access unless the $125 fee is paid.
💬 Capital One’s statement: “We want to 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.”
⚠️ Who is affected most? Families and cardholders who relied on free lounge access for spouses, kids, or friends will feel the biggest impact.
💳 How Does the New Lounge Policy Work? (2026 and Beyond)
💳 Primary Cardholder: Still gets unlimited access to all Capital One Lounges, Landings, and Priority Pass lounges.
👥 Authorized Users: No more free lounge access. To add, pay $125/year per person (up to four per account).
🧑🧒🧒 Guest Policy: No more free guests unless you spend $75,000/year on your card. Otherwise, $45 per adult, $25 per child (17 and under), under 2 free.
🌍 Priority Pass: Venture X cardholders pay $35 per guest. Venture X Business cardholders can bring two guests for free.
📅 Timeline: Paid guest pricing for Capital One Lounges starts June 3, 2025. All other changes take effect Feb. 1, 2026.
💸 Annual Fee: Remains $395 for primary cardholder. $125 for each authorized user who wants lounge access.
💰 Still worth it? You still get a $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles at renewal, but the value for families and groups is much lower.
The Points Guy: Capital One Set to Change Lounge Access Policies
👥 Authorized Users: No more free lounge access. To add, pay $125/year per person (up to four per account).
🧑🧒🧒 Guest Policy: No more free guests unless you spend $75,000/year on your card. Otherwise, $45 per adult, $25 per child (17 and under), under 2 free.
🌍 Priority Pass: Venture X cardholders pay $35 per guest. Venture X Business cardholders can bring two guests for free.
📅 Timeline: Paid guest pricing for Capital One Lounges starts June 3, 2025. All other changes take effect Feb. 1, 2026.
💸 Annual Fee: Remains $395 for primary cardholder. $125 for each authorized user who wants lounge access.
💰 Still worth it? You still get a $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles at renewal, but the value for families and groups is much lower.
🧑💼 Why Is Capital One Making These Changes? Industry Trends & Overcrowding
🧑💼 Industry Trend: As premium travel cards exploded in popularity, airport lounges became crowded, with long waits and diminished experience.
🏦 Amex & Chase Comparison: Amex Platinum ($695/year) and Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550/year) have also added guest fees, spend requirements, and restrictions to manage crowding.
📈 Cardholder Growth: Venture X’s generous lounge policy attracted a wave of new users since 2021, but demand outpaced lounge capacity.
🛫 Capital One’s Response: “We’ve seen our customers increasingly encounter wait times to enter them,” Capital One noted, echoing industry-wide pressures.
🔄 Result: The new policy aims to preserve a premium experience for top spenders and frequent travelers, while limiting crowding and costs.
ATX Jetsetter: Capital One Makes Major Lounge Access Changes for Venture X Cardholders
🏦 Amex & Chase Comparison: Amex Platinum ($695/year) and Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550/year) have also added guest fees, spend requirements, and restrictions to manage crowding.
📈 Cardholder Growth: Venture X’s generous lounge policy attracted a wave of new users since 2021, but demand outpaced lounge capacity.
🛫 Capital One’s Response: “We’ve seen our customers increasingly encounter wait times to enter them,” Capital One noted, echoing industry-wide pressures.
🔄 Result: The new policy aims to preserve a premium experience for top spenders and frequent travelers, while limiting crowding and costs.
📊 How Does Venture X Compare to Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve?
💳 Venture X (2026): $395 annual fee, $300 travel credit, 10,000 bonus miles, unlimited primary cardholder lounge access, $125 for each authorized user with lounge access, guest fees unless $75,000 spend.
💳 Amex Platinum: $695 annual fee, $200 airline fee credit, $189 CLEAR credit, unlimited Centurion Lounge access for cardholder, $50 per guest unless $75,000 spend.
💳 Chase Sapphire Reserve: $550 annual fee, $300 travel credit, unlimited Priority Pass for cardholder and two guests, $75 per additional authorized user.
🟢 Bottom Line: Venture X remains the lowest-cost premium card, but the value for families and groups is now much less than before.
NY Times: Capital One to Curb Lounge Access for Some Cardholders
💳 Amex Platinum: $695 annual fee, $200 airline fee credit, $189 CLEAR credit, unlimited Centurion Lounge access for cardholder, $50 per guest unless $75,000 spend.
💳 Chase Sapphire Reserve: $550 annual fee, $300 travel credit, unlimited Priority Pass for cardholder and two guests, $75 per additional authorized user.
🟢 Bottom Line: Venture X remains the lowest-cost premium card, but the value for families and groups is now much less than before.
💡 FAQ: What Cardholders Want to Know About Venture X Lounge Changes
💡 FAQ:
Frequent Miler: Negative Venture X Lounge Access Changes for Cardholders
- When do the changes take effect? Paid guest pricing starts June 3, 2025. All other changes (authorized user and guest restrictions) take effect February 1, 2026.
- Can I still add authorized users for free? Yes, but they won’t get lounge access unless you pay $125 per person per year.
- How do I keep free guest access? Spend $75,000 on your Venture X or Venture X Business card in a calendar year.
- What about Priority Pass? Venture X cardholders pay $35 per guest. Venture X Business cardholders can still bring two guests for free.
- Are kids free? Children under 2 are free. Kids 17 and under are $25 per visit.
- Is the annual fee changing? No, it remains $395 for the primary cardholder.
- Is Venture X still worth it? For solo travelers or those who spend $75,000/year, yes. For families or infrequent travelers, the value is much lower.
- Why is this happening? Overcrowding and industry-wide changes to preserve lounge quality and control costs.
©️ 2025 | Venture X Lounge Access Changes: Complete Guide for US Travelers, Cardholders & Points Fans