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Venture X Lounge Cuts: The Party’s Over for Your Plus-One

Jake Redman February 27, 2026 5

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February 1, 2026. The date the Venture X party ended. Capital One finally pulled the plug on the most generous guest policy in the premium card market. No more “bring the whole squad” for free.

The era of the “free lunch” in Denver, Dallas, Dulles, LAS, and JFK is officially over. (And yeah, the Landing concept is in the mix too — like DCA.)

The February 1 Reality Check

If you’re standing in line at a Capital One Lounge today, the math changed. Here’s the damage:

  • Primary Cardholders: Still get in free.
  • Adult Guests: $45 per person, per visit.
  • Child Guests (Ages 2-17): $25 per child, per visit.
  • Kids Under 2: Still $0.

No grace period. No “I forgot the news” exceptions. If you don’t hit the spend threshold, you’re opening your wallet.

The image shows a modern airport lounge with a stylish interior. In the foreground, a woman is using a snack dispenser area with various snacks like candy and nuts. To the right, another woman is seated at a booth with a drink. The lounge features wooden paneling, bookshelves with decorative items, and a red counter where a person is being served by a staff member. In the background, there are more seating areas with people relaxing, and large windows offering a view of the airport tarmac. The space is well-lit with contemporary lighting fixtures.
Capital One Lounge at JFK. Photo: Capital One

Priority Pass: The $35 Surcharge

The hit to the global network is arguably worse. Venture X used to be the gold standard for Priority Pass because of the unlimited guesting. That’s gone.

  • Guest Fee: $35 per guest, per visit.
  • Coverage: Personal Venture X cards only.
  • The Loophole: Venture X Business cardholders currently retain two complimentary guests. For now.

If you’re hitting the gallery-klm-crown-lounge-houston-iah with a partner, expect a $35 charge on your next statement. It’s a steep jump from the “unlimited” vibe we enjoyed since 2021.

The Authorized User Trap

This one hurts the most for families. Previously, adding an authorized user (AU) was free. Those AUs got their own lounge access. It was the ultimate travel hack for spouses and adult children.

  • New AU Fee: $125 per year for lounge benefits.
  • Limit: Up to four authorized users.
  • Lounge Perks: The $125 buy-in grants the AU their own access, but they still face the new guest fees.

Essentially, Capital One turned a free benefit into a subscription model. If your spouse travels solo, the $125 might make sense. If you only travel together, you’re just paying for the privilege of not paying the $45 per-visit guest fee. Do the math before you keep them on the account.

The $75,000 Club: Pay to Play

Capital One didn’t kill guesting for everyone: just the “low spenders.”

  • The Threshold: Spend $75,000 on your Venture X in a single calendar year.
  • The Reward: Complimentary guest privileges return — for Capital One Lounges and Landings only.
  • The Terms: Two guests at Capital One Lounges. One guest at Capital One Landings.
  • Priority Pass: Still $35 per guest, per visit, no matter your spend.
  • Validity: The remainder of the year you hit the spend, plus the following year.

For the average traveler, $75k is a massive lift. For small business owners or heavy hitters, it’s the new baseline for “Premium.” If you aren’t putting your life’s expenses on this card, you’re a second-class citizen in the lounge line.

Priority Pass Lounges don't all have the big comfy loaf seating this one does.
Banque Nationale World Mastercard Lounge at YUL via Priority Pass. Photo: Modhop

Families vs. Solo Nomads

The impact isn’t equal.

For Families:
A disaster. A family of four (one cardholder + three guests: one adult, two kids ages 2–17) heading into the DFW lounge now costs $95 in guest fees ($45 + $25 + $25). That’s a very expensive plate of shakshuka. Many are looking at the hyatt-regency-lax-rooms or other airport hotels as a cheaper place to wait out a layover.

For Solo Nomads:
A quiet win. The main complaint about Capital One Lounges since launch? Crowds. Waitlists. People camping out with entire extended families. By adding a price tag to the “plus-ones,” Capital One is effectively thinning the herd. Expect shorter waitlists and actually being able to find a seat in Denver this month.

The Broader “Squeeze” of 2026

This isn’t an isolated incident. Travel providers are tightening the belt across the board. We recently covered the-united-mileageplus-squeeze-why-a-credit-card-is-no-longer-optional-in-2026, where basic economy passengers are getting shut out of earning miles.

Even the heavyweights are feeling the heat. With the Amex Platinum fee sitting at $895, travelers are asking: is-the-amex-platinum-worth-it-if-you-dont-travel-much? Capital One was the “cheap” alternative to the Amex/Chase duopoly. Now, it’s just another card with a complicated fee structure.

The image shows the interior of a modern lounge area, labeled "Capital One Lounge." A person is standing at a reception desk, speaking with an employee. The person has a suitcase. The lounge features contemporary design elements, including colorful hanging lights and a seating area with red chairs around a circular table. There are shelves with plants and a beverage station in the background, and a person is seated at the table using a laptop. Another person is walking in the background.
Capital One Lounge at DFW. Photo: Capital One

Navigating the February Chaos

Between the lounge changes and the global-entry-suspension-february-2026, transit hubs are a mess right now. If you’re traveling through major international gateways, the “lounge refuge” is getting harder to access.

For those transiting through Asia, maybe skip the US-based lounge cards and look at pay-per-use options like the tokyo-haneda-transit-hotel-haneda-lounge-gallery. Sometimes the cash price for a guaranteed bed is better than the “free” perk that now costs $45 and has a 2-hour waitlist.

Is the Venture X Still Worth the $395?

The annual fee hasn’t moved (yet), and you still get the $300 travel credit and 10k anniversary miles. That technically “pays for the card.” But the value proposition: the reason everyone signed up: was the ease of lounge access.

If you’re a solo traveler, the card remains a top-tier value.
If you’re a couple, the $125 AU fee makes it a $520 card.
If you’re a family, the card just became a liability.

Alternative Strategies for 2026

  1. Switch to Venture X Business: If you have any side hustle, the Business version still allows two Priority Pass guests. No word on how long that lasts.
  2. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Currently maintaining its guest policy for Priority Pass (2 guests), though the annual fee is higher.
  3. The $75k Push (at Capital One Lounges/Landings): If you’re at $50k spend, pushing that extra $25k to regain guest privileges might be cheaper than paying $45 per visit for a year of travel.

The “Golden Age” of the Venture X is officially in the rearview mirror. It’s now a standard, transactional premium card. No more, no less.

Join the Conversation

Are these lounge cuts the final straw for your Venture X card, or are you actually looking forward to shorter waitlists? Drop a comment and tell us how much your last “free” lounge visit cost you this month.

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Jake Redman
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Jake Redman

Modhop Host & Founder Jake Redman brings years of global exploration and travel tips to the podcast and our videos at Modhop. Jake is also a Producer and Host for SiriusXM.

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