Travelers going through New York City (JFK) airport's bustling Terminal 4 are positively spoiled for choice when it comes to lounges. Capital One is throwing down the gauntlet.
Just over a year after putting JFK on the map, the bank behind the ultra-popular *venture x* is ready to open its fifth U.S. lounge this Thursday – one it's calling its “flagship lounge” in New York's busiest airport. At 13,500 square feet, it's the largest Capital One lounge to date … and yet still likely not big enough – especially when travelers hear just how great this lounge should be.
It takes the bank’s winning lounge formula — stylish yet welcoming design, small plates, quality cocktails, and strong service at existing locations like Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Denver (DEN) – and kicks it up a notch. There's a bodega-inspired coffee-and-bagel counter, slinging homemade BECs (that's New Yorker-shorthand for a bacon egg and cheese on a bagel) and other sandwiches on Ess-a-Bagels baked freshly onsite. And there's a full-blown cheesemonger station, where travelers can reserve a spot to belly up for a 45-minute cheese tasting course.
Is that enough to soften the blow of Capital One's recent decision to gut free lounge access for cardholders' guests and authorized users? Maybe, maybe not.
But after visiting most of the Capital One Lounges throughout the country and then attending a media preview of the upcoming space in New York last week, I can safely say this'll be the best one yet.
Lounge Basics
Venture X cardholders have learned the virtue of patience when it comes to Capital One lounges, what with a nearly two-year wait between the first location in Dallas and a second (and then third) in Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) and Denver soon after.
Capital One clearly put this one into hyperdrive. When it opens its doors at 9 a.m. this Thursday, June 19, it'll have been just over a year since Capital One first announced it was heading to JFK. It's the bank's fifth lounge – or sixth, if you count the restaurant-style Capital One Landing in Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA).
The lounge is located on the lower level of the main mall concourse in Terminal 4, closer to the B pier of gates. And in a first – not just for Capital One but for any bank-branded lounge in the U.S – it'll be open 24 hours a day … albeit with scaled back service overnight. That said, Capital One says it'll have more limited hours for the first few weeks.
From the moment you step inside the stately entryway, it's clear this is another Capital One Lounge. But it's also clear Capital One has leveled up in New York City.
The new JFK lounge carries over the same open-and-airy design you'll find at other locations like Dallas and Dulles but elevates it with undeniably high quality finishes: beautiful marble floors, dark woodgrains, pops of muted color, fluted wood columns, and more. It's classy yet still homey – part of what I really love about Capital One lounges.
There's plenty of seating everywhere you turn, with charging never more than an arm's reach away. This central seating area with a sculpture suspended overhead is something else – in a good way.
The lounge is built along a full wall of windows, letting in tons of natural light and affording some great views of Delta jets coming and going.
From the large central area of the lounge, the space splits in two. Head left and you'll find the main dining area, with plenty more seating. The folks at Capital One say the space is meant to evoke Central Park. I'm not sure I see it, but it's lovely all the same!
On the other side of the lounge is where you'll find the bar area – and what a massive bar it is, easily the biggest in Capital One's lounge network.
If you're not looking to belly up to the bar itself, there's plenty of seating here, too.
There are also a pair of private rooms in this area with sofas and chairs inside, which you can reserve at the front desk. Around the corner, there's a private nursing room as well.
Despite recurring problems with lines to do your business at other locations, Capital One stuck with individual restrooms rather than building larger, shared bathrooms. But the bank built out more here: There are seven all-gender bathrooms near the center of the lounge.
Finally, there's a single shower suite available, which is sure to be (over)popular given all the international flights departing from Terminal 4.
Leveling Up Dining & Drinks
Forget messy serve-yourself buffets: Capital One transformed lounge fare by specializing in excellent small plates and dishes – almost always excellent and a big step above what you can eat inside almost any other lounge.
Capital One isn't straying from the small plates at its flagship JFK lounge. You can still grab a mason jar of arugula panzanella salad, a roasted heirloom tomato crostini with whipped ricotta, avocado toast, and more to bring back to your table – and go back for seconds, thirds, and fourths.
But for hot dishes, Capital One is taking a page out of the Chase Sapphire Lounges playbook by introducing table service, with QR codes at each spot to order challah french toast or spiced breakfast potato hash or braised pork shank or mac and cheese for lunch and dinner. David Borowik, Capital One's head of airport experiences, said that pivot ensures the food comes out as hot and fresh as possible.
Here's the full food menu at launch (click it to zoom in).
First introduced at its Las Vegas (LAS) location late last year, Capital One is continuing with its “Daily Rituals” here in JFK, with trolleys roaming the lounge throughout the day handing out:
- Italian shaken iced coffee – aka caffè shakerato – in the mornings
- Afternoon tea with pastries
- A champagne toast at golden hour
- Midnight snack service around 12:30 a.m. – remember, the lounge is open 24 hours a day
As always, there are a few drink stations scattered throughout the lounge, including La Colombe draft lattes, waters, sodas, and more.
At this newest lounge, Capital One is backing away from the full-fledged grab-and-go cases of sandwiches, salads, and snacks that have become something of a signature feature at other locations. Here, those items are behind a glass case – available upon request from a helpful staff member behind a counter at the center of the lounge.
That's because Capital One has something special in store – two special somethings, in fact.
Bagels & Yes, A Cheesemonger
Here's something I never thought I'd see in an airport lounge.
Yes, really: You can do a cheese tasting inside of an airport lounge without paying another dime. Capital One partnered up with a pair of New York institutions to take in-house dining to the next level: Ess-a-Bagel for bagels and Murray's for a curated, 45-minute cheese tasting.
But let's start with the bagels. Capital One is slinging handmade coffees and bagels from a counter at the center of the lounge – Capital One is calling it a “bodega,” but it looks a bit nicer than any New Yorker corner store I've walked into.
Ess-a-Bagel is bringing in its goodies to be baked fresh onsite here. You can grab one of six flavors, throw on some schmear, or ask for a made-to-order sandwich, including those fan-favorite BECs as well as a pastrami and Swiss that was on par with anything I've had in Manhattan.
And then there's the cheese tasting. Hosted in the back corner of the lounge in a beautiful space – just peep that tile mural – it's a multi-course affair hand-picked by the experts at Murray's, with 10 cheeses on hand that will rotate regularly based on what's in stock and the occasional wine pairing. I couldn't tell you what I sampled … but I can assure you it was all delicious.
It's available only upon reservation at the lounge – and with just six or seven seats at a time, it's bound to be incredibly popular. Do yourself a favor and put your name down at check-in. Cheese tastings are available daily from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
For travelers who can't make the list or don't have the time, you can ask for a small plate of cheeses and accoutrements to bring back to your table.
Capital One's bar program has always been a shining star, so go figure they leveled up in New York. There are 18 different cocktails and mocktails on the menu – yes, I counted them – allegedly inspired by some of New York's most famous neighborhoods.
There's a shockingly potent Old Fashioned on draft, whose sweet salted caramel flavor is tempered by chipotle cacao bitters. And the “Child of Clay” mocktail uses matcha, oat milk, and a bitter orange foam served in a fun, handmade clay vessel.
There's also a selection of complimentary wines and beers, including a fixture “Perfect Airport Beer” specially made for each lounge. Here, it's a beautifully balanced IPA from local brewers Grimm Artisanal Ales they call the “Skyscraper IPA.”
How can Capital One afford to do all this? I'm not sure. I've learned to stop asking questions and just shove my mouth with food.
Getting In
The simplest way to get into this new lounge – or any Capital One Lounge – is to hold Capital One's premium credit card, the *venture x*.
Venture X cardholders get complimentary access to all Capital One lounges. Just show your new Venture X card at the check-in desk or pull up your smartphone app. You'll also get two guests free on each visit, paying $45 per additional guest after that. Children under two are free.
Learn more about the *venture x*.
But the days of bringing free guests are officially numbered. Capital One recently announced it'll slash complimentary guest access effective Feb. 1, 2026. From that day forward, you'll have to pay $45 apiece or a discounted rate of $25 for children 17 and under. Kids under 2 years old will remain free.
While you'll still be able to add up to four authorized users to your Venture X Card for free, you'll have to pay an extra $125 per card to give that user their own lounge access. Now and in the future, you'll generally get the same lounge benefits with the *venture x business*.
Travelers with the *capital one venture card* previously received two free annual passes to visit the Capital One Lounges, but no more: Those complimentary passes are a thing of the past, too. Instead, Venture cardholders (and Capital One Spark Miles cardholders) get a discounted entry rate of $45 per visit. Even after you've used up free passes, guests still cost $45 apiece.
Don't have a Capital One card in your wallet? You can pay your way into the Capital One lounge … but it'll cost you: Anyone can pay $90 to enter the lounge. That's on the steep side … and that's likely by design as a way to try to limit overcrowding in these lounges.
But whether you're grabbing the Venture X Card or simply paying your way in, you can't just waltz into the new Capital One at any time.
Capital One restricts entry to flyers with a boarding pass no more than three hours before departure. You also can't get into the Capital One lounge sooner even during a longer layover.
As word of Capital One Lounges has spread and more travelers pick up the Venture X card, they're filling up fast. But you won't find long lines outside these lounges like the ones you see at Amex Centurion Lounges and or even Delta Sky Clubs.
Capital One cardholders can now scope out how full their nearest lounge is with handy capacity indicators via the Capital One smartphone app – and digitally join the waitlist to get in when it's full. Join the digital queue on your phone and Capital One will send a text with a pass to get in when it's your turn.
Read more: Don’t Wait in Line: Queue up for Capital One Lounges via App!
Bottom Line
When the Capital One Lounge at JFK opens its doors this Thursday, travelers are in for a real treat. It's not just Capital One's best lounge yet but could easily be the best lounge at the entire airport.
Now, let's be clear. This was a media preview, tailored specifically to impress reporters and generate glowing coverage. It worked: I'm impressed. But even when the doors open for everyday travelers, I think you will be too.
Let me put it this way: My wife and I will have access to the excellent Delta One Lounge upstairs before flying to London in a few months. And yet this new Capital One Lounge might be my first choice.
