The Extra Mile, Nov. 4: Capital One Is Losing the Lounge War + a Can’t-Miss Mexico City Spectacle

🥂 Capital One Is Losing the Lounge Battle Where It Matters Most

Capital One Lounges just might be the best bank-branded lounges in the country. The food and cocktails are tasty, the design is chic, and despite the growing number of travelers looking to get in, the experience remains remarkably good – the single-stall bathrooms, less so.

But in the lounge wars, being the best doesn’t count for much if there’s no lounge in the airport you’re flying from. And on that front, Capital One is getting lapped.

Count them up: Capital One has just five lounges and two Capital One Landings – the bank’s hybrid lounge-restaurant mashup. By comparison, Chase has nine Sapphire Lounges – with three more in the pipeline – while American Express has 30-plus Centurion Lounges worldwide.

The next new Capital One lounge? Just one (that we know of) is slated for Charlotte Douglas (CLT) – though the timeline for when that space will open remains unclear.

That’s not to say Capital One hasn’t built something special. Since opening its first lounge in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) five years ago, the bank has added Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), Denver (DEN), New York (JFK), and Las Vegas (LAS), plus two Capital One Landings at Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA) and New York-LaGuardia (LGA) – where the sit-down dining reportedly rivals plenty of high-end restaurants.

Access is free for *capital one venture x and Venture X Business cardholders, though the bank cut guest access entirely earlier this year … unless you spend $75,000 per year on your card.

The problem is that Amex and Chase have simply been building more lounges – and faster.

To be fair: Amex had a massive head start. Its first Centurion Lounge opened in Las Vegas 13 years ago, and the bank has spent the last decade-plus building out a wide network of clubs with a space in nearly every major U.S. airport. Capital One (and Chase) are both playing catch-up at this point.

But Chase is the more damning comparison. It was actually later to the party than Capital One, opening its first Sapphire Lounge in Boston (BOS) in 2023 (not counting the now-closed Hong Kong outpost). Three years later, it’s already got more locations than Capital One – and more on the way.

Neither of Capital One’s biggest competitors is letting up, either. Amex is planning new clubs and expanding existing ones, while Chase keeps adding locations and even renovating nearly new ones – all to serve the hordes of travelers thirsty for free cocktails and dry chicken thighs.

So why can’t Capital One keep pace? The easy answer is that airport real estate is scarce … and expensive. But Amex and Chase are up against the same constraints and still getting deals done. That suggests Capital One either isn’t willing to pay up for what little space exists, or isn’t making a compelling enough pitch to the airport boards that sign off on these agreements.

Look, I know it’s not easy. I’m sure Capital One would love to have more lounges – but when Amex and Chase keep finding a way, that’s pretty telling. If Capital One is serious about courting premium travelers, lounges are a big piece of the puzzle – and right now, the lack of locations is hurting its case.

Look at a map and the holes jump out. With two spaces in New York and two in D.C. (plus Charlotte … eventually), Capital One has the East Coast more or less covered. But for travelers everywhere else … it’s just Dallas, Denver, and Las Vegas. That’s it.

There’s nothing on the West Coast – no Los Angeles (LAX), no San Francisco (SFO), no Seattle (SEA). If Capital One wants to win wallet share from travelers out West, it needs a foothold there. And for Delta flyers, it’s even bleaker: Outside of New York, Capital One’s footprint sits almost entirely in airports dominated by United and American.

There might be a glimmer of hope, though. Just last week, Capital One posted a job in Chicago for an Airport Lounge Construction (New Builds) Manager. Does that mean the bank is circling Chicago-O’Hare (ORD)? Only time will tell.

O’Hare has long been one of the most space-constrained airports in the country, and neither Amex nor Chase has a lounge there yet. But the airport’s massive ongoing expansion should eventually free up some badly needed space – and getting there first would be a genuine win.

Of course, it’s not just Capital One vs. Amex and Chase. Every bank is fighting the airlines for the exact same square footage, and the airlines aren’t slowing down either – Southwest is the latest to announce it’s getting into the lounge game.

Bottom line? Capital One has proven it can build a better lounge. Now it just needs to prove it can build more of them.

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

🤝 Deal of the Day: Fly Biz Class from JFK to Europe from 38K Pts!

Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥

Why we love it: A 25% off sale on Air France & KLM flights from New York (JFK) to Amsterdam (AMS), Paris (CDG), Dublin (DUB), Istanbul (IST), Helsinki (HEL), and more!

Jump on this solid availability through April and take advantage of a 20% transfer bonus from Capital One to Flying Blue to book for as few as 38,000 miles each way!

Sign up now to get all the details on this deal & don’t miss the next flight deal alert.

Already a member? Log in to see all your deals.

– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst

📖 Gettin’ Booksy: Mary Ann Trades Premium Econ. for Biz Class!

Welcome to Gettin’ Booksy, a celebration of our favorite feeling: Booking something awesome! Book something lately? Let us know at [email protected]!

What Did Mary Ann Book?

Mary Ann initially booked some British Airways Premium Economy seats from New York (JFK) to London (LHR), which she was fine with … until … she booked business class seats for fewer points instead!

How’d Mary Ann Book It?

Mary Ann found Virgin Atlantic Business Class seats on the new A330-900neo for just 29,000 Virgin Atlantic points each, which includes seat assignment. (British Airways Premium Economy makes you pay up!)

What Makes it So Awesome?

Even after having to eat the $50 cancellation fee for the British Airways flights, Mary Ann now gets to fly to the U.K. in style for 17,000 fewer points per person and comparable taxes and fees!

From Mary Ann:

We have been trying to get to Scotland and the Shetland Islands for four years. Between hurricane disruptions and cruise port dock damage, we have missed three opportunities.

Well, not anymore, Mary Ann! Congrats on the booking. This is why we also tell travelers to keep looking, even after initially booking their flight. What a deal!

– Gunnar Olson, flight deal analyst and travel reporter

🤑 JetBlue Hikes Bag Fees … Again!

For the second time this year, JetBlue raised bag fees on Tuesday – a move that could set off another chain reaction of hiking bag fees across the airline industry.

For tickets booked on or after Nov. 3, JetBlue now charges at least $50 each way for your first checked bag on flights within the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. That’s up $11 from the $39 minimum it set just seven months ago.

A second bag jumps from $59 to $70 each way, and a third will run you a whopping $200.

And that’s the best-case scenario – if you’re flying off-peak and paying online at least 24 hours before departure. On peak dates – think the holidays and pretty much all of summer – it’s at least $55 each way, climbing to $70 if you wait until the airport. That’s $140 round trip for a single bag over Christmas. Ouch!

Mosaic members, JetBlue cardholders, and Mint and BlueFirst flyers still get at least one bag free. Anyone who booked before Nov. 3 is locked into the old rates.

As for the rationale, a JetBlue spokesperson told Thrifty Traveler: “We’re adjusting checked bag fees to help offset rising fuel and operating costs. This helps us keep our base fares competitive while giving customers the choice to pay for a checked bag only if they need one.”

Yes … jet fuel is still expensive – even more expensive than it was last spring, when the airline last hiked fees – but this increase feels more like it has to do with JetBlue’s shaky finances than rising fuel costs.

The airline lost $257 million in the third quarter, fueling more concern about a possible bankruptcy. Bag fees are a handy way to squeeze out more revenue without raising sticker prices … and maybe nudge a few more travelers toward a JetBlue co-branded credit card.

The bigger worry? After JetBlue raised fees in March, every other U.S. airline followed within a matter of days. Don’t be surprised if history repeats itself.

Get the full scoop on this news and what it means for travelers!

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

⏰ Last Call for a $250 Bonus on a No-Fee Card

If the *Freedom Flex* has been on your short list, today is the day to act: Its $250 bonus (25,000 points) after spending $500 in the first three months ends tomorrow, Nov. 5 at 7 a.m. Eastern.

That’s $50 more than the usual offer for the same spending requirement, and $500 over three months is about as easy as it gets for a minimum spending requirement.

On its own, $250 won’t change anyone’s travel plans, but this card keeps paying off long after the bonus posts. There’s no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and it earns 5% back on a set of categories that change every quarter, up to $1,500 in combined spending.

Through the end of the year, those categories are dining, groceries (excluding Target and Walmart), and American Red Cross donations. Dining also stacks with the card’s everyday 3% bonus, so you’re effectively earning 7% back every time you eat out through December.

The real upside comes if you already carry a Chase Sapphire card or the Ink Business Preferred®. Pair them, and that “cash back” becomes Chase Ultimate Rewards points you can move to airline and hotel partners like United, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, and many more.

Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex® here

– Nick Serati, Thrifty Traveler co-founder

🤼 Why Lucha Libre is an Absolute Can’t-Miss in Mexico City

A note from Kyle: This is our final dispatch from our annual team retreat to CDMX this fall!

I don’t care for professional wrestling – or wrestling, period, for that matter. With that out of the way, let me say this:

If you go to Mexico City and don’t catch a Lucha Libre match, you are screwing up. Royally. In my mind, you basically didn’t even visit CDMX without a trip to see the luchadors and luchadoras.

Honestly, I cannot put into words how electric it was inside of Arena México – affectionately (and accurately) dubbed La Catedral de la Lucha Libre – for the five or six matches we caught one Tuesday night. Start to finish, the building was absolutely buzzing.

It wasn’t just a sport – heck, maybe it’s not a sport at all? It’s certainly athletic, but even more theatrical. It was an experience. And above all, it was a vibe.

It didn’t hurt that Gunnar was in my ear all night, hooting and hollering with every flip, body slam, pin, and punch. Nor did the friendly staff cruising up and down the aisles throughout the match with beers and ramen noodles for sale.

Check out this crew. We’re naturals. Put us in, coach.

(Yes, we kept the masks.)

The técnicos – a.k.a. the good guys – beat los rudos (Lucha Libre for … well, you can probably guess) in a thrilling and not-at-all-scripted come-from-behind victory. We all learned some incredibly vulgar things to shout at the bad guys. What more could you ask for?

You can catch Lucha Libre multiple days each and every week in Mexico City in two different locations. And while you can score tickets on your own and waltz in, learning the sport spectacle is part of the fun.

This Airbnb Experience was a total home run. Our guides, Adrien and Laos, gave us a hilariously entertaining and informative rundown of the history and culture of Lucha Libre to get us all up to speed. We also kicked off the evening with some tasty tacos, mezcal, and pulque (a traditional drink – think Mexican kombucha) before heading to the arena.

I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. So let me say it again: If you go to Mexico City and don’t catch a Lucha Libre match, you are screwing up.

Royally.

– Kyle Potter, executive editor

✈️ Other Travel Tidbits

• ⏳ Last call: Today is the final day to grab the limited-time Delta SkyMiles Amex welcome offers, including 50,000 SkyMiles plus two roundtrip Comfort+ tickets on the Delta Reserve Card after spending $10,000 in six months.
• 🇹🇷 Turkish Airlines is offering a 40% bonus on Citi ThankYou points transferred to Miles&Smiles through Nov. 30, capped at 50,000 bonus miles. The catch is that the bonus miles don’t post until the promo ends. (LoyaltyLobby)
• 🏨 Wyndham Rewards is adding more than 40 independent luxury hotels from HotelREZ’s Elegant Hotels of the World collection to its Registry Collection by early 2027. (PR Newswire)