In early 2025, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) and Capital One Venture X Business (review) will be updating the Plaza Premium Lounge access perks that they offer. However, the cuts aren’t quite as bad as they might sound. Thanks to @josh_koch for flagging this.
In this post:
Capital One & Plaza Premium cut direct ties
The Capital One Venture X is one of the best premium credit cards for lounge access. In addition to offering a Priority Pass membership, access to Capital One Lounges, and access to Capital One Landings, the card has also historically offered direct access to Plaza Premium Lounges.
However, that will be changing. Capital One has revealed that as of March 1, 2025, Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders will no longer receive complimentary access to lounges in the Plaza Premium Group network, at least when directly using their card.
However, the good news is that virtually all Plaza Premium Lounge locations belong to Priority Pass, so the Priority Pass membership issued by the cards will still get you access to these lounges.
Looking at the competitive landscape, Amex continues to have a direct relationship with Plaza Premium for lounge access, while Chase offers access to Plaza Premium locations through Priority Pass.
What are the implications of this change?
What does this change actually mean for cardmembers? For one, it means that you’ll want to present your Priority Pass card rather than your credit card when entering Plaza Premium Lounge locations via Capital One.
Historically, Plaza Premium Lounge access through Amex and Capital One has had two advantages over Priority Pass:
- Priority Pass members are typically limited to using Plaza Premium locations for two hours, while Amex and Capital One cardmembers have been able to use the lounges for three hours
- Priority Pass members typically have to pay extra for Plaza Premium showers, while Amex and Capital One cardmembers have been able to use the showers at no additional cost
It’s worth noting that Plaza Premium and Priority Pass have an interesting history. Keep in mind that Plaza Premium is a lounge operator, while Priority Pass is a company that facilitates access to other lounges, with memberships sold directly, and also through credit cards.
Historically, virtually all Plaza Premium Lounge locations belonged to Priority Pass. That changed in 2021, when the two companies cut ties. Obviously Plaza Premium thought it could somehow better monetize its lounges independently. While Priority Pass might not deliver the highest revenue per guest, it certainly delivers a lot of volume.
It seems that attempt at independence didn’t work out, and in 2023, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass once again partnered. It’s safe to say that credit card issuers partnering directly with Plaza Premium isn’t as important as it was in the period from 2021 to 2023, when Capital One launched its premium credit cards. Still, I’d consider this to be a mild loss.
If accessing Plaza Premium Lounge locations, I’d recommend doing so with The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review), which will give you access to lounges for longer, and include showers.
Bottom line
As of March 2025, the Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business will no longer offer direct access to Plaza Premium Lounges. The good news is that the Priority Pass membership issued with Capital One cards offers access to virtually all Plaza Premium locations, though with different conditions. Plaza Premium access through Priority Pass generally doesn’t include showers, and is limited to two hours.
What do you make of Capital One and Plaza Premium cutting direct ties?
It's nothing close to "virtually all" Plaza Premium lounges accessible via Priority Pass.
Here is the currently (pre-devaluation) accessible list: https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/en-uk/landing-pages/capitalone
Here is the list of lounges that will be accessible after devaluation: https://www.prioritypass.com/lounge-changes-june-2023
This is a major, negative change. The following lounges will no longer be accessible:
- Nairobi
- Johannesburg
- Durban
- Rio de Janeiro
- Sao Paulo
- Cali
- Bogota
- Cartagena
It's nothing close to "virtually all" Plaza Premium lounges accessible via Priority Pass.
Here is the currently (pre-devaluation) accessible list: https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/en-uk/landing-pages/capitalone
Here is the list of lounges that will be accessible after devaluation: https://www.prioritypass.com/lounge-changes-june-2023
This is a major, negative change. The following lounges will no longer be accessible:
- Nairobi
- Johannesburg
- Durban
- Rio de Janeiro
- Sao Paulo
- Cali
- Bogota
- Cartagena
- Barranquilla
- Medellin
- Bucaramanga
- San Salvador
- Cancun
- Chongqing
- Macau
- Jakarta
- Clark
- Taipei Songshan
- Copenhagen
- Göteborg
- Stockholm
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
- Christchurch
- Queenstown
So yes, a small, limited number of 24 lounges will no longer be accessible at all, including lounges in popular destinations like Cancun, through this minor change in benefits that is totally not a big deal.
Ben, I get not biting the hand that feeds you. Can I offer my cat to do it for you instead? Jimbo Meydenbauer Meowser The First will gladly sink his teeth into this. Or maybe you can send Winston after Capital One, he looks fierce. But *someone* should call this out. It's not a small change, or a minor one. It is substantive.
Cant comment for all of the lounges on the list that you say are not include but for sure the Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen are included.
Interesting. Rio Brazil was on location where I recently could use Capital One directly but not Priority Pass.
While Priority Pass does not operate any of their lounges themselves, their parent company (Collinson Group) also owns The Club, a chain of airport lounges.
Priority Pass in the US, hour wait list for a mediocre lounge.
Where are the Plaza Premium lounges that are pictured in your article? DFW plaza premium lounges is small with below average food. But the employees are always helpful.
Meh... I don't think the food is amazing, but it's definitely at least average for lounge food in the USA. I still prefer Capital One and Centurion over it though. Capital One actually has better food than AA's flagship first lounge usually.
It's the slow axing of benefits. Chase, Amex, etc. all went down this way. Once they get enough people signed up, they can pull the rug from under and start cost cutting
In a few years, Venture X fee will be where Chase and Amex are, while also offering the same watered down benefits from the original product offering.
Capital One needed to be better since they were late to the game, but all card...
It's the slow axing of benefits. Chase, Amex, etc. all went down this way. Once they get enough people signed up, they can pull the rug from under and start cost cutting
In a few years, Venture X fee will be where Chase and Amex are, while also offering the same watered down benefits from the original product offering.
Capital One needed to be better since they were late to the game, but all card issuers follow suit once they see they can reduce benefits and increase fees without losing any traction, due to the lack of real competition.
I think that once the C1 lounge at LGA opens, give it 12 months and the annual fee will go up to $550-$595
"Once they get enough people signed up, they can pull the rug from under and start cost cutting"
"due to the lack of real competition."
I don't see credit cards as a cartel like airlines.
They can pull the rug, we can pull the spending.
Market is very competitive. What do you mean lack of real competition.
Competition doesn't mean they give you a free card with unlimited benefits. Price wars isn't...
"Once they get enough people signed up, they can pull the rug from under and start cost cutting"
"due to the lack of real competition."
I don't see credit cards as a cartel like airlines.
They can pull the rug, we can pull the spending.
Market is very competitive. What do you mean lack of real competition.
Competition doesn't mean they give you a free card with unlimited benefits. Price wars isn't equivalent to charity.
They might be eventually be the same, but it's because they are trying to compete not collude.
You don't see that many cards giving Priority Pass few decades ago. They all copied each other to win customers.
"due to the lack of real competition."
I don't disagree with the "they'll eventually be the same" prediction, but honestly asking: what would "real competition" be?
Already have American Express, Citi, Chase, Capital One, Discover. Who's left, for the US market? Bank of America?
Citi does not currently offer a real premium travel card with lounge access at the moment, so they would have the ability to add competition. Discover is merging with Capital One. BoA already has a premium travel card with lounge access. The next banks on the list would be US Bank and Barclays
As always, continually evaluate your cards and change as needed/wanted. If this change negatively affects you then look into the Amex Plat cards
The Capital One Lounge is currently operated by Plaza Premium, but this will soon change. I believe this shift is part of a larger transition.
Not all, some are Plaza Premium and some are TAV airport services of turkey.
Meh.....