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Plane tickets become cheaper, but it becomes more expensive to bring your family to an airport lounge.
Capital One is the last company to limit access to booming airport salons to fight overcrowding.
From February 1, Venture X and Venture X Business Card, card holders will no longer be able to automatically take a guest in fairs or provide second -rate users.
Rather, they will have to pay $ 125 per year for each additional card holder to keep their access to lounge, $ 45 per adult guest per visit and $ 25 per guest 17 or less. The costs of $ 125 also include access to the second card holder to a network of priority success fairs.
“While airport fairs continue to gain popularity in industry, we have seen our customers meet more and more waiting times to enter it,” Capital One said in a statement. “It is important for us that we maintain an excellent airport living room experience for our sales customers Venture X and Venture X, while continuing to deliver the best premium class travel cards at an accessible price.”
Primary cards holders will have to spend at least $ 75,000 per calendar year to provide two complementary free guests to Capital One Lounges and a guest at Capital One Landings, smaller salons built for travelers who tend to spend less time at the airport, such as those heading for short flights.
The expenditure obligation of $ 75,000 for additional guests corresponds to what American Express Announced two years ago, also a measure to minimize congestion and keep the clubs feeling exclusive.
Credit card companies have increased their airport show networks in recent years, opening up new locations to manage demand. And access to the airport show was a central advantage attached to reward cards, which are generally delivered with annual costs.
The Venture X card, launched in 2021, is $ 395 per year, less than the costs of $ 695 per year American Express for its Platinum card or $ 550 JPMorgan Chase The costs for the Chase Saphire reserve, which are both delivered with airport salons.
“With regard to salons, Capital One is a Challenger brand; they are an outsider,” said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Amosphere Research Group.
Capital One has salons at Denver International Airport, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Washington International Airport Dulles and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. He plans to open one this year at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and one of his landings at Laguardia Airport.
But the new restrictions show that Capital One is not immune to its popularity leading to large crowds.
“Like Amex, like Chase, these fairs have become victims of their own success,” said Harteveld. “No living room operator wants them to be as exceeded as the public areas of the airport.”
Airlines have also increased prices to access airport salons and build larger ones to adapt to influx.
Delta airlinesFor example, has made radical changes to its policies of access to the show, such as getting rid of unlimited visits in favor of annual ceilings.
And last summer, Delta unveiled its first Delta One fair, dedicated to customers in its highest cabin class. He plans to open a new one in Seattle later this month.
American airlines And United Airlines Also widened their airport salons and opened new high level levels for customers traveling in premium courses on long-haul flights.