palm of hand indicating stop with a burger

Capital One Venture X - Priority Pass Drop Non-Lounge Benefits

Matthew Justice

This weekend I was traveling when I started seeing news break of a change to the (amazing) Capital One Venture X card and hoped the news was untrue. But based on other reports, it may actually be a change they are planning to make. Basically, starting on January 1st, 2023, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card appears to be dropping all covered non-lounge airport services, such as spas, restaurants, sleep rooms, and retail options from its bundled Priority Pass card benefits.

Priority Pass with Venture X Terms

If true, and Capital One quietly strips this benefit with less than one month's notice, it will be of bad taste. I will for sure miss this benefit especially for the non-lounge options I have written about before with venues such as Minute Suites, Be Relax Spa, Bobby Van's Grill, and more. The FAQs (shown above) mentions the Visa Infinite program, I am not sure if this will carry over to the Chase Sapphire Reserve or other cards but at the moment it does not appear any changes have been announced.

I just did some spot-checking and noticed that PHL does not have a Priority Pass lounge option, so with this change, they would result in the loss of both their Be Relax and Minute Suites leaving no option for those traveling and wanting to benefit from their membership.

Although I am disappointed by the news, the card is still great, and it should be noted that lounge privileges are not changing. The amazing Capital One lounge and Plaza Premium Group lounges are included with this card. I still recommend this card as a YES for those looking for lounge access, especially with the $395 annual fee. For those thinking of other cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550) and the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Card ($400) are also great alternatives that include Priority Pass non-lounge access.

Closing Thoughts

I know this is not a big deal for some, but for me, this is kinda a big deal because I like the option to relax at Minute Suites when traveling. Also, one of the best veggie burgers I have had in an airport was at Bobby Van's Grill (JFK) paid for by my Priority Card. This (Venture X) card, up to now, was one of my favorite cards. I know will need to consider my options soon since my renewal date is coming due.