Capital One Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport [Review]

Capital One made its airport lounge space debut in 2021, along with the launch of the premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. The first Capital One Lounge location is at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and doesn’t disappoint.

By many standards, it could be considered one of the nicest airport lounges in the U.S., so let’s take a peek inside and see what this exclusive new lounge has to offer.

Location

This lounge is located in Terminal D, right next to gate D22. If you’re unfamiliar with Dallas-Fort World International Airport (DFW), the D gates are usually used for widebody or international flights because the customs area is located in this terminal. You’ll mostly find American Airlines flights here, as well as major international airlines such as Qantas, British Airways, Qatar, Lufthansa, and more.

All terminals at DFW are accessible airside, so if you’re flying into another terminal, you can either walk or take the overhead SkyTrain to Terminal D, and then walk to gate 22.

This lounge shares its entrance with the American Airlines Flagship Lounge, American’s premium lounge for international business class customers and elite members flying on an eligible itinerary. You’ll see a shared entrance and lobby area on the terminal floor, and take an elevator upstairs, where you’ll head left for the Capital One Lounge and right for the American Airlines Flagship Lounge.

Hot Tip: Check out our full list of airport lounges at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) for details on each lounge’s location, hours, and entry requirements.

Interestingly, there is a small lobby area at the foot of the elevator before you take it up into the lounge area. There are a few couches here, and it’s a very quiet area separated from the terminal itself. It isn’t a separate lounge, and there is no one checking to prevent anyone from sitting here. Should you be on a very short connection or want to access a quiet space without lounge eligibility, I see no reason why you couldn’t utilize this space.

Hours of Operation

The lounge is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Guest and Check-in Requirements

To access the Capital One Lounge, you’ll need to meet one of the following criteria:

• Be a cardholder of the new Capital One Venture X card, which allows unlimited visits for the cardholder and 2 guests. Additional guests are $45 per visit.
• Be an authorized user of the new Capital One Venture X card, which also gets unlimited access.
• If you do not hold one of these eligible Capital One cards, you can pay a general public admission fee of $65 per person. This is fairly steep and not necessarily worth the per-visit usage of the lounge, so you’ll want to ensure the cost makes sense for you before purchasing.

If you’re a Capital One Venture X cardholder, the 2 guests allowed in with you do not have to be immediate family. They can be anyone you choose, and there is no spending requirement to be able to let in guests.

Very similar to the nearby Amex Centurion Lounge, there are several further rules for admission:

• You can only utilize the lounge within 3 hours of your departure and must hold a confirmed boarding pass for a flight. Unlike the Centurion Lounge which allows unlimited usage in between connecting flights, you’re still held to the 3-hour rule even if you have a longer connection in Dallas.
• You cannot utilize the lounge on arrival, only departure.
• Children under 2 can enter for free with a supervising parent or guardian.

After stepping off the elevator and turning left into the lounge space, a small front desk awaits where Capital One staff will check you in. It’s a very painless process.

You’ll be asked to present your boarding pass, identification, and eligible Capital One card, then you’ll be promptly let inside. Since this was my first visit (and this lounge is fairly new), I was given a short tour of the space before settling down. Having come off of a long-haul flight, I also requested the use of the shower room (more on that in a bit). I was told it was being cleaned and I would be able to use it shortly.

Bottom Line: The lounge is only open to departing passengers within 3 hours of a flight, sharing many of the same entry rules as the nearby Centurion Lounge.

Seating

Just off of the check-in area is a communal table where you can quickly work if you don’t have too much time to spare.

The entire lounge space is approximately 10,000 square feet, so while it’s not the biggest lounge in the U.S., it is quite large.

Finding a seat shouldn’t be a problem. There was a mix of couches, individual seats, tables, and more scattered throughout.

There were also plenty of charging ports, and most seats had an outlet nearby for quickly powering devices.

Throughout the lounge and its seating areas, you’ll be treated to more than 55 pieces of original, diverse, local artwork across a variety of mediums, including paintings, silkscreen prints, textile pieces, and wood.

Food and Beverage

This is where the Capital One Lounge really excels. There are several food and beverage areas, each serving a different purpose.

To-Go Stations

At the front of the lounge was a small to-go coffee station featuring both hot and cold coffees you could take away with you.

Just next to the entrance was one of the lounge’s coolest features, a to-go food and beverage refrigerator. Here, you’ll find tons of bottled juices, canned beverages, packaged sandwiches and salads, yogurts, and other delicacies that you can quickly grab on your way to your flight if you didn’t have time to stop for a sit-down meal.

I saw plenty of people using this station (I even grabbed a juice as I was headed to my seat), and it was definitely the highlight of my visit.

There weren’t any rules surrounding how much you could take or when. It’s not necessarily for people just leaving the lounge; you could grab something to eat inside, too. I did see 1 person indulging a bit more than their fair share.

Buffet Lines

Just behind the to-go food area was a large walk-around buffet line uniquely designed to prevent crowding. As you walk around it, you’ll notice various individual portioned hot and cold food items. I visited during breakfast, and there were several selections, including:

• French toast
• Yogurt with granola and peaches
• Eggs Benedict
• Potato hash
• Fruit salad
• Meat and cheese cone

There was also a large selection of pastries, including croissants, scones, muffins, and more. Next to each station was a bag where you could grab an item to go, which I thought was very thoughtful.

You’re welcome to grab as many items as you like. I think the individual portions concept works very well. It cuts down on waste, keeps items a little fresher, and is more sanitary.

For lunch and dinner, you could find a variety of hot and cold dishes, including salads, chicken, beef, and pasta.

Beverages

There were several beverage stations around the lounge, including:

• A coffee station by the entrance
• To-go bottled and canned beverages
• Sodas and iced teas on tap along the buffet
• A full bar staffed by a bartender

The bar is situated along the back wall and had a number of seats in front. The bartender here was happy to make any drink, and all drinks were complimentary except for super-premium liquors.

Instead of using a soda machine or having to visit the bar, Capital One installed taps to pour non-alcoholic beverages.

Amenities

Capital One advertises these amenities inside the lounge:

The Capital One Lounge is uniquely divided up into sections, which makes it very well laid out.

Unlike many other lounges that seem to have amenities scattered throughout, the layout the Capital One team used was very logical. The lounge included design features that really make sense for busy travelers.

Co-working Table

One of the first things you’ll see as you enter the lounge is a large co-working table with plenty of outlets at every seat.

This is a perfect spot to check emails quickly if you’re running between flights or need a place to sit after grabbing a quick drink.

Restrooms

One of the greatest features of this lounge — in my opinion — is the individual restrooms. There are no mass men’s or women’s restrooms. Instead, Capital One has installed several singe-patron restrooms, allowing you to use the first available one. The restrooms were clean but also super spacious, with enough room to change if needed, which is something really welcome in an airport atmosphere.

Showers

Unfortunately, the lounge only has 1 shower room, and I wish Capital One would have installed several. You’re allotted a 45-minute use of the shower with a 15-minute cleaning period (meaning you need to wait up to an hour to use it if it’s occupied).

Inside is a very large room with a sink, toilet, and separate shower area. I really love it when lounges include both a toilet and shower within the same room so you can get fully ready all at once. While there was only 1 towel laid out for use, a nearby cabinet had plenty of extras.

The shower features both an overhead rain shower and a side nozzle and was perfectly adequate.

Shampoo and body wash were provided in small biodegradable “pods.” A set of instructions explained to cup your hands in the shower to fill them with water and then place the pod inside. However, I didn’t find the process as easy as it was explained, as both the shampoo and body wash left a film in my hand of the casing that originally housed the liquid. Perhaps I was using it wrong, though I wish a communal pump was provided or some sort of other efficient dispenser.

Hot Tip: If you wish to use the shower, make sure you schedule your time early on in your visit since there is only 1 shower room.

Exercise Room

If you’re feeling the need to burn some calories, there were 2 Peloton bikes located in a private exercise room across from the shower room. Both bikes looked out onto the tarmac below, and there were bottles of water in a fridge inside, as well as some cold towels.

Hot Tip: While I didn’t see any to-go bottles of water in the main part of the lounge, a refrigerator within the exercise room had several bottles stocked. If you want a bottle of water to go, head to the exercise room.

Prayer Rooms

There are 2 prayer rooms in the lounge, and both are private, where you can go inside and close the door. Each included signage for various religious obligations and included a wash station for rinsing.

Relaxation Rooms

There are 2 relaxation rooms, located immediately next to the prayer rooms. These rooms are completely individual, with a closing door, making them truly 100% private — perfect for a quiet nap. Inside, you’ll find a sleep pod — an ergonomically designed bed that allows you to rest in a comfortable sleeping position with the perfect amount of light. Most other lounges offer larger restrooms with multiple beds, but this lounge’s individual space makes it really stand out.

Final Thoughts

This Capital One Lounge is one of the nicest lounge facilities in a U.S. airport, hands down. The facilities are well-thought-out, and the amenities on offer seem to be a step above what other competitors have. Capital One is opening 2 more locations, in Washington, D.C. (IAD) and Denver (DEN), in 2022, and these will be welcome additions to the lounge network. If you get a chance to stop by this new lounge in Dallas, you’ll surely be impressed!