Why Capital One’s JFK lounge won TPG’s Bes...

It is probably the greatest instances of the 12 months, after we get to share our favourite issues in journey. One of the hotly contested classes is airport lounges and the battle of the premium bank cards as all of them attempt to one-up one another within the lounge arms race.

Our winner this 12 months has all of it, together with standout meals and beverage choices, a glamorous bar, and area — heaps and plenty of area.

This 12 months, the Greatest New Credit score Card Lounge is the Capital One Lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK). You will discover the lounge in Terminal 4, which has heavy-hitting competitors with a flagship American Categorical Centurion Lounge, a brand new Chase Sapphire Lounge, two Delta Sky Golf equipment and a reasonably new Delta One Lounge.

Regardless of stiff competitors, the Capital One Lounge stood out as a best-in-class lounge based mostly on the scale, facilities and general expertise. Here is a deeper have a look at why Capital One’s JFK lounge took residence the highest prize.

Giant format and delightful design selections

The Capital One Lounge at JFK occupies practically 13,500 sq. ft in Terminal 4, with tons of seating, non-public cubicles that may be reserved and a number of areas for consuming.

That is the biggest lounge within the Capital One community, and it is known as a flagship lounge for a cause.

Such a big area sometimes runs the danger of feeling cavernous and loud, however the Capital One Lounge does an ideal job of segmenting the totally different areas. Every part of the lounge feels distinctive and gives what seems like a extra intimate setting to loosen up earlier than your subsequent flight.

You will additionally discover two non-public rooms out there for reservation on the entrance desk. These can function assembly areas or household rooms the place you may get much more peace and quiet.

There’s additionally a dad and mom room reserved for households with infants; it features a altering floor.

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We love the pure lighting that floods the area courtesy of the big home windows overlooking the tarmac that span the whole far aspect of the lounge.

There are some nice views of the airport, and you could even get a glimpse of a magnificence just like the Emirates A380.

You will additionally discover a Central Park-inspired eating space.

Capital One makes a degree of highlighting native artists and evoking components of the native tradition in every of its lounges, and the JFK lounge isn’t any exception. Native artists have artwork hanging all through the area. There are even nods to New York Metropolis within the meals and drinks (extra on that later, although).

The lounge can be absolutely wheelchair accessible, with a big ramp that brings passengers from the elevated entry to the primary flooring.

The seven bogs are gender-neutral, and one has a bathe which you could e book on the entrance desk.

There have been no traces throughout our go to, however we think about that in peak intervals, there could also be a anticipate a restroom (and particularly for the only bathe).

24-hour entry for vacationers

Each frequent traveler is aware of the wrestle of being on the airport for that predawn flight or in a single day layover and realizing that not one of the lounges are open. Fortunately, you may by no means expertise that subject with the Capital One Lounge at JFK as a result of it is the one card issuer lounge at JFK that is open 24 hours.

Capital One informed TPG it was a part of the cope with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, to have an area accessible in any respect hours of the day — one thing we’re extremely grateful for at TPG, given how typically we find yourself on the airport earlier than or after typical lounge working hours.

The lounge does use momentary partitions to shut off some sections of the lounge in the midst of the evening, so simply remember that the whole area is not accessible throughout late-night and early-morning hours.

Nonetheless, it is extremely uncommon for a lounge to be open in any respect hours. Vacationers caught on the airport throughout lengthy delays can thank Capital One!

Improbable meals and drinks

The Capital One Lounge additionally actually shines on the subject of meals and drinks.

Elevated eating has lengthy been a draw to Capital One lounges, however the lounge at JFK actually outdoes itself with an array of choices — whether or not you propose on hanging out for some time or want one thing grab-and-go.

Small-plates bar

There’s a massive buffet with cold and hot choices with a rotating menu all through the day, out there for dine-in and for grab-and-go (there are even paper luggage for true takeout fashion). Once we have been there just lately, there was an unbelievable collection of breakfast objects.

On the small-plates bar, cooks have been replenishing the new dishes from a kitchen behind one wall — together with a premade fried egg and bacon sandwich, known as the “crimson eye b.e.c.”

A big wall of drinks on faucet can be out there, the place you may discover iced tea, lemonade, soda and water.

Throughout the way in which, there was a bread station with a scrumptious collection of objects like croissants, coffeecakes, sticky buns and raspberry Danishes.

Bodega espresso and bagels

Across the nook, you may discover a espresso bar, the place pleasant staff will make you just about any specialty espresso you possibly can think about. There are extra grab-and-go objects right here to select from, like fruit cups and salads, and that is additionally the place you may get a freshly baked bagel with all of the fixings.

Ess-a-Bagel is a New York Metropolis favourite you possibly can expertise on the Capital One Lounge. The well-known bagel store brings six types of bagel dough into the airport every morning, and recent bagels are baked within the lounge’s kitchen. There aren’t any stale bagels on this lounge.

Flagship bar

The primary bar is really one thing to swoon over. Past the attractive bartop and classy seating, the bar options greater than a dozen specialty cocktails, all named for well-known New York Metropolis locales like Staten Island and the Decrease East Aspect. There’s even one named Idlewild, for the unique identify of JFK Airport.

Bartenders may even whip up nonalcoholic mocktails. TPG was in a position to strive a tropical mocktail with whipped cream known as the Alice Austen, which is predicated on a customized Capital One cocktail known as the Staten Island Ferry with recent juice, mezcal and spices. It is completed with toasted coconut shavings — yum.

The lounge labored with Brooklyn brewer Grimm Artisanal Ales for an unique beer providing — the Skyscraper IPA — you possibly can order on the bar.

Cafe cart

There is a enjoyable providing from Capital One at numerous instances of the day known as Each day Rituals. There are a number of cafe carts that rotate via the lounge, providing cocktails and different treats made to order.

You’ll be able to anticipate issues like Italian-style shaken iced espresso, afternoon tea service or a Champagne toast within the evenings. We bought to strive fresh-mixed drinks from one of many carts.

One remaining notice on meals and drinks: Every seat or pair of seats is supplied with a QR code that you should use to order meals delivered on to you and your companions. It is one more means Capital One delivers on recent meals.

Spotlight amenity: Distinctive cheesemonger expertise

One other standout? The one-in-New York cheesemonger!

You heard that proper. Capital One has a full cheese store with a bar-style setup the place you possibly can take pleasure in a 45-minute cheese tasting. Capital One teamed with the famend New York store Murray’s Cheese. TPG bought to expertise the tasting, that includes a collection of cheeses positioned on a customized charcuterie board.

Our cheesemonger Marvin requested for our cheese preferences earlier than laying out an unbelievable unfold of specialty cheeses, crackers, sliced meats and gherkins. The Jasper Hill Harbison from Vermont was a standout, together with the Harvest Moon from New York’s 5 Spoke Creamery.

Marvin additionally requested for our wine preferences and served a number of types of wine (and cranberry juice) with the tastings.

Additionally, make sure to ask to style the unbelievable White Gold honey imported from Canada.

It is uncommon for a lounge to have an amenity that will make us wish to really schedule extra time on the airport simply to have the ability to expertise it. However the cheesemonger is a primary in a number of methods.

How one can get into the Capital One Lounge at JFK

In fact, the large query is: How will you get entry to all this fabulousness?

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Business get you entry to the whole community of Capital One Lounges, the Capital One Landings areas and Precedence Move lounges (enrollment required).

Word which you could carry as much as two friends for $45 per grownup ($25 per youngster 7 to 17 years previous; kids underneath 2 are free) — except you spend no less than $75,000 in your card in a calendar 12 months or add your visitor as a licensed person with lounge entry for $125 per 12 months (granting them entry on their very own).

Learn extra in our guide to Capital One lounges.

Backside line

Many airports don’t have any scarcity of lovely and amenity-rich lounges nowadays, however this 12 months’s winner for the Greatest New Credit score Card Lounge has actually raised the bar for future lounge openings.

The Capital One Lounge is now thought-about certainly one of its flagship lounges for a cause: With plentiful eating, ingesting and snack choices in an always-open, comfy and classy setting, the JFK Capital One Lounge shall be a precedence for us to go to repeatedly.

Even Clint, who is not at the moment a Enterprise X cardholder, agreed the JFK lounge is prime shelf on a current journey to the lounge with Madison (who does have the Enterprise X and had visited the lounge previously). In case you are an everyday flyer from JFK’s Terminal 4 — residence to carriers like Delta Air Traces, Emirates, Etihad Airways, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic — it is cause sufficient to maintain the Enterprise X card in your pockets.

And Capital One continues to develop its footprint with new places on the horizon: a new lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and a brand new Capital One Touchdown (a singular eating idea) at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), each with unconfirmed opening dates.

Yearly, the TPG Awards honor excellence in bank cards, loyalty applications and journey. Please click on here to learn extra about our winner-selection course of and methodology for the 2026 TPG Awards.

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