My favourite bank card perk is bringing family and friends into lounges without cost as company.
I like letting my children go to city on scorching chocolate and treats throughout lengthy layovers and listening to their determined opinions on the lounges they’ve visited. (Their take: The Capital One Lounge at Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) close to Washington, D.C., has one of the best meals, and the Escape Lounge at Rhode Island T. F. Inexperienced Worldwide Airport (PVD) close to Windfall apparently has the nicest bogs.)
I really feel beneficiant after I can provide a greater preflight expertise to work colleagues or a free meal to freelancers on a finances. I benefit from the look of marvel on my mates’ faces once they strut right into a lounge like they are a VIP.
I get lounge entry by means of my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which gives a twofer: a free Priority Pass membership and entry to Capital One’s exclusive lounges and dining-focused “Landings.” I stay in Virginia, Capital One’s house state, which suggests on almost each departing flight, I can swing by the Capital One Lounge and a collection of Precedence Go lounges at IAD — although, realistically, after I’m not on the Capital One Lounge, I am virtually at all times on the Turkish Airways Lounge — or the Capital One Landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
My lounge entry privileges have modified since I first received the Enterprise X. Initially, I may entry Precedence Go’s community of eating places, the place I may get a $28 eating credit score for myself and a visitor, however that perk rapidly disappeared. I did not miss it an excessive amount of.
However this year, Venture X made a bigger change. It took away free lounge entry for any approved customers (in my case, my husband) and eliminated free visitor entry for Capital One Lounges and Landings, a lot to my children’ chagrin.
I used to be so dissatisfied in these modifications that I missed the small print of the ultimate change: Precedence Go Lounge company have been additionally not free.
In mid-February, simply after these modifications went into impact, I used to be flying out of Italy’s Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and ran right into a pal from my cruise in line for the Marco Polo Membership. He did not have entry however was questioning if he may pay for it.
“Let me see if I can visitor you in,” I stated as a result of I could not bear in mind the brand new coverage or when it began. I requested the lounge agent if I may convey a visitor, and he or she stated sure. I requested how a lot it could price, however she did not ask for a bank card and waved us each by means of.
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I assumed my visitor was free after which uncared for to assessment my bank card assertion. (I do know, I do know. I am a busy working mother, and it slipped my thoughts!)
Two months later, I used to be with a pal in Barranquilla, Colombia, the place its tiny Ernesto Cortissoz Barranquilla Worldwide Airport (BAQ) surprisingly had a Precedence Go lounge. As soon as once more, I requested if I may convey a visitor and if there was a cost, however the lounge agent merely checked out my membership card and our boarding passes earlier than sending us into the lounge.
Possibly the brand new coverage hadn’t gone into impact or was on the discretion of every lounge, I believed, pleased to feed my mates without cost.
After that latter journey, I checked out my bank card assertion and realized I might made an expensive mistake.
On my listing of prices have been two $35 charges for my two Precedence Go lounge company in 2026. I do not thoughts paying for my mates, however we may have purchased airport meals for lower than $35.
My downfall had been in assuming that the lounges would cost me for visitor entry on the time of entry. After they did not swipe my bank card, I believed my company to be free. In actuality, the lounges have been sending my info to Precedence Go, which was then charging my Enterprise X account for the company.
Fortunately, I solely made this error twice earlier than realizing what I might performed and truly studying the nice print of Capital One’s new lounge entry insurance policies. My days of bringing family and friends into lounges without cost as company at the moment are sadly over.
The brand new coverage diminishes my lounge profit in two methods, one apparent and one not. I’m clearly shedding the advantage of having the ability to convey free company to the lounge. However now, each time I journey with household or mates who haven’t got their very own Precedence Go account (which is most of them), I should determine whether or not to desert them for snacks and Wi-Fi within the lounge or accompany them to overpriced airport eating places.
In different phrases, I am now much less probably to make use of my lounge entry when touring with others, making that perk much less helpful.
For now, Enterprise X’s $300 annual travel credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit and lounge entry for my solo travels is enough to keep me paying the $395 annual fee. However ought to these advantages disappear or the annual price skyrocket, I should rethink which playing cards I preserve in my pockets.
Till then, I will need to wrestle with the selection between chasing free airport meals and being pal — and work out new methods to feed my ravenous teen and tween for much less on household holidays. They are not going to be pleased about giving up free scorching chocolate and bougie bogs. And neither am I.
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