The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has become a staple in many frequent travelers’ wallets, in large part because its rich benefits have historically dwarfed its $395 annual fee. But a wave of changes that starts in March 2025 and culminates with sweeping lounge-access cuts on February 1, 2026, has cardholders reassessing the math.

Even as free guest privileges are scaled back and access to some partner lounges disappears, the card’s core value proposition remains surprisingly strong, especially for travelers who can strategically use its recurring credits and miles-earning structure.

More News:

What Exactly Is Changing With Venture X Lounge Access

Capital One has confirmed a multi-stage overhaul of Venture X lounge perks that affects both where cardholders can relax and who can join them. The first hit arrives March 1, 2025, when complimentary direct access to Plaza Premium Lounges is removed for both personal and business versions of Venture X.

Cardholders will have to rely on their included Priority Pass membership to access those Plaza Premium locations that participate in the Priority Pass network, a subset that excludes several major outposts worldwide. At the same time, the issuer is tightening Priority Pass guesting, clarifying that complimentary access is capped at two guests per visit.

The more consequential changes land on February 1, 2026. From that date, primary Venture X cardholders will no longer receive automatic free guest access to Capital One Lounges or Capital One Landings. Guests will instead be charged a discounted entry fee of $45 per adult per visit and $25 for guests 17 and under, with children under 2 still free.

The personal Venture X also loses complimentary guest access at Priority Pass lounges entirely, meaning non-cardholding companions will pay $35 per visit if they tag along on the account holder’s pass.

Authorized users, once a quiet powerhouse perk of the product, are also affected. Currently, additional cardholders can access Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass locations simply by presenting their card. From February 1, 2026, that benefit will vanish unless the primary accountholder pays a new $125 annual “lounge access fee” per authorized user, which restores their ability to enter Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and Priority Pass lounges in their own right.

Why the Annual Fee Still Nets Out Positively for Many Travelers

Despite the lounge cuts, the Venture X’s fundamentals remain intact, and those benefits alone can outstrip the $395 annual fee for a wide range of users. At the center is an annual $300 Capital One Travel credit that automatically applies to airfare, hotels or rental cars booked through the issuer’s online portal. For anyone who can reliably channel at least $300 of their yearly travel purchases through that platform, the practical net cost of holding the card immediately drops to $95.

On top of that, Venture X awards an annual 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary, starting in year two. Using a conservative valuation of 1 cent per mile, that bonus is worth about $100 in travel redemptions through Capital One or when transferred to airline and hotel partners. Combined with the $300 travel credit, these two benefits alone total roughly $400 in annual value, already edging past the $395 fee even before factoring in lounge access or everyday rewards.

The card also delivers elevated earnings on travel purchased through Capital One Travel: 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5 miles per dollar on flights. All other spending earns 2 miles per dollar. For a traveler who spends, for example, $3,000 a year on flights and hotels via the portal and another $12,000 on general purchases, that structure can generate roughly 39,000 miles annually. Valued modestly, those miles can easily be worth another $390 or more in travel, turning the card into a clear net positive even if the holder never steps into a lounge.

How the Lounge Cuts Change the Card’s Value for Different Traveler Profiles

The impact of the 2025 and 2026 lounge changes will depend heavily on individual travel patterns. Solo business travelers, who primarily used Venture X for personal access to Capital One’s growing lounge footprint, Priority Pass locations and Plaza Premium spaces, may feel the changes least. Primary cardholders will continue to enjoy unlimited entry to Capital One Lounges and Landings and Priority Pass lounges, even after February 2026, and for them the additional fees apply only when bringing guests.

Families and couples, however, stand to lose more. One of Venture X’s strongest selling points since launch has been its generous guest policy and the ability to add free authorized users who also received lounge privileges. For a household that frequently traveled together, it was not uncommon for a single annual fee to effectively cover lounge access for four or more people. Under the future rules, that same family will either need to pay per-visit guest charges, invest $125 per authorized user for ongoing lounge access, or accept that some trips will be lounge-free.

High spenders occupy a middle ground. Capital One is introducing a $75,000 annual spend threshold that, if met, reactivates complimentary guest access to Capital One Lounges and Landings: two free guests for lounges and one for Landings through the remainder of that calendar year and the following year. That spending requirement is substantial, effectively limiting this restored perk to heavy users or small-business owners, but it does create a path for some frequent travelers to maintain the lounge experience they are accustomed to without per-visit guest fees.

Capital One’s Growing Lounge Network Still Carries Weight

While policy details are shifting, Venture X cardholders still maintain a front-of-the-line position at Capital One’s own lounges, which continue to expand in both number and prominence. The network already includes full lounges at key hubs such as Dallas Fort Worth, Denver, Las Vegas and New York’s JFK, along with a Landing-branded space at Washington National and more locations under development in major coastal markets.

These lounges have attracted attention for offering amenities that often rival or exceed more established competitors. Think freshly prepared food, specialty coffee, grab-and-go fridges stocked with high-quality items, and design-forward spaces with quiet zones and shower suites. For cardholders departing from or connecting through an airport where Capital One operates, the continued promise of unlimited access remains a significant benefit, even with stricter rules around companions.

Priority Pass continues to fill in the map where Capital One’s own spaces are not present. Although the Plaza Premium split in March 2025 trims back coverage in some international destinations, Venture X holders still receive the ability to enter a wide array of third-party lounges around the world. Even factoring in the new cap of two complimentary guests at these locations, that remains a powerful perk for travelers who frequently find themselves in secondary airports or abroad, where dedicated issuer-branded lounges are rarer.

Comparing Venture X to Rival Premium Travel Cards After 2026

The Venture X has carved out a niche in the premium card landscape by offering many of the hallmarks of luxury products from longstanding rivals, but at an annual fee that undercuts flagship offerings from larger issuers. After the 2026 changes, that relative value proposition is still present, though less dramatic for those who prioritized free lounge access for family and friends.

Competitor products with higher annual fees often require extensive use of their proprietary travel portals or airline partners to unlock full value, and they too have tightened lounge rules over the past few years. Restrictions on guest access, shorter maximum visit times and capacity-related entry limits have become common as demand for lounges has surged.

In that context, Capital One’s decision to pare back its most generous features aligns with industry trends, even if it is unwelcome news for cardholders who joined during the early, more liberal phase of the program.

Where Venture X continues to stand out is in the relative simplicity of its core math and the richness of its earnings on uncategorized spending. A traveler who does not need fine dining credits, luxury hotel status or ultra-exclusive invitation-only lounges may find that the combination of a net-effective annual fee around $95, a broad 2x earning rate and flexible miles redemptions continues to beat pricier alternatives.

Even when viewed strictly through the lens of lounge access, the card’s ongoing unlimited entry for the primary user compares favorably with some peers that impose tighter visit caps or only include a limited number of entries per year.

Strategies to Maximize Value Ahead of and After the Cuts

As the lounge landscape around Venture X evolves, cardholders can adopt a more deliberate strategy to preserve value. In the near term, travelers planning family trips in 2025 and early 2026 may wish to schedule high-lounge-use journeys before the February 1, 2026 cutover date, taking advantage of the current guest and authorized-user policies while they last. Booking itineraries through airports with Capital One Lounges or Landings can stretch the remaining window of generous access.

Longer term, households may reevaluate how many authorized users they truly need with full lounge access. For frequent co-travelers such as spouses or partners who often fly independently, paying the $125 lounge access fee per year could still pencil out, particularly if they make regular use of both Priority Pass and Capital One spaces. Occasional travel companions, on the other hand, might be better served by per-visit guest fees or by relying on other routes to lounge entry, such as paid day passes at select locations.

The shift away from Plaza Premium as a direct partner also underscores the importance of checking specific lounge eligibility before each trip. Some Plaza Premium lounges will still accept Priority Pass issued through Venture X, but not all. Savvy travelers may wish to map out which airports on their itineraries offer Priority Pass coverage and which do not, adjusting connections or departure points when possible to preserve access to a comfortable pre-flight environment.

How Retention Offers and Market Competition Could Influence the Future

The scale and timing of Capital One’s lounge cuts have prompted speculation that the issuer may deploy targeted retention offers or temporary incentives to keep valuable cardholders from defecting. In past instances across the credit card industry, premium card issuers facing customer backlash over benefit reductions have counterbalanced changes with bonus miles, statement credits or limited-time promotions for those who call in to express dissatisfaction or threaten to cancel.

Competition is also intensifying as banks, airlines and independent lounge operators all vie for the loyalty of frequent travelers. New products and co-branded arrangements often emerge in response to shifts like the ones Capital One is rolling out. If rival cards enhance their own lounge offerings or temporarily lower fees to capture disaffected Venture X customers, Capital One may find itself revisiting aspects of its benefits lineup or refining the way it communicates value beyond lounges.

For now, however, the published changes for March 2025 and February 2026 stand, and Venture X holders weighing whether to renew should perform a personalized calculation. That means adding up the reliable annual value they can derive from the $300 travel credit, 10,000-mile anniversary bonus, everyday rewards and the remaining lounge access they will realistically use, then comparing that sum to the $395 fee and any incremental costs, such as authorized user lounge access charges or per-visit guest fees.

FAQ

Q1. What is the current annual fee for the Capital One Venture X card?
The annual fee is $395 for the personal Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Q2. When do the major lounge access changes take effect?
The first changes, including the loss of direct Plaza Premium lounge access, begin on March 1, 2025. The more sweeping guest and authorized-user restrictions take effect on February 1, 2026.

Q3. Will I still get free access to Capital One Lounges after February 1, 2026?
Yes. As a primary Venture X cardholder, you will continue to receive complimentary access for yourself to Capital One Lounges and Capital One Landings; the changes primarily affect guests and authorized users.

Q4. How do the new rules affect guests traveling with me?
Starting February 1, 2026, guests will no longer enter free just because you hold Venture X. You will pay $45 per adult guest and $25 per guest age 17 and under at Capital One Lounges and Landings, while children under 2 remain free. At Priority Pass lounges, each guest will cost $35 per visit.

Q5. What happens to lounge access for authorized users on my account?
Authorized users will lose complimentary lounge access on February 1, 2026, unless you pay a $125 annual lounge access fee per authorized user. Paying that fee restores their entry to Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and Priority Pass lounges.

Q6. Does the card still come with a travel credit?
Yes. Venture X continues to include a $300 annual credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel, which automatically offsets eligible purchases and effectively reduces your out-of-pocket annual fee if you use it each year.

Q7. What is the value of the 10,000-mile anniversary bonus?
On each account anniversary starting in year two, you earn 10,000 bonus miles. If you value miles at roughly 1 cent apiece, that bonus is worth about $100 in travel, which helps offset or exceed the card’s net cost after applying the travel credit.

Q8. Can I still access Plaza Premium lounges with Venture X?
Direct access via Capital One ends on March 1, 2025. You may still access some Plaza Premium lounges through the Priority Pass membership that comes with Venture X, but not every Plaza Premium location participates in Priority Pass, so coverage will be more limited.

Q9. Is Venture X still worth it if I mostly travel solo?
For many solo travelers, the card remains compelling. You retain unlimited access to Capital One and Priority Pass lounges for yourself, benefit from strong earning rates and can more than offset the annual fee with the $300 travel credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.

Q10. How can I decide whether to keep the card after the lounge cuts?
Add up the value you expect each year from the travel credit, anniversary miles, everyday rewards and the personal lounge visits you plan to make, then subtract the $395 annual fee and any guest or authorized user costs. If the remaining value is comfortably positive, Venture X may still deserve a place in your wallet even after the 2026 changes.