You Got Capital One Lounge Access, Now What?

 

Enjoying an alberol spritz in the Capital One Lounge in Denver! So even though my flight was delayed, I was able to charge my phone, do some work, enjoy a drink or two and a nice meal. 

Lounge access comes with my Capital One Venture X credit card. In fact, I added my three children as authorized users which is FREE and they get lounge access too. Well worth, the $395 annual fee. 

But while I was waiting in line, I heard so many people confused about how lounge access works and how much it costs. 

So let's try to sort this out. 

You Got The Capital One Venture X Lounge Access, Now What?

For simplicity, I am going to focus on the Capital One Lounges (currently in Washington DC Dulles, Denver, Dallas and coming soon to Las Vegas) and the Priority Pass (a network of 1,600 lounges worldwide). I know there are other lounges out there for business class and various airlines, but we are just going to focus on these. 

First question, how do you get lounge access:

• Capital One Lounge - Capital One Venture X credit card holders get unlimited lounge access for Capital One Lounges. They can also bring two guests with them. Capital One Venture credit card holders get 2 lounge passes per year. 
• Priority Pass Lounge - Capital One Venture X credit card holders get membership included as a benefit for the card holder and authorized users. Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holders get membership for the card holder only. Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cards holders also get membership included. Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex and Capital One Venture X card holders can bring two guests. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card used to include a restaurant benefit as well which was awesome, but it dropped that benefit in July 2024. 

You Got The Capital One Venture X Lounge Access, Now What?

Once you activate your membership online to the Priority Pass, you will get a card in the mail and a digital card that you show at the lounge entrance along with your boarding pass. You can download the app and find lounges worldwide. 

You can only visit the lounge while you are waiting for a flight departure and not  upon arrival unless you are connecting to another flight. 

For the Capital One Lounges, you show your boarding pass and your Capital One credit card. Since there are only three lounges currently, they are packed and often have a waitlist. 

It's a good idea to get on the wait list, but it's a bit tricky to find in the app. 

You Got The Capital One Venture X Lounge Access, Now What?

• Login to your Capital One account
• Click on Explore rewards and benefits
• Click on Lounges in the upper right corner
• Click on the lounge
• You will see the current capacity and then a button to join the waitlist 
• Once you do that, you will get a text when it is your turn to enter 
• You have 10 minutes to show up or you will lose your turn and have to join the waitlist again

Both the Capital One Venture X and Venture card come with a 75,000 bonus for a $4,000 minimum spend. The Venture X carries a $395 annual fee, but you get a $300 travel credit, $120 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass membership and Capital One lounge access for the card holder and up to 4 authorized users for FREE. The Venture card only carries a $95 annual fee and comes with 2 lounge passes each year. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve carries a hefty $550 annual fee, comes with a $300 travel credit, $120 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and 1.5 to 1 value for Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the travel portal. 

Both Capital One and Chase Ultimate Reward points are considered flex points and can be transferred to dozens of airlines and hotels. 

If this sounds interesting to you, I recommend going through my points and miles course which includes a 1:1 strategy session with me, a custom tracker and ongoing group coaching. Let's get you traveling for almost FREE and making those priceless memories! 

Unveiling the Money-Saving Magic of Priority Pass Lounge Access: Elevate Your Travel Experience!

 

If you are travelling this summer and it seems like almost everyone is, you may want to get Priority Pass Lounge Access to save money and just make the trip more comfortable. 

On a recent trip cross country, we had a quick layover in St. Louis. Even though it was only about one hour, with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, we were able to drop into the Priority Pass lounge, Wingtips, in Terminal 2 across from Gate E29. The Priority Pass lounge network features 1,300 lounges around the world and is a free benefit with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card 

The benefit allows the card holder and two guests to enter. We also hold the Capital One Venture X card so that gets the rest of my family into the lounge. 

I always check to see if there are lounges available in the airports when I fly. Besides snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge cell phones, the lounges offer a place to sit down. The pass is good for the holder plus one guest. 

Sometimes the lounge may not be a lounge at all, it could be a credit at a restaurant in the airport. If that's the case, the pass is valid for $28 for the pass holder and their guest. Wow! 

A few years back I flew out of JFK to London Gatwick. There is an amazing restaurant in JFK Terminal 8 Bobby Van's Steakhouse that is on the lounge pass. My daughter and I feasted on a full dinner before boarding our red-eye flight across the pond. Our bill came to $5 and that's only because we ordered a dessert. 

On the way back, we stopped at the Grain Store Cafe and Bar in London Gatwick South Terminal. Whew, we had a hard time spending our $28 credit each. We ended up loading up on croissants and desserts to bring home to the family. 

Lounges vary from airport to airport in quality and offerings, but sometimes you luck out. 

The Priority Pass is a FREE perk with the following credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture X
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card From American Express 
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 

Note that the American Express cards do not have restaurant benefits. My favorite card which you probably know by now is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Right now, that card is offering 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in three months. It carries a $550 annual fee but includes a $300 travel credit, $100 global entry credit, 10x points on Lyft, and complimentary access to Door Dash, Instacart and GoPuff. If the Reserve is too expensive, try the Sapphire Preferred card, it does not include Priority Pass membership, but it is a great card. Though the offer has changed, you can read about why I love this card so much. 

Why Priority Pass Lounge Access Is Great For Family Travel

       

We added a slice of cheesecake at Bobby Vans

         My new favorite credit card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I have been waiting almost a year to drop under 5/24 so I could be approved for this card. Chase limits you to five credit cards every 24 months. This includes all credit cards not just Chase cards. So you have to be strategic when applying for cards. I reached my 5/24 limit a year ago when I applied for two Southwest credit cards in order to secure the companion pass.
          But recently I dropped below again as some old cards began to fall off. Woohoo!
You can check out my past post comparing the Sapphire Reserve vs the Preferred if you are interested and consider using my referral link if you decide to apply.
One of the perks included in the Sapphire Reserve card is FREE membership to the Priority Pass Lounge network. The network has 1200 lounges in 143 countries.

         You have to activate your membership, but it's a simple online process. Then you will receive your card in the mail. You do need to carry your card with you if you plan to use the lounge network. You can also enroll in the mobile app.
         You can check the website to see what lounges are available in different cities around the world.
Some airports offer a variety of lounge access in different terminals with snacks, wifi, drinks even showers.
         But here's the best part, some airports offer credits at specific restaurants. On the website, you will see the restaurant, menu, credit offered, hours and any other pertinent information. On a recent flight from JFK to London, we saw that Bobby Vans Steakhouse was on the lounge site.

          The restaurant was past security in terminal 8  so you need a valid boarding pass and be sure to leave enough time to go back through security again in your flight terminal. But the restaurant offered $28 per person credit. With the Sapphire Reserve, your membership is good for you and a guest. Most entrees at Bobby Vans run about $15-$30 so it's very generous. You will still need to pay tax and gratuity.


       
       My daughter and I enjoyed Ahi Tuna Burgers, Baked Mac And Cheese and a slice of cheesecake for dessert. The bill came to $63 dollars and then they deducted the $56 credit. Pretty sweet! And sure beat the dinner served onboard our flight to London.

The Grain Cafe in London Gatwick

         On our way home from London Gatwick, we noticed the Grain Cafe was also included in the Priority Pass Lounge network. This cafe is located on the second floor after you pass through the security while you are waiting for your gate to be announced on the board so it's super convenient.
          The cafe has sandwiches, baked goods, salad, coffee, tea and much more. The 15 pound per person credit goes a long way. We actually asked for everything we wanted and the sales person told us we will had 5 pounds left and stuck a few croissants in our bag. YUM!

Grain Cafe Staff Puts Extra Croissants In Our Bag

        Since we took away here, there was no tax or gratuity so they just handed us our food and off we went.  The value of this perk on this trip was approximately $100. Even though the annual fee is $450 on this card, the perks make this card totally worth it.
In a future post, I'll review the Chase Travel Portal and how my daughter flew to New Orleans for $45.
That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel.

Why I Love The Priority Pass

 

On a recent trip cross country, we had a quick layover in St. Louis. Even though it was only about one hour, we dropped into the Priority Pass lounge, Wingtips, in Terminal 2 across from Gate E29. The Priority Pass lounge network features 1,300 lounges around the world and is a free benefit with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card 

I always check to see if there are lounges available in the airports when I fly. Besides snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge cell phones, the lounges offer a place to sit down. The pass is good for the holder plus one guest. 

Sometimes the lounge may not be a lounge at all, it could be a credit at a restaurant in the airport. If that's the case, the pass is valid for $28 for the pass holder and their guest. Wow! 

A few years back I flew out of JFK to London Gatwick. There is an amazing restaurant in JFK Terminal 8 Bobby Van's Steakhouse that is on the lounge pass. My daughter and I feasted on a full dinner before boarding our red-eye flight across the pond. Our bill came to $5 and that's only because we ordered a dessert. 

On the way back, we stopped at the Grain Store Cafe and Bar in London Gatwick South Terminal. Whew, we had a hard time spending our $28 credit each. We ended up loading up on croissants and desserts to bring home to the family. 

Lounges vary from airport to airport in quality and offerings, but sometimes you luck out. 

The Priority Pass is a FREE perk with the following credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Citi Prestige Card 
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card From American Express 
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card 
• US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card 
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 

Note that the American Express cards do not have restaurant benefits. My favorite card which you probably know by now is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Right now, that card is offering 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in three months. It carries a $550 annual fee but includes a $300 travel credit, $100 global entry credit, %15 off Lyft, and $60 Door Dash credit. If the Reserve is too much, try the Sapphire Preferred card, it does not include Priority Pass membership, but it is a great card. Though the offer has changed, you can read about why I love this card so much. 

Why I Visited Two Capital One Lounges In The Same Day

They say once you experience something you can't go back. Well, that's how I feel about airport lounges. A quiet space amongst the chaos of the airport. A place with food, drinks and my favorite, coffee. A place with WIFI, comfy chairs and sometimes even a resting room and showers. 

Recently, I spent time in the new Capital One Lounge in Washington DC Dulles Airport and then just hours later during an extended layover, visited the Capital One Lounge in Denver. 

How much does this all cost? Nothing if you are holding a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card or  Capital One Venture X credit card. There are a few others too that include this benefit, but I'm going to focus on these two credit cards. 

There are 1,500 Priority Pass lounges around the world and three Capital One lounges (Dallas, Denver, Washington DC Dulles). Everyone must present a valid boarding pass to enter and check in at the lounge desk. You can find a list of all the lounges worldwide on the Priority Pass website or app.

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card includes the Priority Pass membership. Once you receive your credit card, just login to your Chase.com account and activate the membership. Priority Pass will send you a physical card in the mail. You can also access a digital card online. Through July 1st 2024, the pass includes some restaurants too where you are eligible for a $26 per person credit. The pass is good for the card holder and two guests. Authorized users also get a Priority Pass membership, however, it costs $75 per year to add an authorized user so that's not the best option.  
• The Capital One Venture X  credit card includes the Priority Pass membership as well, but not the restaurant credit. It is also valid for the card holder and two guests. A benefit of the Capital One Venture X is that you can add authorized users for FREE and they ALSO get FREE Priority Pass lounge access for themselves and two guests. I added all three of my children as authorized users which helps them build their credit and gives them an emergency credit card plus they have access to Priority Pass lounges and the three Capital One lounges. Pretty sweet! 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is offering an increased bonus offer right now of 75,000 points for a $4,000 minimum spend, but it does carry a $550 annual fee. 

The Capital One Venture X is offering 75,000 bonus offer for $4,000 minimum spend and a $395 annual fee. 

Both are great cards and can have a vital part in your travel strategy. Join my travel coaching program for help to determine which one best fits your needs for your future travel goals. 

What does the Starwood/Marriott Merger Mean For Family Travel

Now that the details of the Marriott and Starwood merger are being released, we can figure out what this means for family travel. I'll give you a hint, it's not great. 

One of the best perks for me personally is the FREE lounge access with the Starwood American Express Business card. My family has saved hundreds of dollars by using the Sheraton hotel lounges for breakfast and happy hour around the world. 

When I spoke with the Starwood American Express rep she confirmed that the perk was being dropped. However, they will be adding a free 1-night certificate good for a cat 1-4 hotel on your anniversary when you pay your annual fee. 

In my case, my annual fee paid in March and the lounge access perk will drop in August so for 6 months of the year, I neither get lounge access or a free night. 

The rep did not seem bothered by this at all. I will probably call again as we get closer to August. She did mention that Starwood will offer a new luxury credit card with the FREE lounge access, but she did not have details yet. She also indicated I may be able to upgrade to the new card. 

A big perk to the Starwood program that will remain intact is the bonus 5,000 points when you transfer 20,000 to an airline partner. This is good and helps when you are trying to gather enough points to fly an entire family. 

We will find out in June/July how the categories will be merged for the hotels. Rumors circulating say this could be a good thing for lower end hotels. I prefer the lower end because those brands include breakfast which I find super important when traveling with my children. 

At this point, we are still trying to sort out the positives and negatives of the merger. Stay tuned! 

Last Chance To Apply For the 80,000 Bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve

It's the last few weeks to apply for the 80,000 bonus on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.  The offer ends December 1st. This is my favorite card and has saved me thousands of dollars on travel. 

Now this card is offering 80,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. 

What can you do with 80,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points? 

So many things. 

• For one, you can use them in the Chase Travel Portal where the Chase Sapphire Reserve makes the points worth 50% more. 
• You can also transfer them 1:1 to dozens of airlines including United, Jet Blue, Southwest and more. 
• You can transfer them to Hyatt, Marriott and IHG hotels at 1:1.
• Through the end of the year, you can use them to erase Airbnb and dining purchases. 

Chase says the value of 80,000 CUR points is $1,200 towards travel. But it could be more if you play your cards right. 

On my trip to Ireland last summer I used Chase Ultimate Reward points to cover my daughter's round trip flight which I booked through the Chase travel portal for 30,000 points. 

I erased all of our Airbnb stays at 50% value for 50,000 points and I erased most of our dining with another 30,000 points. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a $300 travel credit so we used that to erase parking and a portion of the rental car. 

Now this card is offering 80,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. 

The other benefit is that you can transfer CUR points from your other credit cards to your Reserve card and then redeem them for 50% more. Woohoo! 

This card also comes with a $100 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and FREE Dashpass membership, Instacart+ and $10 Go Puff monthly credit. 

The card does come with a hefty annual fee of $550, but as long as you use the $300 travel credit, Global Entry and lounge access, it will be worth it. 

Couple of important notes about this card. If you already hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you are NOT eligible to apply for the Reserve card. You can only hold one at a time. However, your spouse, partner or other family member could apply for the Reserve card. You can also only earn the bonus on the Reserve only once every four years. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, please consider using my referral link. 

 

125K Bonus Offer on the Marriott Amex Brilliant Ends 1/13

 

You only have a few more days to take advantage of the 125,000 bonus point offer on the luxury Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card. It's a great offer if you qualify and don't let the hefty annual fee scare you. 

Let's break it down. The offer:

• a $5000 minimum spend in the first 3 months 
• earn 100,000 points 
• earn a 25,000 point bonus on your one-year anniversary 
• plus earn the 50,000 points FREE night certificate
• $450 annual fee
• $300 Marriott hotel credit that's good for one year
• Priority Pass Airport Lounge Membership
• Global Entry $100 credit
• a monthly $15 Uber cash credit
• Platinum Elite status (bonus points on stays, room upgrades, a welcome gift which could be breakfast, bonus points or other amenities, hotel lounge access, late checkout, and enhanced wifi). 

This card comes with a lot of goodies which brings the hefty annual fee down to a reasonable rate. 

So what can you get with 125,000 Marriott points? I like Marriott points second only to Chase Ultimate Reward points. Marriott points are super flexible since you transfer them to dozens of airlines including United, American, Alaska, Delta, and more. And when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points to any airline, the points transfer 3:1, you get a bonus of 5,000 miles, so your 60,000 Marriott points are worth 25,000 miles on any airline. United actually gives you a 10% bonus on top of the 5,000-mile bonus. 25,000 miles can get you a round trip ticket across the US or one way to Europe or South America. 

Obviously, you can use the points to book hotel rooms at any of the Marriott Bonvoy brands which include Marriott, Starwood/Sheraton, Fairfield Suites, Springhill Suites, Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Courtyard, Aloft, Moxy and more. The rewards chart includes peak and non-peak rates: 

Marriott also offers a travel portal where you can use points for car rentals, cruises, and more, but check around because you may be able to get more value elsewhere. 

This American Express offer is only good through Jan. 13, 2021 so hurry. You can only get this card once in a lifetime so plan accordingly. You don't qualify for the bonus if you have had an active JP Morgan Ritz Carlton card in the last 30 days, you were approved for the Bold or Boundless in the past 90 days, you received a points upgrade from Marriott in the past 24 months, you previously had this card or the Starwood luxury Amex. 

If you aren't sure if you qualify, don't worry. American Express has a handy tool that will let you know when you are submitting your application if you are eligible for the welcome bonus. And at that point, you can continue with your application and American Express will pull your credit report or you can end the application without the hard pull. 

Pretty sweet! 

Time is Running Out To Apply for the 80,000 Bonus on the Sapphire Reserve

This offer ends December 1st. 

Now this card is offering 80,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. 

This my favorite card by far! 

What can you do with 80,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points? 

So many things. 

• For one, you can use them in the Chase Travel Portal where the Chase Sapphire Reserve makes the points worth 50% more. 
• You can also transfer them 1:1 to dozens of airlines including United, Jet Blue, Southwest and more. 
• You can transfer them to Hyatt, Marriott and IHG hotels at 1:1.
• Through the end of the year, you can use them to erase Airbnb and dining purchases. 

Chase says the value of 80,000 CUR points is $1,200 towards travel. But it could be more if you play your cards right. 

For my recent trip to Ireland, I used Chase Ultimate Reward points to cover my daughter's round trip flight which I booked through the Chase travel portal for 30,000 points. 

I erased all of our Airbnb stays at 50% value for 50,000 points and I erased most of our dining with another 30,000 points. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a $300 travel credit so we used that to erase parking and a portion of the rental car. 

Now this card is offering 80,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. 

The other benefit is that you can transfer CUR points from your other credit cards to your Reserve card and then redeem them for 50% more. Woohoo! 

This card also comes with a $100 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and FREE Dashpass membership, Instacart+ and $10 Go Puff monthly credit. 

The card does come with a hefty annual fee of $550, but as long as you use the $300 travel credit, Global Entry and lounge access, it will be worth it. 

Couple of important notes about this card. If you already hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you are not eligible to apply for the Reserve card. You can only hold one at a time. However, your spouse, partner or other family member could apply for the Reserve card. You can also only earn the bonus on the Reserve once every four years. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, please consider using my referral link. 

 

How To Get A FREE Massage With Your Priority Lounge Pass

 

If you are traveling over the holidays, you might want to stop by the Be Relax Spa for a head, foot or back massage! The spas are located in seven airports around the country. It's FREE with your Priority Pass membership. 

How To Get A FREE Massage With Your Priority Lounge Pass

The Priority Pass is a benefit that comes with several premium credit cards such as

• Chase Sapphire Reserve, 
• The Platinum card from American Express, 
• The Business Platinum card from American Express, 
• Hilton Honors Aspire
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant 
• US Bank Reserve
• Citi Prestige

You will need to logon to your credit card account and activate the pass. Once you do that, you can go to prioritypass.com to search for lounges and restaurants included in the 1,300 location network. 

Most of the locations are lounges that offer snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge your devices. But some restaurants are listed and for me, that's the sweet spot. 

Your pass is good for $28 credit at the restaurant for you and a guest. Wow! 

My daughter and I enjoyed a full dinner at the Bobby V's Steakhouse in the JFK airport before our flight to London. 

We also stopped at the Grain Store in the London Gatwick airport on our return to pick up sandwiches, croissants, and much more. In fact, we had a hard time spending the entire credit. 

Be sure to read the fine print and bring your physical card with you. You will receive a card in the mail a few weeks after you activate your membership. 

Should I cancel my Citi Hilton Credit Card?

Citi is transferring all Hilton Honors card holders to new American Express Hilton Honors cards in January. You should have received a letter in the mail alerting you to the change. Citi ended its relationship with Visa and is launching a new relationship with American Express. 

So the question is should you let the transfer happen or cancel your card?

The Visa card is a no fee card and as far as we know the American Express card will be no fee as well. 

There are currently 2 American Express Hilton Honors cards available. We suspect a third premium card will be added next year. 

The no fee card offers 7x points on Hilton purchases and no foreign transaction fees starting in January. 

The Hilton Surpass card will be changing to the Ascend card next year and offer a few more perks like 12x points on Hilton purchases, 10 complimentary lounge passes and if you spend $15,000 in a year, you will earn a free night at any Hilton property. 

That card has a $95 fee and next year no foreign transaction fees. 

American Express and Hilton are gearing up to offer a premium card next year too which will have a $450 annual fee and include perks like a $250 airline credit and $250 Hilton credit on your cardmember anniversary, unlimited lounge access, 14X points on Hilton purchases and a free night on your anniversary.  

We don't know about sign up bonuses for these cards yet so you will need to look at your own situation and decide if it's worth keeping your current Hilton Honors Visa card. I cancelled mine so I could take advantage of whatever is coming  in 2018.