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I had long dreamed of airport lounge life as an economy passenger, believing lounge access was for elite travelers with airline status or those who were willing to pay a fee for convenience. That is until I was introduced to the wonderful world of travel rewards credit cards! Gone are the days where I walk by a lounge longingly wondering what lies beyond the lounge doors and frosted windows.
How did my lounge life begin? Well, we snagged the Capital One Venture X credit card a few years back when they first released it, along with a generous 100,000-point welcome bonus. It has been one of our favorite travel rewards cards ever since!
Capital One Venture X Lounge Benefits
The Capital One Venture X card comes with unlimited lounge access at all Capital One lounges for both primary and additional cardholders! Plus, each cardholder can bring in two guests with no additional fee.
Cardholders also get a Priority Pass membership for both the primary cardholder and additional cardholders, giving you access to thousands of other lounges across the globe.
Capital One lounges are still relatively new to the airport lounge scene so they’re aren’t too many just yet. In fact, there are only three currently open – Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), and Washington DC (IAD). Las Vegas is set to open sometime in the very near future, followed by plans to open a lounge at JFK.
Now, I just need them to open a lounge at SFO and I’ll be a happy camper!
This particular review is all about the Capital One Lounge at DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) in Texas – the very first Capital One Lounge to open in the U.S. When the opportunity presented itself for us to have a layover in Dallas on our way from San Francisco to Dublin, Ireland, I jumped at the chance to make it work!
From the perspective of a first-time lounger, here’s my full review of the DFW Capital One Lounge.
DFW Capital One Lounge Location
The Capital One Lounge at DFW is located across from the American Airlines flagship lounge in Terminal D, next to gate D22. If you’re flying out of another terminal, it’s easy to take the Skylink train to get to Terminal D.
Do note that even though the Skylink is easy to use, the DFW airport is quite large. I would suggest giving yourself at least 15 to 20 minutes to make it to your gate on time after your visit to the Capital One Lounge. We made it just as our flight to Dublin was boarding!
Read all about our trip to Ireland in this post!
Lounge Check-In Process
As Venture X cardholders, we needed to show our credit card and boarding passes with a departing flight and confirmed seat reservation to gain entry to the lounge. And, like many other lounges, we had to make sure we were within three (3) hours of our departure time to enter.
Airport lounges are very popular these days with more travelers getting savvy with their rewards credit cards (ahem, like me). More cards are also offering perks for lounges! Because of this, there can often be a wait to get into said lounges. Thankfully, we were able to get in right away.
The attendant checking us in did note that the lounge was relatively full but we were able to snag a couple of booth-style seats with a table. As much as I wanted that prized window view looking out over the runway, I was glad we didn’t have to wait. Our flight times had changed, narrowing the window of time we had to spend in the lounge.
Food Options (Dine-In)
If you’ve read other articles on my site, you’d know that I’m a big foodie. And if you haven’t, let me tell you now that food is always my number one priority. So, of course, my main focus for our visit to the the Dallas Capital One Lounge was the complimentary food!
We visited the lounge in the late afternoon/early evening, which meant being able to select from dinner-style dishes. They do rotate food offerings depending on time of day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and from what I’ve seen from other reviews, they do change up the dishes so you aren’t always eating the same thing (if you’re lucky to visit the lounge often).
My grand plan for the day was to also review our American Airlines premium economy meals, so even though we didn’t try one of everything, I think we made a pretty solid dent!
Appetizer-Style Finger Foods
First up was an assortment of light bites and snacks, most of which were vegetarian options. These included:
- Veggies and hummus
- Bruschetta
- Deviled eggs
- Cheese/olive/salami skewers
- Assorted nuts and pretzels
My husband gave the deviled eggs a thumbs up, and we both liked the olive, cheese and salami skewers. I passed on the veggies and hummus since it looked like they included raw yellow squash, zucchini, and peas (vegetables that I don’t necessarily like to eat in a raw state). Good on them for including something healthy though!
Mains (Hot Foods & Salads)
The main hot foods and salads to choose from offered a good amount of variety and dishes were all individually-portioned in their own containers. This made it super easy to grab what we wanted to place on our trays.
Below were the dishes offered on this visit to the lounge:
- Mac and cheese (with or without bacon)
- Meatball sliders
- Ginger Chicken Karahi
- Mushrooms and cauliflower rice for the carb conscious
- Roasted brussels sprouts and rosemary potatoes
- Spinach salad
My favorites of the main dishes were the mac and cheese (I got mine without bacon) and the meatball sliders. My husband also said the ginger chicken and rice dish was tasty!
I did also get a spinach salad to add some veggies into the mix and keep things relatively healthy. I really like to have pops of color with my meals too. It had a nice tangy vinegar dressing and I thought it was a refreshing element to add to my tray.
Bread and Sweets Bar
For lovers of carbs and sweets, there’s plenty to choose from:
- Butter croissants
- Berry scones
- Pan au chocolat
- Baklava
- Brownies
- Assorted cookies
We tried the baklava, brownies, and the caramel pecan cookie and were thoroughly impressed with each dessert item – especially the baklava.
All in all, the dine-in food options were pretty solid, especially for it being complimentary airport food. I’d love to transit through here again someday to check out the different meal offerings for breakfast and lunch.
Beverage Selection
In terms of drinks, the DFW Capital One Lounge has an array of complimentary soda options on tap, along with lemonade, sweet tea, and of course, water. If you’re traveling with a reusable water bottle, this would be a great time to fill it up!
For hot drinks, there’s a coffee (aka “Fuel for Going Places”) and tea station with a varied selection of tea bags to choose from. We didn’t take advantage of the non-alcoholic drink options, so I can’t attest to the quality, but I thought it was great to see the variety offered.
You’ll generally find us at the bar, which is another shining star for me in terms of lounge life. Complimentary drinks? Sign me up!
The bar at the DFW Capital One Lounge includes several craft cocktail options (with several on tap), beers on tap, and a selection of different wines (including prosecco). It is also a full bar, with premium liquors available for an additional cost.
When we visited during the fall season (in the month of October), they had a Butter Pecan Old Fashioned on tap, which my husband got. This seasonal cocktail was strong and tasty enough for this to be his only drink of choice during our visit!
Being a bubbles girl, I stuck with Prosecco. There’s just something about travel and a little glass of something sparkling that makes a trip for me (even though more often than not, that something sparkling is Ginger Ale).
Lounge Bathrooms
Bathrooms in the DFW Capital One Lounge are single, private bathrooms, which as someone who really values bathroom privacy, I absolutely love. They are spacious and play relaxing music too.
Lounge Seating Areas
Seating in the Dallas lounge is very varied in terms of style. On the left side of the lounge, there’s restaurant-style seating with chairs, booths, and small tables (where we sat). The right side includes a mix of chairs and tables, with comfy-looking seats in front of the window overlooking the tarmac. There’s also bar-style seating along a ledge that has plenty of outlets for electronics and would be ideal for working.
And last but not least, there’s different seating options in the bar area, including a few tables and chairs and seating right up at the bar.
Honestly, the best seat in the lounge is the one you can snag without a wait.
Grab ‘n Go Food
Not only does the Capital One Lounge have a dine-in food selection, they have a wide array of grab and go foods as well! When you’re ready to head out of the lounge and want to grab snacks, drinks, and water for the plane ride ahead, this is a great feature. And if you only have limited time transiting through the airport, this is also an awesome option for a quick bite.
The food offerings at the time we visited consisted of things like Southwest salads, cold soba noodle salads, dessert cups, wraps and sandwiches, sparkling water, and boxed water.
We tried one of the sweet treats, which was a pudding with whipped cream and Oreo cookie crumbs and I gave it two thumbs up. The soba noodle salad was calling my name too, but I didn’t want to fill up too much more before our flight.
Lounge Staff
The staff at the Dallas Capital One Lounge was quite attentive, clearing empty plates and glasses frequently and had a pleasant, cheerful demeanor (at least the ones that we interacted with). The bartenders were super friendly as well!
On our way back from Ireland, we stopped into one of the lounges at LHR (London Heathrow) and the staff attitude compared to the DFW Capital One staff was night and day. It made me thoroughly appreciate the staff back in Dallas so much more.
Features I Didn’t Explore
Since we had limited time in the lounge, I didn’t walk around and explore every feature. Here are a few additional amenities that are offered at the Dallas Capital One Lounge location:
- Relaxation rooms with sleep pods
- Cycling and yoga room
- Luggage lockers
- Multifaith rooms
For more information on what’s offered at the Capital One Lounges, check out their site.
Overall Impressions
This lounge experience spoiled me for life! I now have high expectations for every lounge visit going forward and will always compare it to my very first airport lounge visit at the DFW Capital One Lounge.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know not all lounges are going to be as elaborate. In fact, our stop at the Priority Pass-offered lounge at LHR mentioned above was quite a different experience. While it was a comfortable place to relax and wait for our next flight, it paled in comparison. With just a few buffet-style food offerings, a more limited bar menu, and a much more unfriendly staff, my thoughts immediately wandered back to the Capital One Lounge.
It’s safe to say I’ll be trying to get into every lounge I possibly can in the future (especially the Capital One Lounges), but I’ll always treasure my first experience at the premium Capital One Lounge in Dallas.
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