I did not see this coming.
In this article
Capital One Removes Non-Lounge Airport Offerings from Priority Pass
Capital One now has language on their FAQ page for the Venture X Priority Pass that states:
Effective January 1, 2023, Priority Pass non-lounge airport experiences (like dining, retail shopping and spa discounts) are not part of the Visa Infinite® benefit program for Venture X cardholders. (Link to FAQ: https://www.capitalonetravel.com/lounges/partner-lounge-network/)
This matches the very unpopular and identical move that American Express made in May of 2019.
I will just come out and say it: “this stinks.”
This exact benefit, which I love to use on both Priority Pass dining like Bobby Van’s Steakhouse at JFK where you get $28 per person in dining credit for flashing your Priority Pass card from a Venture X.
Credit Cards that still have FULL Priority Pass Access
That now leaves FULL Priority Pass access on just two cards: The Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Citi Prestige.
Of course, the Citi Prestige is no longer available to new cardholders – not even via product change. So that leaves the Sapphire Reserve and the Bank of America Premium Rewards card as the only providers for those that want this benefit and don’t already have a Citi Prestige.
That said, Capital One points to this as being a Visa Infinite change. If that’s the case, this would trickle down to the Sapphire Reserve as well – also a Visa Infinite.
As of right now, the Chase page says: Priority Pass Select Membership: One time activation required. Priority Pass Select membership includes access to airport lounges, restaurants, cafes and markets participating in the Priority Pass Select network. This is unchanged (so far). Same for the Ritz Carlton Card.
The Citi Prestige, on the Mastercard World Elite network, is (in my best guess and opinion) unlikely to be affected by this change.
I have reached out to Chase for comment on their offering and will update this post as soon as I have an official comment (assuming I can get one).
If Chase is losing it, then you could assume any other Visa Infinite (like the Bank of America Premium Rewards) would lose it too. If they don’t, it would seem to be limited to Capital One at this time. Let’s see.
Thoughts?
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Another reason to drop the Venture X card. Priority pass access means nothing since most lounges control capacity and cut off PP members first. The dining option gave you an option when they stop accepting PP. This stinks. Sorry to see you go but Venture X will be off my list of cars to keep.
You wrote that this move by Capital One “leaves FULL Priority Pass access on just two cards: The Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Citi Prestige.”
If those are the only two remaining cards with full Priority Pass access, then I don’t get your later reference to Bank of America Premium Rewards:
“If Chase is losing it, then you could assume any other Visa Infinite (like the Bank of America Premium Rewards) would lose it too.”
How could Bank of America Premium Rewards “lose” something they don’t have to begin with?
Thanks for catching that. Was a late addition and missed updating the earlier instance. Fixed.
What about the Capital Ones Spark Travel Elite? Is it also likely to be unaffected as it’s also on the Mastercard World Elite network?
That’s a fantastic question. There’s no public website for that card, so I’m not sure how to check the benefits, but if if keeps it then it lends credence to it being a Visa Infinite move. If it’s cut on that card too, then it’s just Capital One’s decision.