At the Capital One lounge in Denver I was #73 on the wait list and waited 40 minutes for entry. Capital One does a nice job with their lounge entry,
- You can waitlist in the app whenever you wish (including before arrival at the airport)
- And they estimate how long the wait is
- The lounges don’t actually feel as crowded as Centurion lounges when you do get in – no long queues up at the bar, and you’re not usually dodging and weaving around other passengers.
Capital One does a great job with ‘grab ‘n go’ but you have to get in to use it. Grab ‘n go is for guests in a hurry, but if you’re in a hurry you can’t ust grab ‘n go. That saves money on food and packaging, but defeats the purpose of the offering and leaves cardmembers dissatisfed.
American Express copied Capital One’s in-app waitlisting, but without the time estimates. American Express lines to get in are legion and the digital waitlist at least reduces the optics of having people standing in a queue. Otherwise Philadelphia queues would wrap the terminal.
In 2018 I wrote that Centurion lounges were so busy nobody goes there anymore and that’s long before the lines and digital queuing. The number of cardmembers with access has grown as American Express has put far more Platinum cards in customer hands, and extended access to Delta Reserve customers.
You go to the lounge to get away from the crowds not to,
- say you had lounge access
- sit in spaces just as cramped as the terminal
I like the concept at Capital One’s Landing at National Airport (that’ll be repeated at New York LaGuardia when it opens) of actually offering reservations like a restaurant and showing guests to a table.
Priority Pass-accessible The Club lounges will sell you reservations.
Ultimately, though “when everybody has lounge access, nobody does.” Nowhere in the country should passengers be easier to accommodate in lounge than New York JFK’s terminal 4, and yet we see 40 minutes to get into several of them at the same time.:
Airport lounges are officially cooked. To a crisp. 40 min waits for delta, centurion, and sapphire.
We need to #MakeLoungesExclusiveAgain pic.twitter.com/ksmueTGkHh
— Mid Thirties Manhattan Guy (@Mid30sManhattan) August 22, 2025
- New York JFK Terminal 4 has two Delta Sky Clubs and the Delta One lounge; Chase, American Express, and Capital One lounges; the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Air India Lounge, HelloSky and Emirates; and a Minute Suites. Is any other single terminal or concourse so packed with lounge options?
- JFK terminals aren’t connected airside, so you have very few passengers from other terminals using these lounges.
American Express gives entry priority to their Black Card customers. Delta has Sky Club priority lines for first class and top status. I’m surprised Chase hasn’t done anything similar for J.P. Morgan Reserve cardmembers (new applications restricted to J.P. Morgan Private Bank clients) and Capital One for its top cardmembers with exceptionally high spend.
Banks have sold too many cards offering lounge access – the problem is that cardmembers take the product imagining a better experience, but then the experience falls flat. How does that land on a customer who dedicates significant wallet share to a product and then gets disappointed? Lounges need to deliver because it’s not only the promise and cardmember acquisition that matters.
Chase has tested consumer appetites for higher annual fees with their Sapphire Reserve product. American Express is expect to test even higher fees will with Platinum in an announcement that could come as soon as before the end of next month.
A few hundred dollars in fees isn’t likely to change much, though the issuers may say they’re doing it for the good of cardmembers. A higher fee could make sense to actually gain access to the things that have been promised at lower fees. But we aren’t likely to see that because it would mean fewer cardmembers and this is a numbers game for the banks.
In the meantime, Capital One kept their Venture X at $395, with a $300 travel credit and 10,000 bonus points at card renewal. So that card remains a value despite the lines, though I think there’s room for a more premium offering there with greater priority.
I’ll just keep making reservations at Capital One Landing, one of the few places besides Tortas Frontera where I’d be happy with the food outside the airport, and I’m more than good.
I fully agree. My question time and time again is what % of people with these cc pay vs. military etc. that pay have their own lounges. Why not close the USO lounges? If they all have other lounge access why are they needed? I enjoy your blog and research and have never seen this number even estimated reported.
Has anyone else noticed the grab n go food at Capital One lounges has dropped significantly? I was at IAD lounge last week and the sandwiches were basically inedible.
I’m can see the day where AMEX does something like a platinum card and a platinum plus where the platinum is a coupon book with limited or no centurion lounge access and the plus is more expensive with full lounge access for the cardholder
@Daniel – I wrote that dfw grab ‘n go declined some time back.
LAS opened with a smaller grab ‘n go section. And JFK’s grab n go is not self-serve (though I like freshly prepared bagel sandwiches much better than the packaged stuff at the other lounges, but having a staffer get you what you want probably reduces quantiy people take when unmonitored – thanks to shame, which is not actually dead)
I won’t stand in a long line for any lounge. I’ll just go to a restaurant or bar and enjoy that time. If I was running an airside eatery, I would make a play for those line standers. Give those with lounge access a free drink and a discount on food and no waiting.
The Enshittification of Lounges. That’s what you get when you let greed run amok.
Is this just a Denver problem?
Are there more cardholders in Denver than other cities?
@ boilers — Maybe try signing up to be shot at?
Supply and demand. Capitalism at work. Demand is high because the price point to get in is low enough that people are willing to pay. The argument that annual fees are too high falls flat when you see the lines. They very clearly are not. And demand is still high. Banks will raise fees until people stop applying, when they do, fees will freeze in place.
As for quality…when a once premium experience is suddenly accessible to the most average people, it only makes sense that quality will decline to a level that still feels premium to the average Joe but has declined considerably for those remembering the good old days.
In the meantime, smart travelers will wait to arrive at the airport, eat better food before arriving or in an airport restaurant, and will sit in a quieter corner of the terminal until their flight (or during connections), while the rest of the riff raff trip over themselves to make themselves feel oohed-and-aahed by sitting in line for a credit card lounge reminiscent of an office cafeteria.
Was at JFK terminal 4 on Friday and saw this. Long lines outside the Cap one and Sapphire Lounges. There were as many people outside waiting to get access as there were inside. At Sapphire after a long wait there was a guy who brought in 11 people with his card – Ritz? – and they were LOUD. One lady was impressed and declared she would like to “order 20 burgers” and the guy with the card declared “why not? its free”
It made the lounge experience a lot less enjoyable because many food and drink items were not available and took much longer that my first visit to this lounge previously. Cap One was a better experience.
The CSR is what’s in my wallet and I’ve NEVER had to wait at any Chase or other lounge, domestic or international, including the Chase ones in Hong Kong and Philly. (Cathay Pacific uses Terminal 8, so I didn’t have a chance to use the Chase lounge at JFK.) The Chase lounge in Philly was almost empty on a weekday around 11 AM in July.
I’ll be in Boston in Ocotber, so will see what the Chase lounge there is like about 11:30 AM.I’ll be in Vegas in early September but I don’t think the Chase lounge there has opened yet.
@Ron Totally agree
I do my best to avoid long layovers in U.S. airports. I’ve never been denied entry overseas and have waited no more than 5-8 minutes to access a lounge. Also, most of the lounges in the U.S. are average, at best, versus the high-quality lounges in Europe and other places.
no more free lounge access for the poors. if you’re an airline elite in economy, $50 per person. if you’re a sub $1K/y credit card holder, $50 per person. the airlines & credit cards can lightly ration out coupons & credits to the plebes for certain loyalty thresholds. and, while we’re at it, OneWorld Emerald access to First Class lounges must require a business class ticket.
Presented in the FWIW Mode…I’ve never been made to wait at an Admirals Club Lounge, and I only use Priority Pass where there are no Admirals Clubs… Now, are American’s lounges the best? NO, of course not! Anyone who’s been in one knows that. But are they better than sitting t a crowded gate where there aren’t enough seats (and certainly not enough electrical outlets)? Uh…yeah.
@boilers —> And military members (and their families) without fancy shmancy credit cards should lose what little benefits they have while serving our country because….
@Isaac —> No. It’s NOT only a Denver problem.
@listen —> How much entitled snobbery can one person have? And while someone might willingly pay for F when flying LAX-JFK for work (and thus get reimbursed), why on earth would they waste money flying in F for the hour or so it takes to get from LA to Vegas? (Yes, First is always full on those flights, but I’ve always figured half the people are high rollers getting comped by the casino, and the other half are either people about to get married, are on their honeymoon, or drunk frat boys off to party some more…)
I’ve been traveling plenty in the USA, and have not had excessive waits (at most 10-15 minutes). That said, if it’s peak hours or a holiday weekend, just set expectations lower. And there are often ways you (and they) can make it better; like, if you fly First or are a Diamond, there’s a priority line for SkyClubs; also, Chase at LGA sends CSR holders to the nearby Air Canada lounge if there’s a wait. Is it perfect, all the time? No never, but it’s still pretty good. So, to the complainers, y’all gon need some cheese for that all whine…
@IsaacM — DEN is infamous for overcrowding, especially at the Amex lounge; however, United recently expanded its lounges there, so it’s gotten a little better.
@Mike P — Thank you for actually contributing something relevant and (somewhat) apolitical for once. While there can be ‘nice’ lounges overseas, they’re not all that great or much better than what we have in the USA. Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve experienced some of the newer options here.
What boilers is getting at is the issuers are basically forced to waive the annual fee on cards for active duty military.
Being around SAN a heavy military are it doesn’t seem to be a huge deal at SAN, things in T2 are more sane now with the Sapphire lounge open and UA, Delta, and the Priority Pass lounge all available. T1 opening will spread out even more.
But who knows maybe it is a decent minority of visits some places.
And not sure what s/he is getting at by wanting the USO lounges to close.
A $750 annual fee card is for the middle class. And so is waiting to get access to a lounge. Best to fly private. That way, you can avoid the middle class.
The US is truly becoming the cesspit of the world. Every other country the lounge is a business class perk, and maybe elite, and no more. The airline knows exactly how many people are going to use it and can size it accordingly.
Lounge access by subscription with no limits is the most idiotic thing that greedy US airlines and US credit card companies could come up with, and it’s imploding badly. Like the rest of the US.
At this rate, I’d proceed to directly to the gate area to enjoy to space, solitude & unenibriated behavior ! 1st world ‘problems’ ….
@Daniel – I feel like you got a bad batch 🙁 I’m with you and Gary about the decline of the Grab n’ Go, but it’s still a huge positive imho. Just yesterday I had their (IAD) tuna salad wrap and sourdough bread sandwich as a midnight snack and they hit the spot (2 days after its “best by” date).
Well, two things: (1) Literally everyone i know does NOT have lounge access. (2) When leaving the lounge…ever notice how many people are at the bars, restaurants, or the line at Starbucks??? So what am I saying? Yeah the lounges are busy…but consider the alternative.
As someone who’s socioeconomic status should put them well outside of a lounge, I will be sad when the lounge bubble bursts, but I will understand it. Completely unsustainable as is. I’ve gone on many trips where the highest class of service I receive all trip is at the airport lounge my underpriced credit card gets me in to, because that’s the budget of trips I go on. I should not be in the lounge, yet there I am, eating mediocre food in my falling apart sandals, next to the guy yelling about the delivery window on his Ferrari. I’d be mad too if I were him.
Bourgeoisie problems are hilarious. The dumb crap you get all worked up about….highly entertaining.
There is an incredibly easy way for lounges to stop the overcrowding & lines.
REQUIRE A MINIMAL DRESS CODE.
No halter tops, no flip flops, no gym shorts, no gym clothing, no shorts period, no dirty
T-shirt’s, etc etc. Keep the Spirit & Frontier Airlines crowd OUT.
A polo shirt & trousers at the very least. Clean, relaxed business casual. Again, clean.
And don’t put your smelly feet on the furniture. Does your mother still need to smack you on the head or what? And please & thank you to the staff. Manners still rule.
I am beginning to feel that credit card lounge access may no longer be a “thing” for me, and that I may just revert to the AAdmirals Club. At least, that’s a lounge I can get in without a waitlist or being packed.
Yes @Gregg. It is well known that the military don’t have to pay an annual fee. Thus they get into the Centurion lounge etc. for free. (I do find AE most prominent cc obtained compared to other networks in casual conversation with people.) If they can get into these lounges for free, then closing the USO and enlarging and/or providing more lounge locations may be a way to alleviate lines and crowds.
As for the % military, that utilize lounges, I’m sure its proprietary, but I’m just curious.
Most years more police officers are shot at and killed than military. There are numerous professions that should be commended for their valor and service.
Must. Have. Lounge. Bunch of lemmings. Grab something at one of the restaurants and find a quiet spot to enjoy. Look like fools standing in lines like that.
If you have time to spend in lounges and eat and drink, you are traveling wrong. I try to minimize my time in airports, I prefer to spend my time pre-trip or at my destination, likewise, I prefer my food to be at home or at a nice restaurant that is not in an airport.
Lounges always kind of sucked. The food was always below the quality of what you could get at a restaurant, wine was grocery store level and booze is booze.
Now, you can get better quiet space and outlets in a lot of time in unused gates.
The idea that people are waiting in line to run shoulders with the “elites” is kind of funny. The real elites try to avoid commercial.
So, to better improve the experience, these lounge networks should just do food and drink credits, ideally paired with some restaurants for the promo value. Better product that would alleviate the oversubscription
At Cap1 at DEN, I rarley have issues, but I have noticed a disturbing trend.
I join the line on the rental shuttle to the airport, prob in line at 50-70. By the time I go thru TSA Precheck and train the A, I’m usually a few minutes from getting in.
However, I’ve noticed the small plates are disappearing and sometimes are almost all gone, meaning the kitchen isn’t keeping up. So, either they are allowing more in, which wouldn’t seem legal, OR they have new kitchen crew that hasn’t figured out how to manage the rush.
Either way it’s usually a nice experience, you just need to get in line before security.
@Johnmcsymthe
I agree with almost everything you said except the Spirit and Frontier comment. I travel with Spirit out of necessity due to few airline options from my location. I wouldn’t put myself in than lower class crowd. But I would suggest a 675 minimum FICO score to the requirements for Lounge Access.
AAdmirals Clubs are cc lounges too- no? Citi Exec card.
I clock around 150k miles in the sky a year and the only lounges I don’t have a card for are capital one’s. Never once in all my lounge visits, crowded, waitlisted or otherwise have I even noticed military men or women yet some people are constantly bashing them for getting comp access. To those people I write get a life and move on.
It’s not really fair that someone who only travels a few times a year gets shut out the same as someone who travels 100 days a year. I’d like the first 10 visits or so to get priority access. Or frankly to go back to being able to buy in for $50 a day. Frankly that would be less expensive for me than these credit cards with coupon books I’m never able to use.
While I’m at it, the coupon books are heavily biased toward people who live in big cities.
@paul – American Airlines Admirals Club membership can be purchased through a credit card annual fee, however the lines aren’t anything like Delta’s for two reasons (1) Delta lets in anyone with an Amex Platinum flying the airline, not just their own card, (2) Delta also offers better food, so people make more of an effort to stop in.
Gary – I like the Cap One in DFW – usually have small wait certain times of the day, but usually manageable.
Last time in was in the DFW Flagship, as we passed by the Cap One lounge when leaving (it was still adjacent at the time). I really just wanted a couple of the cookies there (there are usually very good). I showed the attendant my card and asked if I could just grab a couple of cookies – it was a
Hard No. I’m sure there is a reason you can’t just go in and pick up grab and go – but maybe a concept like they have in DC outside the lounge would be well received for those without a lot of time.
Only lounges worth entering at this point are long haul business and first class lounges like Delta One or AA/BA Chelsea lounge. Anything that can be entered with a credit card or mid tier status is a zoo.
What the credit card issuers have discovered is, we can keep charging the high fees with the lure of having lounge access. People don’t change their habits just because they have to spend one hour in line to get into a lounge so why would the card issuer change anything other than keep charging them more.
Till the people change their behavior and stop subscribing to these coupon books, things will only get worse.
BKK has a slew of lounges … and 24-hour lounges at that. I’ve never had to wait to get in one, but I can’t say that the glide-right-in was always worth it.
Still, I load up on protein, chilies, and coconut lattes, so it’s all good.
As for flying around the U.S., yeah it sucks; the country is the speed bag of transportation. If there’s only one decent thing about — in true ironic fashion — customer service is more of thing here than most of the rest of the world. So when there is a problem — and there will be a problem — we get to complain about something so that we can try it again, to complain again.
This is why we will be dumping Amex Plat cards when they come up for renewal next year. No reason to play the silly coupon game when you can’t access the lounge (because 40min wait doesn’t cut it when you only have 30 min before boarding). That is $1600 in AFs that will be flushed by Amex. Will only miss the DL lounge access. Next up will be CSR Biz card which is even more worthless.
Issuers that overpromise and underdeliver will be wasting millions on SUBs that are non-renewed.
@Baron — Well said, on both having basically all the lounge cards except Capital One (I’m in the same boat, because it seems Capital One doesn’t like people who have a lot of accounts and actually pay their balances in-full), and also, seriously, what is wrong with some people on here denigrating those who serve(d). I’ll never understand that level of insecurity. Astounding. Like, there’s a good reason most US carriers still pre-board them, too, often only second to those with disabilities, followed by invite-only elite status holders, etc. *sigh*
I have NO IDEA why anyone would spend money on a credit card that forces them to stand in line for a crowded lounge with marginal food and more lines for a dirty bathroom stall. Spend your money on something better.
These lounges main goal is for suckers to sign up for overpriced credit cards. Then they lure you in… And you still have to pay for anything above basic product. And now they’re a victim of their own success. Don’t even think about getting into the lounge if you’re using a ‘cheap’ credit card…. Access is simply refused more and more often.
This site is in on it too, I bet they get paid referrals when you click the links.
In the end it’s a giant pyramid scheme.
Lounge access is mostly to make you feel like you are getting your money’s worth and not making a foolish decision when you spend $750 for the privilege of carrying a credit card . . . and that people would wait in line to get into a lounge is proof of that.
Waiting lists and waiting lines for lounges are another reason we are cruising more and flying less these days. But if you like overpriced parking, overpriced airline tickets, engine and wing mechanical failures from deferred maintenance on planes, broken seats, windowless window seats, fights in the terminal and that half hour que for your lounge – enjoy!