Capital One DFW lounge review.

The Capital One lounge is the main reason I applied for the Capital One Venture card.

This is the first lounge in the Capital One lounge network, the next lounges will be opening at Denver and Washington DC airports.

https://capitalonetravel.com/lounges/partner-lounge-network/?utm_source=plnvxpdp

Card attributes:

The card has a $395 annual fee and includes a 10,000 mile annual bonus, a $300 annual travel credit, up to $100 towards TSA or Global Entry and other benefits. You also have access to the Priority Pass and Plaza Premium international network of lounges.

Airport access:

Terminal D is the mainly international terminal at Dallas/Fort Worth airport. The Capital One lounge near Gate D22 is directly opposite the down escalator from the Sky Link inter terminal train.

I am normally at the airport about 2 hours before take-off. My TSA-Pre clearance means that I am normally through security within 15 minutes and then I head straight to the lounge. If I am flying from a different terminal I hop on the Sky Link train and go to terminal D. I always set an alarm on my phone as a reminder to leave the lounge to take the train back to my gate in time for boarding.

Entrance:

The signs outside say Capital One Lounge and American Flagship Lounge. You go through the entrance hall and take the elevator up to floor 5. On exiting the elevator the Capital One lounge is to the left and an AA lounge is to the right. You supply your Capital One Venture card and boarding pass to the lovely people at the desk, they will offer you a card with the wi-fi code on it and then you are in.

Tarmac view:

My favorite aspect of this  lounge is the magnificent view over the runways to the west of the terminals.

I have spent many hours sitting at the window with a cappuccino or 2 watching a myriad of planes taking off and landing. 

Bar area:

The bar at the opposite end of the lounge which has various recommended cocktails. On my latest visit I tried the Turtle Creek Spritz cocktail. It has rose wine, sparkling pink grapefruit as well as grapefruit liqueur. It was really tasty, fruity and refreshing. I have a mission to try all the cocktails on my next few trips.

There are also regular drinks, non-alcoholic cocktails as well as local draft and craft beers. This bar interestingly enough is where you obtain the hot coffee drinks. I love the cappuccino. I often order 2 so I can mellow longer. Water, soda and tea is also available around the lounge.

The bar also specially recommends the Nickel City Frozen Irish Coffee. It has Irish whiskey, cold brew coffee and vanilla cream. Rather special!

 

Meal area:

Being there early in the morning I had a variety of breakfast items like sweet potato overnight oats, yoghurt parfait, french toast, croissants, etc to choose from. The oats were a first for me, rather yummy as was the yoghurt.

 

By the time I left for my flight just after 10h30 they had started putting out lunch type items such as bourbon glazed meat balls, deviled eggs, hummus and vegetables and bbq brisket sliders, The meat balls and sliders have quite a Texas bent to them, flavorful with a bit of a kick.

The Capital One lounge concept is to provide you with a lot of smaller dishes to try rather than a buffet or other main type of meal.

Take out station:

Conversely I also look forward to leaving as I then get to choose from the delightful take out station with a variety of food and drinks specially packed for taking on the plane or for snacking on while waiting at the gate. 

 

 

Rest rooms and showers:

The rest rooms are spacious and clean, really pleasant to use. They are bathroom size with a basin, shaving mirror and storage unit.

Shower suite:

I had a lovely warm shower on my latest visit. The room includes a toilet and is nicely fitted with a hairdryer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, and extra towels. There is a cupboard with hangars for your coat or other clothes, even hooks behind the door. 

Other facilities:

There are other facilities like a nursing room, cycling and yoga room, a relaxation room and a multi-faith prayer room. The prayer room includes washing facilities if that is what your religion requires. 

The exercise cycles have a video monitor for distraction while cycling but there is also a view of the tarmac and runway visible through the window that should also keep you happy.

 

 

Conclusion:

Capital One has made a great decision to start with airport lounges. The concept is different to other lounges but all in all the Capital One Lounge is a great addition to the lounges available to travelers at Dallas/Forth Worth international airport..

It is my personal favorite and I stop there every time I fly out of DFW.