Capital One, in partnership with celebrity chef José Andrés, is about to elevate airport dining in a whole new way with a lounge concept that puts culinary choices first. Best known for spreading the concept of tapas around the globe, Andrés and his team will focus on bringing quality small plates to the newly minted Capital One Landing lounges.
“Travel is a huge part of my life, and food is deeply linked to the travel experience,” Andrés, who is also a humanitarian and best-selling author, said in a statement. “It’s the best way to learn about a place and its people. But as someone who spends a lot of time in airports, many times I find myself wanting more.”
To fulfill that desire, he turned to “the Spanish tapas way of eating” combined with the “bounty of American farms and traditions.” Merging the two culinary cultures, he hopes to bring “the very best of both countries” to the world. The José Andrés Group, comprised of chefs from around the world, will work on designing the lounge’s entire food and beverage menu.
Two locations of Capital One Landing are currently in the works. A 10,700-square-foot lounge at New York City’s LaGuardia’s Terminal B, which was completed earlier this year, will be located on one of the skybridges, and will feature both indoor and outdoor space with views of the airfield and the Manhattan skyline. Down at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport (DCA), a 5,483-square-foot space is being built in Terminal 2, beyond the security check, where National Hall and Concourse D meet—and will also be easily accessible via Concourses B, C, D, and E. Opening dates and lounge access details will be released closer to the opening.
“Capital One Landing will be an alternative to the traditional lounge experience, focused on bringing elevated dining to metropolitan airports where shorter stays are the norm,” the company says. The new culinary-driven airport lounge is an addition to the company’s new Capital One Lounge concept that debuted last year with its first location at Dallas Fort Worth, which opened in November 2021 in Terminal D near Gate D22. Hailed as a “modern airport oasis,” the lounge includes a variety of seating from private work spaces to shared tables and regional- and chef-inspired cuisine that can be enjoyed on site or packed to go. Other amenities include a relaxation room, cycling and yoga rooms, and shower suites. (Some features may require an extra fee, depending on the location.)
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Dallas lounge currently welcomes Venture X cardholders to unlimited visits for themselves and two guests per visit (additional guests are $45 per person per visit). Venture and Spark Miles cardholders get two free visits each calendar year for themselves or other authorized users of their accounts, or guests traveling with them, and can purchase additional visits for $45 per person each time. All other travelers can purchase access for $65 per visit.
The Capital One Lounge network will soon expand to Denver International Airport and Washington Dulles International, both scheduled for opening in early 2023.
In addition to the airport lounge offerings, Capital One Travel also announced a new hotel program this week, called Premier Collection. The perks will be available to Venture X cardholders at select hotels and include a $100 (in U.S. dollars) experience credit for use on dining, spa and other select activities; daily breakfast for two; free Wifi; and other amenities when available, ranging from room upgrades to early check-in and late checkout. They’ll also earn 10 times per dollar during their stays.
Participating hotels in the program, which will launch later this year, include the 1 Hotel South Beach; California’s Montage Laguna Beach; New York City’s The Ned NoMad; Paris’ Le Pavillon de la Reine; London’s Hotel Cafe Royal; Barcelona’s Majestic Hotel; South Africa’s The Plettenberg; Greece’s Euphoria Retreat; New Zealand’s The Carlin Hotel; St. Lucia’s Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort; and Tuscany’s COMO Castello Del Nero. The selected properties are all part of luxury collections, such as Small Luxury Hotels and the Leading Hotels of the World.