Would I Book a Flight Just to Eat at Capital One Landing?
Tl;dr: Capital One Landing at DCA offers incredible food… if you can get in. I’ll be keeping my Venture X just on the off chance I can stop in.
The Capital One Landing in Reagan National Airport in DC is a unique lounge concept that operates essentially as a restaurant in partnership with celebrity chef and restaurateur José Andrés. I recently made my second visit, and as I devoured bottomless wine and tapas that easily beat the overpriced meal I'd had downtown the night before, I was struck by just how good this place really was.
I am not a fancy person, and I'm certainly not a restaurant critic. But I've had tapas in Spain and eaten at full-service José Andrés restaurants, and this is way closer to that than to “airport food.” So good, in fact, that I started to wonder: if I lived in DC, would it be worth it to book a flight just to come in and eat at the lounge… and then go home? So I pulled up Google Flights and learned that I could book a one-way to Pittsburgh for about $80. Cheaper than some nights out in DC, especially after multiple glasses of wine. And honestly? The food might be better.
Now would I actually do that? I don’t think so (that has to be against the rules, right?). But the food and drink are really good, and I’ll be keeping my Venture X just on the off chance I can get in again in my future travels.
Lazy Tip: I had assumed that you could visit Capital One Landings—there’s also one in LaGuardia—after, you know, landing, but access is only possible before departing flights. I’ve also been impressed with the food at Capital One’s regular lounges, especially the JFK lounge, which even has a cheesemonger.
Of course, I spent nearly 40 minutes waiting to get in, and was lucky to still have enough time before my flight to enjoy the food without rushing to my gate. A Venture X offers the opportunity for lounge access, but doesn’t guarantee admission or enough time for a full meal. And guests can no longer join you for free. But the Venture X offers such simple value that I’m happy to keep it in my wallet if it offers up even the occasional opportunity to take advantage of their lounges.
Lazy Take 🦥
Plenty of credit cards offer lounge access these days, but Capital One lounges in general, and Capital One Landings in particular, really do offer something special that you can’t get with any other card. With other cards offering higher earning rates and better rewards, the Venture X might not be a wallet mainstay, but it could be well worth having if you want to improve your journeys with some incredible food.
If you’re interested in the Venture X, consider applying via my referral linkHERE. (I’ll earn points if you do—thanks for your support!)