Why the Venture X is Still #1, Even Without Lounge Guest Access
Tl;dr: Despite losing free lounge access for guests and authorized user lounge access next year, the Capital One Venture X remains the best overall travel card thanks to its premium perks, strong protections, and no-net-fee structure.
The Capital One Venture X has long held the top spot in our credit card rankings. A while back in the weekly roundup, I noted that it suffered a major devaluation of one of its most valuable perks—free lounge access for guests and up to 4 authorized users.
So is it time to knock it off the top spot?
Why Was It #1?
The Venture X has been the best credit card since I started doing this due to its rare combination of low cost and premium features:
No net annual fee: the $395 fee is effectively erased by a $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles ($100 value minimum)
Premium perks: Access to Priority Pass lounges, Capital One lounges, Hertz President’s Circle status, concierge service, and more
Elite protections: Travel insurance, extended warranty, return pretection, and more… usually at or near the best you can get with a credit card
Strong and simple earnings: 2x on everything, up to 10x on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
And—until now—lounge access for you and your travel companions. That included two free guests when visiting most lounges, and the ability to add authorized users to your account, who would receive the same lounge privileges, even when traveling on their own.
What Changed?
The lounge access just got a lot more restrictive. For one, no more free guest access. Guests will now cost $35 at Priority Pass lounges and $45 at Capital One lounges ($25 for kids 2–17). For another, no more free lounge access for authorized users. That will now cost $125 per authorized user per year if you want them to have lounge privileges (authorized users without lounge privileges will still be free).
Why It’s Still #1
Despite these cuts, the Venture X is still the only way you can access ultra-premium card features like airport lounge access and premium protections with no net fee. And because it’s so good, anyone with good credit who can afford to pay the fee and get it back in travel credits and points can just get their own. That way, just like before, you and your travel partner can travel together and each access the lounge. In fact, you might end up better off referring your friends and family and getting a referral bonus than by giving them authorized user perks (you’ll certainly be safer, since you won’t be on the hook for their purchases).
What if your travel partner doesn’t get their own Venture X? The authorized user pricing isn’t that bad. Giving your authorized users lounge access will cost $125 per year. That’s pricy, but cheaper than the $195 authorized user fee charged by the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum.
Who Might Want to Switch?
If you need to get multiple people into an airport lounge, the value proposition of the Venture X is now much bleaker. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, with its two free guests at Priority Pass and Sapphire lounges may be a more appealing option.
In most cases, guest access is more useful and flexible than adding an authorized user. You can have different guests every trip, and you don’t need to entrust them with a credit card billed in your name. The downside: your guest has to be traveling with you–they get nothing when traveling on their own.
Even a few lounge visits with a partner and a teenager could quickly result in over $100 in additional charges while using the Venture X, while those visits would be free with a Sapphire Reserve. With the mountain of new credits on the Reserve now making it possible to break even on the annual fee on that card, it might be the better option for some people.
Lazy take 🦥
Yes, the Venture X is less valuable now. But its core strengths remain: a true no-net-fee premium card with strong protections, simple earnings, and solid lounge access—for solo or paired travelers with good credit.
For most people who can qualify and afford the fee, it’s still the best all-around travel card. Just know the guest lounge days are over.
Want to hear more about the Venture X? Read our detailed review.
Want to access even more lounges? You can get access (for yourself, anyway) just about everywhere in the US—with just two cards.