How Capital One is thinking local to help transform airport lounges into mini vacations

Sometimes you really need a beer; perhaps no time more than when you’re sitting in an airport on hour four of what should have been a one-hour layover with no end in site.

Or at least I did, earlier this year when American Airlines unexpectedly cancelled my flight out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) 20 minutes before boarding only to rebook me (after several hours of virtual chats) on a flight 12 hours later.

Enter the Capital One Lounge and the perfect airport beer.

Capital One currently has four lounges, which are complimentary to visit for its Venture X and Venture X Business customers in D.C.’s Reagan airport, Dulles, Denver, and what became my temporary home for roughly 36 hours this summer: DFW, home of its first lounge. The lounges are available for Venture and Spark Miles cardholders, as well as general airport visitors for a fee.

While I would have preferred to spend my day in actual Dallas rather than a lounge in its airport, Capital One’s strategy with its lounges made the experience a little like taking a trip around town and to one of the city’s best breweries.

The idea for the lounges was born after the brand asked its customers what was really important to them and where they thought Capital One could play a differential role.

“One of the things that came up time and time again for those customers was the importance of travel, how much they love travel and how meaningful it is,” Jenn Scheurich, head of Capital One travel, tells Fast Company. “For all of them, it’s a vehicle to experience new things, connect with friends and family, and explore the world—and we felt like there are a lot of things that we can do along the travel journey.”

International destinations, local flavor

For its lounges, Capital One has opted to do something a little different—it’s partnering with local businesses to supply its food and drink. So while you might be able to grab a croissant at any airport lounge, in Capital One’s lounge you’ll be able to snag one from the famous bakery across town.

It also partnered with local breweries to create a beer specifically for its lounge—more specifically, a beer “perfect” for having at the airport.

“An airport beer is an iconic beer. It’s something that is celebrated. You get through security, all the stress of travel and the TSA agents, and you’re ready to go on an adventure,” says David Borowik, director of airport experiences, programs, and partnerships at Capital One. 

In Dallas, that beer is a lager created by 3 Nations Brewing.

“When you’re traveling through the state of Texas, arguably five months out of the year it’s really really hot,” says Gavin Secchi, founder of 3 Nations Brewing. “The idea was to incorporate hops into a beer that is really crushable and that you want to drink more than one of.”

The beer is just a small portion of the local flair that Capital One is bringing to its lounges.

“We wanted to do it in a way that was not taking a beloved local recipe or local dish and trying to recreate that, but actually in a way where we were reflecting local producers,” says Scheurich.

She says that the brand wanted to not only reflect the local flavors of the region but also give some of the area’s producers a platform as well as access to customers that they might not otherwise have.

“We honestly always want to make sure the local market is represented everywhere we go,” Borowik says.

Beyond making sure customers have power at every seat, reliable WiFi, and the perfect beer on tap, Capital One also wanted to make sure it was offering other choices that were both reflective of the area and what their guests actually wanted to enjoy. 

“Everything from the artwork in the spaces down to where we get cheese from for our breakfast sandwich is really reflective of the area that we’re in,” says Scheurich. The goal being that even if you don’t make it out of the airport, you’ll get a little taste of the area.

Food in the lounge is also served in individually plated portions, so you don’t have to deal with a sometimes-questionable buffet situation.

“We buy raw product and we create real food in the space. We feel like that’s a differentiator,” says Borowik.

In airports where real estate is at a premium, a lot of lounge experiences are focused on being able to support the largest volume of people. Instead, Capital One’s lounges dedicate a good deal of space to the kitchen.

“Everything is made and prepared on site, so you’re not left eating something that’s going to make you feel terrible when you go sit on your six-hour flight. You feel refreshed and nourished and ready to go on your journey,” says Scheurich.

Meeting travelers where they are

Speaking of journeys: Little did I know while sipping on that first beer that I was going to have the same experience a few days later sitting in D.C.—while donning a shirt that I secured at the Detroit airport along the way—because not only did American cancel multiple flights in multiple locations; it lost my luggage.

Thankfully, there was a different “perfect” beer to keep me company in the capital—another equally crushable lager, created by DC’s Lost Rhino. In Denver, at another lounge, that perfect beer is a bit different: an IPA by Cerveceria Colorado. For non-beer drinkers, the lounge is partnering with local distilleries as well.

If unlike me, you only have minutes rather than hours to spend in the lounge, Capital One also made a point to offer grab and go options for guests.

“It doesn’t really matter whether you have 15 minutes, or whether you have an hour, you still want a great lounge experience,” says Scheurich.

When designing the lounges, the brand wanted to make sure that it was not only offering a positive dining experience for those hanging out in the lounge, but also a positive experience for frequent travelers who only have only, say, 15 minutes before they need to head to the gate.

Grab and go, in particular, is something Scheurich says customers have particularly enjoyed. 

Lounges are a small portion of Capital One’s business for now, but it’s an area the company plans to expand in. Last month, it added another lounge into the mix in D.C. and the company has a new location slated to open at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas in early 2025, which will bring the brand’s lounge count to five.

In addition to LAS, Capital One will bring its experiences to New York this year, with a Capital One Lounge planned for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) mid-2025 and a Capital One Landing scheduled for New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in later in the year.

A new arms race to capture captive audiences

Airport lounge access is a perk many credit card users are after, and Capital One isn’t the only credit card brand looking to grow its airport footprint.

Chase, which opened its first lounge in 2022, has plans to open a lounge in LAS in mid-2025 as well. It also has lounges opening in Philadelphia (PHL) and Los Angeles (LAX) in 2025, which add to its existing lounges in Hong Kong, Phoenix, San Diego, Boston Logan, and both New York’s LGA and JFK.

American Express, the first credit card company to get into the lounge game, currently operates over 30 Centurion lounges around the world.

So while Capital One is still the new kid on the block, we’re still in the early days of card-based lounge access. The goal for everyone: To attract new members to sign up their card (and pay that annual fee) and maintain loyalty from their existing customers.

“We’re hoping to continue to expand our network in line with where our customers travel,” says Scheurich. “We have a large national customer base that travels domestically and internationally. We want to be where they are that makes sense for them.”