Two of Capital One's travel cards will lose their free lounge access perk — here are other ways to get back into the lounge

Capital One is removing the free airport lounge access benefit from two of its credit cards. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and Capital One Spark Miles for Business* will no longer grant cardholders two free visits every year to Capital One and Plaza Premium lounges.

This move continues the trend of card issuers and airlines limiting lounge access, often as a response to overcrowded lounges. "We are making this change to ensure guests have a best-in-class experience in our Capital One Lounges every time they visit," Capital One said in an emailed statement to CNBC Select.

Here's what you need to know about the cards that will lose lounge access and your other options for credit cards with airport lounge perks.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a top-notch travel credit card that earns transferable Capital One Miles, one of the most valuable types of credit card rewards. Through Dec. 31, 2024, cardholders also receive two complimentary visits per year to the three Capital One lounge locations and over 250 Plaza Premium airport lounges.

This is a rare benefit for a card with a sub-$100 annual fee. If you've ever been curious about having a card with a lounge access perk, it's still a good time to sign up for the Venture Rewards and get a year's worth of this benefit without paying a high annual fee.

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business also earns Capital One miles and has a $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95 after that. If this small business card is a good fit for you, you can try it for a full year before deciding whether to pay the annual fee and continue using the card.

Beyond the two free lounge visits per year, both Capital One Venture Rewards and Spark Miles cardholders can pay a discounted rate of $45 per visit to access Capital One lounges (versus the $65 non-cardholders pay).

As long as the lounges aren't at capacity, anyone can pay $65 to visit a Capital One airport lounge. But there are premium credit cards that include unlimited visits to Capital One, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass airport lounges. Both the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card* provide this benefit.

These cards each come with a hefty $395 annual fee (see Venture X Rewards rates and fees), but they also have benefits that can easily make the high fee worth paying. With either card, you'll get an annual $300 travel credit (for Capital One Travel bookings) and a 10,000-mile bonus (worth $100 in travel) every year starting on the first anniversary of when you opened your account.

If you're looking for a card with an airport lounge access benefit and an annual fee under $100, you don't have many options. And all of these cards provide a limited number of free lounge visits.

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has a $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95 afterward. Cardmembers receive four free Priority Pass lounge visits every year, and enrollment is required.

If you prefer to fly United, the United℠ Explorer Card or United℠ Business Card may be a good fit. Both cards offer two United Club passes per year for your anniversary year, but these passes are only valid at United Club locations and you need to be traveling with United or an eligible partner airline to gain access.

Currently, the Capital One Venture Rewards and Spark Miles for Business* cards come with two free lounge passes per year. However, starting in 2025 this benefit is going away, which further reduces the number of credit cards with a low annual fee and an airport lounge access perk.

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*Information about the Capital One Venture X Business Card and the Capital One Spark Miles for Business has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.