Capital One Lounge DFW
I described my airport lounge hopping adventure at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) last week. The Capital One Lounge DFW was my second, and fourth, stop of this experience. I tend to set low expectations across the travel industry spectrum, but I had higher ones leading up to my visit to this lounge. Overall, I had a delightful experience and look forward to visiting again. Here are my initial thoughts on the Capital One Lounge DFW.
Lightning Quick Check-In
The Capital One Lounge DFW is located close to Gate D22 upstairs and across from the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. I checked in with two bubbly workers at the small Capital One check-in desk. I appreciated the lack of obstructions amidst the small check-in area, a pleasant contrast to the DMV-like setup at the DFW Centurion Lounge. After providing my boarding pass and Capital One Travel Elite card, the reps welcomed my travel buddy and me in. There was no line to check in – perhaps the efficient experience had something to do with that. Centurion, take note.
Lounge Observations
Layout
The Capital One DFW has a remarkably open, airy design. Food, fountain beverages, and the takeaway item cooler are located in the middle of the lounge, surrounded by a circular walkway. A variety of seating exists on the outer perimeter, with the bar located at the far end next to the large windows. We arrived in the lounge in the late afternoon, and the setting sun blasted almost half of the seating area. Oddly, workers lowered the sunshades after sunset. No biggie – we had already settled into a table adjacent to the bar and out of the sun.
Food and Beverages
Dining and drinking options clearly shine in this lounge. I appreciated the wide variety of options – charcuterie, tortilla soup, roasted vegetables, meatballs, macaroni and cheese, etc. My personal favorite was the arroz con pollo. Another thoughtful touch is that these selections come portioned in single servings. There’s no cafeteria-style setup where guests awkwardly help themselves to the communal trough. Not coincidentally, no line builds up to obtain items in the Capital One Lounge. Guests grab a small dish of goodness and get the heck out of the way. The small serving sizes also encourage guests to try a variety of dishes without overeating. That’s how I justified my choices, at least.
And unlike many Centurions, guests here can freely help themselves to the soda fountain and other non-alcoholic beverages. I tried a small taste of the orange soda – refreshing but not memorable. A draft beer from the bar complemented my meal.
Back to the takeaway kiosk – it’s a fairly unique highlight of this lounge. On my return trip, I picked up an empty bag from the front desk and packed a BLT, mixed nuts, banana pudding, and juice for later.
Amenities
I spent about an hour in this lounge and primarily enjoyed the food, drink, and good conversation with my travel pal. Therefore, I didn’t end up using any of the other lounge amenities. But many exist. The lounge offers a shower suite, cycling and yoga, relaxation, and multi-faith rooms, among other amenities.
Four or so individual restrooms are just past lounge check-in on the left. I found all four occupied, and a lounge attendant confirmed no other restrooms are available. Compared to other products and services in this lounge, I find that amount inadequate. But the restrooms themselves are clean and well-designed.
Service
The Capital One Lounge DFW had plenty of workers when I visited. All lounge areas were tidy, and employees stocked items throughout. Each worker I interacted with was knowledgeable about lounge features and happy to help.
Conclusion
I’m no lounge expert, but the Capital One Lounge DFW is my favorite domestic one I’ve visited in the last several years. I’m excited to visit this lounge again, sooner rather than later. The way things are going in the space, I feel like it’s just a matter of time before this lounge is overcrowded and chewed up – more Centurion-like, I shall say. But over time, I’d be happy to be proven wrong. How was your experience at the Capital One Lounge DFW?
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Been to the Capital One DFW lounge twice and had good experiences both times. Am planning to try more of the mixed drinks offered at the bar in the future, lol. Hopefully the DFW lounge won’t be a unicorn for much longer, and Capital One will finally open its long-promised lounges at Dulles (and Denver).
Don’t forget the future Vegas location, too!
Goals!