Why Capital One’s JFK lounge won TPG’s Best New Card Lounge

It’s one of the best times of the year, when we get to share our favorite things in travel. One of the most hotly contested categories is airport lounges and the battle of the premium credit cards as they all try to one-up each other in the lounge arms race.

Our winner this year has it all, including standout food and beverage selections, a glamorous bar, and space — lots and lots of space.

This year, the Best New Credit Card Lounge is the Capital One Lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). You’ll find the lounge in Terminal 4, which has heavy-hitting competition with a flagship American Express Centurion Lounge, a new Chase Sapphire Lounge, two Delta Sky Clubs and a fairly new Delta One Lounge.

Despite stiff competition, the Capital One Lounge stood out as a best-in-class lounge based on the size, amenities and overall experience. Here’s a deeper look at why Capital One’s JFK lounge took home the top prize.

Large layout and beautiful design choices

The Capital One Lounge at JFK occupies nearly 13,500 square feet in Terminal 4, with tons of seating, private booths that can be reserved and multiple areas for eating.

This is the largest lounge in the Capital One network, and it’s called a flagship lounge for a reason.

Such a large space typically runs the risk of feeling cavernous and loud, but the Capital One Lounge does a great job of segmenting the different areas. Each section of the lounge feels distinctive and provides what feels like a more intimate setting to relax before your next flight.

You’ll also find two private rooms available for reservation at the front desk. These can serve as meeting spaces or family rooms where you can get even more peace and quiet.

There’s also a parents room reserved for families with babies; it includes a changing surface.

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We love the natural lighting that floods the space courtesy of the large windows overlooking the tarmac that span the entire far side of the lounge.

There are some great views of the airport, and you may even get a glimpse of a beauty like the Emirates A380.

You’ll also find a Central Park-inspired dining area.

Capital One makes a point of highlighting local artists and evoking elements of the local culture in each of its lounges, and the JFK lounge is no exception. Local artists have art hanging throughout the space. There are even nods to New York City in the food and drinks (more on that later, though).

The lounge is also fully wheelchair accessible, with a large ramp that brings passengers from the elevated entry to the main floor.

The seven bathrooms are gender-neutral, and one has a shower that you can book at the front desk.

There were no lines during our visit, but we imagine that during peak periods, there may be a wait for a restroom (and especially for the single shower).

24-hour access for travelers

Every frequent traveler knows the struggle of being at the airport for that predawn flight or overnight layover and realizing that none of the lounges are open. Thankfully, you’ll never experience that issue with the Capital One Lounge at JFK because it’s the only card issuer lounge at JFK that’s open 24 hours.

Capital One told TPG it was part of the deal with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, to have a space accessible at all hours of the day — something we’re incredibly grateful for at TPG, given how often we end up at the airport before or after typical lounge operating hours.

The lounge does use temporary walls to close off some sections of the lounge in the middle of the night, so just be aware that the entire space isn’t accessible during late-night and early-morning hours.

Still, it’s incredibly rare for a lounge to be open at all hours. Travelers stuck at the airport during long delays can thank Capital One!

Fantastic food and beverages

The Capital One Lounge also really shines when it comes to food and beverages.

Elevated dining has long been a draw to Capital One lounges, but the lounge at JFK really outdoes itself with an array of options — whether you plan on hanging out for a while or need something grab-and-go.

Small-plates bar

There is a large buffet with hot and cold options with a rotating menu throughout the day, available for dine-in and for grab-and-go (there are even paper bags for true takeout style). When we were there recently, there was an incredible selection of breakfast items.

At the small-plates bar, chefs were replenishing the hot dishes from a kitchen behind one wall — including a premade fried egg and bacon sandwich, called the “red eye b.e.c.”

A large wall of drinks on tap is also available, where you’ll find iced tea, lemonade, soda and water.

Across the way, there was a bread station with a delicious selection of items like croissants, coffeecakes, sticky buns and raspberry Danishes.

Bodega coffee and bagels

Around the corner, you’ll find a coffee bar, where friendly employees will make you pretty much any specialty coffee you can imagine. There are more grab-and-go items here to choose from, like fruit cups and salads, and this is also where you’ll get a freshly baked bagel with all the fixings.

Ess-a-Bagel is a New York City favorite you can experience at the Capital One Lounge. The famous bagel shop brings six varieties of bagel dough into the airport each morning, and fresh bagels are baked in the lounge’s kitchen. There are no stale bagels in this lounge.

Flagship bar

The main bar is truly something to swoon over. Beyond the beautiful bartop and stylish seating, the bar features more than a dozen specialty cocktails, all named for famous New York City locales like Staten Island and the Lower East Side. There’s even one named Idlewild, for the original name of JFK Airport.

Bartenders can even whip up nonalcoholic mocktails. TPG was able to try a tropical mocktail with whipped cream called the Alice Austen, which is based on a custom Capital One cocktail called the Staten Island Ferry with fresh juice, mezcal and spices. It’s finished with toasted coconut shavings — yum.

The lounge worked with Brooklyn brewer Grimm Artisanal Ales for an exclusive beer offering — the Skyscraper IPA — you can order at the bar.

Cafe cart

There’s a fun offering from Capital One at various times of the day called Daily Rituals. There are several cafe carts that rotate through the lounge, offering cocktails and other treats made to order.

You can expect things like Italian-style shaken iced coffee, afternoon tea service or a Champagne toast in the evenings. We got to try fresh-mixed drinks from one of the carts.

One final note on food and drinks: Each seat or pair of seats is equipped with a QR code that you can use to order food delivered directly to you and your companions. It’s yet another way Capital One delivers on fresh food.

Highlight amenity: Unique cheesemonger experience

Another standout? The only-in-New York cheesemonger!

You heard that right. Capital One has a full cheese shop with a bar-style setup where you can enjoy a 45-minute cheese tasting. Capital One teamed with the renowned New York shop Murray’s Cheese. TPG got to experience the tasting, featuring a selection of cheeses placed on a personalized charcuterie board.

Our cheesemonger Marvin asked for our cheese preferences before laying out an incredible spread of specialty cheeses, crackers, sliced meats and gherkins. The Jasper Hill Harbison from Vermont was a standout, along with the Harvest Moon from New York’s 5 Spoke Creamery.

Marvin also asked for our wine preferences and served several varieties of wine (and cranberry juice) with the tastings.

Also, be sure to ask to taste the incredible White Gold honey imported from Canada.

It’s rare for a lounge to have an amenity that would make us want to actually schedule more time at the airport just to be able to experience it. But the cheesemonger is a first in multiple ways.

How to get into the Capital One Lounge at JFK

Of course, the big question is: How can you get access to all this fabulousness?

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Business get you access to the entire network of Capital One Lounges, the Capital One Landings spaces and Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required).

Note that you can bring up to two guests for $45 per adult ($25 per child 7 to 17 years old; children under 2 are free) — unless you spend at least $75,000 on your card in a calendar year or add your guest as an authorized user with lounge access for $125 per year (granting them access on their own).

Read more in our guide to Capital One lounges.

Bottom line

Many airports have no shortage of beautiful and amenity-rich lounges these days, but this year’s winner for the Best New Credit Card Lounge has really raised the bar for future lounge openings.

The Capital One Lounge is now considered one of its flagship lounges for a reason: With plentiful dining, drinking and snack options in an always-open, comfortable and stylish environment, the JFK Capital One Lounge will be a priority for us to visit again and again.

Even Clint, who isn’t currently a Venture X cardholder, agreed the JFK lounge is top shelf on a recent trip to the lounge with Madison (who does have the Venture X and had visited the lounge in the past). If you are a regular flyer from JFK’s Terminal 4 — home to carriers like Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic — it’s reason enough to keep the Venture X card in your wallet.

And Capital One continues to grow its footprint with new locations on the horizon: a new lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and a new Capital One Landing (a unique dining concept) at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), both with unconfirmed opening dates.

Every year, the TPG Awards honor excellence in credit cards, loyalty programs and travel. Please click here to read more about our winner-selection process and methodology for the 2026 TPG Awards.

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