First Look at Capital One Lounge JFK: Open 24/7, NYC Flair

Capital One’s newest lounge is landing at JFK airport, and it’s serving up a distinctly New York experience.

At 13,500 square feet, the Capital One Lounge at New York-John F. Kennedy International will be the issuer’s largest yet when it opens Thursday, June 19. In a nod to the city that never sleeps, the lounge, which Capital One is calling its flagship, will be open 24/7 — something almost unheard of for U.S. lounges. Hours, however, will be limited in the first month of opening.

Amenities include fan favorites like barista-made coffee, small plates of food and grab-and-go bites, but Capital One is also introducing brand new offerings, including a bodega-style deli counter serving bagel sandwiches and an intimate cheese-tasting experience with a cheesemonger.

Capital One invited me to a press preview before the opening. Here’s what you can expect.

The Capital One Lounge at JFK is located in the retail hall of Terminal 4, below the JFK Delta One Lounge and next to Hugo Boss. The terminal is used by a mix of SkyTeam, Star Alliance and other airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, KLM, LATAM and Air India.

However, there’s a differentiator: The Capital One Lounge at JFK will be open 24/7 — or at least that’s the plan. If you’re visiting in the first few weeks of opening, expect different hours. According to Capital One, the first month will be a soft opening:

• From June 19 to July 2, the lounge will open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• From July 3 to 16, the lounge will open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Starting July 17, the lounge will be open 24/7.

Once it’s open 24 hours, certain sections of the lounge will be closed off between midnight and 5 a.m. each day, and travelers can expect limited amenities during those hours.

The space, operated by the airport lounge brand Primeclass, has a maximum occupancy of 261 people.

The Capital One Lounge at JFK is split into three sections: the center atrium, the dining area and the bar area. I’ll discuss where things are located in this section, but for more details on specific food and beverage offerings in these areas, head to the next section.

When you first enter the lounge, you walk into the center atrium, where you’ll check in.

As you walk further into the lounge, you’ll find a variety of seating options, from small tables and armchairs to counter seating. There were power outlets everywhere I looked, which is always a plus in a lounge.

There’s also a lot of greenery used throughout the space. Although it’s artificial, it looks realistic and helps tie the areas together.

The center atrium is also home to what I imagine will be one of the lounge’s most popular spots: the bodega. It’s part espresso bar, part bagel sandwich station and part grab-and-go counter. Located in the heart of the lounge, the bodega is designed to look like a New York deli counter.

Each section of the lounge has an eye-catching statement piece, and here in the center atrium, it’s the art installation inspired by the concept of falling leaves. It hangs over the atrium’s main seating section, and it’s right by the windows, allowing the piece to sparkle in the sunlight.

In fact, the entire lounge has large windows spanning an entire wall, offering the most expansive views in Capital One’s lounge portfolio. Almost anywhere in the lounge is a good place for plane spotting.

To the right of the main seating area, there’s a long corridor with additional counter seating.

You’ll find a variety of artwork from New York artists scattered throughout the lounge. Many of the works use strong and vibrant colors, adding to the energy of the space.

The center atrium is the only spot that will be open 24/7. Between midnight and 5 a.m., guests are welcome to relax here, but the doors to other sections of the lounge will be closed. I counted roughly 80 seats in the atrium, which will hopefully be adequate for the number of passengers with early-morning flights.

To the left of the center atrium, you have the dining area, with plenty of table seating, small plates of food and the cheese-tasting experience — a JFK exclusive.

The design inspiration here was Central Park, so you’ll find lighter wood tones throughout, as well as the tree in the middle of the room to anchor the space.

Even though it’s a dining area, there’s also counter seating with plenty of power outlets as well.

This is also where the cheesemonger station is. If you’re not familiar, that’s just a fancy term for someone who sells cheese. All the cheese is free to try at this lounge.

I loved the patterned mosaic wall with the deep blue tile, which helps establish this space as its own within the larger dining area.

To the right of the center atrium, you’ll find the bar area, additional seating and two private rooms for extra relaxation. The lounge’s single shower room is also in this section.

Inspired by Manhattan nightlife, this is probably the most striking space in the lounge, with the heavy use of brass and an ornate light fixture over the bar made with hand-blown glass and (you guessed it) more brass.

The smoked glass panels on the ceiling also help add to the moody vibes in this area.

There’s plenty of seating here, and some of the tabletops have touch lamps that offer different lighting options with a simple tap.

Directly across from the bar, there are two private rooms available for booking. While you can reserve private workstations at the Capital One Lounge in Denver, the private rooms at JFK are designed as a space to hang out and relax.

The rooms are fairly spacious, and each has a different seating configuration. One has four chairs at each corner of the room, while the other has two chairs and a couch. You won’t be able to book these rooms until you get to the lounge, and guests can stay up to 45 minutes in a private room.

If you need to shower before your next flight, you can do that too in this lounge. However, there’s only one shower room, so it could get crowded during peak hours.

To reserve a shower or private room, you’ll need to speak to an agent at the check-in desk or scan a QR code to book online.

While the lounge design is beautiful, the food has always been the star of the show at every Capital One Lounge, and JFK is no exception. But this time, there’s a little extra via partnerships with New York-based food establishments like Ess-a-Bagel and Murray’s Cheese.

Repeat guests to Capital One’s lounges will recognize a lot of familiar features, such as the small plates of food and the grab-and-go counter. However, the JFK experience is going to be a little different from what people are used to.

This Capital One Lounge will have a small plates bar in the dining area. That’s where guests will find cold food options, such as everything-spiced deviled eggs, wild arugula panzanella salads and roasted heirloom tomato crostinis.

For hot food items, you’ll need to order those via QR codes. These QR codes can be found at every seat, making it a convenient way to order food no matter where you are in the lounge. They also come in handy during the late-night hours when the dining area is closed, allowing guests to order food items from a limited menu.

The menu offers hot dishes like chicken paillard (a thin chicken cutlet), summer succotash, braised Berkshire pork shank, and mac and cheese.

At breakfast, you can expect items like pineapple and melon salad, strawberry rhubarb overnight oats, avocado toast, NYC eggs Benedict, challah French toast, and a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.

Across from the small plates bar, there are pastries and desserts, including cookies, brownies and butterscotch blondies.

There’s also a refreshments station with a variety of nonalcoholic beverages on tap — a fun feature found at other Capital One Lounges.

While I typically enjoy the small plates at Capital One Lounges, I couldn’t help but gravitate toward the bodega, which has an espresso bar and an on-demand bagel sandwich station in collaboration with New York favorite Ess-a-Bagel.

“When we look at partners here, it’s really about figuring out New York institutions,” says David Borowik, Capital One Travel’s head of airport experiences, programs and partnerships. “The last thing we ever could do is come to New York and put up a subpar bagel. We would never hear the end of it.”

The bagels will be brought in each morning and baked on-site throughout the day, and they can be eaten in the lounge or taken as a grab-and-go option.

I opted for the classic smoked salmon sandwich on an everything bagel, and it was excellent. Other sandwich options include spicy egg and cheese; bacon, egg and cheese; and pastrami and swiss.

If you prefer, you can also choose your own bagel (plain, sesame, whole wheat, everything or cinnamon raisin) and add a schmear or deli salad to go with it. Since these are made to order, you can also ask to customize it to your liking.

The bodega is also home to the grab-and-go counter, where you can pick up salads, wraps, fruits and more. Unlike other Capital One Lounges where it’s self-service, you’ll need to ask a staff member for your items.

Food options will be available at the bodega after midnight, but the selection may be limited.

Next to the bodega, there’s a snack station with chocolate-covered espresso beans, corn nuggets, a rice cracker mix and a dried fruit mix.

If you’re looking to hydrate, check out the beverage station across from the bodega, with coffee, cold brew on tap and water.

The bar features an extensive menu of 18 cocktails, including JFK’s signature Coffey Park Swizzle, a rum-based drink created in collaboration with Death & Co.

I appreciated that two of the options were nonalcoholic, making it an accessible space for everyone. If you order the Staten Island Sunrise, it comes in a tall glass designed specifically for JFK’s Capital One Lounge.

As part of its Perfect Airport Beer program, Capital One partnered with Grimm Artisanal Ales to create the Skyscraper IPA, exclusive to the JFK location. There are also paid alcoholic options, if you’re looking for something fancier than what’s available for free.

The cheesemonger station is one of the most creative offerings I’ve seen at a card issuer’s lounge. In partnership with Murray’s Cheese, guests can sign up for a 45-minute cheese-tasting experience with a cheesemonger, who will design a curated cheese board for you based on your interests.

The cheese board comes with charcuterie, wine and beer pairings and a black-and-white cookie to cap off the experience.

When the lounge first opens, this will be available between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day, although hours may change in the future.

The signs in the cheese case are all handwritten, and guests can expect a rotating selection of cheeses. I’m not a cheese connoisseur by any means, but my favorite was the moliterno al tartufo, a pecorino injected with truffle paste.

There are only six seats at the counter and it’s first come, first served, so coming here and snagging a reservation would probably be the first thing I do at this lounge.

If you can’t get a spot at the counter or don’t have time to do the full experience, you can try one of the prepared small plates.

At certain times throughout the day, guests may encounter roaming trolley carts serving up special treats. Start your mornings with a caffe shakerato, a shaken iced coffee drink, or munch on pastries during the afternoon tea service. At sunset, the trolley will offer a champagne toast.

At JFK, there will also be a midnight snack — described as “a cheese surprise” by Borowik — served around 12:30 a.m. This new addition is a nice touch, given the limited offerings after midnight.

Like other Capital One Lounges, the lounge has private all-gender restrooms, creating a more premium feel. There are seven restrooms in total, which is on the higher end for a Capital One Lounge.

I enjoyed the artwork extending into the restrooms, with one of them featuring prints of past covers from the New Yorker.

There’s also a parents room, offering a quiet space to nurse or change diapers. The room has an armchair, a sink, a bottle warmer and a Diaper Genie for disposing of diapers.

In case you run out of diapers, Capital One has you covered.

To enter the Capital One Lounge at JFK, you’ll need a same-day boarding pass for a flight with a scheduled departure time within three hours.

Holders of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and holders of the Capital One Venture X Business receive complimentary access to any Capital One Lounge. Through January 2026, cardholders can bring two guests for free into the lounge.

However, starting Feb. 1, 2026, guests will only be free if you spend at least $75,000 in a calendar year on your card.

You must present your eligible card to enter the lounge. If you left it at home, you can also generate a lounge pass via the Capital One app on your phone.

Certain Capital One cardholders can enter at a discounted rate of $45, while non-cardholders and non-customers will be charged $90 per visit.

There’s a lot to love at Capital One’s newest lounge location, but it’s abundantly clear that this is a place where you’ll need to arrive early to thoroughly enjoy the amenities. I’m especially curious to see how the experience holds up at scale once the lounge opens to the public.

From the six seats at the cheesemonger station to the single shower (a step up from the Capital One Lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport, which has no showers), it seems like there might be long waits for popular amenities. Even the bodega — which I think is an excellent concept — could become a victim of its own success, as it tries to serve coffee, bagel sandwiches and grab-and-go food items at the same time.

However, the lounge hasn’t opened yet, so I’m withholding any judgment on overcrowding until I get to see it in action. For now, I think it’s great that JFK’s Terminal 4 is getting such a fantastic 24/7 lounge option.