DFW Lounge Showdown: Bouncing Between Capital One, AmEx, & American Airlines Flagship
I was recently in Dallas doing a panel with Peter Greenberg and Scott McCartney. I decided to fly back to Austin, because when I’m driving I’m behind the wheel of a car. When I’m flying I can work and read. I arrived at Dallas – Fort Worth about two and a half hours before the flight – I booked something with a good buffer, and the earlier flight that would have worked with my schedule was pricey.
With plenty of time, I went straight to the D terminal which has the best lounges, even though I’d be flying out of A. The A Concourse American Airlines Admirals Club was done in their new ‘modern hospital’ style and opened in 2018. I’d much rather visit one of the lounges in D.
My first stop was the American Express Centurion lounge across from gate D12. I saw a line to get in and went to check out Capital One instead.
I hadn’t really decided what lounge to visit while I was in the airport. And since I didn’t think ahead, I didn’t use Capital One’s mobile app to join the queue before reaching the airport. It turned out to be a 30 minute wait to get in on Sunday around 2 p.m.
I don’t consider many lounges worth waiting for. The whole idea of the lounge is undermined, I think, when you camp out for half an hour to get in. However I’ll say this for Capital One:
- You can join the line via the app, so it won’t be long once you arrive.
- Regardless of whether you join the line in advance or on arrival, they text you – you don’t have to stand there like an idiot.
- You’ll have 15 minutes to show up to get in once it’s your turn.
You can go somewhere else, do something else, sit down and work for instance rather than just standing. And once you get in the place isn’t packed. They manage their queues so people wait longer to get in, since they don’t let as many in as they might possibly. Once you’re in it doesn’t feel that crowded. There was no line at the bar when I got a drink.
Capital One’s lounge still has excellent food. I love their grab and go setup, also. And they have bottled water for takeaway now, too.
Two things that were frustrating. There was a line for the restroom. They have four private bathrooms for the lounge. The one I wound up with had almost zero water pressure which made washing my hands a chore. Also, I went to their soda fountain and it sprayed out all over me.
What peaked my curiosity though was – maybe I saw this before but it never sunk in? – there were ‘reserved’ signs on several tables. American Express reserves tables for their Black Card customers.
I don’t know who these tables are reserved for in the Capital One lounge, or how one becomes one of those people. I’ve inquired.
The lounge where there’s no wait, though? The American Express Flagship Lounge. I had a single visit pass that was expiring and no other use for it before it does, so I visited there as well. I like the Capital One lounge better. The food is better. Staff there have told me in the past that they feel the same way. But honestly the value of the Flagship lounge is that there’s food and drink and no wait to get in.
I didn’t have access to the Flagship Lounge’s First Dining and if I did that would be the best lounge in the terminal. But maybe it is anyway just by not having to wait? If you’re headed to DFW and have time to spend on the D concourse, Capital One’s lounge is really nice… just be sure to join the virtual queue before you get there.
Otherwise, wait out the time between joining the virtual line and when it’s your turn by walking directly across from the Capital One and Flagship Lounges to the Be Relax Spa and having a free chair massage using your Priority Pass card. There was no one inside on Sunday at 2 p.m. and it’s far better than you’d think!
