"Airport lounges used to be a perk. In 2026, they are a battleground. American Express is refreshing Centurion Lounges and adding faster Sidecar formats. Chase is experimenting with champagne parlors and hyperlocal chef partnerships in its Sapphire Lounges. Citi is back in the ultra-premium card game. And Capital One, the relative newcomer, is making a different bet. Instead of building another lounge at LaGuardia Airport, it built a restaurant."
"Instead of building another lounge at LaGuardia Airport, it built a restaurant. The new Capital One Landing at Terminal B is a 12,500-square-foot, chef-driven dining space created with José Andrés. It has a 2,250-square-foot working kitchen, the largest in the terminal, and a menu built around Spanish tapas cooked from scratch. It looks more like a stand-alone dining destination than a cardholder waiting room."
Airport lounges have evolved into a competitive battleground as issuers refresh and diversify premium travel offerings in 2026. American Express is updating Centurion Lounges and adding faster Sidecar formats. Chase is testing champagne parlors and hyperlocal chef partnerships within Sapphire Lounges. Citi has returned to the ultra-premium card market. Capital One launched Capital One Landing at LaGuardia Terminal B, a 12,500-square-foot chef-driven dining space created with José Andrés featuring a 2,250-square-foot working kitchen and scratch-made Spanish tapas. Earlier Capital One lounges emphasized local partnerships, on-site plated food, and neighborhood breweries and distilleries.
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