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Do you know anyone who purposely gets to the airport earlier than they have to? Airports are noisy and hectic; the seats are uncomfortable and the food is expensive. Why be there any longer than absolutely necessary?
Actually, a lot of us arrive early at the airport — and sometimes even loiter for a while after we've landed. We've got the golden ticket to free alcohol and food, high-speed internet, comfortable loungers, and occasionally free massages. All it takes is holding the right credit card.
If you consider yourself a frequent flyer, a credit card with airport lounge access is worth every penny. Let's look at the best credit cards for airport lounge access.
What are airport lounges?
When you go into any old airport bar or restaurant, you'll likely pay prices reserved for captive audiences in major sports stadiums and theaters. $12 beers and $16 cocktails are far from a bargain. But you can get them for free in an airport lounge.
Most lounge networks provide a number of premium locations at airports around the world. There are really three main lounge types you should know about:
Airline lounges
Most airlines oversee their own proprietary lounge network. Depending on the size of the carrier, it may have just a few lounges or dozens at its most frequented airports.
For the most part, these lounges are reserved for international premium travelers, elite travelers with a ton of annual flights, those who pay a sizable fee, or cardholders of the airline's premium travel credit card. Expect to pay $450+ per year for this type of credit card.
Priority Pass Select
Many lounges operate independently of the airlines. Priority Pass Select is a network that gives you access to 1,300+ lounges around the world.
Each lounge has its own rules on admission, guests, and complimentary beverages. Most give you and two guests admission at no charge. Once inside, you can drink and eat to your heart's content without paying a dime.
American Express Centurion Lounges
American Express Centurion Lounges are next-level lounges that offer proper hot meals (gourmet, even), with free mixed drinks, shower suites, and sometimes recreational activities like pool and shuffleboard tables.
These lounges are mostly found in the US. Centurion Lounges have comparatively few locations when compared to Priority Pass — 24 worldwide at the moment, with another 12 Centurion "Studios" serving as a "lite" version of the premium lounge network.
Unless you frequent major airports, you may not encounter a Centurion Lounge as often as you might think.
Best credit cards that offer airport lounge access
The Platinum Card® from American Express
No travel credit card on the market offers more comprehensive airport lounge access than The Platinum Card® from American Express. You'll receive entry to the following lounge networks:
Lufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, or SWISS)
There are some other peripheral lounge networks that you can enter but probably won't encounter. For example, Airspace Lounges currently has one location in San Diego.
I had never tried an Amex Centurion Lounge until last year. I've since been to six of them throughout the US, and they are consistently higher quality than other lounges offered by Priority Pass.
The The Platinum Card® from American Express charges a The Platinum Card® from American Express annual fee The Platinum Card® from American Express - Rates & Fees — but it comes excellent ongoing benefits, such as:
The card also offers The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Insider estimates Amex points value to be 1.8 cents each, making this initial bonus worth The Platinum Card® from American Express in travel, on average. Read our post on the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards to see how much more valuable these points can be.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers the exact same airport lounge access and guest policies as the personal The Platinum Card® from American Express. However, this card is marketed to an entirely different audience.
This is a small business card, meaning you must have a for-profit venture to qualify for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Its key benefits are more closely aligned with business expenses:
Up to $200 in airline fee credits** each calendar year
35% points rebate when you redeem points for first- or business-class tickets, or for any fare with your selected airline, through Amex Travel (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year)
Cell phone protection
This card comes with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Again, Insider values Amex points at 1.8 cents each, making this bonus worth The Business Platinum Card® from American Express in travel, on average.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of Insider's picks for all-around top travel credit cards. It's got excellent benefits that upgrade your travel experience — and its top-tier travel insurance is reason enough to keep it in your wallet.
This card offers membership in two lounge networks:
Priority Pass Select — You can access all Priority Pass lounges as often as you want — with two free guests. You can even add authorized users for $75 each and they'll receive their own full-blown Priority Pass Select membership.
Chase Sapphire Lounges — Chase will soon open four proprietary lounges in San Diego (SAN), New York-LaGuardia (LGA), Boston (BOS), and Hong Kong (HKG). We don't have an exact opening date.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee. But for that price, you'll also receive:
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the most powerful travel credit cards on the market. It incurs the lowest annual fee of any premium credit card at Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — making it one of the cheapest ways to hold onto airport lounge membership.
With this card, you'll get:
Priority Pass Select — Unlimited access to 1,300 Priority Pass lounges for you and two free guests. You can add up to four authorized users at no cost, and they'll receive the same lounge privileges as the primary cardholder.
Capital One airport lounges — Unlimited access for you and two free guests, though there is currently only one location in Dallas (DFW) with another coming soon to Denver (DEN).
Similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, this card's Priority Pass membership can be used at participating airport restaurants for a $28 to $30 discount (or $56 to $60 if you bring a guest). I recently used this perk for a complimentary whiskey tasting at Westward Whiskey at the Portland airport.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Capital One miles are worth at least 1 cent each toward travel, making this bonus worth Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. However, if you know how to use Capital One miles to their full potential, you may get double that value!
You won't see many five-star credit card ratings on Insider, but the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of the few that deserves it. The card is so packed with valuable benefits for its Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card - Rates & Fees that it's a no-brainer for those who travel with any regularity.
The card provides Priority Pass Select lounge access. That's unlimited entries for you and up to two guests traveling with you. You'll also get:
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Insider estimates Hilton points value to be 0.5 cents each, on average. That makes this bonus worth Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card in Hilton stays. But if you know the best ways to use Hilton points, you can get many times that value by choosing the right hotel to redeem your points.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is another easy-to-justify premium travel credit card. With an annual fee of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® CardMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card - Rates & Fees, you'll get benefits such as:
To boot, you'll receive Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. You and two guests traveling with you can enter for free as often as you like. Even if there's more than one lounge at your airport, you can hopscotch around to try them all.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card comes with a substantial bonus: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.
Insider estimates Marriott points value to be 0.7 cents each, on average. That means the points portion of this bonus is worth Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card in Marriott stays. But read our guide to the best ways to use Marriott points to learn how to squeeze much more value from your rewards.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is unique among all airline co-branded cards in that it provides access to more than just the lounge network of the airline that graces its front. Here's what you'll get:
Delta Sky Club access — Free entry when flying on a same-day Delta-operated/marketed flight. You'll also get two single-use guest passes each year.
Amex Centurion Lounge access — Free entry when flying on a same-day Delta-operated/marketed flight. You won't get any free guests, but can purchase a maximum of two guest passes per visit at a rate of $50 each.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card comes with a Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card - Rates & Fees. That's only slightly more than purchasing a Delta Sky Club membership outright (it normally costs $545 per year).
If you're a first-time cardholder, you'll receive Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Insider estimates Delta points value to be 1.1 cents each, making this bonus worth Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card miles in Delta flights. But it's possible to receive much more value from your miles — I once received a value of 26 cents per Delta mile when booking a business class flight.
The United Club℠ Infinite Card charges a United Club℠ Infinite Card annual fee. A United Club airport lounge membership costs $650 (unless you have top-tier United elite status). Therefore, if United Club membership is important to you, opening the United Club℠ Infinite Card is a no-brainer way to save $125.
You'll receive a full United Club membership with this card, meaning you can also bring two guests (or one adult and as many children under 21 as you like). You'll even gain access to several other Star Alliance airline lounges.
The United Club℠ Infinite Card also comes with:
Free first and second checked bags on United flights (you must pay with the card)
Priority boarding on United flights
Premier Access travel services
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Plus, it offers an intro bonus of United Club℠ Infinite Card.
Insider estimates United points value to be 1.3 cents each, making this bonus worth United Club℠ Infinite Card in United flights. Read how to maximize United miles for secrets of how to redeem that same amount of miles for thousands more dollars.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® annual fee. The main payoff — and only reason you should consider paying that fee — is because the card offers American Airlines Admirals Club airport lounge access.
Unless you've got American Airlines elite status, you'll pay $650 per year for Admirals Club membership. Opening this card is a much cheaper route. To enter American Airlines lounges, you must have a same-day boarding pass on American or one of its partners in order to access the lounge.
This card also comes with:
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on your reservation
Priority screening, check-in, and boarding with American Airlines
To boot, you'll receive Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. Insider estimates American Airlines miles are worth 1.4 cents each. That makes this bonus worth Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® in airfare. However, if you know the best way to use American Airlines miles, you can receive many times that value.
One of the best credit cards for airport lounges is no longer available (but you can get it anyway)
The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is perhaps the best travel credit card that isn't on the market. It's' not available to new applicants — but there's a way you can still get it.
If you ask them, Chase can convert your existing Marriott credit card, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, into the Ritz-Carlton Card. The only catch is that you must have held your current Marriott card for at least one year, and your credit limit must be $10,000 or more. If your credit limit is lower, you can request that credit from your other Chase cards be reallocated to the Ritz-Carlton Card.
The Chase Ritz-Carlton Card comes with Priority Pass lounge access. Here are a few reasons why it's better than the majority of travel credit cards for airport lounges:
There's no (written) cap on the number of free guests you can bring with you. If you travel with a large family, this could save you $100+ every time you visit a lounge.
You can add authorized users for free, and they get their own Priority Pass membership (with unlimited guests).
The Priority Pass membership issued from the Ritz-Carlton card qualifies for Priority Pass restaurant discounts ($28 to $30 off your meal, plus another $28 to $30 if you bring a guest).
You won't get a sign-up bonus since there's no way to apply for the card. But it also comes with valuable benefits such as:
Up to $300 in annual credits to offset airline incidentals
Annual free night certificate with Marriott for hotels costing up to 50,000 points per night
New to airport lounges? Give them a test-drive for cheap (or even free)
It's understandable if you're apprehensive about paying $395+ for a credit card that comes with access to airport lounges — especially if you're not even sure you'll like them.
If you want to give them a try to see if they fit your travel style, open one of the following cards first.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card does not come with a full-fledged Priority Pass airport lounge membership. Instead, you'll get 10 free visits per year. You can choose to use your 10 entries for yourself and for guests. For example, if you and a guest enter a lounge five times, you'll have exhausted your 10 Priority Pass visits for the year.
This is an excellent way to become familiar with the Priority Pass network. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card charges a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card - Rates & Fees — far more digestible than other cards on this list.
You'll also receive:
Hilton Gold elite status
Upgrade to Diamond status after you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
Free weekend night certificate after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
As a first-time cardmember, you'll even earn Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
The United℠ Explorer Card allows you to get a feel for airline lounges instead of Priority Pass. Each cardmember year, you'll receive two single-use passes to United Club lounges. These day passes often cost $59 each.
The best part? The United℠ Explorer Card comes with an annual fee of United℠ Explorer Card. In other words, you can try these lounges without having to pay a dime the first year. If you don't like the card, you can cancel when your first annual fee comes due.
This card also offers:
Free first checked bag on United flights (when you pay for your fare with the card)
Priority boarding on United flights
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Priority Pass lounges aren't always crowded, but they all tend to have a busy period which varies depending on the airport. The danger in visiting during peak hours is that you may actually be turned away. Lounges have limited capacity, after all.
If you want to see when a lounge is busy, you can simply google the name of the lounge along with the airport. You should see a graphic on the right side indicating the historical foot traffic of the lounge.
Simply google the lounge you plan to visit to see if it's busy.
Google
What is the best credit card for lounge access?
The Platinum Card® from American Express is the all-around best credit card for airport lounge access. Amex Platinum cards offer the most privileges of any travel credit card — from Centurion Lounge access to Delta Sky Club access (when flying Delta) to Priority Pass membership.
Is there a credit card with lounge access and no annual fee?
Unfortunately, there isn't a no-annual-fee card that also offers airport lounge access. However, the United℠ Explorer Card offers two United Club lounge day passes each anniversary year. Its annual fee is United℠ Explorer Card, so you can experience a lounge or two without committing to a big annual fee.
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