The 7 Best Credit Cards for Lounge Access

Trading the chaos of the main terminal for the peace and quiet of the airport lounge is always preferable. Luckily, we’ve long said goodbye to the days when you had to have a first-class ticket or frequent flyer status to get into airport lounges. Now, simply holding the right credit card can give you and your companions complimentary access to a range of lounge networks, worldwide.

Let’s look at the seven best credit cards for airport lounge access.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express is unbeatable when it comes to lounge access.

For an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees), you’ll enjoy access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection (enrollment required). That’s a network of more than 1,400 lounges across 650 cities in 140 countries. You’ll have access to both airline and independent lounge networks, including:

• Aspire Lounges
• American Express Centurion Lounges
• Delta Sky Clubs (see note)
• Escape Lounges—The Centurion® Studio Partner
• Lufthansa Lounges
• Plaza Premium Group
• Priority Pass Select™

Each lounge network has its own rules regarding their guest and access policies. Generally, you’ll need to show your Amex Platinum Card, government-issued photo ID and a same-day boarding pass. For some lounges, such as Delta Sky Clubs and Lufthansa Lounges, you’ll need to show a same-day boarding pass with the requisite airline—in the case of Lufthansa, this can be any Lufthansa Group airline.

Some lounges allow you to bring up to two guests free of charge with you, while others may charge a fee.

Note the Delta Sky Club access is capped at 10 visits per Medallion year. You can get unlimited access for the remainder of a Medallion year and the following Medallion year after you spend $75,000 in eligible purchases per calendar year.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

For a lower annual fee of $550, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers complimentary lounge access to the following networks:

• Priority Pass Select
• Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club

You can bring up to two guests into each lounge with you at no extra cost.

Considering unlimited Priority Pass membership costs $469 per year, and guest access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge runs $35 per guest per visit, this card perk goes a long way in offsetting the Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee.

Access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations is reserved for Sapphire Reserve cardholders exclusively, making this a special perk worth holding.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

For an even lower annual fee of $395, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers complimentary access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide. As a Venture X cardholder, you’ll be able to access:

• Priority Pass Select lounges
• Capital One Lounges

You’ll also be able to bring up to two guests for free into every one of these lounges, elevating the experience for you and your companions.

As these lounges are all independent networks, you won’t need to worry about flying with a certain airline to access them. Instead, you’ll simply need to show your Venture X card, Priority Pass member card (if applicable), same-day boarding pass for any flight and government-issued photo ID.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers complimentary Admirals Club® membership, worth up to $850 in your first year of card membership.

Admirals Club is American Airlines’ lounge network, with nearly 50 locations worldwide. No other credit card offers complimentary access to Admiral Clubs, making it a highly valuable perk for frequent flyers with American Airlines.

Your immediate family members or up to two guests, as well as authorized users, are able to accompany you into Admiral Club lounges free of charge.

To enter an Admiral Club lounge, you’ll need to present your Citi / AAdvantage credit card, government-issued photo ID and a boarding pass for a same-day flight marketed or operated by American Airlines, any Oneworld® carrier or Alaska Airlines.

If you can make use of this perk, you can offset the annual fee of $595 by a long-shot, given that Admirals Club membership prices range anywhere between $700 and $1,650, depending on your status, whether it’s an individual or household account and whether you’re renewing or buying a new membership.

The New United Club℠ Card

With the new United Club℠ Card, you’ll get complimentary United Club® membership, worth $750.

United Club lounges are spread across 45 locations, and include five United Polaris lounges.

With complimentary membership, you can bring up to two guests or one adult and any dependent children younger than 21 free of charge.

Individual United Club membership costs $750 per year. That makes complimentary membership conferred by the United Club Card a highly lucrative perk that can more than offset the card’s $695 annual fee.

If you’re wondering which United card is best suited to you, check out our comparison article: Which United Airlines Credit Card is Best?

U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

Note that this card is no longer accepting new applications, but existing cardholders can continue using this card and its lounge benefits. With the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, you’ll get up to eight complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges every year.

After you’ve used up your eight visits, each extra visit will be charged at a rate of $35 per person per visit.

While this may not be an unlimited membership perk, it can still be valuable for the semi-frequent traveler who stays within the eight-visit per year limit. Though it doesn’t pay for it entirely, this perk still goes a long way to offset this card’s $400 annual fee.

The New United℠ Explorer Card

The United Explorer Card offers two annual one-time visits to United Club lounges. The passes can be used by the cardholder only.

This is one of the most competitive offerings for a card with an annual fee of just $150, which is waived in the first year of card membership.

With this perk alone, you’ll be able to largely offset the Explorer Card’s annual fee.

Final Thoughts

With the help of a premium travel credit card, you no longer have to settle for fighting over an armrest. Instead, you can indulge in hot buffets, free beverages (including the alcoholic variety) and enjoy some peace and quiet before your flight hits the skies.

Whether you want the full slew of lounge access options offered by the Amex Platinum, unlimited access to Priority Pass lounges as offered by the Sapphire Reserve and Venture X, access to a specific airline lounge or just a handful of free annual visits to a specific network, there’s a card out there for every traveler.

Check out the best credit cards for airline miles to find the card to fund your travel dreams.