How to Access Airport Lounges: Top Memberships to Consider

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Airports can be overwhelming, particularly the busiest ones. The best way to find tranquility amid the hustle—and to improve your preflight experience—is by retreating to an airport lounge. Besides personal space, power outlets, and complimentary Wi-Fi, lounges often provide features such as full-service bars, gourmet food selections, showers, micro-spas, stylish relaxation areas, and dedicated workspaces.

In the past, airport lounge access was reserved for those with business or first-class tickets. However, things have evolved. Today, entry can be gained simply through having the right credit card or purchasing a pass. To enhance your next preflight experience or layover, here are the top airport lounge memberships and passes available—and how to obtain them.

Top Overall Airport Lounge Membership: Priority Pass

As the largest independent airport lounge program in the world, Priority Pass provides access to over 1,400 lounges in more than 600 cities across 148 countries, making it an invaluable lounge membership. (The network's app simplifies finding lounges by airport code and terminal.)

Priority Pass does not directly own or manage airport lounges; instead, it consolidates access through a single membership program. To complicate matters, approximately 100 Priority Pass lounges are part of a group known as Plaza Premium Group (PPG). PPG runs its own network of lounges, in addition to several airline-branded lounges. PPG's proprietary lounges are included in the Priority Pass membership, but they can also be accessed through day passes for those without a Priority Pass membership.

There are two primary methods to join Priority Pass. The first is to purchase a membership directly. There are three membership tiers—Standard, Standard Plus, and Prestige—each requiring an annual fee and charging for additional guests.

The second—and more advantageous—way to acquire a Priority Pass membership is through a credit card that offers complimentary access. This option is significantly more economical. Why? The cost of Prestige membership is roughly equivalent to the annual fees of most premium credit cards, and credit card holders can bring two guests for free, compared to a fee of $35 per guest otherwise. In fact, many high-fee travel credit cards include airport lounge access as a key benefit. Lounge access varies by card, but most top-tier travel credit cards at least offer a type of Priority Pass Select membership, granting unlimited access to over 1,400 lounges in the Priority Pass network worldwide. Entry is allowed on the travel date, regardless of airline or class, with up to two complimentary guests.

The following credit cards offer lounge access:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395 annual fee)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($550 annual fee)
• The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee—refer to rates and fees)

These three cards provide access not only to the Priority Pass network but also to their own exclusive branded lounges. Thus, obtaining Priority Pass through one of these cards is significantly more valuable than purchasing a membership on its own.

Top Credit Card Lounge Memberships

As mentioned earlier, several credit cards come with memberships to their own stylish proprietary airport lounges, such as those developed by Capital One, Chase, and American Express. These credit card-branded lounges are among the finest globally and enhance the airport experience with a touch of luxury—particularly in domestic terminals.

In addition to Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges, holders of the Platinum Card from American Express can enjoy complimentary access to Amex-branded Centurion Lounges, Amex Escape Lounges, Delta Sky Club lounges, AirSpace lounges, and Lufthansa lounges. Meanwhile, those with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can access a growing network of luxurious branded lounges, which currently includes locations in Dallas, Denver, and Washington Dulles. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can also enjoy unlimited entry to Chase’s lounges and terraces at airports in Austin, Boston, and Hong Kong.

Top Airline Lounge Memberships

Major airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines operate their own lounge networks, accessible through annual memberships. Membership fees can vary based on elite status or holding a cobranded credit card, but here are the starting annual fees for non-elite travelers:

• Alaska Airlines Alaska Lounge Membership: $650
• American Airlines Admirals Club Membership: $850
• Delta Sky Club Membership: $695
• United Airlines United Club Membership: $650

It's important to note that while Alaska lounges permit members to enter with same-day ticketed travel on any airline, the other legacy airlines require same-day ticketed travel on their own flights or those of their partner airlines.

It's crucial to note that the annual fees for lounge memberships with American, United, and Delta are steeper than the fees for their respective premium credit cards, which include lounge access. Therefore, for frequent flyers of these airlines considering lounge membership, opting for a premium airline-specific credit card with lounge benefits is advantageous. For instance, the United Club℠ Infinite Card comes with United Club membership for a $525 annual fee, while the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers access to Admirals Club lounges for $595. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card provides entry to Delta Sky Clubs for $650 per year (see rates and fees). Notably, starting February 1, 2025, Reserve cardholders will receive 15 annual visits to the Delta Sky Club. By obtaining lounge membership through a credit card rather than purchasing it directly, you can save $125 with United, $145 with Delta, and $255 with American.

Top Strategies for Securing a Day Pass to an Airport Lounge

You can gain access to airport lounges by purchasing day passes for specific lounges within the Priority Pass network, all Plaza Premium lounges, and certain airline-operated lounges.

A fantastic way to discover which lounges offer day passes is by downloading the LoungeBuddy app or checking their website. This resource provides valuable information about nearly every lounge worldwide and specifies which lounges allow one-time access and their respective costs. As of now, due to overcrowding, significantly fewer lounges are available for day passes compared to the past.

For example, if you type Boston Logan (BOS) into LoungeBuddy, the page will display details about each of the airport's 13 lounges, including 2 that can be booked through LoungeBuddy: the Lufthansa Lounge in Terminal E for $49 per person and the Lounge BOS in Terminal 3 for $50 per person. Before making a reservation, ensure you know your departure terminal and confirm that you can access the lounge through the designated security checkpoints of your terminal.

While LoungeBuddy is a useful resource, it doesn't sell day passes for legacy airline lounges. If you're looking to access a United Club for a single visit, you can do so for $59 through the United app. American also offers day passes to its Admirals Club via its website for $79. For Alaska Lounge, day passes can be purchased directly at its locations in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York–JFK for $60 each. Delta, however, does not provide day passes.

In certain situations, you can obtain day passes as part of the perks offered by low-fee credit cards. For instance, the $95 annual Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card allows two complimentary visits each year to either Capital One Lounges or over 100 Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network. Meanwhile, the United℠ Explorer Card has no annual fee for the first year (then $95) and provides cardholders with two one-time passes to United Clubs annually.

Access airport lounges by traveling in long-haul business or first class

Sometimes, purchasing a membership or day pass isn’t required. In fact, a boarding pass for a long-haul international flight in business or first class can grant you entry to some of the best airport lounges worldwide—those that aren't available to credit card holders or Priority Pass members. For example, entry to Air France’s La Première lounge is only available with a first-class ticket on Air France.

One of our favorite lounges globally is Qatar Airways’ spacious Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Doha Airport, which is accessible to passengers flying Qatar Airways First Class and Business Class (Elite, Comfort & Classic) as well as oneworld First Class and Business Class passengers. However, those traveling on Qatar Airways’ Business Class (Lite) and economy class can also purchase lounge access in advance, typically costing around $100 at press time.

Keep in mind that, in some instances, holding a business or first-class ticket no longer guarantees access to lounges. This is particularly true for domestic flights within the United States and short-haul international routes to destinations like the Caribbean and Central America.

Gain lounge access by attaining top elite status and flying internationally

Generally, reaching top elite status doesn’t automatically grant you complimentary access to airport lounges anymore. However, there are a few exceptions. For instance, travelers with Delta Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion Status, who qualify as SkyTeam Elite Plus, can access SkyTeam lounges for international flights, even when flying economy. United Airlines’ MileagePlus Gold, Platinum, and 1K members (all eligible for Star Alliance Gold Status) can enter United lounges with a same-day international boarding pass, regardless of the class of service, as well as Star Alliance partner lounges when flying on member airlines outside the U.S. While these exceptions exist, the reality is that if you’re pursuing elite status solely for lounge access, you may end up disappointed in many situations.

Key Takeaways

Accessing top airport lounges is achievable through memberships or day passes acquired via credit cards, lounge apps, or elite status. However, the most valuable and cost-effective lounge memberships are typically tied to the right credit card.

This article was first published in 2022 and was updated on November 29, 2023, to reflect the latest information.

While the offers listed above were accurate at the time of writing, they are subject to change and may no longer be available.