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The best credit cards with airport lounge access

  • Joseph Hostetler

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    The comfort, convenience and cachet of an airport lounge is within your reach if you have one of the best credit cards for travel. You don’t need to shell out for an expensive internatio

    nal first-class or business-class ticket because many of the best airline credit cards (and top-notch rewards cards) have lounge access as a built-in perk.

    Airport lounges can save you money and make your airport experience more enjoyable with comfy seats, free Wi-Fi, drinks (sometimes including alcohol) and snacks or buffets, so you can get a proper meal before you get on the plane. These benefits can be game changers for long connections. Let’s take a look at the top credit cards for airport lounge access.

    Comparison of the best credit cards for airport lounge access

    Best cards for airport lounge accessLounge privilegesAnnual fee
    The Platinum Card® from American Express- Centurion Lounge - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - American Express International Lounges - The cardholder, guest policies vary by lounge
    - Priority Pass - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - Airspace Lounge - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - Delta Sky Club Lounge - Only accessible with same-day Delta boarding pass - Up to 2 guests for an additional fee, they also need a same-day Delta boarding pass
    - Escape Lounge - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - Terms apply    		$695 (see rates and fees)
    The Business Platinum Card® from American Express- Centurion Lounge - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - American Express International Lounges - The cardholder, guest policies vary by lounge
    - Priority Pass - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - Airspace Lounge - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - Delta Sky Club Lounge - Only accessible with same-day Delta boarding pass - Up to 2 guests for an additional fee, they also need a same-day Delta boarding pass
    - Escape Lounge - The cardholder and two guests for free
    - Terms apply    		$595 (see rates and fees)
    Chase Sapphire Reserve- Priority Pass - The cardholder and up to two guests $550
    United℠ Explorer Card- United Airlines Club Lounge - Two single-person day passes upon account opening and each cardmember anniversary (No membership). Same-day boarding pass for United or eligible partner airline required for entry.$95 (waived the first year)
    Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard- American Airlines Admirals Club - The cardholder and immediate family (spouse or domestic partner + children under 18) or two guests$450
    Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card- Delta Sky Club lounges - The cardholder and up to two guests for an additional fee. Same-day Delta boarding pass required for entry. Terms apply.$550 (see rates and fees)
    The Amex Platinum card will get you access to most lounges. (Photo by Zach Honig)

    The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best overall lounge access

    Bonus

    Earn 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of opening your account.

    Lounge benefits

    The Amex Platinum card gives you access to the Amex Global Lounge collection, a network of airport lounges, which includes Escape, American Express Centurion, Delta Sky Club, Priority Pass, Airspace and International American Express lounges. At most lounges, the cardholder and up to two guests have unlimited free access. The exceptions are the International Amex lounges, which have varying guest policies, and the Delta Sky Club lounges. Delta allows you to bring up to two guests for an additional fee and everyone (cardmember and guests) must be traveling on a same-day Delta-operated or Delta-marketed flight.

    Access to Priority Pass lounges requires enrollment. Read our step-by-step instructions on setting up your Priority Pass membership here. As an American Express cardholder your Priority Pass membership associated with this card does not allow benefits at Priority Pass partner airport restaurants.

    Annual fee

    $695 (See rates and fees)

    Our take

    The Amex Platinum card has a large annual fee, but it comes with a handful of perks and puts money back in your pocket. Every year you’ll get up to $200 in statement credits for airline incidental fees on your selected airline, up to $200 in Uber credits and up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits. You’ll also get an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (worth up to $100). A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership is valid for five years and you are eligible for the credit every four years for Global Entry or every four and a half years for TSA PreCheck.

    Because this is an Amex card, you will not be eligible for the introductory bonus offer if you currently have this card or if you have had this card in the past.

    The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Best business card with lounge access

    (Photo by Wyatt Smith)

    Bonus

    Earn 100,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within your first three months of card membership.

    Lounge benefits

    The Amex Business Platinum card offers the same lounge access you get with the personal Platinum card. To search the Amex Global Lounge Collection, take a look at our guide on how to find Amex lounges. The Global Lounge Collection includes Escape, American Express Centurion, Delta Sky Club, Priority Pass, Airspace and International American Express lounges.

    You will need to enroll for Priority Pass membership (you can’t just show your Business Platinum card to enter Priority Pass lounges) and this membership won’t get you credit at Priority Pass airport restaurants. Delta lounges require you to have a same-day Delta boarding pass for entry.

    Annual fee

    $595  (See rates and fees)

    Our take

    Qualifying for a business credit card isn’t as difficult as you may think. If you’re sole proprietor of a business, you can use your Social Security Number (SSN) as your tax ID and your name as your business name. Many freelancers and independent contractors qualify as sole proprietors, including rideshare drivers (Uber, Lyft, etc.), writers or artists, dog walkers or eBay sellers. Check out our step-by-step guide to an Amex business card application for more information.

    The Amex Business Platinum annual fee isn’t something to ignore, but the card is loaded with benefits. Each calendar year you receive up to $200 in airline fee credits for your selected airline and up to $200 in annual Dell credits on U.S. purchases. This card has the same Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit as the personal Platinum. It also comes with a 35% points rebate when you use the Amex Pay With Points feature (up to 500,000 points per calendar year), making the points from the card’s bonus and from the minimum spending worth nearly $1,400 in airfare when it’s booked through the Amex site. Enrollment required for select benefits.

    Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best travel credit card with lounge access

    (Photo by Wyatt Smith.)

    Bonus

    Earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

    Lounge benefits

    The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a Priority Pass Select membership (registration is required). This membership gives you access to 1,200+ airport lounges and other benefits like credits at partner airport restaurants. Once you receive your membership card, you and up to two guests will get unlimited lounge access.

    Annual fee

    $550

    Our take

    The best Chase Sapphire Reserve benefit is its annual travel credit of up to $300. This credit applies to any qualifying travel purchases including airfare, hotels, Airbnb, rental cars and more. It’s not hard to save $300 with this perk, which effectively brings down the cost of the annual fee to $250.

    You’ll also get up to $100 in credit toward your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. Plus, the card can make all the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn from other Chase credit cards more valuable. When you book travel through the Chase travel site and pay with Chase points with the Sapphire Reserve, your points are worth 1.5 cents each, which is more than with any other Chase card.

    Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Best for Delta travelers

    Bonus

    Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.

    Lounge benefits

    The card comes with complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges when you’re traveling on same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flights. You’ll even receive two single-use Sky Club guest passes when you open the card, and every year you renew it.

    The card also comes with access to Amex Centurion Lounges when you fly Delta with a ticket purchased on your Delta SkyMiles Reserve. You can also bring up to two guests with you into the Centurion Lounge for a $50 fee per person.

    Annual fee

    $550 (see rates and fees)

    Our take

    The Delta SkyMiles Reserve is the one to get if you want some of the best lounge access out there.

    The Delta SkyMiles Reserve benefits and perks don’t stop there. You’ll receive annually a Delta Companion Certificate, allowing you to bring one person on one domestic flight with you — even if you purchase a First or Business Class ticket!

    Read our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve credit card for all the details.

    United℠ Explorer Card: Best for the occasional United flyer

    Bonus

    Earn up to 70,000 miles. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 miles after you spend $6,000 total on purchases in the first six months your account is open.

    Lounge benefits

    The United℠ Explorer Card doesn’t come with a full lounge membership. You will receive two, one-time United Club lounge passes every year. For entry to the United Club locations, you must have a same-day boarding pass for United Airlines or one of its eligible partner airlines.

    Annual fee

    $95, waived the first year.

    Our take

    The Chase United Explorer card has benefits beyond a few lounge passes. When you have a United Airlines credit card (or United Airlines elite status), you’ll have access to more award seats. This can be invaluable if your travel plans aren’t flexible. It is one of the few cards that waives its annual fee and offers a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit. This card gives you expedited airport security benefits for free the first year.

    Citi AAdvantage Executive Card: Best for American Airlines travelers

    Bonus

    Earn 50,000 American Airlines miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

    Lounge benefits

    The Citi AAdvantage Executive card comes with an American Airlines Admirals Club membership. You and up to two guests will get access to Admirals Club lounges when you have a same-day American Airlines or partner airline boarding pass.

    You can also add up to 10 authorized users to your account at no additional charge. Each authorized user (and up to two guests) will get Admirals Club access (but not access to partner lounges).

    Annual fee

    $450

    Our take

    An American Airlines Admirals Club membership costs up to $650, so you get access to the Admirals Club for $200 less. Like most of the premium airline credit cards, the Citi AAdvantage Executive benefits include a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit (up to $100) and a free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation.

    How we chose the best credit cards with airport lounge access

    As airport lounges have become more crowded, we’ve noticed that access has become increasingly restricted. Now airline-specific lounges (Admirals Club, Delta Sky Club, United Club, etc.) require a same-day boarding pass for that specific airline or its partners. This changes the game somewhat and might force you to be more loyal to one airline over another, depending on which lounges are available at your home airport. This is why we broke down the credit cards with lounge access to include cards with access to specific airline lounges. But there are other factors. Annual fees are also a big consideration, so if you have infrequent access to lounges, the United Explorer is a good choice because it has the smallest annual fee, which is waived the first year. Many of these cards come with statement credits and other perks in addition to lounge access that can be worth more than what you pay in annual fees.

    Summary of the best credit cards for airport lounge access

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    For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, please click here

    For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, click here.

    For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, please click here

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)