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Savvy Ways to Enjoy Airport Lounges
Posted on Jun 17, 2021
Updated on Sep 19, 2025
Lounges offer a quiet space to relax or work, and some even provide complimentary food and drinks or shower facilities. Until recently, airport lounges were seen as a luxury travel benefit, and not many could get airport lounge access.Today airport lounges are much more accessible - you don't have to fly first class or business class to access them. You don't even need a lounge membership if you do not want to. Here we discuss ways to get discounted or free airport lounge access and handy tips for saving on lounge access.
Best credit cards for airport lounge access
Credit cards that offer complimentary access to airport lounges as a benefit are either premium credit cards or airline credit cards. These cards usually charge high annual fees ranging from $450 to $550. Premium credit cards often come with other benefits and perks whose value is high enough to offset the annual fee. With some premium credit cards, the free lounge access benefit is enough to affect the card's annual fee.
Other benefits that may come with a free lounge access credit card may include no foreign transaction fees, statement credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, travel and purchase protection such as trip cancellation insurance, priority boarding, free checked bags, and some others. Exact benefits vary by card and the issuer.
When you choose the best credit card for lounge access for you, keep in mind that credit cards may offer access to only one lounge network, like Admirals Club or Delta's Sky Club, or a network of lounges, like Priority Pass or Plaza Premium Lounge. So, you will need to make sure you will have those lounges in your home airport and destination airports you usually travel to. Whether you travel domestically or internationally or if you tend to fly with a particular airline - this all should be considered when you pick the right credit card with free lounge access.
our choice
Lounge Access
Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
TSA PreCheck
Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee. Global Entry includes access to TSA PreCheck® with no additional application or fee required.
Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% to 27.49% Variable, based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee
$699 ($249 for each Authorized User added to the account)
- Earn 2X points on Airfare and Hotel reservations booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com. One point for every one dollar you spend for all other categories, earning points every time you spend.
- Redeem at 2% value for airfare and 1.5% for cash back. For example, when you redeem 50,000 points you will get $1,000 value for airfare or $750 value in cash back, issued as a direct deposit statement credit.
- $200 Annual Airline Credit: Receive up to $200 in annual statement credits toward flight-related purchases, including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. No enrollment or airline designation required.
- $100 Annual Dining Credit: Receive up to $100 in annual statement credits when you use your Luxury Card for restaurant transactions. No enrollment, designated restaurant networks or third-party apps required.
- Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee. Global Entry includes access to TSA PreCheck® with no additional application or fee required.
- Your time is valuable and Luxury Card Concierge makes life easier. Agents are available to provide you with personal assistance, tailored to your specific request. Concierge can assist with travel planning, dining reservations, everyday tasks such as sending flowers or researching products and services. Available 24/7: Call, email, text, or chat with agents.
- Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
- Made of Stainless Steel®: A contactless, patented metal card design that raises the standard.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $750 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Annual Fee: $699 ($249 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
our choice
our choice
Lounge Access
Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
TSA PreCheck
Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application for each Mastercard Gold Card Primary Cardmember and Authorized Users.
Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% to 27.49% Variable, based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee
$1,199 ($349 for each Authorized User added to the account)
- Earn 2X points on Airfare and Hotel reservations booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com. One point for every one dollar you spend for all other categories, earning points every time you spend.
- Redeem at 2% value for airfare or cash back. For example, when you redeem 50,000 points you will get $1,000 value for airfare or cash back, issued as a direct deposit statement credit.
- $300 Annual Airline Credit: Receive up to $300 in annual statement credits toward flight-related purchases, including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. No enrollment or airline designation required.
- $200 Annual Dining Credit: Get up to $200 in annual statement credits when you use your Luxury Card for restaurant transactions. No enrollment, designated restaurant networks or third-party apps required.
- $200 Ship&Play Credit: Send your belongings ahead of time with Ship&Play and receive up to $200 in credits annually.
- Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application for each Mastercard Gold Card Primary Cardmember and Authorized Users.
- Your time is valuable and Luxury Card Concierge makes life easier. Agents are available to provide you with personal assistance, tailored to your specific request. Concierge can assist with travel planning, dining reservations, everyday tasks such as sending flowers or researching products and services. Available 24/7: Call, email, text, or chat with agents.
- Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
- Made with 24K Gold®: A contactless, patented metal card design that raises the standard.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $750 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Annual Fee: $1,199 ($349 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
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How to save on airport lounges
With easy access to airport lounges, you may want to buy lounge passes occasionally or have an annual lounge membership for unlimited visits. While not everyone can enjoy the comfort of a lounge for free, almost anyone can save on it. If a luxury card with an enormous annual fee is not for you, you can use a regular rewards credit card or a travel credit card to earn rewards on lounge access. Some cards may even allow you to redeem rewards towards lounge access. However, many cards will allow you to redeem rewards as statement credits.
our choice
Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Balance Transfer Fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Annual Fee
$95
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
our choice
our choice
Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) the APR will be 19.49% to 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
Regular APR
19.49% to 27.49% Variable, based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Annual Fee
$699 ($249 for each Authorized User added to the account)
- Earn 2X points on Airfare and Hotel reservations booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com. One point for every one dollar you spend for all other categories, earning points every time you spend.
- Redeem at 2% value for airfare and 1.5% for cash back. For example, when you redeem 50,000 points you will get $1,000 value for airfare or $750 value in cash back, issued as a direct deposit statement credit.
- $200 Annual Airline Credit: Receive up to $200 in annual statement credits toward flight-related purchases, including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. No enrollment or airline designation required.
- $100 Annual Dining Credit: Receive up to $100 in annual statement credits when you use your Luxury Card for restaurant transactions. No enrollment, designated restaurant networks or third-party apps required.
- Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee. Global Entry includes access to TSA PreCheck® with no additional application or fee required.
- Your time is valuable and Luxury Card Concierge makes life easier. Agents are available to provide you with personal assistance, tailored to your specific request. Concierge can assist with travel planning, dining reservations, everyday tasks such as sending flowers or researching products and services. Available 24/7: Call, email, text, or chat with agents.
- Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
- Made of Stainless Steel®: A contactless, patented metal card design that raises the standard.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $750 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Annual Fee: $699 ($249 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
our choice
our choice
Intro APR on Purchases
N/A
Intro APR on Balance Transfer
0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) the APR will be 19.49% to 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
Regular APR
19.49% to 27.49% Variable, based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Annual Fee
$1,199 ($349 for each Authorized User added to the account)
- Earn 2X points on Airfare and Hotel reservations booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com. One point for every one dollar you spend for all other categories, earning points every time you spend.
- Redeem at 2% value for airfare or cash back. For example, when you redeem 50,000 points you will get $1,000 value for airfare or cash back, issued as a direct deposit statement credit.
- $300 Annual Airline Credit: Receive up to $300 in annual statement credits toward flight-related purchases, including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. No enrollment or airline designation required.
- $200 Annual Dining Credit: Get up to $200 in annual statement credits when you use your Luxury Card for restaurant transactions. No enrollment, designated restaurant networks or third-party apps required.
- $200 Ship&Play Credit: Send your belongings ahead of time with Ship&Play and receive up to $200 in credits annually.
- Receive up to $120 reimbursement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application for each Mastercard Gold Card Primary Cardmember and Authorized Users.
- Your time is valuable and Luxury Card Concierge makes life easier. Agents are available to provide you with personal assistance, tailored to your specific request. Concierge can assist with travel planning, dining reservations, everyday tasks such as sending flowers or researching products and services. Available 24/7: Call, email, text, or chat with agents.
- Enjoy automatic complimentary access to over 1,800 airport lounges. Access includes participating airport restaurants, mini-suites and unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
- Made with 24K Gold®: A contactless, patented metal card design that raises the standard.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $750 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Annual Fee: $1,199 ($349 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
our choice
How to get airport lounge access
There are different ways to get lounge access and not all of them require a premium credit card or airline loyalty program membership. Here we share with you some of the best ways for accessing airport lounges:
- Day pass: the most accessible method if you do not fly first or business class. You don't even have to fly the lounge's airline. Every large airport has multiple spaces offering day passes. Day passes generally cost between $29 and $75 per entry and you can even buy them in advance of travel.
- Annual airline lounge membership: if you fly regularly, a branded airline pass can provide access to the lounges of the carrier and its partners. For example, with the American's Admirals Club membership, you can fly JetBlue (which doesn't have its own lounge) and still use Admirals Club lounges. Airline lounge memberships generally cost between $450 and $850+.
- Elite status: not easy to earn, but it's a great option if you accrue tons of miles to reach top status in a frequent flyer program. Airlines usually have several tiers of elite status, where the highest elite tiers provide lounge access when you fly their airline or alliance. Airline frequent flyer programs are free to join, but you will need to fly regularly to reach the elite status.
- Premium credit card: some premium credit cards can get you access to a wide range of airport lounges worldwide. Lounge access has become a standard benefit for premium travel credit cards and some co-branded airline credit cards as more airlines and banks are opening airport lounges and adding new premium spaces to their existing networks. And while this benefit is usually complimentary, the card's annual fee can be as high as $400 to $800+.
- Lounge membership through an independent lounge network: if you travel regularly but do not have one preferred airline, buying a lounge membership through an independent airport lounge access program, like Priority Pass, LoungeBuddy, or Lounge Pass, can be an option for you. You can choose the level of membership that works for you and enjoy the comfort of lounges.
- Public Airport lounge: there are lounges in some airports that are not affiliated with airlines and provide access for a fee. These lounges offer the same amenities as other lounges - comfortable chairs, snacks, Wi-Fi access, drinks, or small meals - for a fee that can start around $20. Public lounges may provide hourly access.
Make sure you won't be denied airport lounge access
Anyone can easily buy or earn lounge access nowadays, which is good and bad at the same time. Lounges tend to be crowded more often and at certain times may place a sign to inform folks that they are not admitting certain members. Lounge policies may also change more often or become stricter to keep crowds out. For example, if you are not flying with their particular airline on the day of your visit, you may be denied lounge access.
Here are some common reasons you could be turned away at the lounge door:
- Overcrowding: crowding issues have become common and it's possible you might not get into an airport lounge even if you have the right card or Priority Pass. You can be turned away simply because the lounge is overcrowded. So, if you are heading to the airport during super busy hours, plan your lounge visit in advance.
- Lounge-specific restrictions: each lounge can have different rules and, for example, if your card offers free guests, the lounge may not allow them or allow only two guests. Opening hours may also be different for different members. Thus, Priority Pass members may only be allowed into some lounges between specific hours.
- Not having your card with lounge access with you: if you leave your credit card with lounge access at home, you won't be able to prove you have free lounge access. Also, being a cardmember alone may not mean you get automatic lounge membership. You may need to activate your lounge membership before you receive your lounge benefits. After enrolling, you should receive your membership card, which you need to present to access the lounge.
Final thoughts
Airport lounges are no longer exclusive to first class and business class travelers. The number of lounges has increased recently, and new airport lounges continue to open. And with the number came broad variation in quality, rules for entry, and costs. When you are planning your travel, do lounge research as well:
- Check to see if there are lounges in airports you are going to travel through
- Check if any of your credit cards can help you save on lounge access or get a discounted or free access to the lounge
- Don't forget that many lounges offer day passes and there are public lounges
- See if you can book your visit in advance to reserve a place for yourself.
