Best Credit Card for Lounge Access (By Airport)

Airport lounge access is a nice perk for travelers but the airport lounge experience can vary so much by airport. Especially if you, like us, are accessing lounges thanks to credit card perks.

Your home airport — or airports where you travel frequently — makes a big impact on which credit card makes sense for you to get. This article walks through how you can quickly and easily compare the options for airports that you frequent.

We also have a full article that explores which credit cards are best for lounge access when it comes to guest access which makes a big difference for getting a family in.

Which Credit Card is Best for Lounge Access?

You’ll want to first look at the list of airport lounges for each major bank — these bank-sponsored lounges have the most variation in coverage.

Then you’ll want to follow the steps to check lists of Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass locations.

Next you’ll want to double check if the Priority Pass options at your frequently visited airports are lounges, experiences, or restaurants.

Once you have your lists, you can then compare the credit card options to see which one is best for your situation.

It also depends on how many people you’re traveling with. Some credit cards only allow the primary cardholder to enter a lounge for free, while others allow you to bring guests at no additional charge. Some credit cards allow authorized users to have their own lounge access and some don’t.

Bank Sponsored Lounges

Start with this list!

Three major banks (American Express, Chase, Capital One) now have their own set of airport lounges. Overall, these are some of the nicest lounges in the United States that you can access just by holding the right credit card.

Scan this list for airports you frequently visit to see which bank program (if any) has lounges that you might be able to visit.

As a quick note: Centurion Lounges (by American Express) are the hardest to bring guests into. Even if you see a Centurion Lounge at your home airport, you may want to keep looking for other lounge options if you travel with more than yourself.

Escape Lounges

Check this short list next.

Most Escape Lounges are now part of the Priority Pass network, but four of them are not.

These lounges can be accessed with The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. The cardholder plus two guests can enter these lounges.

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
• Palm Beach (PBI)
• Phoenix (PHX) at Terminal 4
• Reno (RNO)

Plaza Premium Lounges

Scan these lists next.

Scroll to “North America. ” As of writing this article, the notable lounge locations are:

• Dallas DFW
• Orlando MCO
• Cancun CUN

Official Capital One List – as of March 1, 2025, Capital One cards will no longer give access to these lounges.

Official American Express list

This is a short list for US lounges, but good to cross reference.

Some Plaza Premium Lounges are part of the Priority Pass network, but usually the ones on these lists aren’t. These are often nicer than other Priority Pass lounges at the same airport.

To get into these Plaza Premium Lounges (for the cardholder plus 2 guests), you’d need one of the Amex Platinum cards or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Priority Pass

This is the most complicated network to research. That’s why we saved it for last! They have 1300+ lounges worldwide including over 100 in the United States.

But attention to detail matters here. The Priority Pass Network includes many traditional airport lounges as well as some non-lounge locations like restaurants, Minute Suites, and XpresSpa.

And importantly — not all credit cards give you access to all types of locations.

You’ll want to head to prioritypass.com and search for airports that you frequent. As you search, take note of the type of location because that will help you determine which credit card would give you access.

Priority Pass Lounges

This is how lounges are marked — it will clearly state “LOUNGE.” All credit cards that give you Priority Pass membership will give you access to these lounges.

Priority Pass Experiences

Priority Pass “Experiences” may be marked as “Refresh” or “Unwind.” There may be other markers, too — but essentially these are anything that is not a lounge and also not a restaurant. There are only a few credit cards that provide access to these.

On these, you’ll want to click in and read the terms carefully to understand what they provide to a Priority Pass member.

Priority Pass Restaurants

Most credit cards do not provide access to Priority Pass Restaurants, but a few do.

You’ll see these listed as “EAT” and typically you (and guests) get $28 each to purchase food at these restaurants.

The cards that currently offer restaurant access are:

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite

• 4 Priority Pass memberships per card with unlimited guests
• $300 airline incidental credits + $100 lifestyle credits annually
• $550 annual fee

U.S. Bank Altitude^® Connect Visa Signature^® Card

• $0 annual fee
• 4 Priority Pass visits per year (including restaurants and experiences)
• Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every 4 years
• Free GigSky 5GB Data plan while traveling through Nov 15, 2025

U.S. Bank Business Altitude^™ Connect World Elite Mastercard^®

• $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95
• 4 Priority Pass visits per year (including restaurants and experiences)

JetBlue Premier Card

• $499 annual fee
• Priority Pass Select Membership (includes restaurants and experiences)
• $50 statement credit  for every $250 purchase made through Paisley (up to $300 per year)
• Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every 4 years

Credit Cards with Lounge Access

Now that you’ve run through the lounges for your frequently visited airport, you can reference this chart which shows which credit cards will give you access to which networks. It also offers a quick comparison with guest access.

It’s also important to note that these cards vary in annual fee, as well as cost to add authorized users. Those are compared more in detail next.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Capital One Venture X Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Credit Card is one of the best premium cards out there for families. With the $300 travel credit and 10,000 anniversary points, it’s easy to get the full value from the annual fee every year, even if you don’t use any of the other benefits.

While we’re bummed that this card lost its access to Priority Pass Experiences and Restaurants — the access to Capital One and Priority Pass still provides a lot of locations.

Even better: you can add 4 authorized users for free. And each one gets their own Priority Pass membership (with the ability to bring in unlimited guests). 

Note that a Capital One Venture X Business Card includes access for the cardholder + 2 guests, but authorized users don’t get lounge access. It’s still a good option for getting lounge access without affecting your 5/24 score, but won’t help you out much with a larger family.

Best for Chase Lounges + Priority Pass Experiences: Chase Ritz-Carlton Card®

The tricky thing about the Ritz-Carlton Card is that it isn’t open for new applications. You can still get the card, but you have to have a different Marriott card from Chase first. After at least one year of holding that card, you can product change to the Ritz-Carlton Card. More info is in our Complete Guide to the Ritz-Carlton card.

The information related to the Chase Ritz-Carlton® Card was collected by Katie’s Travel Tricks and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see the issuer website for current information. Katie’s Travel Tricks does not receive commission for this product.

For that reason, many people might find it easier to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve® if they are wanting access to Sapphire lounges.

The Ritz card provides free unlimited authorized users, as well as unlimited guests at Sapphire lounges and Priority Pass lounges. Additional benefits include a $300/year travel credit (a little harder to use) and an annual free night certificate for Marriott properties worth up to 85,000 points.

Runner Up for Chase Lounges + Priority Pass Experiences: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

This card is easier to obtain than the Ritz card since you can apply directly for it — or you can upgrade from a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or any card from the Freedom family, if you have held one for at least a year.

I don’t love the $75 fee to add an authorized user, but this is still a great card with solid perks and value.

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders have access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges and Air Canada Cafes in the US, Canada, and Europe when flying on any Star Alliance partner airline. The Star Alliance includes United, Air Canada, ANA, Avianca, Singapore Airlines, and others. This includes US lounges in LAX, SFO, and LGA currently.

Best for Priority Pass Restaurants: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite

This card will give you 4 Priority Pass Select memberships for the annual fee! That’s without even adding authorized users.

And each of those currently can bring in unlimited guests to all Priority Pass locations (subject to the lounge or restaurant’s policies).

It’s the best remaining option to get Priority Pass Restaurant access.

See more card info here.

Best for lowest cost – no annual fee (with Priority Pass Restaurants access, too!)

U.S. Bank offers two cards that offer 4 visits to Priority Pass locations a year (including restaurants!) for no or low fees. These can be harder to get approved for if you have a lot of recent credit card applications. It seems to help if you open a US Bank checking account to have a relationship with the bank.

U.S. Bank Altitude^® Connect Visa Signature^® Card

• $0 annual fee
• 4 Priority Pass visits per year (including restaurants and experiences)
• Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit every 4 years
• Free GigSky 5GB Data plan while traveling through Nov 15, 2025

U.S. Bank Business Altitude^™ Connect World Elite Mastercard^®

• $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95
• 4 Priority Pass visits per year (including restaurants and experiences)

It also used to offer the below card with a higher annual fee but very easy to use annual credits.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card (discontinued)

• $400 annual fee
• $325 annual credits for purchases that code as travel, dining, takeout and restaurant delivery
• 8 visits per year to Priority Pass locations
• TSA Precheck or Global Entry statement credit

Best for American Express Centurion and Escape Lounges

Two primary cards will give you access to Centurion and Escape lounges. Both have high annual fees and costly fees to add authorized users.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

American Express also offers Priority Pass visits on some premium hotels cards including:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

These don’t have the most generous policies, but if you’re loyal to one of these hotel chains, these cards may make sense in your wallet.

Capital One Lounges

Capital One has a growing lounge network. Currently, you can find these at Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), Washington Dulles (IAD), and Washington Reagan (DCA). There are lounges in the works for Las Vegas (LAS), New York (JFK) and New York (LGA)

How to Access Capital One Lounges

You’ll need either a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or a Capital One Venture X Business Card.

Our pick is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card because you can add 4 authorized users for free and they will each get their own lounge access benefits for themselves and 2 guests.

Sapphire Lounges

Chase has its own set of lounges called Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club.

There are currently four of these lounges in the United States: New York LaGuardia (LGA), Boston (BOS), New York City (JFK), and Phoenix (PHX). For international travelers, there’s also a Sapphire Lounge in Hong Kong (HKG).

Additional locations have been announced for Las Vegas (LAS), Philadelphia (PHL), and San Diego (SAN).

How to Access Sapphire Lounges

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Sapphire Reserve cardholders get unlimited lounge access for themselves plus two guests. To use the benefit, you must first enroll your card in the complimentary Priority Pass membership that comes with the card.

Authorized users also get this benefit, but it costs $75 per year for each authorized user you add to a Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Note: It may have “Sapphire” in the name, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card doesn’t include lounge access.

Chase Ritz-Carlton Card®

This card is not the easiest to get, but if you live near an airport with a Sapphire lounge or a Priority Pass lounge, this is a fantastic card for lounge access for families.

The reason is that Chase Ritz-Carlton Card® cardholders don’t have a limit to the number of guests they can bring into a Sapphire lounge OR a Priority Pass lounge. That means one cardholder can get the entire family in for free.

Priority Pass

If you have a Priority Pass membership from another credit card like the Capital One Venture X or the Platinum Card from American Express, you can access a Sapphire lounge once per year. Anyone with their own Priority Pass has this benefit (even authorized users). Admission includes the Priority Pass member but no guests.

Centurion Lounges

How to Access Centurion Lounges

American Express Platinum Cards

Only the primary cardholder is able to access Centurion lounges for free. You can get a free guest if you spend $75,000 on your card annually.

It costs $175 to add any authorized users on the personal Platinum card.

Delta Credit Cards

Cardholders of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card can access a Centurion lounge when flying on a Delta marketed or operated flight that was purchased with an American Express credit card.

Airline Specific Lounges (Admirals Club, Delta Sky Club, etc)

If you are loyal to a specific airline, it very well might make the most sense to get that airline’s premium card. Most of these only give you access to that airline’s lounges if you’re flying on that airline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is getting a card for lounge access worth it?

This really depends on each person/family and what you’re looking for. If your family regularly spends $50-$100 on airport food and drinks several times per year, then getting access to a lounge where you can eat for free can save you a lot of money. However, if your home airport doesn’t have a lounge or the lounge has limited food options, then it won’t help you save money in this case.

Signing up for a credit card with a  high annual fee just to get access to a lounge 1-2 times per year is probably not worth it. But if you’re able to utilize the other benefits of that credit card, then lounge access is a nice added perk.

Do small airports have lounges or is it only the big airports?

Larger airports tend to have more options, but some small airports have very nice lounges as well.

What if the lounge I want to go to is in a different terminal?

If the terminals are connected post security, then you shouldn’t have any problem moving between terminals to get to the lounge (as long as time allows). For example, at DFW, once you clear security, you can take the train to move between terminals A,B,C, D, and E.

if visiting a different terminal requires you to exit and reenter security to get to your gate, your mileage may vary. If security doesn’t allow you through because it’s not the right terminal for your gate, let them know that you want to visit a lounge. They may let you through, or they may not. Personally, I’ve had both happen at different airports.

If you do visit a lounge in a different terminal, make sure you leave the lounge with plenty of time to get to your flight, especially if it means you’ll have to go through security again.