Best Credit Card for Lounge Access

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.

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 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. Capital One lounges will also be hard to bring guests into starting February 1, 2026. 

Also: If you have a Priority Pass membership, 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.

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 American Express Platinum Card® or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Terms Apply). 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.

These lounges can be only accessed with the American Express Platinum Card® or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Terms Apply). The cardholder plus two guests can enter these lounges.

As of writing this article, the notable lounge locations are:

• Dallas DFW
• Orlando MCO
• Cancun CUN

Official American Express list – Scroll to "North America. "

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.

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 a 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.

Credit Cards with Lounge Access

Now that you've run through the lounges for your frequently visited airport, you can reference this chart that 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.

Top Pick Overall: Chase 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.

Why we like it

• Relatively low annual fee ($450)
• Great for sharing lounge access: add unlimited authorized users for free, they all get their own lounge access
• Unlimited guests at Sapphire and Priority Pass lounges
• Includes Priority Pass Experiences
• Hotel annual free night certificate is valuable

A few cons to consider

• Takes a year to get it. You have to have a different Marriott card from Chase first and then upgrade after a year.
• Takes a little more effort to redeem the incidental credit

More info is in our Complete Guide to the Ritz-Carlton card.

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.

Cheapest Way to Get Lounge Access

U.S. Bank Altitude^® Connect Visa Signature^® Card: No annual fee and Priority Pass Restaurants access, too!

This card thats offer 4 visits to Priority Pass locations a year (including restaurants!) for no annual fees. It 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.

These is a great option for a someone who flies infrequently or just wants to add Priority Pass restaurants to their lounge options.

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

Honorable Mention — this business card is similar but after the first year, you will pay $95 a year for the annual fee.

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)

Other Cards I recommend

Strong Rewards, Decent Lounge Access: Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Sapphire Reserve for Business

What we like:

• Bring 2 guests to Sapphire lounges and Priority Pass lounges. 
• Priority Pass experiences are included
• Lots of credits and benefits to offset your annual fee
• Part of our favorite points program
• Adds more redemption options via Points Boost and Edit Collection hotels

Cons to consider:

• Higher annual fees and it takes work to use all your credits
• For a family of 4+ you'll need to add an authorized user for $195 or both hold a card

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 $195 fee to add an authorized user, but this is still a great card with solid perks and value. Just keep in mind that the annual fee is quite high. Make sure you're going to use the perks and benefits before signing up. We have a complete guide to the Reserve card and a calculator to help you determine if this card is right for you.

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.

Priority Pass Restaurants + Great for Sharing: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite

What we love:

• This card will give you 4 Priority Pass Select memberships for the annual fee! That's without even adding authorized users.
• Unlimited guests to all Priority Pass locations (subject to the lounge or restaurant's policies)
• Includes Priority Pass restaurants

Cons to consider:

• $300 Airline incidental credit is a little harder to use but still some ways to get AA gift cards or use it in some unconventional ways
• The points program isn't one that has easy value to unlock overall

See more card info here.

Best for American Express Centurion, Escape Lounges, and Plaza Premium

There are two primary cards will give you access to Centurion and Escape lounges. Terms Apply.

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

Why We Like Them:

• Access to multiple lounge networks — including some specific Escape and Plaza Premium Lounges
• Lots of credits makes it possible to get a lot of value back on your annual fee

Cons to Consider:

• Very hard to get any guests into Centurion Lounges (must pay per guest or spend $75,000 on the card each year)
• High annual fees
• Must work to use all your coupons to make the annual fee worthwhile

Best for 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 has been the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card because you could add 4 authorized users for free and they will each get their own lounge access benefits for themselves and 2 guests.

But this is changing on February 1, 2026. Lounge access will be for the member only (guests can enter for a fee). Authorized users will still be free to add, but they won't get lounge access unless you pay a separate $125 fee for that benefit.

You can also pay $45 per guest per visit, and will receive a discounted rate of $25 per visit per guest 17 and under. 

After February 1, 2026, you could also spend $75,000 a year on your card and get access for 2 guests per visit. 

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.

Notably – the Citi Strata Elite^℠ Card and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard provide 4 Admirals Club passes per year. The pass allows one adult and up to 3 children under 18 to enter the lounge together and these passes are valid for 24 hours and can be used multiple times in that period.

For a family traveling together, the cardholder could use one pass, and the second adult could use a second pass. Both adults are allowed to bring in up to 3 children under 18 for free. 

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 re-enter 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.