August 2023’s Top Credit Cards with Free Airport Lounge Access

August 2023's Top Credit Cards with Free Airport Lounge Access

The Joy of Airport Lounges: Indulge in Luxury and Comfort

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Do you know anyone who purposely gets to the airport earlier than they have to? Airports are noisy and hectic; the seats are uncomfortable and the food is expensive. Why be there any longer than absolutely necessary?

Actually, a lot of us arrive early at the airport — and sometimes even loiter for a while after we’ve landed. We’ve got the golden ticket to free alcohol and food, high-speed internet, comfortable loungers, and occasionally free massages. All it takes is holding the right credit card with lounge access.

Depending on the credit card, you could get access to airline lounges (such as the Delta Sky Club), Priority Pass lounges, or Amex Centurion Lounges. Some cards even give you access to multiple airport lounge networks.

If you’re a frequent traveler, a credit card with lounge access is worth every penny. Let’s look at the best credit cards for airport lounge access.

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Compare Credit Cards With Lounge Access

Best Credit Card for Lounge Access

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• United Club℠ Infinite Card
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

Credit Cards With Airport Lounge Access Frequently Asked Questions

Why Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Credit Cards for Lounge Access

Insider’s credit cards team sifted through dozens of cards that offer some form of airport lounge access, and narrowed down our list to include the most accessible and broadly useful cards for US travelers. We excluded cards that require you to have accounts with a specific bank or credit union, as well as co-branded cards from international airlines (such as the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®) that mainly provide access to lounges abroad.

We also skipped cards that offer discounts on lounge memberships (like the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card) or that only include a couple of passes to a single lounge location each year (such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Spark Miles for Business).

For a full breakdown of our methodology, read our guide to how we rate credit cards at Insider.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

No travel credit card on the market offers more comprehensive airport lounge access than The Platinum Card® from American Express. (It’s on par with what you’d get through the invite-only Amex Black card.) You’ll receive entry to the following lounge networks:

• Amex Centurion Lounges (widely considered to be the best airport lounges in the US)
• Priority Pass** (access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide)
• Delta Sky Club lounges (only when you have a same-day Delta boarding pass)
• Escape Lounge – The Centurion Studio Partner
• Plaza Premium lounges
• Lufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, or SWISS)

I had never tried an Amex Centurion Lounge until last year. I’ve since been to six of them throughout the US, and they are consistently higher quality than other lounges offered by Priority Pass.

Amex Platinum airport lounge guest rules

• Centurion Lounges: $50 per guest age 18+ and $30 per guest age 17 and below (must pay with an Amex card). You can receive two free guests by spending $75,000 on your card in a calendar year.
• Priority Pass: Bring two guests for free ($32 per guest after that).
• Delta Sky Club: No free guests.
• Escape Lounges: Bring two guests (or immediate family) for free.
• Plaza Premium: Bring two guests for free.
• Lufthansa Lounges: No free guests. Some locations won’t even allow guests for a fee.

The Amex Platinum charges a $695 annual fee — but it comes with excellent ongoing benefits, such as:

• Up to $200 in airline fee credits** each calendar year
• Either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit ($100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or up to $85 statement credit every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck®)
• Up to $189 per year in credits for CLEAR Plus® membership**
• Up to $200 in credits per year toward prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay)
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash each calendar year**
• Up to $20 per month in statement credits toward eligible digital subscriptions (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, The Wall Street Journal, Peacock, Sirius XM, and The New York Times)
• $12.95 in credits each month toward Walmart+ membership**
• Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts (benefits at exclusive luxury properties)
• Cell phone protection

The card also offers 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership.

Insider estimates Amex points value to be 1.8 cents each, making this initial bonus worth $1,440 in travel, on average. Read our post on the best ways to use Amex points to see how much more valuable these points can be.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers the same airport lounge access and guest policies as the personal Amex Platinum. However, this card is marketed to an entirely different audience.

This is a small-business credit card, meaning you must have a business venture (even a part-time gig) to qualify for the Amex Business Platinum. Its key benefits are more closely aligned with business expenses:

• Up to $200 in airline fee credits** for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline each calendar year
• Up to $400 in U.S. Dell credits** each calendar year
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Up to $120 in credits for U.S. wireless providers each calendar year
• Up to $360 in Indeed credits** each calendar year
• Up to $150 in Adobe credits** each calendar year
• Up to $189 back per year in for CLEAR Plus® membership**
• 35% points rebate when you redeem points for first- or business-class tickets, or for any fare with your selected airline, through American Express Travel (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year)
• Cell phone protection

This card comes with 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first three months of card membership. Again, Insider values Amex points at 1.8 cents each, making this bonus worth $2,160 in travel, on average.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of Insider’s picks for all-around top travel credit cards. It’s got excellent benefits that upgrade your travel experience — and its top-tier travel insurance is reason enough to keep it in your wallet.

This card offers membership in two lounge networks:

• Priority Pass Select — You can access all Priority Pass lounges as often as you want — with two free guests. You can even add authorized users for $75 each and they’ll receive their own full-blown Priority Pass Select membership.
• Chase Sapphire Lounges — Chase opened its first-ever Sapphire Lounge in Hong Kong, followed by its first US Sapphire Lounge in Boston (BOS). San Diego (SAN), New York-LaGuardia (LGA), Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), Philadelphia (PHL), and Washington Dulles (IAD) are all in the works.

To access Chase Sapphire Lounges, cardholders must activate the complimentary Priority Pass Select membership that comes with the Sapphire Reserve, and show their Priority Pass credentials for entry. The Sapphire Reserve card alone will not suffice. Cardholders and up to two guests get unlimited free visits.

Cardholders and two guests can also access the new Chase Sapphire Terrace at Austin airport (AUS), an indoor-outdoor space featuring complimentary drinks, grab-and-go snacks, and other perks.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a $550 annual fee. But for that price, you’ll also receive:

• Up to $300 in travel statement credits each cardmember year toward travel purchases
• Complimentary year of DoorDash DashPass membership (activation required by December 31, 2024)
• Access to Reserved by Sapphire restaurant reservations
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
• Primary rental car insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Complimentary two-year Lyft Pink All Access membership, which comes with perks like ride discounts, priority pickup, unlimited free bike rides, and more

One great feature of this card is that you can also receive discounts on food at restaurants that participate in the Priority Pass program. This is a perk you won’t get on Priority Pass memberships attached to Amex or Capital One cards. You’ll receive up to $30 in credit when you give your Priority Pass card to your server at checkout. And if you bring a guest, you’ll get an additional credit off your bill.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is currently offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. We estimate Chase points to be worth 1.8 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,080 in travel, on average. Read our post on the best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards to see how you can redeem them for significantly more.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the most powerful travel credit cards on the market. It incurs the lowest annual fee of any premium credit card at $395 — making it one of the cheapest ways to hold onto airport lounge membership.

With this card, you’ll get:

• Priority Pass Select — Unlimited access to 1,300 Priority Pass lounges for you and unlimited guests. You can add up to four authorized users at no cost, and they’ll receive the same lounge privileges as the primary cardholder.
• Capital One airport lounges — Unlimited access for you and two free guests, though there is currently only one location in Dallas (DFW) with others coming soon to Denver (DEN) and Washington Dulles.
• Plaza Premium airport lounges — Unlimited access worldwide for you and two free guests

Unlike the Chase Sapphire Reserve, this card’s Priority Pass membership can’t be used at participating airport restaurants.

This card also offers solid benefits such as:

• Up to $300 per year in statement credits toward Capital One Travel Portal bookings
• Access to the Capital One Premier Collection, a luxury hotel booking program
• 10,000-mile bonus each account anniversary (worth at least $100 in travel)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Primary car rental insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Cell phone protection

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Capital One miles are worth 1.7 cents each on average, based on Insider’s valuations, making this bonus worth $1,275. However, if you know how to use Capital One miles to their full potential, you may get even more value.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

You won’t see many five-star credit card ratings on Insider, but the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of the few that deserves it. The card is so packed with valuable benefits for its $450 annual fee that it’s a no-brainer for those who travel with any regularity.

The card provides Priority Pass Select lounge access. That’s unlimited entries for you and up to two guests traveling with you. You’ll also get:

• $250 annual Hilton resort statement credit
• Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond elite status
• Annual reward night certificate
• Another free reward night certificate after you spend a total of $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
• Up to $100 in on-property credits for minimum stays of two nights at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties
• Up to $250 in airline incidental fee credits** per calendar year

The Amex Hilton Aspire comes with 150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. Insider estimates Hilton points value to be 0.5 cents each, on average. That makes this bonus worth $750 in Hilton stays. But if you know the best ways to use Hilton points, you can get many times that value by choosing the right hotel to redeem your points.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is another easy-to-justify premium travel credit card. With an annual fee of $650, you’ll get benefits such as:

• Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
• Annual free night award after your card renewal month (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points)
• 25 elite night credits each calendar year
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

To boot, you’ll receive Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. You and two guests traveling with you can enter for free as often as you like. Even if there’s more than one lounge at your airport, you can hopscotch around to try them all.

The Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant comes with a sky-high elevated welcome bonus offer for a limited time: 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months and earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you stay 6 eligible paid nights at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy through 1/31/24 (offer ends 8/9/23).

Insider estimates Marriott points value to be 0.7 cents each, on average. That means the points from this bonus are worth around $1,400 in Marriott stays. But read our guide to the best ways to use Marriott points to learn how to squeeze much more value from your rewards.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is unique among all airline credit cards in that it provides access to more than just the lounge network of the airline that graces its front. Here’s what you’ll get:

• Delta Sky Club access — Free entry when flying on a same-day Delta-operated/marketed flight. You’ll also get two single-use guest passes each year.
• Amex Centurion Lounge access — Free entry when flying on a same-day Delta-operated/marketed flight. You won’t get any free guests, but can purchase a maximum of two guest passes per visit at a rate of $50 each.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card comes with a $550 annual fee. That’s only slightly more than purchasing a Delta Sky Club membership outright (it normally costs $545 per year).

The card also offers:

• Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights
• Annual Delta companion certificate
• 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, up to four times*
• Complimentary Delta Sky Club airport lounge access when you fly Delta
• Access to complimentary upgrades and upgrade priority
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit after you apply through any authorized enrollment provider
• 15% off Delta award flights
• 20% off inflight purchases as a statement credit

The card has a limited-time welcome bonus offer of 85,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership. Insider estimates Delta miles value to be 1.1 cents each, making this bonus worth $935 miles in Delta flights. But it’s possible to receive much more value from your miles — I once received a value of 26 cents per Delta mile when booking a business-class flight.

Read our post on the best ways to use Delta miles.

United Club℠ Infinite Card

The United Club℠ Infinite Card charges a $525 annual fee. A United Club airport lounge membership costs $650 (unless you have top-tier United elite status). Therefore, if United Club membership is important to you, opening the United Club Infinite is a no-brainer way to save $125.

You’ll receive a full United Club membership with this card, meaning you can also bring two guests (or one adult and as many children under 21 as you like). You’ll even gain access to several other Star Alliance airline lounges.

In addition to United Club lounges, United Airlines also offers Polaris lounges. The United Club Infinite does not grant you access to Polaris — you’ll need a same-day long-haul international flight booked in United Polaris class or business class with another Star Alliance airline.

The United Club Infinite also comes with:

• Free first and second checked bags on United flights (you must pay with the card)
• Priority boarding on United flights
• Premier Access travel services
• NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Complimentary Premier upgrades
• Expanded access to United award flights

Plus, it’s offering a limited-time elevated welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus miles plus 1,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.

Insider estimates United miles value to be 1.3 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,040 in United flights. Read about how to earn and use United miles for secrets of how to redeem that same amount of miles for thousands more dollars.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with a $595 annual fee. The main payoff — and the only reason you should consider paying that fee — is because the card offers American Airlines Admirals Club airport lounge access.

Authorized users are free to add to your Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® card account, and they’ll receive the same Admirals Club lounge access, including guest privileges, at no cost. This is a fantastic deal for families who travel on American Airlines frequently.

Unless you’ve got American Airlines elite status, you’ll pay $650 per year for Admirals Club membership. Opening this card is a much cheaper route. To enter American Airlines lounges, you must have a same-day boarding pass on American or one of its partners to access the lounge.

This card also comes with:

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on your reservation
• Priority screening, check-in, and boarding with American Airlines

To boot, you’ll receive 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $10,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. Insider estimates American Airlines miles are worth 1.4 cents each. That makes this bonus worth $1,400 in airfare. However, if you know the best ways to use American Airlines miles, you can receive many times that value.

One of the Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounges is No Longer Available (But You Can Get it Anyway)

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is perhaps the best travel credit card that isn’t on the market. It’s’ not available to new applicants — but there’s a way you can still get it.

If you ask them, Chase can convert your existing Marriott credit card, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, into the Ritz-Carlton Card. The only catch is that you must have held your current Marriott card for at least one year, and your credit limit must be $10,000 or more. If your credit limit is lower, you can request that credit from your other Chase cards be reallocated to the Ritz-Carlton Card.

The Chase Ritz-Carlton Card comes with Priority Pass lounge access and access to Chase Sapphire Lounges (as long as your Priority Pass membership is activated). Here are a few reasons why it’s better than the majority of travel credit cards for airport lounges:

• There’s no (written) cap on the number of free guests you can bring with you. If you travel with a large family, this could save you $100+ every time you visit a lounge.
• You can add authorized users for free, and they get their own Priority Pass membership (with unlimited guests).
• The Priority Pass membership issued from the Ritz-Carlton card qualifies for Priority Pass restaurant discounts ($28 to $30 off your meal, plus another $28 to $30 if you bring a guest).

You won’t get a welcome bonus since there’s no way to apply for the card. But it also comes with valuable benefits such as:

• Up to $300 in annual credits to offset airline incidentals
• Annual free night certificate with Marriott for hotels costing up to 50,000 points per night
• Top-tier travel coverage

This card comes with a $450 annual fee.

New to Airport Lounges? Give Them a Test Drive for Cheap (or Even Free)

It’s understandable if you’re apprehensive about paying $395+ for a credit card that comes with access to airport lounges — especially if you’re not even sure you’ll like them.

If you want to give them a try to see if they fit your travel style, open one of the following cards first.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card does not come with a full-fledged Priority Pass airport lounge membership. Instead, you’ll get 10 free visits per year. You can choose to use your 10 entries for yourself and for guests. For example, if you and a guest enter a lounge five times, you’ll have exhausted your 10 Priority Pass visits for the year.

This is an excellent way to become familiar with the Priority Pass network. The Amex Hilton Surpass charges a $95 annual fee — far more digestible than other cards on this list.

You’ll also receive:

• Hilton Gold elite status
• Upgrade to Diamond status after you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
• Free weekend night certificate after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

The card offers a welcome bonus of 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.

United℠ Explorer Card

The United℠ Explorer Card allows you to get a feel for airline lounges instead of Priority Pass. Each cardmember year, you’ll receive two single-use passes to United Club lounges. These day passes usually cost $59 each.

The best part? The United℠ Explorer Card comes with an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95. In other words, you can try these lounges without having to pay a dime for the first year. If you don’t like the card, you can cancel when your first annual fee comes due.

This card also offers:

• Free first checked bag on United flights (when you pay for your fare with the card)
• Priority boarding on United flights
• NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Its welcome bonus offer is currently increased for a limited time to 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.

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

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card recently added a 12-month Priority Pass membership with four free visits per year. That may be enough if you travel once or twice a year, and is certainly reasonable considering the card charges an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95.

On top of that, the card comes with a perk you don’t see on other travel credit cards. Its Smart Delay benefit gives the cardholder (and up to three travel companions on the same itinerary) airport lounge access when their flight is delayed by 120 minutes or more.

New cardholders can earn 50,000 points after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days from account opening (worth $500). The card comes with other valuable perks whether you’re traveling or staying home, including:

• $30 annual credit for streaming service purchases
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Cell phone protection
• Roadside dispatch
• Travel and emergency assistance services
• Visa Signature benefits
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

What are airport lounges?

When you go into any old airport bar or restaurant, you’ll likely pay prices reserved for captive audiences in major sports stadiums and theaters. $12 beers and $16 cocktails are far from a bargain. But you can get them for free in an airport lounge.

Most lounge networks provide several premium locations at airports around the world. There are three main lounge types you should know about:

Airline lounges

Most airlines oversee their own proprietary lounge network. Depending on the size of the carrier, it may have just a few lounges or dozens at its most frequented airports.

For the most part, these lounges are reserved for international premium travelers, elite travelers with a ton of annual flights, those who pay a sizable fee, or cardholders of the airline’s premium credit card. Expect to pay $450+ per year for this type of credit card.

Priority Pass Select

Many lounges operate independently of the airlines. Priority Pass is a network that gives you access to 1,300+ lounges around the world.

Each lounge has its own rules on admission, guests, and complimentary beverages. Most give you and two guests admission at no charge. Once inside, you can drink and eat to your heart’s content without paying a dime.

American Express Centurion Lounges

American Express Centurion Lounges are next-level lounges that offer proper hot meals (gourmet, even), with free mixed drinks, shower suites, and sometimes recreational activities like pool and shuffleboard tables.

These lounges are found in the US and in select airports overseas. Centurion Lounges have comparatively few locations when compared to Priority Pass — 24 worldwide at the moment, with another 15 Centurion “Studios” serving as a “lite” version of the premium lounge network.

Unless you frequent major airports, you may not encounter a Centurion Lounge as often as you might think.

Indulging in the luxurious comfort of airport lounges is no longer limited to the elite few. With the right credit card, you can gain access to these havens of relaxation and convenience. From the comprehensive airport lounge access of The Platinum Card® from American Express to the top-tier travel benefits of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, there is a credit card out there to suit every traveler’s needs.

So, the next time you find yourself at the airport, consider treating yourself to the joys of airport lounge access. Enjoy free food and drinks, high-speed internet, comfortable loungers, and a respite from the chaos of the terminal. With the right credit card in hand, you can turn your airport experience from a stressful ordeal to a delightful escape.

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