Best credit cards for lounge access of July 2024
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“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Updated 2:10 p.m. UTC July 18, 2024
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Flying makes far-flung locations accessible, but the journey through the airport can be chaotic. Happily, your time at the airport can include moments of calm since a number of travel credit cards offer complimentary lounge access simply for holding the card.
Here are the best credit cards for lounge access of 2024.
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The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best credit cards for lounge access of July 2024
- Mastercard® Black Card™*: Best credit card for lounge access.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*: Best for authorized users.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for Sapphire lounge access.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for the most lounge access.
- United Club℠ Infinite Card*: Best for United Club Access.
Why trust our credit card experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of credit cards and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best card for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 85+ cards analyzed
- 9+ data points analyzed
- 5-step fact-checking process
Best credit card for lounge access
Mastercard® Black Card™
*The information for the Mastercard® Black Card™ has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for authorized users
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
*The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for Sapphire lounge access
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for the most lounge access
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for United Club Access
United Club℠ Infinite Card
*The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Compare the best cards for lounge access
N/A
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The information for the Mastercard® Black Card™ has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why it’s the best
When thinking about the best credit cards for lounge access, the Mastercard Black Card may not be the first to come to mind. However, it has some surprising features. The card offers Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment, which includes access to over 1,300 airport lounges, spas and restaurants. What makes it industry-leading, however, is that you can bring as many guests as you’d like as often as you’d like, which no other credit card offers.
Pros:
- Authorized users also get a complimentary Priority Pass membership (enrollment required).
- Elevated value for airfare redemptions. When redeeming points for airfare, the value of your points doubles.
- Generous travel protections. Coverage includes trip cancellation/interruption, secondary car rental insurance, travel accident insurance, baggage delay insurance and travel assistance.
Cons:
- High annual fees for both primary cardholder as well as authorized users ($195 each).
- Low rewards earning rate. There are no elevated rewards rates for purchases.
- No intro APR for purchases, although there is a 0% intro APR offer for balance transfers.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $495 ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account).
- Rewards: 2% value for airfare redemptions and 1.5% value for cash back redemptions.
- Welcome bonus: None.
- Foreign transaction fees: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why it’s the best
The Capital One Venture X card offers solid airport lounge access with memberships for Priority Pass, Plaza Premium lounges and Capital One Lounges. Adding an authorized user to your card costs nothing and grants them the same airport lounge access benefits of bringing an additional two guests with them.
Pros:
- $300 annual travel credit for bookings reserved through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.
- Hertz rental car top-tier President’s Circle status¹.
Cons:
- High annual fee.
- No intro APRs for purchases or balance transfers.
- Low rewards-earning rate for purchases outside of Capital One Travel.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $395.
- Rewards: 2 miles per $1 on purchases, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel and on purchases through Capital One Entertainment and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
Why it’s the best
The Chase Sapphire Reserve’s lounge access includes access to Priority Pass (enrollment required) as well as Plaza Premium lounges. You can also access the expanding network of upscale Sapphire Lounges by The Club. Current locations include Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). Sapphire Reserve cardholders can also use the Etihad Lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. (IAD).
Pros:
- Elevated rewards value when redeeming points through Chase Travel. Points are worth 50% more.
- Automatic $300 travel credit every anniversary year. The credit is not limited to Chase Travel Center purchases.
- 1:1 points transfers to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners.
Cons:
- Maximum of two guests allowed into Priority Pass lounges per cardholder.
- Highest rewards-earning rates limited to Chase Travel purchases.
- No intro APRs on purchases or balance transfers.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $550.
- Rewards: 5 points per $1 on flights and 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: $0.
Why it’s the best
If you travel often, you may want to consider The Platinum Card From American Express (terms apply, rates & fees), thanks to its comprehensive Global Lounge Collection. A Priority Pass membership is just the start here. You’ll also have access to American Express Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner, Delta SkyClubs, Lufthansa lounges and Plaza Premium lounges. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Pros:
- Up to $1,500 in annual statement credits. (Enrollment is required for select benefits).
- Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status (enrollment required).
- Complimentary Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and National Car Rental Emerald Club status (enrollment is required).
Cons:
- Low rewards earning rate outside of Amex Travel purchases.
- There is a fee when transferring Amex points to participating transfer partner frequent flyer programs.
- Highest annual fee among all the cards on this list.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $695.
- Rewards: 5 Membership Rewards® points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why it’s the best
Frequent United flyers and those looking for an airline credit card will appreciate the United Club Infinite card thanks to its complimentary lounge membership. Since a United Club membership starts at $650 per year and the card only charges a $525 annual fee, it’s easy to come out ahead.
Pros:
- First and second checked bags are free on United flights for the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation.
- Avis President’s Club membership.
- IHG One Rewards Platinum elite status, plus get up to $75 in statement credits annually for IHG Hotels and Resorts stays.
Cons:
- No annual travel credits.
- No airport lounge access for authorized users unless accompanied by the primary cardholder. Also, only two adult guests or an adult with dependent children under 21 will be allowed lounge access.
- Low rewards earning rate for purchases outside of United flights.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $525.
- Rewards: 4 miles per $1 at United, 2 miles per $1 on all other travel, dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: $0.
Methodology
Our credit cards team has spent hours analyzing hundreds of credit cards. We took a deep dive into the details of each product and that analysis, combined with our years of experience covering credit cards, informed us as we developed these credit card rankings. Factors we considered included:
- Annual fees: 10%.
- Welcome bonus: 5%.
- Annual earnings: 35%.
- Lounge access: 45%.
- Global Entry application fee reimbursement: 2%.
- TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement: 1%.
- NEXUS application fee reimbursement: 1%.
- CLEAR® Plus application fee reimbursement” 1%.
Guide to airport lounges
Traveling presents multiple challenges, not the least of which is being stuck in an airport for hours waiting for your flight. Whether your flight’s been delayed, you have a long layover between flights or some other reason, hanging out in an uncomfortable seat amongst all the hustle and bustle can quickly become unpleasant.
An airport lounge can provide a more relaxing experience as they can offer quiet, free food, comfortable chairs, drinks, charging stations or even showers or massages. There are several ways to gain access to airport lounges, including:
- Getting a credit card that offers airport lounge access.
- Paying for a membership. Depending on the particular lounge network, the cost can run from several hundred dollars to over $1,000.
- Buy a day pass, if available. Prices can vary from $35 to $79 a person.
- You have elite status with an airline that grants lounge access.
- If you’re an active military member, you may qualify for complimentary access, depending on the airline’s policies.
- Depending on an airline’s policies, you may receive lounge access with a first- or business-class ticket.
- You may be able to redeem miles for a day pass or lounge membership, depending on the airline and credit card.
While airport lounges aren’t located in every airport, especially smaller ones, the odds of finding one in a major airport, such as Chicago, New York or busy international airports, are good.
Credit card issuer lounges
The following credit card issuers have airport lounges:
American Express Centurion lounges. Currently, there are over two dozen international lounges and U.S. Centurion lounges, with more on the way. Access is limited to Platinum card members, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (terms apply, rates & fees) members, Centurion members and eligible guests. Additional guests will be charged $50 for an adult and $30 for children under 17.
Capital One lounges. Locations for Capital One lounges include Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport and Dulles International Airport. Eligible Venture X and Capital One Venture X Business Card * The information for the Capital One Venture X Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. cardholders get complimentary, unlimited access for the primary cardholder and two guests and $45 for additional guests. All other travelers will be charged $54 per visit.
Chase Sapphire lounges. There are just a few Sapphire Lounges by The Club, including locations in Boston (BOS), Hong Kong (HKG) and New York LaGuardia (LGA), with additional locations in the works. Complimentary access to these lounges is limited to Chase Sapphire Reserve, J.P. Morgan Reserve * The information for the J.P. Morgan Reserve has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card members and their authorized users. Reserve cardholders can bring up to two guests and then $27 for additional guests while Ritz-Carlton cardholders can bring unlimited guests. Note that Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders don’t get lounge access. Note: The Ritz-Carlton card is no longer available for new customers.
Airline lounges
Most major U.S. airlines also have their own suite of lounges available for their customers who either have paid memberships, are flying with a partner airline or who want to purchase a day pass (if available) or have a credit card that offers free or discounted membership.
Alaska Board Room. Alaska Airlines currently has lounge locations in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York (JFK), Portland and Anchorage. Membership costs $450 for elites and $650 for non-elites. You can also purchase an Alaska Lounge+ membership for $650, which unlocks another 90 partner lounges. A day pass will cost $60 per person. First-class or first-class award ticket holders where flights exceed 2,000 miles can also get in.
American Airlines Admirals Club. Access is available for Admirals Club members ($850 membership fee for first-time members or $1,650 for first-time household members) and Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® * The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. cardholders. You can also buy a one-day pass for $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles. There are more than 50 partner lounges across the U.S. and internationally. American Airlines also has its Flagship Lounges, which have tighter entry restrictions, but American Airlines travelers can purchase a single-pass visit for $150 or 15,000 AAdvantage miles.
Delta SkyClub. With more than 50 locations worldwide, annual memberships are only available for purchase by Medallion® Delta Skymiles members for $695. Otherwise, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card * The information for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. cardholders get complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club, plus four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. Once all 15 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card. Access is also available for Delta One or SkyTeam Premium Cabin flyers, as well as Delta Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members (restrictions apply).
All information about Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club. Membership in the Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club costs an initial $299 or 40,000 miles. Members get access to Hawaii’s airport clubs as well as receive priority pre-boarding, two free checked bags and two one-time passes to The Plumeria Lounge at Daniel K Inouye International Airport.
United Club/Polaris lounges. There are 45 United Club lounges and five United Polaris lounges and partner lounges throughout the U.S. and some international airports. United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and United℠ Business Card * The information for the United℠ Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. cardholders get two complimentary, one-time passes annually. Otherwise, membership costs anywhere from $650 or 85,000 miles for general membership to $550 a year, depending on the level of elite status. United Club Infinite cardholders get a complimentary membership.
Virgin America Clubhouse. Virgin America Clubhouse lounges are located in London Heathrow (LHR), New York (JFK), Johannesburg (JNB), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington, D.C. (IAD) airports. There are also numerous shared lounges across the U.S. and internationally. Clubhouse locations are reserved for upper-class and Flying Club Gold or other elite status members, such as Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion or Flying Blue Platinum. Access is also complimentary for American Express Platinum Card holders and Priority Pass members may have access to participating Clubhouse lounges. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Other lounge networks
In addition to airline and credit card issuer lounges, there are lounge networks where membership allows you to gain access to a variety of airport lounges.
Escape lounges. Escape boasts over 20 lounges in the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia. You can book a lounge stay through the website and prices range from around $30 to $40 per person. Anyone flying with any airline, regardless of ticket status, can purchase access. Escape also accepts walk-ins on the day of flight.
Loungebuddy. Loungebuddy is a website allowing travelers to book airport lounge visits across the globe. Essentially, you enter the airport where you want lounge access (note that not all airport lounges are bookable) and reserve the date and time and pay for the visit. Prices will vary according to the particular lounge you select. If you have lounge access through a credit card or airline elite status, you can also use Loungebuddy to locate participating lounges with a specific airport.
Plaza Premium. Plaza Premium operates lounges in more than 80 airports around the globe. Travelers can either pre-book through its website or walk in as a guest. Prices vary depending on the location, but know there are currently only two Plaza Premium lounges in the U.S., located in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Orlando (MCO).
Priority Pass. Many high-end travel rewards cards come with Priority Pass membership, which includes more than 1,500 lounges globally. Otherwise, you can opt to pay for a membership, which runs from $99 for standard (but you have to pay a $35 visit fee), $329 for standard plus (which includes 10 complimentary visits) or Prestige (unlimited visits, but guests pay $35.
Oneworld. Oneworld is a global alliance of 13 member airlines and boasts access to more than 600 airport lounges worldwide. Lounge access is available to first-class or business-class passengers traveling on a member airline. Also, if you have either Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby status with oneworld, which is achieved by meeting a member airline’s frequent flyer status, such as AAdvantage Platinum, you can also gain access to oneworld lounges and other perks.
Other ways to gain lounge access
If your credit card or frequent flyer status with a particular airline does not grant you lounge access, know that some lounge networks offer paid memberships, day passes or even walk-in visits for a fee. The best way to find out which lounges are available to non-members or walk-ins is to visit the LoungeBuddy website.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The best credit card for airport lounge access is the Mastercard Black Card. This is due to the fact that its Priority Pass membership includes non-lounge experiences and allows you to bring as many guests as you’d like when traveling.
Many different credit cards offer complimentary lounge access. How and where will depend on which card. The Capital One Venture X card, for example, offers unlimited visits to the Capital One Lounge. Likewise, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers unlimited access to Chase Sapphire lounges. Both of these cards also offer Priority Pass memberships with unlimited access to 1,300 partner lounges.
The United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers two United Club one-time passes annually, but there is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee after that. Otherwise, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a no-annual-fee card that offers lounge access.
Priority Pass is a network of airport lounges and lounge access pertains to accessing a particular airport lounge. There are many types of lounges and each has its own set of policies and restrictions for who can enter and who cannot.
The United Club Infinite Card ($525 annual fee) and the United Club℠ Business Card * The information for the United Club℠ Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offer a complimentary United Club membership when you fly on a United or Star Alliance airline. Otherwise, the United℠ Business Card * The information for the United℠ Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offer two one-time passes each year.
American Airlines has over 50 Admirals Club lounges around the world.
Only the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard ($595 annual fee) offers complimentary Admirals Club membership for the cardholder, plus four one-time guest passes annually.
Both the Delta SkyMiles Reserve ($650 annual fee, rates & fees) and the Reserve Business card ($650 annual fee) as well as authorized users of those cards can get complimentary access to Delta Sky Club and Centurion lounges.
For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card please visit this page.
¹Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
*The information for the Capital One Venture X Business Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, J.P. Morgan Reserve, Mastercard® Black Card™, United Club℠ Business Card, United Club℠ Infinite Card, United℠ Business Card and United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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