Best Credit Cards That Provide Airport Lounge Access

The Platinum Card® from American Express (Review) is one of the best cards for airport lounge access, providing cardholders with the Amex Global Lounge Collection. It comes with a hefty fee, however (Rates & Fees). There’s a business version of this with the same lounge access, which is the runner up here, along with the Centurion Card (but that’s invite only).

There are also a few different “flavors” of the Amex Platinum Card. They require eligible accounts with certain financial institutions if you want to apply. In general they offer the same rewards and benefits, although there are some differences in the redemption options and fees. The other flavors are:

• American Express Platinum Card® for Schwab
• Morgan Stanley Platinum Card
• Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs

The Global Lounge Collection provides unlimited visits to the following lounges for Platinum cardholders, with certain restrictions. While most cards just provide access to one lounge brand, the Amex Platinum card stands out for such a broad offering. If you want to relax at every airport you ever visit, this card will give you the best chance of finding a lounge you can enter.

Authorized card users can access these lounges as well. Up to three Platinum authorized users can be designated for a total price of $175. After that, each additional Platinum authorized user will cost $175.

Authorized users have the same lounge access in most cases, but there might be some restrictions. If you’re not totally sure you can enter a particular lounge as an authorized user, call and check before you make travel plans.

• 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar on Flights booked with airlines or through Amex Travel, and prepaid Hotels booked through Amex Travel
• 60,000 Membership Rewards points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months of card membership
• $200 annual airline fee credit: Good for incidental costs like checked bags and in-flight food
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: A credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 every five years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 every four-and-a-half years)
• The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit for every eligible two-night stay
• Complimentary hotel statuses: Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
• $200 in annual Uber credits: A $15 credit for Uber rides or UberEATS each month, except for $20 in December
• $100 in annual Saks credits: A $50 credit for January through June, and a $50 credit for July through December
• No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
  
• Annual fee: $550; $175 for the first three Platinum authorized users, then $175 each
• Charge card: You must pay your balance in full each billing period
• Metal charge card

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review) is one of our favorite travel credit cards. It boasts a strong rewards program that’ll serve you well for domestic or foreign trips, whether you’re booking flights or dining out.

Along with your Priority Pass access you’ll have a nice travel credit to help knock down the annual fee, plus an airport security credit and excellent travel insurance perks. Learn more about making the most of your Sapphire Reserve benefits here.

Authorized users cost $75 each per year, and get the same access to Priority Pass lounges.

• 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Travel (after using full $300 travel credit) and Dining
• 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
• 50% point bonus: A 50% bonus on points redeemed for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards (comes to 1.5 cents per point)
• $300 annual travel credit: Good for any travel expenses, unlike the credits you get with some other cards
• Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection: With perks like daily breakfast for two and free WiFi
• Elite Hotel Benefits at Relais & Châteaux: Get Club 5C status after staying two nights at qualifying properties in a given year.
• Special car rental privileges: At Avis, Silvercar, and National Car Rental
• Primary car rental insurance: Decline the car rental company’s insurance to get primary coverage for eligible rented vehicles.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $450; $75 per authorized user
• Metal credit card

The Prestige is much loved for its fourth night free perk, even though it was recently downgraded to a twice-per-year limit. You can still use it to get an awesome discount, especially for more expensive hotels.

This card’s bonus categories (which include air travel and hotels) pair nicely with the Priority Pass and fourth night benefits, making it easy to maximize the card’s value — you can earn rewards and tap into various benefits for several legs of your journey.

Authorized users cost $75 each, and they can access this lounge perk as well.

• 5X ThankYou points per dollar for Air travel and Restaurants
• 3X ThankYou points per dollar at Hotels and Cruise lines
• 50,000 ThankYou points for spending $4,000 within 3 months of account opening
• Complimentary 4th Night Free: Get your fourth night free on stays of four nights or more when booked through ThankYou.com, capped at twice per year.
• $250 annual travel credit: Good for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and other travel expenses
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: A credit for the Global Entry ($100) or TSA Pre✓ ($85) application fee, once every five years
• Citi Prestige Concierge: Call for non-emergency help at any time, like making reservations or finding hotels.
• Mastercard Airport Concierge: Get a 15% discount on select airport services.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $495; $75 per authorized user
• Metal credit card

The Mastercard® Black Card™ (Review) is expensive for what you get, and we wouldn’t typically recommend it, but it has one standout feature that sets it apart: it allows for unlimited guests at Priority Pass lounges.

There are a few cards that allow for unlimited guests, and this is probably the easiest to get. The other Luxury Card that provides it has quite the annual fee and is an even harder pill to swallow; and the only other option, the Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card, is not always available and requires you to be a City National Bank client (but it actually provides two full Priority Pass memberships!).

Unlike most cards, you don’t have to manually enroll in Priority Pass Select when you get either the Mastercard Black or Gold card; you’ll be automatically enrolled after you’re approved.

Authorized users cost $195 each, and they can use this lounge benefit as well.

• 1X point per dollar for every purchase
  • 2% cash back equivalent when redeeming for airfare
  • 1.5% cash back equivalent when redeeming for cash back
• $100 annual air travel credit: Good for flight tickets, baggage fees, upgrades, and other expenses
• Global Entry application fee credit: A $100 credit for the Global Entry application fee, once every five years (Global Entry can include TSA PreCheck)
• Airport Meet & Assist: Have a professional meet and escort you through the airport to save time and avoid hassle.
• Luxury Card Concierge: Call or use the app for non-emergency assistance at any time.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $495; $195 per authorized user
• Metal credit card

This card provides consistent Priority Pass lounge access at the lowest annual fee, though you’ll only get a handful of free visits per year. There are some cards without annual fees that can provide access through bonus offers, and you’ll find them in the runners up here, but you’d actually end up paying more for a more expensive lounge deal with them.

To get the UNFCU® Elite Visa® Card you’ll need to be a UNFCU member. Employees of the United Nations are eligible to join the UNFCU, along with members of their families and some other individuals.

If you don’t meet the criteria, you can join the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) for $25. Then you’ll be eligible to join the UNFCU.

Up to three authorized users can be added to your account for free, but they do not receive extra free visits.

• 2X points per dollar at Grocery stores, Restaurants, and Online food delivery
• Visa Concierge: Call your personal Visa assistant at any time for non-emergency help.
• Travel and shopping protections: Like Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Travel Accident Insurance, and Trip Interruption Insurance
• Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 6 months, then 11.90% Variable
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $50; no fee for authorized users

The American Express® Green Card (Review) has been newly upgraded, and now includes credits with a popular lounge brand aggregator: LoungeBuddy.

Cardholders get $100 in annual credits to spend with LoungeBuddy, and that can get you into a variety of different lounges, from wide-ranging access brands like Priority Pass and DragonPass to airline-specific brands like Delta Sky Club and Southwest Airlines Lounges.

A lot of cards provide a Priority Pass Select membership, but if you’re not enamored with those lounges you might want to check out what LoungeBuddy has to offer.

Your $100 in credits will apply to purchases of LoungeBuddy access made through the LoungeBuddy website or app. The credits will arrive two to four weeks after making purchases.

Depending on the lounge brands you want to enter, $100 could get you two to three visits per year, or perhaps more. LoungeBuddy brands include Priority Pass, DragonPass, Delta Sky Club, United Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and more.

Purchases made by authorized users are eligible for the credits, but only $100 in credits in total will be available for any card account per calendar year.

• 3X points per dollar on Travel and Restaurants
• 30,000 bonus points for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• Up to $100 in statement credits for Away purchases in the first 3 months after account opening (expires 1/15/20)
• $100 annual CLEAR credit: Up to $100 in credit per year for a CLEAR membership, which provides expedited security screening at certain airports, stadiums, and events
• Point transfer: To a selection of airline and hotel partners, like British Airways, Delta, Marriott, and Choice Privileges
• Amex Offers: Find significant discounts at a changing selection of merchants and websites.
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership: ShopRunner provides free two-day shipping and returns at participating online retailers.
• Travel Protections: Baggage Insurance Plan, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $150

The Aspire is your premium Hilton credit card option, with a bevy of perks to help make your stays a bit cheaper and more pleasant. These include the highest elite hotel status, over $500 in annual credits, and at least one free weekend night per year.

You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Priority Pass lounges, but, since this is an Amex card, you won’t get any Priority Pass restaurant credits — an unfortunate update to the program.

• 34X points per dollar at Hilton properties
  • 14X Bonus points per dollar from the card
  • 20X Base points per dollar for Hilton Honors Diamond status
• 7X Bonus points per dollar for:
  • U.S. restaurants
  • Select car rentals
  • Flights booked directly with airlines
• 3X Bonus points per dollar for all other purchases
• 150,000 Bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status: Includes a 100% bonus on Base points earned, room upgrades to suites when available, executive lounge access, a 48-hour room guarantee, and more
• Annual free Weekend Night Award: One free night every year, and earn another free weekend night by spending $60,000 in a calendar year
• $100 Hilton on-property credit: Good for every eligible stay of two nights or more, valid for incidental fees only
• Annual $250 Hilton resort statement credit
• Annual $250 airline fee statement credit: For incidental fees only
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $450

The Brilliant card is one of the better premium hotel cards, with plenty of valuable credits and features to help offset its annual fee. There are a few other Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, but this is the only one with any kind of airport lounge access.

Like the Platinum and Hilton Aspire above, this is an Amex card, so you won’t get any restaurant credits to go along with your lounging.

• 18.5X points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy properties
  • 6X Bonus points per dollar from the card
  • 12.5X Base points per dollar for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
• 3X Bonus points per dollar for:
  • Flights booked directly from airlines
  • U.S. restaurants
• 2X Bonus points per dollar for all other purchases
• 75,000 Bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• $300 annual Marriott Bonvoy hotel credit: Up to $300 in statement credits for eligible purchases
• Free Night Award: Every year after your account anniversary you’ll get a Free Night Award, good for redemption values of 50,000 points or less.
• Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 every five years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 every four-and-a-half years)
• Complimentary Gold Elite hotel status: Includes perks like a 25% bonus on base points, 2 p.m. late checkout, and more
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each year you’ll get 15 Elite Night Credits toward a higher member status
• $100 property credit: Earn up to $100 in property credits when booking at least two nights direct with a special rate code at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis.
• Bonus points for airline transfers: Get 15,000 bonus points for every 60,000 points transferred to airline programs.
• Annual fee: $450

The Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite^™ Mastercard^®, at a $450 annual fee, is your only option if you want a credit card with Admirals Club access.

This is a great perk if you regularly travel with family, as all of your designated authorized users get the same complimentary lounge access. But, before springing for the premium AA option, you may want to compare this card’s features to what you’d get from a less expensive American Airlines card.

Authorized users can access the Admirals Club as well. Up to 10 authorized users can be added for free. However, certain affiliated lounges may be off limits to authorized users.

• 2X American Airlines AAdvantage miles per dollar for every eligible American Airlines purchase
• 50,000 bonus miles for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• First checked bag free: On American Airlines flights, for you and up to eight traveling companions
• 25% savings on eligible in-flight purchases: A 25% discount on in-flight purchases of food and beverages on American Airlines flights
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application credit: A statement credit for the Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application fee, once every five years
• Enhanced Airport Experience: Get priority check-in, screening, and boarding privileges when available.
• 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles: Earn 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles by spending $40,000 in a given account year.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $450; up to 10 authorized users for no fee

The Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express is a premium card for traveling with Delta airlines, with a $450 Annual Fee ($550 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020).

Like most other airline cards, you’ll earn some rewards but most of the value comes from the extra benefits, like free checked bags, priority boarding, and annual companion passes. Check out the runners up for some less expensive options for Delta Sky Club access if you don’t expect to fly enough to make this card worth the fee.

Authorized users cost $175 each, and will have the same access to Delta Sky Clubs.

• 2X Delta miles per dollar on Delta purchases
• 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
• Annual companion certificate: Get a certificate every year for a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin round-trip ticket.
• First checked bag free: On Delta flights, for you and up to eight traveling companions
• 20% in-flight savings: A 20% discount on in-flight purchases of food and beverages on Delta-operated flights
• Priority Boarding: On Delta flights
• 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs: Spend $30,000 per year to get 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs.
• Additional 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs: Spend $60,000 per year to get an additional 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $450 Annual Fee ($550 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020); $175 per authorized user

The United MileagePlus® Club Card (Review) is one of several co-branded United cards. It’s a premium travel card designed for United devotees, but its perks include some decent hotel benefits as well.

This card can get you into the United Club for free every time you fly, but a different United card may be a better fit if you won’t fly as much or don’t need to visit a lounge every trip. You’ll find some less expensive options in the runners up, but those cards charge for every lounge visit.

Authorized user cards are free, but authorized users do not get independent access to United Clubs.

• 2X miles per dollar on tickets purchased from United
• 1.5X miles per dollar for all other purchases
• 50,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• Free first and second checked bags: For the primary cardholder and one companion traveling on the same reservation
• World of Hyatt Discoverist status: Register to get a 10% point bonus, room upgrades, and more.
• Hertz President’s Circle elite status: Join for a 25% bonus on Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Points along with other perks.
• Premier upgrades on award tickets: Complimentary Premier Upgrades on United-operated flights, when available
• Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection: Get room upgrades, complimentary daily breakfast for two, and more.
• Premier Access travel services: Get priority check-in, security screening, and boarding/baggage handling privileges.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $450; no fee for authorized users

The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® (Review) is made for flying with the German airline Lufthansa, and provides two free annual visits to its business lounges.

It’s fee is $89 (waived for Senator and HON Circle Members), and it lacks some of the features you typically find on airline cards, like free checked bags and advance boarding. But it does come with an annual companion certificate, a rare find on a card at this level that could prove quite valuable.

Your first vouchers will be sent after the account is first used for a purchase. Every year after that, vouchers will be sent 45 days after payment of the annual fee. Vouchers may take four to six weeks to arrive after qualifications have been met.

Authorized users are free with this card, but they do not get their own lounge vouchers. Only the primary cardholder will get the two vouchers per year.

• 2X miles per dollar on tickets purchased from Miles & More integrated partners, including Lufthansa and other European airlines
• 75,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 90 days after account opening
• 25,000 bonus miles for spending $20,000 in the first year
• Annual companion ticket: Good for an economy-class ticket, subject to taxes and fees
• 15% off Miles & More hotel and car awards: Automatically applied when you pay with your card
• Convert award miles to status miles: Each year, you can convert up to 25,000 award miles to status miles at a 5:1 ratio.
• Shopping and travel protections: Like Baggage Delay Insurance and Trip Cancellation Insurance
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $89 (waived for Senator and HON Circle Members); no fee for authorized users

The SKYPASS Visa Signature Credit Card is affiliated with Korean Air, and provides two free annual visits to Korean Air Airport Lounges.

This is a pretty simple card, overall, without many airline perks beyond lounge access. But the annual fee is smaller than your typical airline card, so if Korean Air often finds its way onto your itinerary it could help you earn more miles more quickly.

You’ll receive your access coupons 8 to 10 weeks after paying the annual fee.

Authorized users for this card are free, but you won’t get any extra access coupons. Only two coupons are provided per account, per year.

• 2X miles per dollar on Korean Air purchases
• 2,000 bonus miles when you renew your account every year
• Visa Concierge: Call your personal Visa assistant at any time for non-emergency help.
• Travel and shopping protections: Like an Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Travel Accident Insurance, and Purchase Security, among others
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee: $95; no fee for authorized users