Airport Lounge Access: Every Way to Get In

Airport lounges transform the worst part of travel into something almost pleasant. Instead of fighting for an outlet in a crowded gate area while eating an overpriced sandwich, you sit in a comfortable chair with free food, drinks, wifi, and relative quiet. For long layovers, the difference between a lounge and the terminal is the difference between arriving at your destination rested and arriving frazzled.

The misconception is that lounges are only for business class passengers and frequent flyers. In reality, there are at least a dozen ways to access airport lounges in 2026, and several of them cost nothing or close to it. This guide covers every method, from free to premium, so you can find the approach that makes sense for your travel habits.

Credit Cards with Lounge Access

Credit cards are the most common way non-elite travelers access lounges. Several cards include lounge memberships as a benefit, effectively making the access free if you value the card’s other perks.

Priority Pass

Priority Pass is the largest independent lounge network, with over 1,500 locations in more than 140 countries. It is the most widely useful lounge membership because of its sheer global coverage.

Several credit cards include Priority Pass membership at no additional cost. The Chase Sapphire Reserve includes unlimited Priority Pass visits for the cardholder and two guests. The Capital One Venture X provides the same benefit. The Amex Platinum includes Priority Pass but limits it to the cardholder only with no guest access through the Priority Pass benefit specifically.

Priority Pass lounges vary enormously in quality. Some are world-class spaces with hot food buffets, full bars, shower suites, and quiet rest areas. Others are small rooms with some packaged snacks and coffee. Before relying on Priority Pass at a specific airport, check which lounges are available and read recent reviews.

One important caveat: Priority Pass lounges have become increasingly crowded as more credit cards include the benefit. Some lounges have implemented capacity limits, turning away Priority Pass members when full. This is particularly common at busy US airports during peak travel times. Having Priority Pass is valuable but not a guarantee of entry at every location.

Amex Centurion Lounges

American Express operates its own network of Centurion Lounges in major airports. These are consistently high quality, with chef-designed menus, craft cocktails, spa services, and well-designed spaces. Access comes with the Amex Platinum card.

The Centurion network is smaller than Priority Pass, with locations concentrated in major US airports and a growing number of international locations. Where they exist, they are generally the best lounge option available.

Centurion Lounges now require either the Platinum card specifically or a Centurion card for entry. Guest access policies have tightened, and guests may require an additional fee unless you have a high spending threshold on your Platinum card. Check current policies before counting on bringing companions.

Capital One Lounges

Capital One has been building its own lounge network, which is accessible to Capital One Venture X cardholders. These lounges are newer, well-designed, and less crowded than Priority Pass locations. The network is still small, limited to a handful of major US airports, but the quality is high and the experience is consistently positive.

The combination of Capital One’s own lounges plus Priority Pass access through the same card makes the Venture X one of the best single cards for lounge access.

Delta Sky Clubs

Delta Sky Club lounges are accessible to holders of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex card when flying Delta. They are also available to Delta Medallion elite members at the Gold level and above. Sky Clubs are consistently decent, with hot food, drinks, and comfortable seating at most major Delta hubs.

Delta has been tightening access policies, limiting how early before a flight you can enter and restricting guest access for lower-tier cardholders. These changes are a response to overcrowding, which has been a persistent issue at high-traffic Sky Club locations.

United Clubs

United Club access comes with the United Club Infinite Card or as a benefit of United Premier 1K status. United has also introduced a United Club membership that can be purchased annually. The clubs are solid if unspectacular, with basic food and beverage service and reliable wifi.

Paid Memberships

If you do not want to commit to a specific credit card, standalone lounge memberships are available.

Priority Pass sells memberships directly. The Standard Plus plan, which includes 10 visits per year, costs around 329 dollars annually. Additional visits are charged at 35 dollars each. The Prestige plan, with unlimited visits, costs around 469 dollars. These are reasonable values if you visit lounges frequently but do not want the credit cards that include the benefit.

Individual airlines sell lounge memberships as well. A United Club membership costs roughly 650 dollars per year. American Airlines Admirals Club membership is in a similar range. These make financial sense only if you fly that airline frequently and value guaranteed access to their specific lounges.

Day Passes

For occasional lounge visitors, single-use day passes offer access without any ongoing commitment.

Many lounges sell day passes at the door for 30 to 75 dollars per person. This is the simplest approach: walk up, pay, and enter. The LoungeBuddy app and the Loungekey platform let you search available lounges at your airport and purchase day passes in advance.

Some airlines also sell day passes through their apps or websites. For instance, you can often purchase a one-time American Airlines Admirals Club pass during online check-in for 59 to 79 dollars. Delta sometimes offers Sky Club one-time passes as well.

The math on day passes is straightforward. If you value the food, drinks, and comfort at more than the pass price, it is worth it. For a long layover where you would otherwise spend 25 dollars on bad airport food and 15 dollars on wifi, a 50-dollar lounge pass that includes all of that plus alcohol and comfortable seating is reasonable.

Flying Business or First Class

The traditional way to access lounges is by holding a business or first class boarding pass. Every major airline provides lounge access to its premium cabin passengers, and this typically extends to the airline’s alliance partners as well.

A business class ticket on a Star Alliance carrier gives you access to Star Alliance lounges worldwide. The same applies to Oneworld and SkyTeam alliances. This means that even if you are flying business class on a single segment of a longer itinerary, you may have lounge access at airports along your entire route.

First class tickets usually unlock an additional tier of premium lounges beyond the standard business class lounge. Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt, Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge in Doha, and Singapore Airlines The Private Room in Changi are legendary examples of what first class lounge access provides.

Airline Elite Status

Frequent flyer status typically includes lounge access at various tiers. The specific threshold varies by airline, but top-tier elite status almost always includes lounge access for the member and often for a companion.

Mid-tier status sometimes includes lounge access on international itineraries but not domestic ones, or provides access only when flying on the airline rather than at any time. Check the specific benefits of your status level, as the details matter.

Some elite status programs can be achieved through credit card spending rather than actual flying. The Marriott Bonvoy program grants United Silver status at certain spending thresholds. Various co-branded airline cards offer accelerated paths to elite status through spending.

Airline-Specific Guest Policies

If you are traveling with someone who has lounge access, you may be able to enter as their guest. Guest policies vary significantly.

Some cards and memberships allow unlimited guests. Others allow one or two. Some charge a fee per guest. And increasingly, lounges are restricting guest access entirely during peak periods to manage capacity.

Before counting on guest access, verify the current policy for the specific card, membership, or status tier your companion holds. Policies change frequently, and what worked last year may not work today.

Lounges Worth Seeking Out

Not all lounges are created equal, and some are worth going out of your way to visit.

International hub airports generally have the best lounges. Doha’s Hamad International Airport, Istanbul’s IST, Singapore Changi, and Hong Kong International all have lounges that are destinations in themselves, with restaurants, showers, nap rooms, and even spa facilities.

In the United States, the best lounge experiences are at the Amex Centurion Lounges, Capital One Lounges, and the new premium terminal facilities at airports like JFK and LAX. The standard domestic airline lounges are adequate but rarely exceptional.

Tips for Getting the Most from Lounge Access

Arrive early enough to enjoy it. Rushing into a lounge 20 minutes before boarding defeats the purpose. Give yourself at least an hour, and more for international departures where the lounge experience can replace an airport restaurant meal.

Check hours and availability before your flight. Not every lounge is open 24 hours, and some close during low-traffic periods. Confirm that the lounge will be open during your layover.

Eat a meal in the lounge to save money and time. At most lounges with hot food, you can have a full meal that would cost 20 to 40 dollars at an airport restaurant. Factor this savings into your evaluation of whether the lounge access is worth its cost.

Shower during long layovers. Many lounges have shower suites, and using them during a long connection freshens you up remarkably. Bring a change of clothes in your carry-on and you arrive at your destination feeling much better than if you had spent the layover in a gate chair.

Use the quiet and wifi for productive work or rest. The wifi in lounges is usually faster and more reliable than the public terminal wifi, and the quieter environment makes it easier to work, read, or simply decompress.

Building Your Lounge Access Strategy

The best strategy depends on how often you fly and which airports you use most.

If you fly more than four or five times per year, a credit card with Priority Pass or Centurion Lounge access is almost certainly worth it, since the card’s annual fee is offset by the lounge benefit alone plus other travel perks.

If you fly once or twice per year, day passes are more economical. Pay for access when you need it and do not carry an annual cost the rest of the time.

If you fly frequently on a single airline, invest in that airline’s ecosystem through their co-branded credit card and loyalty program. The lounge access through airline-specific channels is usually better than third-party programs at that airline’s hub airports.

Whatever approach you choose, having lounge access fundamentally changes the airport experience. The cost, whether through a credit card annual fee, a membership, or an occasional day pass, is one of the better investments you can make in travel comfort.