The Best Credit Cards With Airport Lounge Access of February 2025

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.

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.

Compare the Top Credit Cards With Airport Lounge Access

Best Credit Cards with Lounge Access in 2025

• Best for low annual fee: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Best for luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Best for travel insurance: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Best for Marriott loyalists: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Best for Delta loyalists: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Best for United loyalists: United Club℠ Infinite Card
• Best for American Airlines loyalists: Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
• Best business card for luxury travel: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

What Are Airport Lounges?

At most airport bars and restaurants, 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 proprietary lounge network. Depending on the size of the carrier, it may have just a few lounges or dozens at its most frequented airports. United, American and Delta all have their own airport lounge networks, and many international airlines also operate lounges around the world. 

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, which usually come with annual fees of $450 or more per year.

Priority Pass Select

Many lounges operate independently of the airlines. Priority Pass is a network that gives you access to more than 1,500 lounges around the world.

Each lounge has its own rules on admission, guests, and complimentary beverages. Most offer admission for you and up to two guests 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. They're located in some of the busiest airports in the U.S. and worldwide.

Chase Sapphire Lounges

Chase Sapphire Lounges are relative newcomers to the credit card lounge game. Chase has opened locations in Hong Kong as well as half a dozen across the U.S. Additional locations have been announced, and will continue being rolled out in years to come.

Capital One Lounges

Capital One is also following suit after Chase and Amex with the recent launch of its Capital One Lounges. 

Credit Cards with Airline Lounge Access Reviews

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for Low Annual Fee

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has the lowest annual fee of any premium credit card at just $395, making it one of the cheapest ways to get airport lounge membership.

This card also offers solid benefits, especially for its cost:

• Priority Pass lounge access
• Access to Capital One Lounges
• $300 per year in 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
• 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 three months from account opening.

Capital One miles are worth 1.7 cents each on average, based on Business Insider's valuations, making this bonus worth $1,275. But you can get even more value from your points if you know how to use Capital One miles to their full potential.

Read more about this card in our Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card review.

The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for Luxury Travel

No travel card on the market offers more comprehensive airport lounge access than The Platinum Card® from American Express.

For reference, the Amex Platinum Card offers the same lounge access benefits as the vaunted invite-only Amex Black card (terms apply).

Cardholders receive entry to the following lounge networks (terms apply):

• Amex Centurion Lounges
• Priority Pass (enrollment required)
• 10 visits to Delta Sky Club lounges when you fly Delta or unlimited visits after spending $75,000 or more in a calendar year
• Escape Lounge
• Plaza Premium lounges
• Lufthansa lounges (when flying on a Lufthansa Group flight)

The Platinum Card® from American Express charges a $695 annual fee, but it comes with many excellent ongoing benefits (rates and fees). You'll need to activate many of them before you can use them and terms apply, but they include:

• Up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year after selecting one qualifying airline
• Either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit ($120 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 $199 per year in credits for CLEAR® Plus membership
• Up to $200 in credits a 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 doled out as $15 in Uber Cash per month, plus a bonus $20 in December when you select your card as the payment method on your Uber account
• Up to $20 monthly in statement credits toward eligible digital subscriptions (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, The Wall Street Journal, Peacock, and The New York Times)
• $12.95 in credits each month toward Walmart+ membership
• Cellphone protection benefits

The card also offers 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.

Business 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 earn and use Amex points to see how much more valuable these points can be.

Read more in our American Express Platinum card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for Travel Insurance

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of Business 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 any of the 1,500-plus Priority Pass lounges as often as you want — with two free guests per visit. You can even add authorized users for $75 each so they can get their own Priority Pass Select membership.
• Chase Sapphire Lounges — Chase opened its first-ever Sapphire Lounge in Hong Kong, followed by half a dozen locations in the U.S.

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.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a $550 annual fee. But for that price, you'll also receive other benefits including:

• Up to $300 in travel credit yearly
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS application fee credit
• Primary rental car insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® currently offers 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.

Read more about this card in our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Best for Marriott Loyalists

The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is another premium travel credit card, and it can be easy to justify if you frequently stay at Marriott Bonvoy® properties.

For an annual fee of $650 (rates and fees), you'll get benefits such as:

• Up to $300 in dining credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
• Annual free night award after your card renewal anniversary (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

Terms apply to the benefits above.

Of course, you'll receive Priority Pass Select airport lounge access after enrollment. You and two guests traveling with you can enter for free as often as you like, as long as you're departing on a flight that day. Even if there's more than one lounge at your airport, you can hopscotch around to try them all. Terms apply.

The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with a welcome bonus offer of 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. Terms apply.

Business Insider estimates Marriott points to be worth 0.7 cents each, on average. That means the points from this bonus are worth around $665 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.

Read more in our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card review.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Best for Delta Loyalists

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 in exchange for a $650 annual fee (rates and fees):

• Delta Sky Club access — Free entry when flying on a same-day Delta-operated/marketed flight, on up to 15 visits per year (can unlock an unlimited number of visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year)
• Amex Centurion Lounge access — Free entry when flying on a same-day Delta-operated/marketed flight

The card also offers a number of benefits (terms apply):

• Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights
• Annual Delta companion certificate
• 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 welcome bonus offer of 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership (offer ends 4/2/25). Terms apply.

Business Insider estimates Delta miles value to be 1.1 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,100 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.  

Read more in our Delta Reserve review.

United Club℠ Infinite Card: Best for United Loyalists

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 Card 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.

Note: In addition to United Club lounges, United Airlines also offers Polaris lounges. The Chase United Club℠ Infinite Card 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 Chase United Club℠ Infinite Card 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

Right now, new cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Business 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 to learn how to redeem your reward for flights worth thousands of dollars.

Read more in our United Club Infinite card review.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Best for American Airlines Loyalists

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with a $595 annual fee.

The primary payoff — and the only reason you should consider paying that fee — is because the card offers American Airlines Admirals Club airport lounge access.

Unless you've got American Airlines elite status, you'll pay up to $850 per year for Admirals Club membership, so opening this card is a much cheaper route to AA lounge access.

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, new cardholders can earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $7,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

We estimate that American Airlines miles are worth 1.4 cents each. That makes this bonus worth $980 in airfare. However, if you know the best ways to use American Airlines miles, you can receive many times that value.

Read more in our Citi AAdvantage Executive card review.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Best Business Card for Luxury Travel

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers the same airport lounge access and guest policies as the personal version of this card.

However, this card is marketed to an entirely different audience. This is a small-business card, meaning you must have a business venture (even a part-time gig) to qualify.

Its key benefits are more closely aligned with business expenses, and many require enrollment before you can use them (terms apply):

• 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 $200 in U.S. Dell credits through June 30, 2025
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
• Up to $120 credits for U.S. wireless providers each year, doled out as $10 monthly
• Up to $360 in Indeed credits each calendar year, doled out as $90 each quarter
• Up to $150 in Adobe credits each calendar year
• Up to $199 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, on up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year
• Cellphone protection

New cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the card within the first three months of card membership (terms apply). This can be a high spending requirement for some, but many small business owners find themselves able to reach this amount by applying for this card around tax payment time or when they have large upcoming purchases.

Again, Business Insider values Amex points at 1.8 cents each, making this bonus worth $2,700 in travel, on average.

Read more in our Amex Business Platinum card review.

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 one of the best travel credit cards 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 request it, Chase can upgrade your existing Chase-issued Marriott credit card, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card , to the Ritz-Carlton Card. (This move won't work for Amex-issued Marriott cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® 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 the membership from this card is 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 each cardholder gets their own Priority Pass membership (with unlimited guests)

You can't earn 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

It's understandable if you're apprehensive about paying $395 or more 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 try a lounge or two to see if they fit your travel style, open one of the following cards first.

United℠ Explorer Card

The United℠ Explorer Card allows you to try out airline lounges outside the Priority Pass network. Each cardmember year, you'll receive two single-use passes to United Club lounges on your anniversary. 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
• Complimentary Premier upgrades
• Expanded access to United award flights

Its welcome bonus offer is currently 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.

Read more in our United Explorer card review.

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.

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 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. The card comes with other valuable perks whether you're traveling or staying home, including:

• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
• Visa Signature benefits
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

Read more in our U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card review.

Airport Lounge Access Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions 

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

Business Insider's credit card team sifted through dozens of cards offering some form of airport lounge access, and narrowed down our list to include the most accessible and broadly useful cards for U.S. 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 that primarily offer access to lounges abroad.

We also skipped cards that offer discounts on lounge memberships, or that only include a couple of passes to a single lounge location each year. 

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

Joseph Hostetler

Credit cards reporter

Joseph Hostetler is a credit card expert who specializes in helpful miles and points tricks. He is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).Joseph has more than six years of experience writing professionally about credit cards, previously authoring and editing for The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets. 

Read more Read less

Angela Fung

Marketing Compliance and Operations Manager

Angela Fung is the marketing compliance and operations manager for Business Insider’s personal finance team. She is a personal finance expert and has been a part of Business Insider for nearly four years. ExperienceAngela leads the compliance team in identifying and reducing risk for readers, the editorial team, and external partners. Her team aims to provide readers with accurate, up-to-date information about financial products and maintain reader trust. She ensures regulatory and partner marketing guidelines are upheld for partners and adheres to the personal finance team’s editorial standards so they can maintain editorial independence. Angela likes helping readers better understand personal finance so that they can build a strong foundation for their financial plan and, hopefully, give themselves the freedom to do more in other facets of their lives.ExpertiseAngela has expertise in and oversees compliance in the following areas of personal finance:

• Personal credit cards
• Business credit cards
• High-yield savings accounts
• CDs

She also has a thorough knowledge of federal regulation for consumer financial protection. A few examples include:

• Regulation Z, Truth in Lending
• Unfair, Deceptive, Or Abusive Acts Or Practices (UDAAP)
• Regulation N, Mortgage Acts and Practices Advertising Rule
• Endorsement Guidelines

EducationAngela graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. In her free time, she shoots lifestyle photography, volunteers at Meals for Unity, and plays tennis.

Read more Read less