How to Get Access to Airport Lounges

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Are airport lounges worth it?
6 ways to get access to airport lounges

Airport lounges are becoming more and more popular, and lounge operators are responding to the surge in popularity by cracking down on their admission policies.

This year, Delta added new restrictions to SkyClub access for certain American Express cardholders. Next year, Capital One is planning new, stricter lounge access rules for its own cardholders.

Even as the entrance rules get stricter, there are still ways for travelers to get into these increasingly exclusive and luxurious spaces. From travel credit cards that still offer complimentary lounge access to day passes for less frequent flyers, here are the various ways to get access to airport lounges right now.

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Are airport lounges worth it?

A senior business man works on his laptop while sitting inside an airport lounge.

Unless you’re dealing with an extensive layover or flight delay, many people try to spend as little time as possible in the airport before their flight. But even a short stay in a lounge is vastly more appealing than sitting in an uncomfortable seat at your gate and dragging your carry-on around to find a reasonably priced snack.

Not only do lounges offer better WiFi, tons of comfortable seating options, and televisions – they also usually provide free food and drinks, including alcoholic options. (Considering how much food and beverages cost in an airport, you may save money this way alone.)

In fact, some even have showers, for those coming off long-haul flights or running to an important destination on their next flight.

Simply put, amenity-packed lounges are quieter, cleaner, and more relaxing places to be before a flight.

6 ways to get access to airport lounges

A group of travelers wait to get into a capital one airport lounge.

Travelers have many different options for gaining airport lounge access, including:

1. Buy a first class or business ticket

A higher-class ticket comes with many perks — including lounge access. Travel websites like Skyscanner help you filter plane tickets based on cabin class.

However, some airlines don't have lounges or offer complimentary access for specific ticket classes or specific routes (think Delta and American Airlines), so confirm the airline's lounge access policy before buying a ticket.

2. Gain elite status with an airline

Joining an airline's loyalty program is one of the most sure-fire ways to get access to an airport lounge. While you typically need to reach one of the higher tiers, some loyalty programs make it easier than others to get complimentary lounge access. Compare different programs to find the best fit and choose an airline that has lounge locations at the airports you visit most.

For example, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan grants complimentary lounge access to MVP Gold, Gold 75K, and Gold 100K members traveling internationally, while American Airlines AAdvantage gives lounge access to Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members traveling internationally.

Many credit cards will offer you lounge access as a perk, especially if you sign up for a travel rewards card. Some of these cards are directly partnered with specific lounges (think the Delta SkyMiles American Express cards), while others offer more flexible perks like a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership to access lounges across different networks.

The only downside is that these rewards cards typically have high annual fees and some may require a certain spending limit to get this benefit. It's important to calculate the overall value of the perks you'll actually use to make sure the annual fee for the card makes sense.

4. Buy a day pass

Many lounges allow you to purchase a pass so you can access all the amenities, either for a single visit or for 24 hours, so you can hit lounges during any layovers along the way.

Costs usually range between $35 to $80. If you don't fly often enough to justify a loyalty program or lounge membership, buying day passes as needed is going to be the most cost-effective option. Of course, not every lounge offers day passes, so check online in advance to see what your options are at the airport.

5. Get an annual membership

If you really like a certain lounge network, you can usually buy an annual pass or membership that grants unlimited access for the year. Several offer annual membership programs, including Delta ($695) and American Airlines ($850).

Just do the math on how many visits it would take to make up for the annual fee. If you don't think you'll visit lounges often enough to make the annual membership worth it, stick to buying day passes.

6. Enroll in Priority Pass

Priority Pass is a program that grants members access to over 1,700 lounges all around the world. As mentioned above, some credit cards offer a complimentary Priority Pass membership as a perk.

If you don’t get it for free through your credit card, you can simply enroll in a membership on your own. There are different tiers with different benefits, ranging from $99 to $469 a year.

Is Priority Pass worth it?

Priority Pass, like any option, has its pros and cons. If you travel quite a bit, like the idea of spending time in an airport lounge, and want to avoid high fees, Priority Pass is a smart option, offering 1,800 lounges all over the globe (including 150-plus in the United States).

There are three tiers of membership:

Standard, $99. You pay $35 to get into a lounge, and it’s $35 to bring in a guest.
Standard Plus, $329. You get 10 free visits a year. After that, you pay $35 for each additional visit. A guest is $35.
Prestige, $469. You get unlimited free visits throughout the year, and a guest is $35 for each visit.

While it comes with a large network of lounges, there are certainly downsides to Priority Pass. For one, it’s not a given you’ll actually get into a lounge, even with a membership. They have limited spaces set aside for Priority Pass members.

The quality, size, and amenities offered also vary significantly between locations. So, it's important to check out the locations you're likely to visit most to see whether enrolling is worth it.

Another important downside of Priority Pass is that no tier allows you to bring in a guest for free. If you often travel with your spouse or a friend, those $35 guest passes will add up.

Finally, for the price of a higher-tier membership, you can usually find a travel rewards card that includes Priority Pass Select or another lounge access perk. For about the same annual cost as a Priority Pass membership, you can get lounge access along with all the other perks that the credit card includes.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards card, for instance, is Kiplinger readers' favorite travel rewards credit card, has a $395 annual fee. For that, you get complimentary access to Capital One lounges and a Priority Pass Select.

It may also be more economical to sign up for a day pass each time you want to use a lounge. This largely depends on how much you’re traveling and your travel habits.

Let's say, for example, you typically travel out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport. There, you can get a day pass to The Club for $50.

If you planned to travel three times in a year, using the lounge each time, that would cost $150. Meanwhile, if you used Priority Pass at the Standard level, those same three visits would cost about $200 (the $99 annual fee plus $35 for each visit).

The costs even out around your sixth lounge visit, and the standard tier Priority Pass is more economical after your seventh visit.

The bottom line on accessing airport lounges

Airport lounges aren’t just for first-class travelers. Research your credit cards and frequent flier programs to make sure you aren’t missing out on any lounge perks you may already have.

If you don’t get free lounge access already, there are plenty of other options so you can make your airport experience as comfortable as possible. Just do the math to figure out which option makes the most sense for the way you travel.

Sean is a veteran personal finance writer, with over 10 years of experience. He's written finance guides on insurance, savings, travel and more for CNET, Bankrate and GOBankingRates.

With contributions from