Jun 17, 2026
Airport lounges promise an escape from the crowds, the luxury of a spacious seat with Wi-Fi access and complimentary food and drinks. They were once the domain of business-class travellers or those who held elite status with a specific airline.
Nowadays, you can gain access with a credit card that includes lounge access, though these cards tend to come with hefty fees. In some cases, cardholders might receive a limited number of complimentary visits per year or can purchase entry for a fee.
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But, with more access, some lounges have become overcrowded, leading some credit card companies to raise their fees and limit lounge privileges.
These days, the most extensive access comes with a cost. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card comes with a $795 annual fee, while the Amex Platinum Card is even higher at $895. But for frequent fliers and business travelers, that might make sense.
For everyone else, there are other ways to access airport lounges — without the hefty fees.
How lounge access works
In the U.S., many lounges are operated by the airlines, including American (Admirals Club), United (United Clubs and Polaris) and Delta (Delta Sky Clubs). Each offers co-branded credit cards with financial institutions that come with various tiers of lounge membership, regardless of whether you’re flying business class or economy.
A few card issuers — American Express and Capital One — run their own lounges in the U.S. But you’ll need a premium card for access (most Amex cards don’t include lounge access).
Premium cards might also offer access to Priority Pass, an independent network of more than 1,900 airport lounges worldwide. The Platinum Card from American Express, for example, includes Priority Pass Select membership along with access to The Centurion Lounge, its own network of airport lounges in the U.S.
Then there are independent airport lounges, such as Plaza Premium and The Club, which allow you to purchase access. They’re not run by the airlines or credit card companies, so you can buy a pass regardless of airline, seat category or loyalty status.
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How to pay for access
Plaza Premium offers access to more than 250 lounges on six continents to travellers with certain credit cards. Lounge quality can vary; Plaza Premium owns and operates many of its lounges, while others are operated by a third party.
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You can also purchase a day pass to Plaza Premium lounges — though you may be turned away if the lounge is full. Prices vary by location and duration, but you’ll typically pay between $35 to $65 for two to six hours of lounge access.
To avoid getting turned away, you can book a pass in advance on Plaza Premium’s website. You can also purchase a Plaza Premium Lounge Pass Americas for $80, which buys you two visits to lounges in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia. There are also Global Passes and Canada Passes.
If you often fly through the same region, compare the cost of an annual credit card fee with the cost of a day pass (or Americas pass) and see how the math adds up.
Keep in mind that while Plaza Premium has an extensive global network, not all U.S. airports have a Plaza Premium lounge (you can find a list on their website).
Another way to potentially gain free lounge access is to download the Smart Traveller app, which allows you to earn points for each visit to a participating Plaza Premium lounge. Once you accumulate enough points, you can redeem them for perks like lounge visits and airport dining.
Some airlines also allow you to pay for access to their lounges (like American Airlines’ Admirals Club) with either cash or points, but typically you’d need to be traveling with their airline. However, if you’re not a frequent flier, or you don’t regularly fly with that particular airline, this may be a better option than a co-branded credit card.
Other credit card options
While premium credit cards offer the most access, some cards with low annual fees still offer lounge perks.
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For example, the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card has a $0 annual fee, but offers a 12-month Priority Pass Select membership that allows for four free lounge visits per year.
PenFed Credit Union offers the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Signature Card, which has a $95 annual fee and comes with a 12-month Priority Pass Select membership. But in this case, your credit card simply gives you access — you still have to pay the lounge entry fee.
If you regularly fly United, the United Explorer Card offers two single-use passes to United Clubs when you first open your account and on each anniversary. It’s not the cheapest card (the annual fee is $150), but the fee is waived the first year.
If your spouse or a family member has a premium credit card, they may be able to add you as an authorized user, which gives you access to their lounge perks — though some cards have removed this perk or now charge for it.
For example, as of February, Capital One’s Venture X card no longer allows complimentary lounge access for guests of its cardholders, unless you pay $125. American Express Platinum Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve allow complimentary lounge access to authorized users for a $195 annual fee.
Still, it could be more cost-effective to pay for an authorized user than buy a visitor pass.
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Vawn Himmelsbach is a veteran journalist who covers tech, business, finance and travel. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, CBC News, Yahoo Finance, MSN, CAA Magazine, Travelweek, Explore Magazine and Consumer Reports.
