There is nothing better than stepping away from the hustle and bustle of an airport and relaxing in a lounge. Airport lounges come in all shapes and sizes, but the one thing they have in common is that they’re always worth it. You not only get away from the crowds, but you also get free food and drink, comfortable chairs, and some well-needed peace and quiet.
It may not seem like a big deal to wait with everyone else at your gate, but getting away from it all and having your own space to eat and relax is life-changing. One visit and you won’t believe you didn’t get there sooner.
So, how to get airport lounge access?
There are a couple of different ways to make this possible.
The first is to fork over the cash and pay to go into a lounge. Airport lounges range anywhere from $30-100 per person per visit. It’s not complicated and it’s not cheap, but it is possible.
The second follows the first. Instead of paying for one lounge and each visit, you can purchase lounge memberships. Some memberships can be for specific lounges while others give you access to multiple lounges. One of the largest lounge systems is Priority Pass. Membership includes access to over 1300 lounges throughout the world. These rates for Priority Pass range from $329-$469 depending on your desired benefits.
A third way to get airport lounge access is to be a frequent flyer or first-class flyer. Most big airlines have designated lounges for their frequent flyers and upper-tier travelers. Each airline has its different status levels and perks, but with enough flights, you can achieve the upper tiers and receive complimentary access. This option takes a lot of flying and a lot of money, but if you travel often on a specific airline, it may be worth looking into.
Simplified, you can always purchase or fly your way into lounges.
Credit Card Benefits
Before you roll your eyes at the sight of the words “credit card”, hear us out!
The best and easiest way to gain airport lounge access is through credit card benefits. Just as credit cards give you benefits like cash back, or fraud protection, certain credit cards give you access to lounges all over the world. As you may know, there are dozens of credit cards out there, each with its own benefits. We have come to love the benefits of travel credit cards and they’ve opened the doors for us to fly around the world for free. For the sake of this post, however, we’re keeping it simple and only focusing on the lounges and how to get in them.
There are three of these cards that come out on top when looking specifically for lounge access.
Each of these cards includes membership in the highest Priority Pass level. That’s a yearly value of $429. They also give you and two guests unlimited access to all priority pass lounges.
Platinum Card® from American Express – $695 annual fee, includes the largest collection and best lounges throughout the world.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® – $550 annual fee, includes soon-to-open Chase Lounges, and available restaurants.
Capital One Venture X – $395 annual fee, includes Capital One lounges as well as Virgin Atlantic and Plaza Premium.
The numbers and information may seem daunting without more content, but the main focus is that these three cards will get you lounge access.
Again we’re only focusing on the lounge access today, but to fully understand any card it’s important to read and understand the additional info. Credit cards don’t charge you annual fees without giving you equal or greater benefits in return.
We use the Capital One Venture X card and it’s been great! Check out our other post to see why it’s so great and worth far more than the annual fee.
Conclusion
It’s easy to see an annual fee and quickly turn away, but if you fly anytime during the year, the lounge access and other benefits are worth every cent! There really is nothing better than relaxing more and stressing less.
So what are you waiting for? Go get airport lounge access!
For real though, check out our Venture X post. It has changed the way we travel and will for you too!
Additional Comments
There are other cards out there that offer similar benefits. For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers 10 complimentary lounge visits as well as Hilton Benefits. There are lots out there with different options so don’t immediately bail out because of the higher annual fees.
Most cards offer access for 2 guests with each cardholder. Some also allow authorized users to have the same benefits. For example, the Venture X can have 4 authorized users and each user can bring two guests. That’s 12 people or your whole family!