- Airport Lounges
- Priority Pass
- Priority Pass membership
- Credit cards with free Priority Pass
- Cards with other lounge access
As great as traveling is, parts of it are definitely stressful.
You have to pack everything you’ll need (without packing too much), remember all the proper papers, book the ideal hotel, somehow be prepared for the unexpected, and make sure you have the right currency.
And don’t even get me started on airports. They’re hectic and crowded – filled with uncomfortable seating, expensive food, and a whole lot of strangers.
Imagine there was a place you could escape to in the midst of all that chaos…
Related: Save Money Every Time You Fly – Credit Cards With Airline Miles
Enter airport lounges…
Airport lounges are a luxurious and relaxing way to travel.
They offer a quiet area with comfy seats, complimentary food, tasty drinks, and somewhere to relax before flights…And that’s just scratching the surface.
Some airport lounges even give you access to workspaces, meeting rooms, spas, sleeping areas, and showers. That’s right – showers.
How many times have you sat in an airport on a long layover, planned or otherwise, just dreaming about a nice hot shower?
Airport lounges give you exclusive access to these amenities – pretty sweet, right?
And while there are a number of different lounges out there, we’re going to focus on one of the most popular – Priority Pass.
The largest independent airport lounge program – Priority Pass
While a number of airport lounges are tied to specific airlines or credit card companies, Priority Pass is the largest independent network in the game, with over 1,200 lounges in more than 500 cities and 143 countries worldwide.
Although Priority Pass doesn’t officially operate their own lounges, a membership will give you access to an extensive catalog of partners in their network – giving you lots of options to choose from.
Just check out this list of Priority Pass lounges in North America:
These lounges give you a number of ways to relax before your flight.
You’ll enjoy free food and alcoholic drinks, as well as free Wi-Fi at most lounges, allowing you to freshen up, unwind, and catch up on social media (or work, if needed).
Priority Pass offers
Priority Pass members also have access to a number of different offers.
These include coupons and discounts that can be redeemed for:
- dining,
- spa visits,
- retail discounts, and
- other airport services.
In order to have access to these offers, you’ll need to use the Priority Pass website or app to find the airport you’re traveling through, look for an offer you’re interested in, and click the “Generate offer code” button.
It’s important to note that these offers are only good for 3 days after you generate them, so you won’t be able to plan more than a few days ahead.
Priority Pass Select
There are a number of credit cards that come with complimentary Priority Pass memberships called Priority Pass Select.
Although there used to be differences between a standard Priority Pass membership and Priority Pass Select membership, at the time of writing this article, they’re essentially the same.
How to get Priority Pass memberships
There are two main ways to get access to Priority Pass lounges:
- through purchasing a membership online, and
- with an eligible credit card.
Purchasing a Priority Pass membership
When purchasing a membership online, you have the following options:
Depending on how often you plan on visiting these lounges annually, the following should help you decide which plan to go with.
Standard
The Standard plan costs $99 annually.
This option only gives you access to Priority Pass lounges, and you’ll still need to pay each time you visit – US$32 for you and any guest you bring.
Standard Plus
The Standard Plus plan costs $299 annually.
This option will give you access to Priority Pass lounges, as well as 10 free annual passes. These passes aren’t transferable though, so you’ll still need to pay US$32 for any guest you bring with you.
If you use all 10 passes, you’ll be saving $120 annually with a Standard Plus plan.
10 passes * $32 = $320 value
$299 annual fee – $99 basic annual fee = $200
$320 value – $200 extra annual fee = $120 savings
Prestige
The Prestige plan costs $429 annually.
This option will give you access to Priority Pass lounges as well as an unlimited number of free passes. Like the Standard Plus plan, these passes aren’t transferable. You’ll need to pay US$32 for any guest you bring with you.
For this plan to save you money, you’ll need to visit a lounge at least 11 times a year.
11 passes * $32 = $352 value
$429 annual fee – $99 basic annual fee = $330
$352 value – $330 extra annual fee = $22 savings
Credit card Priority Pass memberships
Credit cards are another great way to get a Priority Pass membership.
Simply by having certain credit cards in your wallet, you could enjoy some real luxury before your flights – that’s at least $99 in annual savings.
With many credit cards, you’ll even get some complimentary passes annually.
Travel credit cards with Priority Pass airport lounge access
Are you curious to know which credit cards will give you access to a priority pass lounge?
The following cards could be your ticket:
| Credit card | Number of passes |
|---|---|
| Unlimited access | |
| 10 free annual passes | |
| Unlimited access for you and up to 2 guests | |
| Unlimited access for you and up to 2 guests | |
| Unlimited access for you and up to 2 guests | |
| 4 free annual passes for you and 1 guest |
Travel credit cards with access to other airport lounges
Priority Pass isn’t the only game in town, however.
If a lounge you like isn’t in the Priority Pass network, there are a number of credit cards that give access to other lounges.
Take the following for instance:
| Credit card | Lounge | Number of passes |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Sky Club | Unlimited access for you and up to 2 guests | |
| Asiana Airline | 2 free annual passes | |
| Lufthansa Business Lounge | 2 free annual passes | |
| United Club | 2 free annual passes | |
| United Club and Star Alliance Lounges | Unlimited access for you and 1 guest | |
| Admirals Club | Unlimited access for you and up to 2 guests |
Any one of these cards will provide you with big savings if you travel a lot and enjoy visiting airport lounges. Just note they have limited numbers.
We’d love to hear from you
Credit cards with airport lounge access is a great way to travel in luxury.
Do you have a credit card that gives you free access to an airport lounge?
Or better yet, do you have a favorite airport lounge that you visit regularly?
Let us know in the comments below.
