Credit card access to the lounge has been expanded, but crowds are restricting entry for many travelers.
Airport lounges are evolving as demand for luxury travel increases
More travelers are seeking upscale airport lounges, pushing airlines to offer better food, seating and amenities for a luxurious experience.
- The most reliable way to get into airport lounges is with a premium travel credit card and a first class ticket.
- Lounge congestion has made it difficult for travelers without premium access to enter the lounge.
- Some airlines and independent lounges sell day passes, but availability is often limited due to capacity restrictions.
For some travelers, getting into an airport lounge has never been easier.
As lounges grow in popularity and more travelers compete for a spot in a comfortable chair, lounge operators must work harder to control flow. That means someone who doesn’t splurge on fancy credit cards or premium airline tickets may not be able to secure a slot behind a frosted glass door.
“The good news is there are still a lot of those services out there, and if you’re going to spend money on lounge memberships or any of the premium travel credit cards that you can sign up for, there’s still a relatively easy way to sign up for them,” Kyle Potter, editor of travel and flight deal website Thrifty Traveler, told USA TODAY. “The problem is that there is not, and there will never be, enough lounge space for people who want to spend time inside the airport.”
What is the best way to access airport lounges?
Travel-specific credit cards and premium long-haul tickets are the most reliable ways to access lounges.
“Undoubtedly the most popular and not only the main culprit, but probably the only culprit, for lounge congestion is the premium travel credit card,” Potter said.
Cards such as American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X have all grown in popularity in recent years, Potter said, and lounge access is one of the key selling points for many travelers.
Most airlines offer lounge access to passengers with business class or first class tickets on long-haul flights, but you should check with your airline for specific policies.
Many airlines with large lounge networks also offer annual lounge memberships for sale or as perks for top frequent fliers.
Mr Potter warned that it could be expensive. He said annual lounge memberships can be more expensive than the high annual fees of premium credit cards, but lounge memberships are typically less restrictive than credit card access.
Can I enter the lounge without a premium credit card?
Potter said the popularity of premium credit cards has made lounges unavailable to other travelers. Some airlines, such as American Airlines and United Airlines, sell paper day passes to some lounges, but availability may be limited, especially on peak travel days.
The same goes for facilities like Escape Lounges, where we may block access, add waiting lists, or stop selling day passes based on real-time crowding. Escape Lounge recommends advance reservations to avoid being denied access due to capacity restrictions on the day of your trip.
“These lounges have more cardholders in them than they can accommodate. Once we reach capacity, we’re all basically making the same decision unilaterally, which is to limit this to just cardmembers,” Potter said.
American Airlines sells one-day passes to Admirals Club for $79. Passengers must have a same-day ticket on American Airlines, and the company says “clubs that are currently closed, under construction, or have limited space” may be excluded.
United Airlines, which sells one-day passes to its United Club for $59, similarly warns that passengers can only purchase admission passes within three hours of departure and that “access is subject to availability.”
Many premium credit cards include Priority Pass membership as a perk, giving you access to lounges. If you don’t want to pay the full annual fee for a premium credit card, or if you don’t want to pay for a day pass or premium cabin ticket each time, you can also purchase an annual Priority Pass membership separately.
Subscriptions to the company’s global lounge network start at $99 per year.
How do you know if a premium credit card is worth it?
You’ll have to calculate for yourself whether it’s worth paying a high premium credit card to visit an airport lounge once or twice a year.
“There’s certainly a trade-off there. If you plan on traveling twice a year, is it worth paying $900 for a credit card that gives you lounge access? Probably not,” Potter said. “It comes down to a very practical calculation: Can I visit these lounges often enough to offset the cost I’m paying to get in?”
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
