There’s nothing fairly like airport lounge entry. With the proper bank card, you may escape from the final airport stress to a separate house to work, calm down and luxuriate in complimentary refreshments when you wait in your flight.
However sometimes, that entry is reserved for these with essentially the most premium playing cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express. Should you’re protecting your annual payment prices low, you will have accepted your destiny to attend out your layover at whichever eatery is closest to your gate.
Nevertheless, there are a number of methods to realize airport lounge entry with out paying a excessive annual payment.
Listed below are our favourite playing cards that do not break the financial institution and get you thru the lounge doorways.
Associated: Best credit cards for lounge access
Turn out to be a licensed person
Earlier than you apply for a brand new bank card, think about whether or not a cherished one already has a card with lounge entry and is prepared so as to add you as a licensed person.
Licensed customers can usually take pleasure in the identical lounge entry as the first cardholder and could be added comparatively cheaply. Should you can swing it, this provides you with the most important bang in your buck.
If a good friend or member of the family has a Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), as an example, they will add you as a licensed person for simply $195 per 12 months. As a licensed person, you will take pleasure in the identical lounge entry — to Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire Lounges — as the first cardholder for a lot decrease than the $795 annual payment they pay.
Simply remember that, as a licensed person, you will not earn your personal factors or take pleasure in another advantages the cardboard gives the first cardholder.
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Associated: The 7 credit cards with the greatest value for authorized users
The least costly playing cards for lounge entry
Even when you do not have a cherished one who can (or is prepared to) add you as a licensed person on their premium account, you continue to have some good choices. Whereas the playing cards beneath have extra restricted lounge entry than their premium counterparts, they’re going to get you thru a lounge door at a fraction of the associated fee.
U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join Visa Signature Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has no annual payment and comes with 4 Precedence Cross visits annually. Should you’re an rare traveler or solely cross via airports with Precedence Cross lounges a number of instances a 12 months, this card is a wonderful choice.
The data for the U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
With Altitude Join, you will earn 4 factors per greenback spent on journey purchases and a couple of factors per greenback spent on eating, streaming companies and grocery retailer purchases.
Cardholders additionally obtain an announcement credit score as much as $100 each 4 years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck — a superb perk for a card with no annual payment.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect.
Associated: Best no annual fee credit cards
United Explorer Card and United Enterprise Card
You do not have to get United’s premium United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) to take pleasure in entry to the United Club community.
Each the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees) and the United℠ Business Card (see rates and fees) have annual charges of $150 ($0 intro annual payment for the primary 12 months with the Explorer card) and include two United Membership passes every cardholder 12 months (redeemable for the cardholder or licensed person).
Each playing cards additionally provide United perks similar to bonus miles on United purchases, a free checked bag and a quick observe to incomes elite standing, in addition to helpful journey protections.
With the United Enterprise Card, you will additionally earn bonus miles at fuel stations, workplace provide shops, transit purchases and eating purchases (together with eligible supply companies). In the meantime, with the United Explorer Card, you will earn bonus miles on eating and obtain a credit score for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full critiques of the United Explorer and United Business playing cards.
Apply right here: United Explorer Card
Apply right here: United Business Card
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card and Capital One Enterprise X Enterprise
Regardless that it is within the premium bank card class, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business are value contemplating for lounge entry on a price range. Though their $395 annual payment might initially appear steep, it is nonetheless a lot decrease than their premium rivals.
Plus, the playing cards additionally include a $300 annual credit score for Capital One Travel. Should you can maximize that, your out of pocket value is simply $95 — a cut price, on condition that it comes with limitless entry to Precedence Cross and Capital One lounges.
As a cardholder, you will earn bonus factors on journey booked via Capital One Journey and a couple of miles per greenback spent on all different purchases. You may additionally take pleasure in helpful perks like bonus miles every account anniversary and a credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Plus, with the Enterprise X, lounge entry is not only for the principle cardholder. Authorized users (you may add as much as 4 for no extra value) obtain the identical entry, and every cardholder additionally gets complimentary access for as much as two friends every till Feb. 1, 2026.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Venture X and Venture X Business.
Be taught extra: Capital One Venture
Be taught extra: Capital One Venture X Business
Associated: Capital One Venture X vs. Venture X Business: Small but important differences
Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Credit score Card
One other premium card, the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card gives some lounge entry with a decrease $395 annual payment. Whereas this payment could also be steep, the perks supplied by the cardboard may also help offset it.
Cardholders obtain eight annual Alaska lounge passes (two per calendar quarter). If you have already got an Alaska Lounge membership, you may share these passes with family and friends. Moreover, this card gives perks like precedence boarding and a free checked bag when flying on Alaska and Hawaiian Airways.
Plus, you will additionally obtain an annual global companion award, earn bonus factors on Alaska and Hawaiian Airways purchases and on worldwide transactions and obtain an software payment credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full review of the Atmos Rewards Summit.
Apply right here: Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card
Associated: Is this new space the best Alaska Airlines lounge in the country?
PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Card
As a credit score union card, the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Card flies underneath the radar. However when you’re searching for fairly priced airport lounge entry, it is undoubtedly value a glance.
It has an annual payment of $95 that’s waived for PenFed Honors Benefit members and comes with Priority Pass access for the cardholder and one visitor. It is necessary to notice that cardholders need to pay a $35 lounge entry payment for every individual, every lounge go to.
The data for the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
The cardboard additionally gives a $100 airline incidental credit score, which can be utilized to cowl lounge passes, and earns bonus rewards on journey purchases and comes with an announcement credit score to cowl your World Entry or TSA PreCheck.
You should be a PenFed member to use for the Pathfinder Rewards Card, however you may become a member by opening a financial savings account with PenFed and depositing not less than $5.
Associated: Cash back vs. travel rewards: How to choose a credit card
Backside line
Airport lounge entry is a luxurious perk, however you do not essentially need to pay luxurious annual payment costs to get it. With any of those playing cards, you’ll take pleasure in a reprieve throughout your subsequent lengthy layover for a a lot decrease value than what is usually related to lounge entry.
Simply be warned — a style of the nice life with one in all these playing cards would possibly persuade you to splurge for a extra premium travel rewards credit card in any case.
Associated: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access
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