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Airport lounge access is a headline benefit for most luxury credit cards, and the majority of lounges available through your credit card benefits are part of the Priority Pass lounge network.
For anyone who travels regularly, airport lounge access can feel like a necessity. But for the average person, it's more of a nice-to-have; it may only be worth it as an extra perk from a credit card you value in other ways.
If airport lounge access is something you're pining for, a credit card is usually the most affordable way to get a Priority Pass membership. Let's examine a handful of the top credit cards that provide Priority Pass lounge access.
Credit card with Priority Pass airport lounge access
What is Priority Pass?
Priority Pass is the world's largest airport lounge network, with over 1,800 locations. If you're willing to pay for membership out of pocket, there are three different tiers:
- Standard: $99 a year with a $35 per visit fee for the member and guests
- Standard Plus: $329 a year with 10 free visits, then a $35 per visit fee for the member, and a $35 per visit fee applies for all guests
- Prestige: $469 per year with unlimited free member visits and a $35 fee for all guests
Priority Pass lounges can be a great place to relax when traveling, but before you commit to a pricey membership, consider your travel habits. Smaller airports are less likely to have a Priority Pass lounge, and larger airports may have lounges that aren't anywhere close to your departure gate.
For example, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the U.S. and features three Priority Pass lounges. However, these lounges are all located in Terminal 5, which is largely used for international flights and may require a separate trip through security if you're not flying out of that terminal. So if you consistently fly in and out of the same airport, double-check where the lounges are located.
Affordable credit cards with Priority Pass benefits
The overwhelming majority of credit cards with airport lounge access have annual fees of $400 to $900, but there are a few cards that provide access for less.
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature Card comes with a Priority Pass membership and has no annual fee. You're limited to four complimentary visits per year, but it's still the cheapest way to get into a Priority Pass airport lounge, unless you're visiting as the guest of someone else who's paying.
A handful of low-cost business credit cards also give you the opportunity to enroll in Priority Pass for free. The U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has a $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95, and it also offers four complimentary visits per year.
The Signify Business Cash℠ Card by Wells Fargo allows you to enroll in Priority Pass for no cost, but you'll pay a per-visit fee. The Signify Business Cash has no annual fee, so even though you pay for Priority Pass visits, you could think of it as a Standard Priority Pass membership without the $99 annual fee.
- Intro APR for balance transfers
- Global Entry and TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
- Limited to four free lounge visits per year
- You cannot transfer points to travel programs
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® earns transferable rewards at a strong earnings rate across categories.
- Waives first annual fee
- Earns up to 4X on travel
- Airport lounge access
- Limited statement credits
- $95 annual fee after the first year
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days from account opening.
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Center when using your card.
- Earn 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations* on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs).
- Earn 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell service providers.
- Earn 1X points on all other eligible spend.
- Earn a $25 statement credit for every three consecutive monthly taxi or rideshare trips.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter.
- Points transfer between business and consumer U.S. Bank Altitude products (excluding Reserve).
- Airport lounge access - Priority Pass™ Digital annual membership with access to more than 1,700 VIP lounges worldwide, plus four complimentary visits per membership year.
- Take control of your card spend with U.S. Bank Spend Management—a game-changing platform for monitoring and managing business expenses.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Balance transfer fee
Either 5% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
Premium credit cards with Priority Pass benefits
Many premium credit cards offer complimentary Priority Pass lounge access with unlimited access for the primary cardholder with no per-visit fees. However, you'll pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees for this benefit, so the card's other perks must make sense for you.
When comparing Priority Pass benefits, there are two details to pay attention to beyond the access you receive as the primary cardholder:
- Guest access rules
- Authorized user fees and access benefits
With the top Priority Pass card credits, you're typically allowed to bring up to two guests along for no additional cost. Cards that come with two complimentary Priority PassTM guest passes include the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card and American Express Platinum Card®.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The American Express Platinum Card® is a premium card loaded with annual statement credits, entertainment benefits, extensive airport lounge access, elite status perks and more. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Access to 1,550+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass™ Select lounges (enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Statement credit offers worth up to twice what the annual fee costs
- Elite status perks for hotels and rental cars (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High annual fee
- Many statement credit offers are complicated and are earned in increments or limited to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
- $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®.* Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
You can also add authorized users to your account, and with certain cards, they'll be able to enroll in a complimentary Priority Pass membership.
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card may be the best option for getting lounge access for a large group. You can enroll up to four additional members in Priority Pass at no cost (they don't even need to be authorized users), and each receives a separate membership. That means they don't need to travel with you to be able to access Priority Pass lounges.
Most cards with airport lounge perks charge an additional fee for authorized users, which can still be one of the cheapest ways to access airport lounges. For example, it costs $75 to add an authorized user to a Citi Strata Elite account, and authorized users can enroll to receive a complimentary Priority Pass membership that comes with complimentary access for up to two guests.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- 6X on restaurants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- Up to $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
FAQs
Does Priority Pass give you free access to airport lounges?
It depends on what type of Priority Pass membership you have. The Prestige tier does provide free access (once you purchase the membership), but the Standard plan will require a $35 fee per visit.
Which lounges can I go to with Priority Pass?
While Priority Pass is commonly used to access one of the network's 1,800+ lounges around the world, you'll also get one complimentary visit to a Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club per calendar year — excluding the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). Afterwards, you'll be charged a $75 fee per visit.
Is Priority Pass worth it for lounge access?
If you're someone who travels multiple times per year, having Priority Pass access could make sense, especially if it's easy to access on your frequent routes. If you travel just once or twice a year, you could struggle to get your full value back.
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For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, click here.
