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Some see airport lounges as a luxury, and while they are, the barrier to entry might be lower than you think.
Credit cards with the most extensive access to airport lounges typically carry fees of $500 or more, like the $795 Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and $895 American Express Platinum Card® (see rates and fees). But if you don't travel enough to recoup that fee, or simply don't want to spend that much on a single credit card, there are ways to get into a lounge for less.
CNBC Select goes over some low-cost credit cards that offer lounge access, plus some other ways you can get in without even owning a card yourself.
Low-cost airport lounge access
Have the right low-annual-fee credit card
One of the most common ways to gain entry into airport lounges is through a credit card. Typically, the cards that offer lounge perks have significantly higher annual fees, but the options we found (with one small exception) have annual fees of $150 or less.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
If you don't travel frequently and tend to travel solo, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card offers a 12-month Priority Pass Select membership and comes with a $0 annual fee. While this only allows for four free visits per membership year, you can simply pay a lounge entry fee if you exceed four visits. The card also comes with up to a $100 statement credit to cover your TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® application fee.
Any no-annual-card that offers lounge access — even in a limited form — is likely to catch our attention, as it's a highly sought-after perk in an affordable package. A potential tradeoff could be that the card doesn't have the strongest everyday rewards potential; it earns a solid 4X points on travel, but you'll earn a lower 2X rate on dining, streaming services and at grocery stores. It also earns 4X points at gas and EV charging, but it's capped at $1,000 each quarter (which is lower than the $1,500 quarterly cap most cards impose).
- 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
United℠ Explorer Card
If you fly United more than other carriers, the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees) comes with two United Club℠ one-time passes on account opening and each anniversary. Each visitor requires one pass, so you're likely to go through these pretty quickly — but they refresh every year.
You'll also get up to two complimentary checked bags for you and a companion (one free checked bag for the cardholder and one for a companion), priority boarding and up to $120 in credits every four years toward your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee.
While the card does carry a $150 annual fee, it's waived for the first year. Being a United co-branded card, you don't get nearly as much value on non-United spending compared to general travel cards, but it could be great for booking flights whenever United is the best fit.
The United℠ Explorer Card is worth it even if you only fly with United Airlines once or twice a year because you can take advantage of two United Club℠ passes per year when the primary cardmember or authorized user is traveling and you can receive free checked bags.
- No annual fee for the first year
- Unlocks upgrades for elite members on award flights
- Two free United Club airport lounge passes every year
- Valuable United Airlines perks, such as in-flight purchase discounts and the ability to earn elite status credit through credit card spending
- First checked bag free benefit requires you to pay for the flight with the card
- United Airlines has a dynamic award chart which can limit the value and flexibility of your miles
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn up to 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- NEW! 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- NEW! Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card
If you tend to gravitate away from big banks, the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card is issued by PenFed Credit Union and comes with up to $800 in travel perks with just a $95 annual fee. The card offers a complimentary 12-month Priority Pass Select membership (with an accompanying guest), but the caveat is that this doesn't give you free lounge access; the $35 visitor fee still applies, but membership allows you to buy your way in.
Like many cards with travel perks, the Pathfinder card comes with a $120 statement credit toward Global Entry or an $85 credit toward TSA PreCheck® every four years. You'll also get an ancillary airline credit of up to $100 per calendar year, which covers incidental air travel fees like baggage fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, airport lounge day-passes and more.
PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card
Rewards
3X points on eligible travel categories (4X points for PenFed Honors Advantage members); 1.5X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
50,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in first 90 days from account opening
Annual fee
$95, waived for Honors Advantage members
Intro APR
Click View More below for offer details*
Regular APR
17.99% variable for purchases; 17.99% fixed for balance transfers
Balance transfer fee
3%
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Good/Excellent
Terms apply.
Pros
- Up to $100 in travel fee credits
- Global Entry and TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- Lucrative welcome bonus
- Low APR
Cons
- Must be a PenFed Honors Advantage member to earn 4X points on travel and have the annual fee waived
- Points cannot be transferred to travel partners
*0% introductory APR for 12 months on balance transfers made in the first 60 days after account opening. After that, the APR for the unpaid balance and any new balance transfers will be a non-variable rate of 17.99%. 3% balance transfer fee per transaction. Subject to credit approval. If you take advantage of this balance transfer, you will immediately be charged interest on all purchases made with your credit card unless you pay the entire account balance, including balance transfers, in full each month by the payment due date.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
I'll be the first to admit that putting the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on this list is slightly cheating, as its annual fee is $395. However, the card comes with a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, so you can essentially view it as a $95 annual fee card once you use up that full credit.
Its lounge access extends beyond just Priority Pass lounges (once you enroll) and also includes both Capital One Lounges and Capital One Landing locations, which tend to offer a more elevated experience compared to Priority Pass.
In addition to a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, the Venture X offers a fairly generous welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
$0
Be added as an authorized user
Many travel cards over the past year or two have tightened their lounge policies.
In early 2023, American Express removed complimentary Centurion Lounge guest access for American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express cardmembers, and effective July 8, 2026, all guests will be required to fly on the same flight to use Centurion Lounges. (Previously, guests could have separate flight itineraries.) Further, in February 2026, Capital One removed complimentary lounge access from authorized users of the Venture X card, now charging $125 to keep that feature.
Despite this general trend, there are still some cards that offer great lounge access to authorized users. While it's not always free to be an authorized user on a family member, spouse or partner's card, it can be more cost-effective than applying for your own card.
In exchange for a $195 annual authorized user fee, both the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® (see rates and fees) offer complimentary lounge access to authorized users. As a Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user, you can access Priority Pass lounges, Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges.
Amex Platinum authorized users can access the full Global Lounge Collection, which includes Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Priority Pass lounges and more.
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
Pay to enter
If you don't travel enough to warrant applying for a totally separate credit card, there are some lounges that allow you to purchase entry without needing a previous membership.
Some lounges, like Plaza Premium and The Club, are run separately from airline lounges or those run by major credit card issuers. With these types of lounges, you can generally purchase entry regardless of the airline you're flying or any loyalty status.
There are also a few airline lounges that offer the ability to purchase entry, but these typically require you to be traveling on that specific airline. American Airlines Admirals Club lounges, Alaska Lounges and United Club lounges all allow you to buy your way in, which could be a great option if you only need access once or twice a year.
FAQs
How do I get free access to airport lounges?
It's pretty much impossible to get "free" airport lounge access, as it often requires you to have spent money previously. Once you have certain items, like a credit card that includes lounge access, airline elite status or the right type of ticket, you may be allowed entry without paying additional fees.
Can you pay to get access to airport lounges?
Yes, there are a handful of airport lounges (i.e., Plaza Premium Lounges, The Club lounges and Escape Lounges) that generally allow you to purchase access, provided there's enough space.
Does my credit card get me into airport lounges?
It depends on your credit card, but many travel cards (especially premium options) come with varying levels of airport lounge access — from allowing you to purchase entry to providing complimentary visits.
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For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card® , click here.
