“Money can’t buy you class,” as Countess Luann says, but do you want to know what money can buy you? Airport lounge access.

The quickest way to get lounge access is by paying an annual fee on a premium travel card, but since these fees cost a pretty penny, the question becomes: What is the right card to pick?

Here are your options. Pick the right card, and you can feel like you’re in first class—even if your seat is 17C.

Cards

• This card or this card
  • Annual fee: $695
  • Airports with lounges: ATL, CLT, DFW, DEN, IAH, LAS, LAX, MIA, PHL, PHX, SFO, SEA, DCA
  • New lounges coming in 2025: SLC, EWR, HND
  • Additional lounge access: Priority Pass* network, plus 10 visits annually to one airline’s clubs
  • TLDR: These cards get you access to the most lounges, but they are also the most expensive. The 10-visit annual limit to the airline partner lounges is a new restriction.
• This card
  • Annual fee: $395
  • Airports with lounges: IAD, DFW, DEN, DCA
  • New lounges coming in 2025: LGA and JFK
  • Additional lounge access: Priority Pass* network
  • TLDR: This card offers the lowest price, but it is also currently the smallest lounge network available.
• This card
  • Annual fee: $550
  • Airports with lounges: BOS, LGA, JFK, PHl, PHX, SAN, HKG
  • New lounges coming in 2025: LAS
  • Additional lounge access: Priority Pass* network
  • TLDR: This may be the Goldilocks option of the three. This card’s network of lounges is smaller than the first set on the list, but it is growing.

*You’ll need to enroll to activate your complimentary Priority Pass membership on these cards.

Airline cards

If you travel exclusively or predominantly with one airline, a co-branded airline card will give you access to the airline’s network of lounges. Here are some options:

• This card gets you an Admirals Club membership
• This card gets you access to the airline’s standard lounges but not its premium lounges. (This is a pretty decent card perk, seeing as the airline just raised the cash price of a lounge membership.)
• This card gets you two one-time passes to the airline’s standard lounges.
• This card (and the business version) rolled out a new policy where you now get 15 visits per year to this airline’s lounges.

Other ways to get airport lounge access

1. Buy a premium cabin ticket. When you buy a business or first-class ticket, you get access to that airline’s lounge (or partner airline’s lounge) before your flight.
2. Fly business or first class on points and miles. This is the same principle as above, but it’s worth noting that this also applies when you book a business or first-class seat with points and miles. This is a way to enjoy an airport lounge without even holding a premium card.
3. Hold elite status with an airline. Some (but not all) airlines give higher-level elite status holders discounts on a lounge membership. In addition, if you hold a higher tier of status, you’ll also receive status with the airline’s alliance. Alliance status gets you access to alliance partner lounges, which can be valuable for international travel.
4. Buy a one-time pass.This, too, depends on the airline. Here are the current policies:
• ✅ American: $79 or 7,900 miles for a one-day pass
• ❌ Delta: Does not sell one-time passes
• ✅ United: $59 via the app

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