I Signed Up for an Airline Credit Card Even Though I Won't Use Most of Its Features. Here's Why

Last year, I signed up for an airline credit card. The card has a pretty hefty annual fee of $450, but it offers a ton of features including free checked bags, priority boarding, and loyalty points that can eventually entitle you to get upgrades to first class if they're available. 

I don't use many of these features, since I typically have to fly first class. My dog and baby travel with me, so I need the space that the larger seats provide. Since I already get a free checked bag and priority boarding, and the available upgrades don't benefit me, it may have seemed silly to sign up for a travel rewards card that costs so much.

But, there was a simple reason why doing so made sense. Here's what it is. 

The airline card offered a perk I couldn't pass up

The reason I signed up for this airline credit card was because while I wouldn't use all of its features, there's one membership perk it offered that I absolutely will be taking advantage of. 

That perk is airline lounge access. Since I'm a cardmember and I regularly fly on the airline that issued the card, I can spend my pre-flight time in the lounge rather than sitting at a crowded airline gate. 

I travel quite a lot, flying around 12 times per year or more. That's a lot of airport trips, and a lot of time spent in airports -- which becomes a whole lot more pleasant when I'm able to relax in a lounge rather than fighting for a seat at the gate. 

Why lounge access is worth paying for

Lounge access is absolutely worth it for me, even though I'm paying a lot for it. And that's not just because it makes me more comfortable and ensures I have plenty of space to sit with my whole crew before getting on a plane (including my husband, two kids, and the aforementioned dog). 

The airline lounge offers complimentary food and beverages, and the fact that we can eat and drink at the lounge essentially ends up paying the card's annual fee. While we might otherwise have had to buy a meal and a drink for all four members of our family both on our departing flight and our returning flight, we can now eat and drink at no cost by simply taking advantage of the free food and beverages the lounge offers.  

Aside from the fact that we end up saving around $40 to $50 on food for every trip, the lounge also offers great business-friendly amenities including chargers and free wifi. This means I'm sometimes able to work before getting on the plane, which would be a lot more difficult at a crowded gate without these features. This further offsets the cost of the credit card.

The bottom line is, lounge access does have a lot of value -- particularly if you can avoid buying unhealthy airport food and make some extra cash working while sitting in the airline lounge. If you travel regularly, it may be worth finding a card that offers it even if that's the only real perk you enjoy.