How to Gain Access to the Best Airport Lounges in 2024

Airport lounges can take your travel experience to another level. Instead of waiting for your flight in a crowded terminal and standing in long lines to buy overpriced snacks, you can have a quiet and comfortable place to work or relax, free food, free beverages (even alcoholic beverages), and more.

With that in mind, here's a quick guide to how to gain access to seven of the most popular lounge networks in 2024.

1. Delta Sky Clubs

Delta has more than 50 Sky Club locations, and frequent flyers have a few ways to gain access. You can buy a membership, which costs $695 per year (individual) or $1,495 (up to two guests). That could be a big hit to your personal finances.

Alternatively, a couple of credit cards offer complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club lounges, including the The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees, terms apply). Cardholders of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card also get access (see rates and fees, terms apply).

2. American Airlines' Admirals Club

There are nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges and over 60 partner lounges located worldwide, and members of the AAdvantage frequent flyer program can buy a membership. This costs between $750 and $850 for a new individual membership (depending on status level) or between $1,550 and $1,650 for a household membership. You can also buy a one-day pass for $79, and memberships can be paid for with AAdvantage miles.

Alternatively, you can get a free membership as a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® cardholder, which charges a $595 annual fee.

3. United Club

United Airlines operates over 50 airport lounges, most of which are United Club locations. Entry is free for certain business and first-class passengers on international or transcontinental flights, or annual memberships can be purchased for $550-$650 (depending on status level with the airline).

You can also gain access with the United Club℠ Infinite Card. Or, you can get two free visits per year with the far more affordable United℠ Explorer Card.

4. Priority Pass

Priority Pass is an airport lounge network that has over 1,500 airport lounges and experiences worldwide. Memberships cost $99 to $469 per year, depending on how often you want to be able to access the lounges.

However, Priority Pass membership is often included as a perk of high-end travel credit cards. The Platinum Card® from American Express includes a Priority Pass membership (terms apply), for example, and high-end cards from a few other issuers do as well.

5. Centurion Lounges

The Centurion® Network is a network of over 40 lounges operated by American Express under the Centurion and Escape Lounges brand names. In addition to being offered as a perk of the ultra-pricey Centurion® Card (also known as the Amex Black Card), access is given to those with The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, as well as holders of the business versions of those cards (terms apply).

Unless you have one of these cards, or are accompanied by someone who does, you can't even buy access to these lounges.

6. Capital One Lounges

Capital One's airport lounge network is relatively new, with three locations open so far and more on the way. Access is free for cardholders of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which has a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees). Certain other Capital One credit cards, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees), get a discounted $45 rate (but get two free visits annually through Jan. 1., 2025). Non-cardholders can pay for access, at a daily rate of $65.

7. Sapphire Lounges

Sapphire Lounges are Chase's premium lounges for its credit card members. There are only two open as of this writing (in Boston and Hong Kong), but five more locations are on the way.

The lounges are accessible to cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, J.P. Morgan Reserve Card, and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card from J.P. Morgan. With the first two, cardholders can bring in as many as two complimentary guests, and Ritz-Carlton cardholders get unlimited guest access. Cardholders must have activated their Priority Pass membership to get in (a perk of all of these cards), and you can't buy access if you don't have one of the qualifying cards.

Not an exhaustive list

Of course, these aren't all of the airport lounges you might want to visit. There are several other carriers that have their own lounges, as well as other private lounge networks. But there are four main ways to get airport lounge access. You can pay for it, you can earn it through a frequent flyer program, you can get it by flying first or business class, or you can get it as a credit card perk. But not all of these will apply to all airport lounges, so if your desired lounge network isn't listed here, you may want to check its access policies.