The best credit cards for Priority Pass airport lounge access – The Points Guy

November 6, 2023 NewScore 360

Accessing an airport lounge can make traveling much more enjoyable by providing a quiet space to work, free Wi-Fi, complimentary food and drinks and sometimes even top-tier amenities like showers, kids’ areas and quiet rooms.

While you typically have to pay for access to airport lounges, several of the best travel rewards credit cards include airport lounge access among their many benefits.

Some airline credit cards, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) and the United Club℠ Infinite Card, only get you into their own carriers’ lounges.

Others, however, including The Platinum Card® from American Express, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, allow cardholders to register for Priority Pass Select memberships and enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide that participate in Priority Pass (enrollment is required). Unfortunately, those with Priority Pass Select membership through an Amex or personal Capital One card do not enjoy benefits, such as statement credits toward food and drink purchases, at restaurant locations that participate in Priority Pass.

With all that in mind, here are the best credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access at airports across the globe and how you can use them to make your upcoming travels even better.

What is Priority Pass?

Priority Pass is a network of over 1,400 lounges, Minute Suites, Be Relax Spas and even some restaurants. You can find them at over 600 airports in more than 150 countries. Many of Priority Pass’s participating locations are outside the U.S., though you can find outposts in major airports like Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), New York-JFK and San Francisco (SFO), among many others.

KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Some lounges, specifically, that are part of Priority Pass are actually airline-specific lounges belonging to carriers like Air France-KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa or Turkish Airlines, while others are not associated with a specific carrier. If in doubt, check the airports where you’ll be flying ahead of time on the Priority Pass site to see which options might be available to you and what amenities they have.

Which are the best credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access?

The following cards offer Priority Pass lounge access, though the number of visits included and guest policies can vary widely:

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The information for Citi Prestige, U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature, U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa, and Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Comparing benefits of credit cards with Priority Pass access

Here are the details on each card, along with current welcome bonuses, annual fees and other notable perks:

Card	Lounge access	Welcome bonus	Annual fee
Capital One Venture X	Cardholder plus two guests; authorized users also get the same benefit	Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	$395 (see rates and fees)
Capital One Venture X Business	Cardholder plus two guests	Earn 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	$395 (see rates and fees)
Chase Sapphire Reserve	Cardholder plus two guests free, $27 per guest after that	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	$550
The Platinum Card from American Express	Cardholder plus two guests free, $35 per guest after that. Enrollment required.	Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership (possibly higher targeted offers through CardMatch, subject to change at any time).	$695 (see rates and fees)
The Business Platinum Card from American Express	Cardholder plus two guests free, $35 per guest after that. Enrollment required.	Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.	$695 (see rates and fees)
Citi Prestige	Cardholder plus immediate family or two guests free, $27 per guest after that.	Not available to new applicants.	$495
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant	Cardholder plus two guests free, $35 per guest after that. Enrollment required.	Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the card in your first six months.	$650 (see rates and fees)
U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite	4 complimentary visits per 12-month Priority Pass membership year for cardholder, 4 complimentary visits per year for guests, $35 per visit after that.	Earn 50,000 points after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening.	$400
Hilton Honors Business	10 complimentary visits per year, $35 per visit after that. Enrollment required.	Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points and after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business card within the first three months of card membership.	$95 (see rates and fees)
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature	4 complimentary visits per 12-month Priority Pass membership year for cardholder, $35 per visit after that.	Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within 120 days of account opening.	$0 introductory annual fee, then $95
Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite credit card	4 complimentary visits per year for cardholder, $35 per visit after that.	Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases within 90 days of account opening.	$550

Credit cards with Priority Pass memberships

Now that we’ve gone over the Priority Pass-specific perks of each card, here are some of the other compelling benefits each offers.

Capital One Venture X

Capital One’s premium travel credit card packs a punch. First, it offers $300 in annual credits toward bookings made through Capital One Travel. Then, you also get 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth even more toward free travel). Both of these perks help offset the card’s $395 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Add in extensive airport lounge access (including Capital One’s own lounges and Priority Pass Select), plus excellent travel protections and rental car insurance, and we’re talking about one of the best premium cards out there. It is worth noting, however, that Priority Pass membership from Venture X does not include Priority Pass restaurants and spa services.

On a more positive note, cardholders get unlimited Priority Pass lounge guest access (subject to capacity constraints).

Capital One Venture X Business

The Venture X Business card offers many of the same benefits as the Venture X card, including $300 in annual credits for bookings made with Capital One Travel, 10,000-anniversary bonus miles and access to Capital One lounges. You’ll also receive unlimited visits to Priority Pass lounges — plus a benefit the Venture X card doesn’t offer: access to Priority Pass restaurants.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most popular premium travel rewards credit cards, thanks to its impressive list of benefits. Notably, cardholders receive up to $300 in annual statement credits for a wide range of travel purchases.

The card earns 3 points per dollar on travel and dining and also earns bonuses in the following categories:

10 points per dollar on Chase Dining booked through Ultimate Rewards
10 points per dollar on hotel and car rental purchases made through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards travel portal
10 points per dollar on qualifying Lyft rides (through March 2025)
10 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through March 2025, up to 50,000 points)
5 points per dollar on airline travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal

Ultimate Rewards can be transferred to 11 airlines and three hotel partners. Points may also be redeemed at a rate of 1.5 cents apiece through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

The card reimburses members up to $100 once every four years for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application and waives foreign transaction fees.

Official application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve with 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Platinum Card from American Express

In addition to Priority Pass lounges, cardholders have access to Amex’s own Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Escape, Airspace, Plaza Premium and certain Lufthansa lounges. However, Amex Priority Pass memberships cannot be used for non-lounge Priority Pass experiences such as restaurants. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

The card earns 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Cardholders can transfer Membership Rewards points to 20 airline and hotel partners.

The card also comes with a laundry list of perks, including an annual up to $200 statement credit on incidental fees charged by an airline you select each calendar year and up to $200 in annual Uber Cash toward U.S. Uber rides and U.S. Uber Eats orders, among other credits that provide more than $1,500 in potential value each year.

Cardholders qualify for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee refund of up to $100 once every four years (4½ years for PreCheck). Booking stays through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts includes plenty of value-added benefits, and cardholders can register for both Gold status with Hilton Honors and Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. Bookings made through Amex’s International Airline Program can secure deep discounts on premium economy, business- and first-class tickets on over a dozen airlines, too. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Official application link: The Platinum Card from American Express with 80,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

The Business Platinum Amex offers a host of annual statement credits, including up to $400 for Dell technology U.S. purchases, an up-to-$120 annual wireless telephone credit and much more. Enrollment required for select benefits.

Cardholders earn 1.5 points per dollar on up to $2 million in eligible purchases in the U.S. per calendar year with:

Electronic goods retailers
Software
Cloud service providers
Construction materials and hardware supplies
Shipping providers
Other purchases of $5,000 or more

They also receive a 35% rebate when redeeming points through Amex Pay with Points for airfare on their designated airline (enrollment is required) or specifically for business- or first-class tickets on select qualifying airlines booked on Amex Travel, up to 1 million points back per calendar year.

The Business Platinum Card offers the same lounge benefits as the Amex Platinum Card above, including the same limitation on not visiting Priority Pass restaurants.

Official application link: The Business Platinum Card from American Express with 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months of card membership.

Citi Prestige

Unfortunately, the Citi Prestige is no longer available to new applicants. However, it earns a phenomenal 5 points per dollar at restaurants and on air travel, 3 points per dollar at hotels and cruise lines, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Cardholders are eligible for up to $250 worth of annual statement credits each calendar year toward travel purchases.

Citi ThankYou Rewards points can be transferred to over a dozen airline and three hotel partner programs and are worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed directly for travel through the Citi portal. Cardholders can book a fourth night free on up to two hotel stays per year when reserving through the Citi concierge. They’re also eligible for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement once every five years.

Related: Citi Prestige card review

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

This card accrues 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per dollar at worldwide restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Cardholders get up to $300 in statement credits each year of card membership for purchases at restaurants worldwide. They also receive automatic Marriott Platinum Elite status plus 25 elite night credits per year toward reaching a higher tier. Each cardmember anniversary after renewal gets a free night award worth up to 85,000 points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program (certain hotels have resort fees). Special cardmember rates on stays of two nights or more at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties are eligible for up to $100 in credit for qualifying charges.

Finally, this card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application reimbursement worth up to $100 once every four years (4½ years for PreCheck).

Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express with 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points each after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the card in your first six months.

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card

This card earns 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 3 points per dollar on travel and mobile wallet purchases and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Cardholders can redeem points for 1.5 cents apiece on airfare, hotels and car rentals (or lower values for other purchases). They can also count on reimbursement for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application once every four years (up to $100).

Finally, this card comes with up to $325 in statement credits per cardmember year for purchases made directly from airlines, hotels, car rental companies, taxis, limousines, passenger trains and cruise lines, as well as takeout, food delivery and dining.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Earn 12 Hilton Honors points per dollar for purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 6 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, on U.S. shipping purchases, at U.S. restaurants, on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel and on car rentals booked directly from rental agencies; and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases. That’s a lot of earning potential.

Cardholders get automatic Hilton Honors Gold status (Diamond status with $40,000 in spending per calendar year), a free night reward after spending $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year and a second free night reward after hitting $60,000 in spending on purchases in a calendar year.

Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Business Card with 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business card within the first three months of card membership.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card

The Altitude Connect Visa added Priority Pass benefits in February 2023. It’s rare to see a card with a sub-$100 annual fee offering lounge perks, but note that you’ll only get four complimentary visits per year. Each visit after that costs $35.

You’ll earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked in the Altitude Rewards Center; 4 points per dollar on travel, gas stations and EV charging stations; 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services; and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Cardholders also get up to $30 in annual credits toward eligible streaming subscriptions.

Additional cardholder benefits include reimbursement for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee (once every four years) and cellphone protection of up to $600 for theft or damage. To activate this benefit, the phone must be on a plan you pay for each month with your card.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit Card

With Bank of America’s Premium Rewards Elite card, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining and 1.5 points per dollar on other purchases. However, you can earn up to 75% more on each purchase as a member of Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program.

Cardholders can take advantage of up to four complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges each year, plus other benefits like up to $300 in airline incidental fee credits per year, up to $150 in annual lifestyle credits for things like streaming services and food delivery and reimbursement for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years. You’ll also receive a 20% discount when paying for flights with points using this card.

Bottom line

Accessing an airport lounge before your flight can be a great perk. Rather than paying for each visit, you can use popular travel credit cards to unlock access ahead of your trips regularly — and in many cases, this includes guest privileges, too.

Priority Pass is a great option for frequent travelers, thanks to its vast worldwide network of airport lounges and other facilities such as restaurants. Carrying a credit card that enables you to enroll in Priority Pass Select membership for free and enjoy lounge visits can be a great way to save money and make your travel experience that much better. If that sounds like you, consider adding one of the cards above to your wallet.

Additional reporting by: Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox and Chris Dong.

Related credit card guides:

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business Amex, click here.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

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