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Update, 6/8/23: The chart below has been updated with the latest access information!
Originally posted on 12/6/22:
There are many cards in the market that offer access to airport lounges, where you can relax and wait out a delay or connection much more comfortably than in the terminal. Airline operated lounges can also be a lifesaver when it comes to getting rebooked during irregular operations.
Some of the cards out there with lounge access include:
- AMEX Consumer Platinum Card
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Delta AMEX Consumer Reserve
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Delta AMEX Consumer Platinum
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Hilton Surpass AMEX
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
- Hilton Aspire AMEX
- Marriott Brilliant AMEX
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase United Club Infinite Card Card
- Chase United Business Club Card (Click on apply now to reach this card application)
- JPMorgan Reserve
- JPMorgan Ritz-Carlton
- Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Consumer Mastercard
- Citi Prestige
- Capital One Venture X
- Capital One Venture
- Capital One Spark Miles
Here is a comparison chart of the access provided by those cards:
| Credit Card | AMEX Centurion Lounges | Escape Lounges | Capital One Lounge | Chase Sapphire Lounge and Sapphire Terrace | Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Lounges | Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses (excluding London) | Airline operated lounges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMEX Platinum Annual fee: $695 Secondary annual fee: 3 cards for $175. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access for cardholder. Guests cost $50 for adults and $30 for kids unless you spend $75K/year. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. | No access | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant, retail, or spa credit allowed. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Delta lounges with no guests when flying Delta. Bring up to 2 guests or immediate family for $50 each. Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Lufthansa Business lounges when flying Lufthansa Group. Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Lufthansa Senator lounges when flying Lufthansa Group business class. |
| AMEX Business Platinum Annual fee: $695 Secondary annual fee: $350 | Primary and secondary cards: Free access for cardholder. Guests cost $50 for adults and $30 for kids unless you spend $75K/year. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. | No access | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant, retail, or spa credit allowed. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Delta lounges with no guests when flying Delta. Bring 2 guests or immediate family for $50 each. Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Lufthansa Business lounges when flying Lufthansa Group. Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Lufthansa Senator lounges when flying Lufthansa Group business class. |
| Delta AMEX Reserve and Business Reserve Annual fee: $550 Secondary annual fee: $175 | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with no guests when flying Delta, bring up to 2 guests for $50 each. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with no guests when flying Delta, bring guests for $30 each. | No access | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Delta lounges with no guests when flying Delta. Bring up to 2 guests or immediate family for $50 each. Access lounge when flying Delta partners for $50. Primary cardholders get 2 free SkyClub passes annually. |
| Delta AMEX Platinum and Business Delta AMEX Platinum Annual fee: $250 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: $50/person (up to 2 guests or immediate family) to access Delta lounges when flying Delta or Delta partner. |
| Hilton AMEX Surpass and Hilton AMEX Business Annual fee: $95 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary: 10 free visits per year, including guests. No restaurant, retail, or spa credit allowed. Secondary: No access. | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | No access |
| Hilton AMEX Aspire Annual fee: $450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant, retail, or spa credit allowed. Secondary: No access | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | No access |
| Marriott AMEX Brilliant Annual fee: $650 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant, retail, or spa credit allowed. Secondary: No access | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | No access |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve Annual fee: $550 Secondary annual fee: $75 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests to Sapphire Lounge and Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | No access |
| Chase United Club or Business Club Annual fee: $525/$450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | No access | No access | No access | Primary cards: Free access to United and United partner lounges when flying United or partner airlines for you and 2 guests or immediate family. Secondary cards: No access. |
| JPMorgan Reserve Annual fee: $550 Secondary annual fee: $75 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests to Sapphire Lounge and Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | Primary cards: Free access to United and United partner lounges when flying United or partner airlines for you and 2 guests or immediate family. Secondary cards: No access. |
| JPMorgan Ritz-Carlton Annual fee: $450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with unlimited guests to Sapphire Lounge. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with unlimited guests. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | No access |
| Citi AAdvantage Executive Annual fee: $450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | No access | No access | No access | Primary cards: Free access to AA and AA partner lounges when flying AA or partner airlines for you and 2 guests or immediate family. Secondary cards: Free access to AA lounges when flying AA for you and 2 guests or immediate family. |
| Citi Prestige Annual fee: $495 Secondary annual fee: $75 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests or for spouse and children. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | Access to JFK Clubhouse from 8am-1:30pm only via Priority Pass. | No access |
| Capital One Venture X Annual fee: $395 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free Capital One lounge access with 2 guests. | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with unlimited guests. No restaurant, retail, or spa credit allowed. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. | No access |
| Capital One Venture or Spark Miles Annual fee: $95 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | Primary: 2 free lounge visits per year, then $45 per person. Secondary: $45 per person. | Primary and secondary cards: One free annual visit to Chase Sapphire lounge via Priority Pass with no guests. Guests or additional visits cost $75. No access to Sapphire Terrace. | Primary: 2 free Plaza Premium lounge visits per year, then $45 per person. Secondary: $45 per person. Priority Pass: No access. | Primary: 2 free lounge visits per year, then $45 per person. Secondary: $45 per person. | No access |
Summary:
- If you want Centurion Lounge and Escape Lounge access no matter what airline you fly, you’ll want an AMEX Platinum card.
- If you want Chase and Priority Pass lounge access with restaurant/spa credit, you’ll want the Sapphire Reserve or JPMorgan Ritz Carlton card.
- If you want a card with excellent overall lounge access rules for primary and free secondary cardholders, you’ll want Capital One Venture X.
Which of these cards do you have?
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31 Comments On "Wondering What Are The Current Lounge Access Benefits For Primary And Secondary AMEX, Capital One, Chase, And Citi Cardholders? Here Is A Comparison Chart!"
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Can you define on the guests, do infants and toddlers count towards the number of guests?
Typically 2 and older count.
The platinum card has Lufthansa lounge access
Great job! Now can we get a chart of all the current change and cancellation policies on paid / award tickets for major airlines? Please?:)
Venture x it’s very affordable with little obligations.
How do you gain entry into these lounges? Priority Pass has a membership, what about the others?
If you have Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve and 2 PP accounts, can you use the Reserve for credits and Platinum to enter lounge?
Thanks for this post, really helpful
Dan you write about lounge access with the venture X, but they announced their ending lounge access
You can still access lounges but you won’t get restaurant/spa credits any more.
Stink s that the restaurant credit is ending 12/31/22 on the venture X 🙁
what does spa/restaurant credit mean? thanks!
Thanks for this post, was waiting for such a detailed chart. I’m keeping getting confused by all the options I have.
can you give your opinion on the admirals lounge is that credit card worth it
what’s El Al Blush??
Managed by Plaza Premium in London/LHR.
Can Venure X cardholders access it?
Yes, under the priority pass/plaza premium rules.
This page says you only get “a guest” with the amex plat, but your chart says 2 guests.
https://www.americanexpress.com/icc/cards/benefits/travel/priority-pass.html
That’s not the US AMEX Platinum card.
My Citi Prestige allows 2 guests or all immediate family members, which for me is more than 2 guests. So I don’t think what’s written above is correct.
Fixed, thanks.
According to their website, JFK Clubhouse is not even open between 8am and 3pm.
It’s only open for Priority Pass during those hours.
Dan, what about TLV with Amex platinum, Sapphire reserve, Citi premier Any lounge availability?
No
Thank u Dan
My advice -Skip the lounge-
I was at the Amex Centurion today in CLT – overcrowded and everyone trying to gouge on free food and booze – could hardly find a seat
Airport Lounges have lost the class and appeal – time to increase spend thresholds and/ or limit guest passes
DL clubs have wait lists / so we have lost the whole point of a relaxed place to work or eat before a flight .
KSML options in US lounges are gross as well- better off bringing your own food
Thank you, Dan, for this chart! Other similar chart ideas would be rental car coverage, hotel free nights and credits, baggage and trip delay or loss reimbursements, airline spending and fee credits, and I’m sure there are other categories we can come up with. Most of the deep dive posts and charts are helpful in deciding which cards to get; these (like the lounge access chart) will be helpful in which cards to use for what because the chart is about the benefit and not about the card.
Great summary!
On Venture X, are Venture personal and biz versions included in that summary?
Dan, great comparison chart, how about adding the less popular cards like US bank altitude reserve and bank of america premium rewards elite?
When I asked at Dan lounge C only delta one passengers are allowed or so I was told
****FYI****
I just tried using the platinum card at Virgin Clubhouse in JFK and they they denied entry and claimed the partnership has been terminated since March 2023.
Also, the Capital One X card did not work either, as they said it was specific times when capacity is low. ( I guess basically at their discretion)
Finally, Priority pass was also declined because it is only works until 1:30 pm apparently.
So this was a short lived benefit!
does the venture x give access to non lounge experiences from priority pass (e.g. minute suites)