DansDeals will receive compensation if you are approved for a credit card via a link in this post. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers, visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
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 CardÂŽ from American Express
- Delta AMEX Consumer Reserve
- Delta SkyMilesÂŽ Reserve Business American Express Card
- Delta AMEX Consumer Platinum
- Delta SkyMilesÂŽ 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 XÂ
- 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 | Priority Pass Lounges, including Chase Sapphire Lounge, The Club, Airspace, Minute Suites, and more | Plaza Premium Lounges, including select Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses, El Al Blush, and more | Airline operated lounges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMEX Platinum Annual fee: $695 Secondary annual fee: 3 cards for $175. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. Effective 2/1/23 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: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant 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 $39 each ($50 as of 2/2/23). |
| AMEX Business Platinum. Annual fee: $695 Secondary annual fee: $350 | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. Effective 2/1/23 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: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant 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 $39 each ($50 as of 2/2/23). |
| 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 | Primary and secondary cards: Free access to Delta lounges with no guests when flying Delta. Bring up to 2 guests or immediate family for $39 each ($50 as of 2/2/23). Access lounge when flying Delta partners for $39. 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 | Primary and secondary cards: $39/person (up to 2 guests or immediate family) to access Delta lounges when flying Delta or Delta partner. ($50 as of 2/2/23). |
| Hilton AMEX Surpass and Hilton AMEX Business Annual fee: $95 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary: 10 free visits per year, including guests. Secondary: No access. | No access | No access |
| Hilton AMEX Aspire Annual fee: $450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant or spa credit allowed. Secondary: No access | No access | No access |
| Marriott AMEX Brilliant Annual fee: $650 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary: Free access with 2 guests. No restaurant or spa credit allowed. Secondary: No access | No access | 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. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | No access | 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 | 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. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | 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 Ritz-Carlton Annual fee: $450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with unlimited guests. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | No access | No access |
| Citi AAdvantage Executive Annual fee: $450 Secondary annual fee: $0 | 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: Free access with 2 guests. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed. | No access | No access |
| Capital One Venture X Annual fee: $395 Secondary annual fee: $0 | No access | No access | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with 2 guests. | Primary and secondary cards: Free access with unlimited guests. Restaurant and spa credit are allowed only through 12/31/22. | 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. | 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 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?
Leave a Reply
14 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!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions arenât provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
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 đ
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.
Nice chart, but in general, everyone should keep in mind that lounges aren’t always all they’re chalked up to be. Very often airport doesn’t have one, or far-away terminal, or closed evenings, or waiting list and you can’t get in. I’ve flow about a dozen times in the past year and only once did I actually get into a lounge – and that took me pushing them to make an exception to let me skip the line to take a shower.
can you give your opinion on the admirals lounge is that credit card worth it
what’s El Al Blush??