What’s the Cheapest Way to Get to the Airport Lounge?
We love pre-checkout or priority boarding so much. Now the most fashionable thing to do at the airport is to go to the waiting room. Lounges are no longer just a haven for weary business travelers or international travelers with long stops, they are the key to saving money on expensive airport food and drinks for many travelers.
Airport lounges have become so popular that airlines are hastily building new ones to meet demand, according to a recent New York Times article .
But while access may be open to more travelers than ever, it doesn’t come cheap. Let’s take a look at how much it costs to get in, and what options you have for doing so.
Your credit card might be the cheapest route
The cheapest way to get inside is to use a credit card, which gives you access as a privilege for the cardholder. But this advantage usually holds true for elite cards, which have huge annual fees.
You should see lounge access as a bonus perk for any of these cards, not as an excuse to spend $ 450 or more. You will have to use the airport lounge at least 10 times to bring your annual fee down to a level comparable to purchasing a day pass. If you already own one of these cards and think that membership privileges are valuable in return for an annual fee, then by all means go crazy at every lounge you can get into and stuff your pockets with cookies before you leave. Below are the most famous options in this category:
Holders cards American Express Platinum can visit Centurion lounges, as well as some others. You can bring two guests for free. The annual fee for the card is $ 550.
Holders cards Chase Sapphire Reserve can visit Lounges Priority Pass. The annual card fee is $ 450. You must register for Priority Pass and wait for your membership card to be sent before heading to the lounge. (For more information on Priority Pass, see below.)
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard users can enter more than 50 Admirals Club lounges worldwide and take two guests with them. The annual fee is $ 450.
The Delta Reserve SkyMiles Card includes access to Delta Sky Club lounges and access for two guests at a cost of $ 29 per visit. The annual card fee is $ 450.
The United Club Card includes United Club membership and access to Star Alliance lounges. The annual card fee is $ 450.
If you are not interested in applying for one of these credit cards, you have several other options.
Buy a day pass
LoungeBuddy offers day passes to various airport lounges. Access starts at $ 25, although searches at some major airports have found options ranging from $ 39 to $ 69.
Minute Suites does not offer memberships, but does offer hourly (or partial) access to their sleeping rooms starting at $ 42 an hour.
The club halls have day passes starting at $ 40.
The Airspace Lounge offers $ 20 access, although it is currently only available at Cleveland and San Francisco airports.
You can experiment with a couple of day passes before investing in a Priority Pass or credit card to see how much you can benefit from lounge access.
Want a membership? Try Priority Pass
Priority Pass offers access to over 1200 airport lounges around the world.
Pay $ 99 for a membership and visit the $ 32 Lounge. Pay $ 299 for a membership and get 10 free visits, then pay $ 32 for a visit. For unlimited visits, you will need to pay a $ 429 membership fee.
The $ 299 Standard Plus plan is the best deal; essentially, you get your first 10 visits at $ 30 each. If you plan to use the lounge more than 14 times a year, you may want to choose the most expensive rate – Prestige.
However, having a Priority Pass does not guarantee that you will enter the lounge. The company makes it clear which lounges have limited times or peak times when they tend to be overcrowded.
The last time I flew out of Boston, my flight was delayed by several hours and I had to put my name on a waiting list specifically for Priority Pass members when I got to the lounge. I was told there would be a 90 minute wait, but I got in within an hour. (I have a Priority Pass on my Chase Sapphire backup card.)
The company recommends testing its app before lugging backpacks into the living room. However, you can also use Priority Pass to get a discount on your bill at select airport cafes, which helps soften the blow if you can’t get into the lounge for your free salad bar.