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What’s the Best Credit Card for Lounge Access?
July 1, 2025
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Let’s face it: the golden age of air travel is well and truly gone. Although traveling can be fun, going to the airport and getting lost in a crowd of loud, sweaty, and anxious fliers is anything but. That’s where airport lounges come to the rescue.
From San Diego and San Francisco to Dallas-Fort Worth, most international airports have purpose-built oases designed to give fliers a place to relax in between flights.
As you might expect, access to airport lounges doesn’t always come cheap — but if you have the right travel rewards credit card, you just might be able to score free unlimited access.
This guide explains how airport lounges work and looks at four of the best credit cards for lounge access depending on who you like to fly with, where you’re traveling to, and what kinds of fees or rewards schemes you’re looking for in a credit card.
How Do Airport Lounge Visits Work?
Before we speed right into the best credit card for airport lounges, let’s pump the brakes and talk about why you might want to score airport lounge access in the first place.
Airport lounges are exclusive areas for passengers to relax, eat, drink, and even shop. They offer plenty of space to stretch out and enjoy airport lounge benefits, like free Wifi, complimentary food, or high-end dining that you won’t find in the general terminal.
Some airports might only have one designated lounge, while larger international airports might have multiple.
You can gain airport lounge access via:
- Premium flight tickets (airline statuses like business class or first class)
- Club membership or airline elite status
- Credit card membership
- One-off day passes (paying entrance fees) or travel passes
When you arrive at an airport, all you have to do is head to the lounge after you’ve checked in and gone through security. You’ll then need to show your ticket, card details, or club membership to gain entry.
Additional guests usually require a trip companion certificate.
A few credit cards offer lounge access as a reward for usage, but not all rewards cards are created equal.
To help you get started on your hunt for the best credit card for airport lounges, we’ll walk you through some of the most attractive options available today.
Want to explore every option? Try out our free card explorer tool.
Best Credit Card for Overall Lounge Access: American Express Platinum Card®
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "106", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint": "Serious Points on Flights"} ]]
Best Lounge Access Credit Card for Delta Fliers: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "440", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent Travelers", "headerHint": "Most Premium Delta Offer"} ]]
Best Lounge Access Credit Card for United Airlines Fliers: United Club℠ Card
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "2410", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "United Loyalists", "headerHint": "Top-Tier Card"} ]]
Best Lounge Access Credit Card for Occasional Fliers: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "1064", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "United Loyalists", "headerHint": "2X Hilton Honors Bonus Points"} ]]
Conclusion
Traveling can be loud, busy, exhausting, and hectic. With an airport lounge, it doesn’t have to be. Unfortunately, access to some of the best airport lounges is exclusive. That’s where a travel rewards credit card can come in handy.
There are loads of credit cards that offer complimentary airport lounge access — but the best cards with lounge access will depend on what you’re looking for in a card.
We've listed a few of the best, but others include Capital One travel cards (which get you access to Capital One Lounges), the Marriott Bonvoy credit card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card, and the Citi AAdvantage Executive card.
If you need help exploring travel rewards cards, Kudos can help. Find the perfect credit card for your lifestyle using our free card explorer tool.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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