Who pays for airport lounge?

Most major airlines sell annual memberships that provide unlimited access to their lounge networks, even if you're not flying in a premium cabin. The cost varies depending on whether you have elite status and whether you're buying a new membership or renewing.



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That's right, nowadays even if you are flying economy and have absolutely no airline loyalty, you can pay to enter a new style of pay-per-use lounges. PAY-PER-USE LOUNGES are first class lounges that are open to ALL travellers regardless of airline flown – for a relatively small fee.

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Airport lounges are generally worth the effort to get in, whether as provided by your airline ticket, credit card or elite status. The benefits are truly there, from the basics like Wi-Fi, clean restrooms, beverages and a place to sit, to sit down meals and premium beverages.

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Prices vary depending on the airline and lounge location but typically cost around $25 to $60 per person. Most domestic and international airlines sell day passes at club lounges and online.

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How do airport lounges work? Lounges give access to passengers with specific premium flight tickets (i.e. business or first class), status levels (i.e. Star Alliance Gold) or for having certain credit cards in their wallet, such as The Platinum Card? from American Express.

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It's important to know that lounge access can be determined by your airline ticket class (i.e. business or first class), your membership level within a loyalty program, or even the kind of credit card you have. Certain travel credit cards come with complimentary access to certain airport lounges.

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You can get free access to an airline lounge by redeeming miles or opening a credit card with lounge benefits. Airline elite status also comes with lounge benefits. If you're a U.S. military member on active duty, you might qualify for free lounge access with select airlines.

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Best Credit Cards With Lounge Access
  • Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best Card With Lounge Access for Families.
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best Card With Lounge Access.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Best Delta Card With Lounge Access.


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  1. Use cards that give free lounge access. ...
  2. Buy a third-party lounge pass. ...
  3. Buy one-time access to a lounge for as low as $23. ...
  4. Find free access with the LoungeBuddy app. ...
  5. Get free access as an active military member. ...
  6. Get an airline or alliance lounge membership. ...
  7. Gain entry with elite points status. ...
  8. Gain access with your ticket.


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Both The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express include access to AmEx Centurion Lounges as well as the vast AmEx Global Lounge Collection.

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Tipping is not required in airport lounges At best, tipping is optional in an airport lounge, but it's usually appreciated nonetheless.

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You can stay overnight and sleep at 24-hour airport lounges, as long as they don't have any rules on how long you stay. Many airport lounges close at night or limit access to just a few hours before your flight. Go to your airport lounge program's website to review hours and rules at the lounge you want to visit.

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Lounges typically set food up in a way where you can help yourself as needed. They often offer free snacks and other food choices, plus drinks, including alcoholic beverages. These food and drink offerings come at no extra cost to you.

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The maximum stay listed is the validity of the pass. Each pass has a time limit of 3 – 12 hours depending on the lounge and the pass purchased. Should you wish to stay longer, you can always negotiate with the lounge staff directly to extend your stay.

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Premium credit cards have proliferated significantly in the U.S. since 2016. More people buying lounge access in more ways means more people with access. And in general clubs are better, more attractive places to spend time than they used to be. American Express put pressure on airlines to up their game.

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Each pass has a time limit of 3 – 12 hours depending on the lounge and the pass purchased. Should you wish to stay longer, you can always negotiate with the lounge staff directly to extend your stay. This will be subject to availability and the cost may be different.

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If your issuer provides complimentary lounge visits, there will be a “Complimentary Visit” section under My Information on the app and under My Account on the web. If you do not have any complimentary visits, this section will not display.

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card does not offer airport lounge access. If that benefit is important to you, then you should opt for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. That card has a higher annual fee of $550, but offers Priority Pass Select membership which is valued at $469 per year.

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Lounge members can often arrange a pass through the airline. But outside of that, if you don't have a departing boarding pass for that airport and that day, you can't go through security to get to a lounge.

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