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In today’s fast-paced travel world, airport lounges have become essential for travelers seeking a comfortable and productive pre-flight experience. With various access methods available, anyone can now enjoy the perks of lounges, regardless of their travel class or elite status. First and Business Class passengers typically have lounge access, except for certain cases in the U.S. However, holding airline elite status can grant travelers access to lounges even when flying Economy Class, excluding the U.S. where access is limited to international flights. Premium travel credit cards with annual fees of $450+ often come with lounge access as well. Additionally, airline lounge memberships and airport lounge access programs, such as Priority Pass, offer options for travelers to access lounges worldwide. For those who prefer flexibility, day passes are available for purchase. While some may find lounge memberships worthwhile, others might find day passes more suitable for occasional travel. With these access methods, travelers can enhance their airport experience and enjoy the amenities lounges have to offer.

Fly in First or Business Class

Access to lounges when flying in First or Business Class

If you are flying in First or Business Class, you can generally access the lounge prior to your flight, if there is a lounge. This is the case in most places around the world with one notable exception – in the U.S., you do not generally get access if flying in First or Business Class either domestically or short-haul internationally (Mexico, Caribbean, etc.).

Depending on what cabin you are flying in, you may have access to different lounges. Airlines have various lounges ranging from First Class Lounges to Business Class Lounges to Frequent Flyer Lounges – the more expensive your ticket is and the higher your elite status, the better the lounge will be for you.

Hold Airline Elite Status

Lounge access with mid-to-top tier airline elite status

If you have mid-to-top tier airline elite status, you can generally access the airline’s lounge prior to a flight, even if flying in Economy Class – this is the case in most places around the world. However, again, there is one notable exception – in the U.S., you can only access the lounge if flying internationally if you hold elite status with a U.S. airline. Every airline has different policies, but in the U.S., it is taken to a whole new level with a bunch of rules, exceptions, and restrictions.

Every airline determines at what elite tier they will grant you lounge access, so for some airlines, requirements for tiers could vary as well as the benefits that come with those tiers.

Premium Travel Credit Card

Lounge access with a premium travel credit card with an annual fee of $450+

If you hold a premium travel credit card that has an annual fee of $450+, then that card should generally come with lounge access in some form – the card issuer might have their own lounges and/or provide you with an airport lounge access membership. The biggest perk of these expensive, premium travel credit cards is lounge access and the types of lounges you can access does vary based on what card you have.

Membership for Airline Lounges

Purchasing airline lounge memberships

Many airlines sell lounge memberships – like American, United, etc. – you can then access the airline’s lounges and sometimes their partner lounges prior to your flight, even if you are not flying in Business Class or have elite status. These lounge memberships usually start at $500+ and are valid for a year, if you want to add guesting privileges to your membership you can expect to pay $200+ on top of your membership fee.

I generally think these memberships aren’t worth it unless you only fly with that specific airline and have no premium travel credit cards and only fly domestically, and a lot of business travelers are in this situation which is why they buy these airline lounge memberships, but for the average leisure traveler it might not be worth it.

Airport Lounges Membership (Priority Pass)

Membership programs like Priority Pass

There are a few airport lounge access membership programs, but the largest one is Priority Pass – it essentially allows you to access 1,000+ airport lounges around the world and most of these lounges are third-party contract lounges instead of outright airline lounges (however some airline lounges do belong to Priority Pass).

You can buy Priority Pass directly from them (with different membership levels), or if you have a premium travel credit card that has lounge access, a Priority Pass membership is usually included as part of your credit card lounge access benefits (the guesting policy and lounge access policy would depend on your card issuer).

Buy a Day Pass

Purchasing day passes for airline and third-party lounges

Many airline and third-party lounges also sell day passes to access that lounge – some of these passes are either one-time access passes or day passes (in which case you can enter those lounges throughout your travel journey that day). These passes usually start at $50+ per person and may have some rules attached to them (like a max stay of 3 hours, etc.).

Buying a day pass could be worth it if you plan to spend several hours in the lounge and have no other way to access lounges, and you don’t really fly that much to justify paying for a premium credit card or a lounge membership. Buying a day pass is usually the last method to access a lounge and could be a great way for those who only fly a few times per year.