What is the best way to get free airport lounge access? We did the math

My first encounter with airport lounges was in the 2006 film “Unaccompanied Minors,” in which a rich teenager sneaks into a luxury airport lounge with an access pass presumably given to her by her parents.

This scene left me in awe of airport lounges. They seemed like an exclusive club reserved for the wealthy elite – a place someone like me, whose middle-class family rarely traveled, would never experience.

It’s funny how wrong I was.

Last year, I left my job as a full-time personal finance editor to travel the world. Using my knowledge of credit card points, savings hacks, and smart money advice, I’ve figured out how to travel to more than 36 countries on a budget. One tip I learned along the way: airport lounges are barely exclusive. You can usually snag a day pass for around $35 to $75, and there are plenty of ways to get free access.

One of the most popular options is Priority Pass membership, which gives members access to a network of over 1,600 airport lounges and experiences worldwide. Here’s how to get Priority Pass airport lounge access inexpensively and, in some cases, with no extra money out of my pocket.

How much does Priority Pass membership cost?

Prices for an annual Priority Pass membership range from $99 for the Standard plan (with a $35 fee for each lounge visit) to $469 for the Prestige plan (with unlimited free visits).

If you only plan to visit a lounge once or twice a year, paying for a day pass or the standard plan is your best bet. However, if you travel more often, you’ll need a plan that gives you unlimited access.

Luckily, there’s a cheaper way to get it than buying the Prestige plan directly from Priority Pass: credit cards.

Popular credit cards that offer Priority Pass

Several premium travel credit cards offer cardholders (and sometimes authorized users) a free Priority Pass Select membership, which, like the Prestige plan, grants unlimited lounge visits.

Since the Prestige plan costs $469 per year, any credit card with an annual fee under that amount is already a better deal, even before you consider the card’s other benefits.

The most popular Priority Pass travel cards include:

Several business cards and co-branded cards from hotels or airlines also offer Priority Pass, but these cards appeal to a smaller audience and are not significantly cheaper than the options above.

The cheapest way to get Priority Pass

When you look at the four cards above, one clear differentiator stands out: the Capital One Venture X has the lowest annual fee at $395. Capital One also allows you to add up to four authorized users, each of whom will receive their own Priority Pass membership at no additional cost.

The Venture X is clearly the winner, right?

Well, that depends. If you don’t want to use the card for other travel benefits, then maybe. However, if you travel often enough to want a Priority Pass membership, there are other factors to consider.

In addition to Priority Pass, the four cards above offer a full range of benefits, including statement credits that provide quantifiable cash value. If you use these credits to offset purchases you would make with normal spending, they can help significantly reduce the card’s annual fees. Let’s take a look at the value you can get from each card’s statement balances and effective annual fees if you use them all.

To make the comparison easier, I only count loans that have a defined cash value and do not come with complicated restrictions. Some credits are not available every year, so the calculations below reflect the value of each card in the first year.

Priority Pass credit card values

Card name	Annual fee	Total present value of credits and benefits	Effective annual contribution
*Capital One Venture X	$395	$420	-$25
Chase Sapphire Reserve	$550	$755	-$205
The Platinum Card from American Express	$695	$1,294	-$599
Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit Card	$550	$550	$0

Are you noticing a trend?

If you can max out all your credits without overspending, these cards are practically free and you could even come out ahead.

Of the four cards above, the Amex Platinum technically has the lowest effective annual fee at -$599. However, the Platinum’s credits are divided into many different parts, some of which may be more difficult to maximize than others. It is also the card with the highest value among the listed options actually Annual fee, which means the largest upfront investment is required and there is no guarantee that you will be able to “earn” it back.

Which card offers Priority Pass at the best price?

For most people, Venture X offers the best balance between minimizing the effective annual fee and making the credits easy to use. The card only has two credits, one for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry and one for the Capital One Travel Portal, which offers a wide selection of flights, hotels and rental cars.

I didn’t include each card’s rewards in the calculations above, but it’s worth noting that the Venture bonus, combined with the $300 annual travel credit, ensures that the card’s effective annual fee remains the same even in years without TSA PreCheck /Global Entry balance remains negative.

However, if you can use all of the travel credits, the Amex Platinum may be a more worthwhile way to enjoy airport lounge access with additional benefits.

A lesser-known card that offers Priority Pass

If you take four or fewer trips a year, there’s another, lesser-known card that can give you Priority Pass with no annual fee: the US Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card*.

The card received an upgrade in September that changed some of its rewards and benefits and eliminated the previous $95 annual fee. Despite eliminating the annual fee, the card retained its Priority Pass and TSA PreCheck/Global Entry balance benefits, essentially giving the card some premium card benefits for the price of a card with no annual fee.

So what’s the catch?

Altitude Connect’s Priority Pass membership only gets you four free lounge visits per year. Each guest you bring with you will also be counted towards the four-visitor flat rate. That might not be enough to attract frequent travelers, but it’s perfect for the occasional traveler or anyone curious about airport lounges who doesn’t want to commit to an annual fee card.

The final verdict

You don’t need airport lounge access to enjoy traveling. In fact, you may find like me that this particular benefit isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. However, if you frequently travel in and out of airports, lounge access could enrich your travel experience.

If you’re new to airport lounges, I don’t recommend rushing into unlimited lounge access until you’ve decided it’s an experience you value. Investing a few hundred dollars or opening a new credit card – which can have a bigger impact on your credit score and overall finances – is not a decision you should make lightly. If you are still unsure, buy a day ticket and try it out without obligation.

If you plan on visiting lounges frequently after testing, it’s wise to find a credit card that fits your travel goals. For most travelers, the Capital One Venture X is the best choice. For more frequent trips, American Express Platinum offers you the best value for money.

If I decide to have lounge access again, I would choose the US Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card. Since there’s no annual fee, airport lounge access feels like a nice bonus rather than a perk I’d have to use every time I fly to get my money’s worth.

*All information about the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and US Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card was collected independently by CNET and has not been verified by the issuer.

For American Express Platinum Card rates and fees, click here.

The editorial content of this site is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our authors and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It was not provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation if you click on links to our partners’ products or services.

Full list of credits compared in the table above:

Capital One Venture:

$300 annual travel credit through Capital One Travel
Up to $120 credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee every four years

Chase Sapphire Reserve:

$300 annual travel credit for all travel purchases charged to the card
Up to $100 credit towards Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee every four years
Free DashPass for one year when activated by December 31, 2027 ($96 purchase through DoorDash)
$5 monthly DoorDash credit ($60 annually)
Free two-year Lyft Pink All Access membership when activated by December 31, 2024 (purchase value of $199/year through Lyft)

The Platinum Card from American Express:

Up to $200 annual credit on select prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel
Up to $20 monthly credit on select digital entertainment subscriptions (up to $240 annually)
Up to $12.95 monthly Walmart+ credit ($155 annually)
$15 Uber Cash per month for travel in the US, plus $20 bonus in December (up to $200 annually)
Up to $200 annual incidental credit on an airline of your choice
Up to $50 semi-annual credit for Saks Fifth Avenue ($100 annually)
Up to $199 annual credit for a CLEAR® Plus membership

General terms and conditions apply to American Express benefits and offers. Select American Express benefits and offers may require registration. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit Card:

$300 annual credit for qualified airline incidental expenses
$150 annual credit on qualifying purchases of video streaming services, food delivery, fitness subscriptions and rideshare services
Up to $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four years