Airport lounges are plentiful, but an annual membership is expensive. United just raised their prices without notice. Last year Delta created two separate tiers, and prevented basic members from brining a free guest. So the question begs to be asked: Do those prices live up to the hype?
Today’s post explores several options for lounge membership sold by airlines and third-party organizations. Pricing is all over the map, and some memberships include reciprocal access to other lounges, giving you more bang for your buck.
Airline Clubs
The largest airport lounge networks are operated by the airlines themselves, with discounts for passengers who have elite status and sometimes complimentary access on international itineraries. (Alaska also provides lounge access on domestic itineraries to passengers who book a first class ticket.) Certain credit cards with high annual fees may also include a complimentary membership or access to the club when traveling on the airline.
Key Advice: Purchasing a membership to an airline club includes access even when you fly with a different carrier. Think about which carrier has the best lounge at your home airport or other airports you visit frequently.
Admirals Club (American Airlines)
- Annual Admirals Club membership: $450
- First year initiation fee: $50
- Discounts: Save up to $100 on annual membership with elite status.
- Spouse: Add a second membership for $175 to $325, depending on the primary member’s elite status, and avoid the second initiation fee.
Accessing the club with a credit card: The Citi Executive / AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard has an annual fee of $450 and includes an Admirals Club membership. The Citi Prestige card has an annual fee of $450 and includes access to the Admirals Club when traveling on American Airlines but not an actual membership.
Summary: Pay as little as $350 per year for one person after discounts with the option to bring two complimentary guests.
Board Room (Alaska Airlines)
- Annual Board Room membership: $350
- First year initiation fee: $100
- Discounts: Save up to $50 on initiation fee and up to $55 on annual membership with elite status or an Alaska Airlines credit card.
- Spouse: Add a second membership for $250 and avoid the second initiation fee.
Accessing the club with a credit card: Admirals Club members (including those with Citi Executive / AAdvantage but not the Citi Prestige) have access to the Board Room when traveling on Alaska or American Airlines. You can also get access with a Priority Pass Select membership via the American Express Platinum Card for $450 regardless of carrier, but this option does not include complimentary guests; add up to three additional cardholders for a flat $175. They can then get their own Priority Pass Select memberships.
Summary: Pay as little as $295 per year for one person after discounts with the option to bring two complimentary guests. Includes access to a variety of other clubs in airports without a Board Room location when traveling on an Alaska Airlines itinerary.
Sky Club (Delta Air Lines)
- Annual Sky Club membership: $450 for Individual Membership ($29 per guest) or $695 for Executive Membership (two complimentary guests)
- First year initiation fee: N/A
- Discounts: Save up to $100 on annual membership with elite status. Complimentary Individual Membership provided to Diamond Medallion members.
- Spouse: N/A
Accessing the club with a credit card: The Delta Reserve American Express card has an annual fee of $450. It includes access to the Sky Club (only for the cardholder) when traveling on Delta Air Lines but not an actual membership. The American Express Platinum Card has the same cost and access rules.
Summary: Pay as little as $450 per year for one person after discounts and pay additional fees for guests as needed. Delta is the only airline in the U.S. to offer a free club membership to its top-tier members.
United Club (United Airlines)
- Annual United Club membership: $550
- First year initiation fee: $50
- Discounts: Save up to $100 on annual membership with elite status.
- Spouse: Add a second membership for $550 (no discount) but avoid the second initiation fee.
Accessing the club with a credit card: United offers a credit card with an annual fee of $450 that includes a membership to the United Club.
Summary: Pay as little as $4 per year for one person after discounts with the option to bring two complimentary guests. No reciprocal access policies with other programs, so a membership is required unless you choose to buy individual day passes.
Independent Networks
Some travelers aren’t loyal to a single airline, so membership in one airline-operated lounge network doesn’t make much sense. Frequent travelers with elite status on international itineraries often receive free access as a benefit. And infrequent travelers may not see the value in paying several hundred dollars up front. In these cases, other access options allow you to be a “free agent” who can pick and choose from smaller and more fragmented networks.
Priority Pass
This network of airport lounges includes many airline-operated lounges, smaller networks such as Plaza Premium, and a variety of independent operators. Priority Pass pricing options are broken into three tiers (in all cases, guests are $27 each):
- Standard — $99 per year plus $27 per visit
- Standard Plus — $249 per year and 10 free visits
- Prestige — $399 per year and all visits are free
Many of the large U.S. airline lounge networks such as the United Club have withdrawn from Priority Pass, though Alaska Airlines’ Board Room remains. This significantly reduces the value of purchasing a membership directly from Priority Pass. However, it could be valuable in small international airports
Instead, get a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with the American Express Platinum Card or Citi Prestige card (each has a $450 annual fee). This Select membership is equivalent to the $399 Prestige tier since it includes unlimited free visits.
But know that there are many different “versions” of the Priority Pass Select membership. Some other credit cards (like the Hilton Surpass Amex) give you one, and you have to pay for every entrance — similar to the standard tier. The Amex Platinum card gives you a version that covers your own entry but not a guest (Add three more cardholders to your Platinum Card for a flat $175; each of them can then get their own free Priority Pass Select membership.) Finally, the best Priority Pass Select membership comes from the Citi Prestige, which covers the entry fee for you and two guests.
The Centurion Lounge
In an age when some people have never heard of travelers checks, American Express is trying to re-invent its premium travel services with an exclusive network of Centurion Lounges (which originally began several years ago in Latin America). Their recent expansion in the U.S. has made them more noticeable, with premium food and speciality cocktails that make them better than most international business class lounges. One even has a complimentary spa. Domestic locations include New York-La Guardia, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle (coming soon).
Access to Centurion Lounges is complimentary for American Express Platinum and Centurion cardmembers, along with two guests. People with other American Express cards can buy a day pass for $50. However, a smaller concept called “Centurion Studios” will not offer day passes.
If you’ve been paying attention to the rest of this post, you’ll know by now that the American Express Platinum Card has a $450 annual fee and includes access to several other airport lounges operated by airlines and independent service providers. These include Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Priority Pass lounges (including Alaska Board Rooms), and Airspace Lounges (a small network with a la carte services).
LoungeBuddy
Finally, consider using LoungeBuddy. This free app contains the most comprehensive collection of airport lounge information I’ve ever seen, along with useful filters and a trip planning tool that determine which credit cards, fare classes, or elite status give you complimentary access. Some lounges that aren’t included in the networks above may be listed here. And if you can’t get in for free, they provide an option to buy a day pass from your phone. The entire system even runs offline, so you’ll continue to stay informed when you’re in the air or international roaming is turned off.
