5 Best Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge Access

Airport lounge access is one of the premium credit card perks that people value most. Back in the day there weren’t many credit cards offering lounge access, but times have changed. In this post I wanted to take a look at the best US-issued credit cards for accessing Priority Pass lounges.

What is Priority Pass?

Priority Pass is the world’s largest network of independent airport lounges, with over 1,300 lounges around the world. Priority Pass isn’t directly affiliated with any airline, and a majority of the company’s member lounges are independent, and not run by airlines (though there are exceptions).

In general, there are two ways to get a Priority Pass membership. You can either buy a membership directly, or you can often get a membership through a premium credit card. In the United States, a vast majority of people get a membership through the latter method, as that represents a better value.

Many people may assume that lounge access isn’t attainable, but the reality is that there are several premium credit cards that should cost you very little but offer lounge access.

The best credit cards for Priority Pass

In this post I wanted to share what I consider to be the best credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access. I’ll be considering the following factors:

• The card’s annual fee, and how much of that annual fee can easily be recouped
• Whether unlimited Priority Pass lounge visits are included
• The number of guests you can bring into Priority Pass lounges with you (in addition to the member)
• Whether you receive credits at Priority Pass restaurants or not; I’ll just note upfront that Priority Pass cards issued through personal or business Amex cards and through personal Capital One cards don’t offer this, while Priority Pass cards through personal Chase cards and business Capital One cards do offer this
• Whether a card offers Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users
• How much it costs to add authorized users to a card

With that out of the way, let’s rank the best cards for Priority Pass lounge access (I’ll only include cards that are open to new applicants — so this excludes the Ritz Carlton Credit Card and the Citi Prestige Card).

1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

• Annual fee: $395 (Rates & Fees)
• Unlimited Priority Pass visits: Yes
• Number of Priority Pass guests allowed: Two
• Credits at Priority Pass restaurants: No
• Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users: Yes
• Cost to add authorized users: $0 for up to four authorized users
• (Rates & Fees)

The Capital One Venture X has a $395 annual fee, but that’s easily offset by a $300 annual travel credit plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles. So I consider the Priority Pass membership on the card to basically cost cardmembers very little (or even nothing). On top of that, you can add up to four authorized users to the card at no cost, and they all receive a Priority Pass membership as well. That’s incredible, and makes this one of the best cards for families, in my opinion.

Learn more about the Capital One Venture X, apply for the Capital One Venture X (Rates & Fees).

Note that the business version of the card, the Capital One Venture X Business (review) (Rates & Fees), also offers a Priority Pass membership, though the terms associated with this differ.

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card

• Annual fee: $550
• Unlimited Priority Pass visits: Yes
• Number of Priority Pass guests allowed: Two
• Credits at Priority Pass restaurants: Yes
• Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users: Yes
• Cost to add authorized users: $75 per person

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but that’s partly offset by a $300 annual travel credit. On top of that, you can add authorized users for $75 each, and they receive a Priority Pass membership as well. This is a very well rounded card, but not the lowest cost option for getting a Priority Pass membership. However, this is the best pick if you value credits at Priority Pass restaurants.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve, apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

3. The Platinum Card® from American Express

• Annual fee: $695 (Rates & Fees)
• Unlimited Priority Pass visits: Yes
• Number of Priority Pass guests allowed: Two
• Credits at Priority Pass restaurants: No
• Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users: Yes
• Cost to add authorized users: $195 per person (Rates & Fees)

While the Amex Platinum has a higher annual fee than some of the other cards, it also offers many valuable perks. The Priority Pass membership (Enrollment required) is only a small part of the card’s overall lounge access perks. The major catch is that Amex cards don’t offer credits at Priority Pass restaurants, which many people value.

Learn more about the Amex Platinum, apply for the Amex Platinum.

Note that the business version of the card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review), also offers a Priority Pass membership, is worth considering, though note that there are some differences between the two versions of the card, though the terms associated with this differ.

4. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

• Annual fee: $650 (Rates & Fees)
• Unlimited Priority Pass visits: Yes
• Number of Priority Pass guests allowed: Two
• Credits at Priority Pass restaurants: No
• Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users: No
• Cost to add authorized users: $0

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is a card worth having for Platinum Elite Bonvoy status, the up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, as well as a free night award valid at properties costing up to 85,000 points per night, which combined more than justify the annual fee.

The card also offers a Priority Pass membership with unlimited visits (Enrollment required). Still, the catch is that you don’t get credits at Priority Pass restaurants, and authorized users also don’t get a membership.

Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.

5. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

• Annual fee: $95 (Rates & Fees)
• Unlimited Priority Pass visits: No (10 visits per year)
• Number of Priority Pass guests allowed: 0
• Credits at Priority Pass restaurants: No
• Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users: No
• Cost to add authorized users: $0

The Hilton Business doesn’t offer a Priority Pass membership, but rather offers 10 complimentary Priority Pass lounge entries per year (Enrollment required). You can use all of these entries for yourself, or you can use them for companions traveling with you (in other words, if you have a guest each time, you could visit five lounges). Getting any sort of lounge access on a card with an annual fee of under $100 is awesome, so I consider this to be a great card.

Learn more about the Hilton Business, apply for the Hilton Business.

Is Priority Pass lounge access worth it?

There’s not going to be a one size fits all answer as to whether or not access to Priority Pass airport lounges is worth it. I do have a few things to consider, though:

• Priority Pass lounges generally aren’t going to be amazing, though the quality does vary based on the part of the world you’re in; don’t expect these to be like the world’s best first class lounges
• Expect Priority Pass lounges to often be pretty crowded, especially in the United States; after all, lots of people have lounge access through credit cards
• The value of Priority Pass lounge access depends on how much you fly, how much time you usually spend at the airport before flying, and what Priority Pass lounge options there are at the airports you frequent
• For those who have a Priority Pass restaurant or a good lounge at their home airport, the value of a Priority Pass membership could be huge; just make sure you get a card that offers credits there
• While I’m a frequent flyer, personally I wouldn’t pay the $469 annual fee that Priority Pass charges directly for a membership with unlimited visits; personally I’d say I value a membership at maybe $200 or so, but that’s a conservative valuation

That’s also the beauty of getting a Priority Pass membership through a credit card, as it won’t cost you nearly that much. For most of the above credit cards, I can fully justify the annual fees without even factoring in the value of a Priority Pass membership, so I view the membership as basically being thrown in for free.

For example, take the Capital One Venture X, which I rank as the best card for a Priority Pass membership. While the card does have a $395 annual fee (Rates & Fees), that should already be offset by the $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles. Then for mental accounting purposes, I consider all of the other perks to be “free.” And then keep in mind the card doesn’t just offer a Priority Pass membership for the primary cardmember, but also for up to four authorized users, who won’t cost you anything extra.

That’s five Priority Pass memberships for basically nothing, by my math. At that price I’d argue Priority Pass is very much worth it. 😉

Bottom line

Nowadays there are a variety of credit cards that offer a Priority Pass membership, which can be a fantastic way to access airport lounges. The beauty of getting a credit card with Priority Pass lounge access is that in many cases it won’t actually cost you that much.

There are several cards that offer a lounge membership as part of the suite of perks, and if you use the cards correctly, you should easily be able to justify the annual fee without even factoring in Priority Pass. That’s why many of us have multiple Priority Pass memberships (and it can even be hard to tell the cards apart).

Do you have a Priority Pass membership through a credit card? If so, which one?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees).