6 Best Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge Access

6 Best Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge Access

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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.

Priority Pass has 1,300+ lounges around the world

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 Amex and Capital One don’t offer this, while Priority Pass cards through Chase 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
  • 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

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. The only downside is that the card doesn’t offer credits at Priority Pass restaurants.

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

Access the Icare Lounge at Paris Orly with Priority Pass

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.

The Cafe by Mise en Place Tampa is a Priority Pass restaurant

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.

Access the Sala VIP Internacional Quito with Priority Pass

4. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

  • Annual fee: $450 (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 Hilton Aspire is an incredible hotel credit card that offers lots of value. The annual fee is easy to justify based on all the perks, including a $250 annual Hilton resort credit, $250 annual airline fee credit, annual free night award, and Hilton Honors Diamond status. While the card offers a Priority Pass membership (Enrollment required) for the primary cardmember, authorized users don’t get a membership, and you also can’t get credits at Priority Pass restaurants.

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

The information and associated card details on this page for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Access the Turkish Airlines Lounge Miami with Priority Pass

5. 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.

Access the IGA Lounge Istanbul with Priority Pass

6. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® 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 Surpass 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 Surpass, apply for the Hilton Surpass.

The information and associated card details on this page for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Access the Miracle First Class Lounge Bangkok with Priority Pass

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, 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. 😉

I have Priority Pass memberships through several credit cards

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 Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees).

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  1. iamhere Guest

    People should only include the Priority Pass as a benefit to one card in the idea of "discounting" their annual fee. If multiple cards issue it, then the this is not valuable for each card. The real value is with a Chase issued card because of the increased benefits, but as others mentioned it depends on the type of card as authorized users are charged for some and not others (e.g. CSR charges for additional...

    People should only include the Priority Pass as a benefit to one card in the idea of "discounting" their annual fee. If multiple cards issue it, then the this is not valuable for each card. The real value is with a Chase issued card because of the increased benefits, but as others mentioned it depends on the type of card as authorized users are charged for some and not others (e.g. CSR charges for additional users), etc. It seems that Capital One and Amex offer a variation of some of the benefits that Chase does but not all. That also depends on the card company's agreement with Priority Pass.

  2. Andrew Diamond

    "Airport lounge access is one of the premium credit card perks that people value most."

    That requires qualification. I have never sat in any Priority Pass lounge and thought to myself "thank goodness I got to the airport early."

    I would happily take a $50 cut to an AF to lose PP access on every one of my cards.

    1. iamhere Guest

      Agree. Nothing wrong with the lounges but nothing to say about them either. Many of them are overcrowded anyway and they usually lack consistency. Some have been over my expecations whereas some have been under.

  3. mjonis Guest

    Ben,
    Why didn't you review/rate the BofA Premium Elite Visa Infinite card?
    It's the only card, AFAIK, that allows for unlimited priority pass "guests". $550 AF, but $300 airline credit and $150 lifestyle, bring it down to $100 and you can "gift" 3 other Priority Pass (unlimited guests) memberships.

    1. iamhere Guest

      I think the lower end Premium BofA card that charges $95 is better because it includes the same return and only includes the $100 airline money. $550 is steep if you have other premium credit cards that offer the Priority Pass, so that could cancel it. The lifestyle credit has a lot of restrictions for the types of purchases, so while it is a $550 fee, realistically it could be $50-250 depending on if you have use for the lifestyle credit.

    2. mjonis Guest

      None of the other premium cards (AFAIK) have *unlimited* priority pass guests. At least none of the ones that Ben lists have that feature.
      The lifestyle credit is very easy (IMO) to use since it covers Uber (even for rides), Hulu streaming, and others.

      The Premium Rewards card doesn't offer Priority Pass (AFAIK, the BofA website doesn't list it anywhere as a benefit), which would exclude it from this list/post (since Ben's post...

      None of the other premium cards (AFAIK) have *unlimited* priority pass guests. At least none of the ones that Ben lists have that feature.
      The lifestyle credit is very easy (IMO) to use since it covers Uber (even for rides), Hulu streaming, and others.

      The Premium Rewards card doesn't offer Priority Pass (AFAIK, the BofA website doesn't list it anywhere as a benefit), which would exclude it from this list/post (since Ben's post was specifically cards with Priority Pass benefits).

  4. SEM Member

    I know this always gets mentioned at some point in these PP posts, but assuming you have another Chase Marriott CC, upgrading to the discontinued Ritz Carlton card would seem to be the best choice...It has a lower annual fee then the Brilliant card, 300$ travel Credit to off set the fee, gets Restaurant credits, "unlimited" guesting privileges [yes, that's a YMMV situation for sure], and no fee to add authorized users... I keep my...

    I know this always gets mentioned at some point in these PP posts, but assuming you have another Chase Marriott CC, upgrading to the discontinued Ritz Carlton card would seem to be the best choice...It has a lower annual fee then the Brilliant card, 300$ travel Credit to off set the fee, gets Restaurant credits, "unlimited" guesting privileges [yes, that's a YMMV situation for sure], and no fee to add authorized users... I keep my Ritz card for those reason...Someone please point out any flaws with my logic here...

    1. iamhere Guest

      Agree. And it is still a Chase card with the related Chase benefits with Priority pass.

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mjonis Guest

None of the other premium cards (AFAIK) have *unlimited* priority pass guests. At least none of the ones that Ben lists have that feature. The lifestyle credit is very easy (IMO) to use since it covers Uber (even for rides), Hulu streaming, and others. The Premium Rewards card doesn't offer Priority Pass (AFAIK, the BofA website doesn't list it anywhere as a benefit), which would exclude it from this list/post (since Ben's post was specifically cards with Priority Pass benefits).

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iamhere Guest

Agree. Nothing wrong with the lounges but nothing to say about them either. Many of them are overcrowded anyway and they usually lack consistency. Some have been over my expecations whereas some have been under.

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iamhere Guest

People should only include the Priority Pass as a benefit to one card in the idea of "discounting" their annual fee. If multiple cards issue it, then the this is not valuable for each card. The real value is with a Chase issued card because of the increased benefits, but as others mentioned it depends on the type of card as authorized users are charged for some and not others (e.g. CSR charges for additional users), etc. It seems that Capital One and Amex offer a variation of some of the benefits that Chase does but not all. That also depends on the card company's agreement with Priority Pass.

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