Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:09.553 --> 00:00:17.146
Anyone who makes a definitive statement about which credit card is the best for lounge access is frankly wrong or, at best, naive.

00:00:17.146 --> 00:00:24.094
Picking the right card for airport lounge access depends a lot on the airports you frequently visit and your family size.

00:00:24.094 --> 00:00:28.908
Make sure to listen to the end for information on a secret card option for lounge access.

00:00:28.908 --> 00:00:30.271
That's actually one of the best.

00:00:30.271 --> 00:00:33.027
Welcome back to Points for Normal People.

00:00:33.027 --> 00:00:38.625
I'm Katie and I'm here because I know that travel costs add up, especially for a family.

00:00:38.625 --> 00:00:41.212
But I believe travel isn't just for the rich.

00:00:41.212 --> 00:00:57.710
That's why, on Points for Normal People, I share the tips and tricks that our family has been using for over a decade to help you use your everyday expenses and credit card welcome offers to supercharge your travel points so that you can pay for entire vacations every year.

00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:06.072
Most normal people in my experience, when they start getting into points, can stomach a $95 annual fee and people understand that the welcome offer you're getting is worth.

00:01:06.072 --> 00:01:09.834
Can stomach a $95 annual fee and people understand that the welcome offer you're getting is worth far more than $95.

00:01:09.834 --> 00:01:18.540
And if you tuned into season one, I talked in depth about the benefits on my favorite beginner's card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and to me.

00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:25.108
All those benefits add up to way more than the $95 a year I pay for it, which is why we consider that card a keeper.

00:01:25.108 --> 00:01:32.314
But there's a whole group of premium cards with annual fees of $395 to $695.

00:01:32.314 --> 00:01:43.793
And when we first got into points, I could not fathom spending that much on an annual fee, because even $395, that's enough for a round-trip flight to Europe if you wait for a fair sale.

00:01:43.793 --> 00:01:50.269
But about 10 years ago we got our first premium card and there is one benefit in particular that hooked us.

00:01:50.269 --> 00:01:52.626
That's the airport lounge access.

00:01:52.626 --> 00:01:56.748
Through the years we've had a lot of different cards that give us lounge access.

00:01:56.748 --> 00:02:05.129
That first one we got was the now-discontinued City Prestige when the Chase Sapphire Reserve was released in 2016, we got that one.

00:02:05.129 --> 00:02:07.543
We've held American Express Platinum cards.

00:02:07.543 --> 00:02:11.842
Currently we hold both the Capital One Venture card and a Ritz Carlton card.

00:02:11.842 --> 00:02:18.542
I get asked a lot which card is best for lounge access and the answer is resoundingly it depends.

00:02:18.542 --> 00:02:23.112
Today I want to walk through how you can make a decision on which card is best for you.

00:02:23.760 --> 00:02:32.044
The airport lounge landscape has changed a lot over the past few years and, generally speaking, it's been a great shift, especially in the United States.

00:02:32.044 --> 00:02:35.817
Let's talk first a little bit about the lounge options in the US.

00:02:35.817 --> 00:02:38.925
Airport lounges can vary in quality a lot.

00:02:38.925 --> 00:02:46.204
Typically, lounges will offer some free snacks and drinks, as well as decent internet and a quieter spot to wait than the terminal.

00:02:46.204 --> 00:02:51.764
We love the free snacks and drinks, but I didn't know how much I loved the lounge for the relative quiet.

00:02:51.764 --> 00:02:58.828
You really don't realize how incessant the noise and the announcements are in the airport until you have the chance to get out of it.

00:02:59.409 --> 00:03:07.153
It used to be that there were barely any lounge options in the US, or if there were, they were often what our family calls fruit snack lounges.

00:03:07.153 --> 00:03:10.650
Now, to be clear, our kids love fruit snack lounges.

00:03:10.650 --> 00:03:18.141
A few examples of these lounges would be the Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu and the Swissport Lounge at Chicago O'Hare For snacks.

00:03:18.141 --> 00:03:26.128
These ones often usually have fruit snacks, chips and maybe granola bars, and then they usually have a coffee machine, soft drinks and beer.

00:03:26.128 --> 00:03:43.389
This is still such a nice treat compared to paying airport prices, but this pales in comparison to some of the full-service lounges that you can find that have full-meal buffets, full complimentary bars serving specialty cocktails or even showers or sleeping suites.

00:03:43.389 --> 00:03:50.228
The experience can vary so much by lounge and location, and many airports have no lounges.

00:03:50.228 --> 00:03:59.290
I just want to set your expectation that even if you get a premium credit card, that doesn't mean you will always be able to go into a lounge on every trip.

00:03:59.961 --> 00:04:03.991
But there are a variety of types of lounges you might be able to access.

00:04:03.991 --> 00:04:06.968
First of all, there are airline-based lounges.

00:04:06.968 --> 00:04:11.330
So United and American and Delta all have their own lounges.

00:04:11.330 --> 00:04:15.290
They won't have them at all airports, but they certainly have them at their hubs.

00:04:15.290 --> 00:04:24.774
For all of these there are specific airline-branded credit cards that can give you access to these lounges when you hold that card and fly on that airline.

00:04:24.774 --> 00:04:31.836
So if you are extremely loyal to any of those airlines, those co-branded cards very well may make sense for you.

00:04:31.836 --> 00:04:35.932
Business passengers on those airlines also get access to those lounges.

00:04:35.932 --> 00:04:42.091
Sometimes international airlines will group together to operate a lounge for their business class passengers together too.

00:04:42.779 --> 00:04:46.211
Next, there are various independent lounges operating at airports.

00:04:46.211 --> 00:05:00.271
Some are chains of lounges, like there's one called the Club that operates in various airports, or there's another network called Plaza Premium Lounges, and then there are a growing group of lounges that are operated essentially by banks.

00:05:00.271 --> 00:05:06.127
So American Express has these Centurion lounges, capital One now has Capital One lounges, and Chase is opening more and Centurion lounges.

00:05:06.127 --> 00:05:09.766
Capital One now has Capital One lounges and Chase is opening more and more Sapphire lounges.

00:05:09.766 --> 00:05:14.608
Different credit cards are going to give you access to different lounge networks.

00:05:14.608 --> 00:05:30.913
They also have different policies as to whether you can bring guests in and how many, and these lounge networks are not represented equally across all major airports, so the airports you travel to can make a big difference as to which lounges you'll be near regularly.

00:05:31.521 --> 00:05:41.432
The lounge network that has the largest number of lounges in its membership is called Priority Pass, and Priority Pass has some actual airport lounges in its membership network.

00:05:41.432 --> 00:05:58.774
But, to add another layer of complexity, it also has some restaurants in its network and some spas and some gaming locations, and the Priority Pass membership you get with any given card can give you access to some, but not all, priority Pass locations.

00:05:58.774 --> 00:06:00.747
This is what I mean about.

00:06:00.747 --> 00:06:14.800
This starts to feel complicated, but I'm going to walk through all the variables today so that if you decide you want to enjoy lounge access, you're confident about which of these cards is best for you and you may end up like me and pick more than one in the end.

00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:18.026
I already mentioned the airline-specific lounges.

00:06:18.026 --> 00:06:26.112
If you always fly United or American or Delta and fly them frequently, I think those cards might make the most sense for you.

00:06:26.112 --> 00:06:35.228
I don't have that kind of brand loyalty personally, except to Southwest, which of course doesn't operate lounges, but if you do have brand loyalty, that's something you should look into.

00:06:35.228 --> 00:06:40.685
I'll get American Express out of the way first, because frankly it is my least favorite option for lounge access.

00:06:40.685 --> 00:06:45.860
American Express operates at Centurion Lounges and overall these are great lounges.

00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:49.548
They have been for a long time, though, having issues with overcrowding.

00:06:49.548 --> 00:06:57.521
So to handle this, american Express removed almost all guest access and that's the main reason why it's a tough sell for me.

00:06:58.043 --> 00:07:03.576
If you want to access Centurion lounges, you need to have a platinum card and the annual fee is currently $695.

00:07:03.576 --> 00:07:04.471
Then that just gets you access for yourself.

00:07:04.471 --> 00:07:05.874
If you want to have a platinum card and the annual fee is currently $695.

00:07:05.874 --> 00:07:07.120
Then that just gets you access for yourself.

00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:14.947
If you want to have access for a guest, you have to either pay $50 per visit or add them as an authorized user on your card.

00:07:14.947 --> 00:07:32.480
If you add them as an authorized user on your card, that's going to cost you another $175 per year per authorized user If you're using the Centurion lounges a lot, it might make sense for you, but overall you have to be a very heavy user of Centurion lounges to make the math work in your favor.

00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:39.586
You can also spend $75,000 a year on your platinum card to unlock guest access, but that's a lot of spending.

00:07:40.269 --> 00:07:52.250
When I was preparing this episode, I actually went through the airport list of Centurion lounges and found that every single one of them has other lounge options, either through Chase or Capital One or Priority Pass.

00:07:52.250 --> 00:08:06.228
I'll rattle off the list of Centurion lounge locations in the US, but also I'd encourage you to check the show notes, because we have a new article out that goes through different airports to compare lounge access, and that's going to be more clear than you just hearing it one time.

00:08:06.228 --> 00:08:27.336
Currently, centurion lounges operate in Charlotte, north Carolina, dallas-fort Worth, denver, the George Bush Airport in Houston, las Vegas, atlanta, jfk, laguardia, lax, miami, philadelphia, phoenix, reagan, washington DC, san Francisco and Seattle.

00:08:27.336 --> 00:08:29.708
So all of those have Centurion lounges.

00:08:29.708 --> 00:08:39.370
But, as an example, in San Francisco, seattle and Atlanta, for instance, you'll find a Centurion lounge, but these airports also have a lounge called the Club.

00:08:39.370 --> 00:08:51.145
Now, the Centurion lounge is definitely an upgraded experience over the Club, but it's easier and cheaper if you're a couple or a family to get into the club, or if you're single and you want to bring your friends in.

00:08:51.879 --> 00:09:00.351
So again, unless you're going to be visiting Centurion Lounges a lot, or if you're a solo traveler, this probably is not the right card for you for lounge access.

00:09:00.351 --> 00:09:09.187
Now here's one exception Platinum cards do give you and two guests access to Escape branded lounges as well as Priority Pass lounges.

00:09:09.187 --> 00:09:12.910
Most Escape lounges are also in the Priority Pass network.

00:09:12.910 --> 00:09:19.636
So generally you're going to be better off getting Priority Pass access through one of the cards we'll talk about later in the episode.

00:09:19.636 --> 00:09:25.884
But there are a few Escape lounges that are only accessible with a platinum card.

00:09:25.884 --> 00:09:34.392
So if you happen to frequent Fort Lauderdale, palm Beach or Reno Nevada, you may want to look at a platinum card so you can access those specific escape lounges.

00:09:34.392 --> 00:09:44.120
Still, a family of four would need to get a platinum card for $695, plus add an authorized user for $175 more.

00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:48.217
So you'd still only find that worth it if you're a heavy user of those escape lounges.

00:09:48.941 --> 00:09:55.053
Next I want to talk about the Capital One Venture X, which is the card I recommend the most often for lounge access.

00:09:55.053 --> 00:09:56.604
This is a newer card.

00:09:56.604 --> 00:09:58.490
It's only been around since 2021.

00:09:58.490 --> 00:10:01.889
It has a much lower annual fee than the Platinum card.

00:10:01.889 --> 00:10:05.870
The annual fee on the Venture X is currently $395 a year.

00:10:05.870 --> 00:10:11.373
You also get a $300 credit each year to use at Capital One Travel, kind of like a coupon.

00:10:11.373 --> 00:10:14.903
So it's really easy to drop the annual fee cost mentally.

00:10:14.903 --> 00:10:20.243
In fact, I personally think that even if you don't use the lounge benefits, this card is still a keeper.

00:10:20.243 --> 00:10:25.282
Next week I'll talk more about that, but today I want to focus on lounge access.

00:10:25.942 --> 00:10:34.630
The VentureX offers access to three different lounge networks, but what I love most about it is its ability to get so many people into those lounges.

00:10:34.630 --> 00:10:38.956
Now there are fewer Capital One lounges than there are Centurion lounges.

00:10:38.956 --> 00:10:43.371
These are currently available in Dallas-Fort Worth, denver and Washington Dulles.

00:10:43.371 --> 00:10:52.524
It also has some new locations that have been announced as coming soon, and those will be at Washington, reagan, laguardia, jfk and Las Vegas.

00:10:52.524 --> 00:10:56.322
It also has access to certain Plaza Premium lounges.

00:10:56.322 --> 00:11:05.708
Most Plaza Premium lounges on the list are international locations, but one we do frequent regularly is the one at the Cancun Airport, which is a really nice one.

00:11:06.390 --> 00:11:13.974
With AdventureX, you're able to get into the Capital One lounges and the Plaza Premium lounges and bring two guests in with you.

00:11:13.974 --> 00:11:24.812
But what sets this card apart even more is that you can add four authorized users for free, and each authorized user can also bring in two guests.

00:11:24.812 --> 00:11:31.227
That makes it really easy and affordable for even large families to get lounge access for everyone.

00:11:31.227 --> 00:11:33.874
Or you can share access with a friend you trust.

00:11:33.874 --> 00:11:40.442
My sister added one of her friends to her VentureX card so that her friend also has access to the Capital One Lounge in Denver.

00:11:40.442 --> 00:11:51.280
It gets even better with Capital One access to Priority Pass lounges, because when you read the fine print you'll find you actually get unlimited guests to Priority Pass lounges.

00:11:51.280 --> 00:12:06.470
Now guest access can still be limited by the specific lounge, so you might go to a lounge that says it only lets you bring in two guests If you frequent an airport that has, or is getting a Capital One lounge or has a Plaza Premium or Priority Pass lounge.

00:12:07.179 --> 00:12:21.767
I really think that the Venture X is a great card to have in your wallet, and next week I'll do a more in-depth episode just on the Venture X, like I did in season one for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and I want to do that because this is the number two card I recommend in my three-year plan.

00:12:21.767 --> 00:12:26.202
It has so many great benefits and I want to make sure that you're getting all the value out of it if you have the card.

00:12:26.202 --> 00:12:30.828
But for now, I do have a detailed YouTube video about that card that goes through all the benefits.

00:12:30.828 --> 00:12:32.110
I'll link that in the show notes.

00:12:32.110 --> 00:12:46.881
I also have a video of how you can get on the waiting list for a Capital One Lounge from your phone, which I will link as well in the show notes, because sometimes you'll need to do that and you may as well do it as soon as you get to the airport, rather than walking all the way to the lounge before you get on the wait list.

00:12:47.221 --> 00:12:56.472
I also want to mention briefly a little trick you can use if you have a family of four or more but you don't want to affect your partner's 524 status by adding them to your VentureX card.

00:12:56.472 --> 00:13:01.465
If you're foggy on 524, go back and review episode four of season one.

00:13:01.465 --> 00:13:11.965
Now, if you've had your VentureX more than 24 months, you can add your partner to it and it should backdate your open date and it won't affect their 524 status anyway.

00:13:11.965 --> 00:13:19.561
But if it's a newer card, what you can do if you don't want to add your partner to it and affect their 524 status is you can add one of your kids.

00:13:19.561 --> 00:13:24.663
Actually, this is one of the ways you can build your kid's credit score and we can discuss this more in the future.

00:13:24.663 --> 00:13:29.000
You can add a kid of any age and they will get a physical card in the mail.

00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:35.142
You'd use that physical credit card when you're accessing Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges as a family.

00:13:35.764 --> 00:13:43.109
For both of those you have to show your Capital One card and a boarding pass that matches the name, but you'll have that if your kid is traveling with you.

00:13:43.109 --> 00:13:50.240
For Priority Pass, you have to use your VentureX card number to open a Priority Pass account at a certain Capital One link.

00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:57.988
You also have to be 18 to make the Priority Pass account, but the name on the Priority Pass account doesn't have to match the name.

00:13:57.988 --> 00:14:00.489
That goes with the card number for the Venture X.

00:14:00.489 --> 00:14:24.538
So in our case, I opened a Venture X, then I added my son Jerome as an authorized user, then I used his Venture X number to open a Priority Pass account in my husband's name and now that I've had my VentureX for more than 24 months, I should really just go back and add Micah as an authorized user, especially for those cases where he might be traveling to an airport with a Capital One lounge and wants to access him without us.

00:14:24.538 --> 00:14:29.211
I love the generous guest policy and the authorized user policy of the VentureX.

00:14:29.211 --> 00:14:33.270
I honestly don't expect it to last forever, since it's so generous.

00:14:33.270 --> 00:14:39.902
I won't be surprised to see the annual fee raise or a fee added for authorized users, but we can enjoy it while it lasts.

00:14:40.403 --> 00:14:44.900
The last major network of bank lounges are the Sapphire lounges that Chase has been opening.

00:14:44.900 --> 00:14:53.947
These are currently open in LaGuardia, boston, austin and JFK, and coming soon are Las Vegas, philadelphia, phoenix and San Diego.

00:14:53.947 --> 00:15:12.241
Now these lounges are technically in the Priority Pass network, so if you have a VentureX you'd be able to access them, but these are some that have caps and also a no-guest policy, so you can only visit the Sapphire lounges one time if you have Priority Pass access per year and you can't bring any guests.

00:15:12.241 --> 00:15:21.731
If you're at one of these airports frequently and you want to use these lounges more often, you'll need to get either a Chase Sapphire Reserve or a Ritz-Carlton card.

00:15:21.731 --> 00:15:26.672
The Ritz-Carlton card is a more secret card option because it's not available for new signups.

00:15:26.672 --> 00:15:31.591
I'll talk more about that one in a minute because you have to jump through various hoops to get it.

00:15:32.059 --> 00:15:35.243
But the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the premium Sapphire card.

00:15:35.243 --> 00:15:42.085
Its annual fee is $550 a year, but you do get an extremely easy to use $300 travel credit.

00:15:42.085 --> 00:15:52.129
This one actually will just automatically give you a statement credit anytime you use your Sapphire Reserve for a purchase that is coded as travel up to $300.

00:15:52.129 --> 00:15:56.115
That leaves you with a net of $250 for the annual fee.

00:15:56.115 --> 00:16:03.048
Now that's still $155 more than the Sapphire Preferred and for that you're, of course, getting a few more benefits.

00:16:03.048 --> 00:16:05.607
One of those benefits is lounge access.

00:16:05.607 --> 00:16:10.130
Another benefit is that your points go further when you book through Chase Travel.

00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:15.813
I know that's not what this episode is about, but I want to mention this again because I've recently seen a couple points.

00:16:15.813 --> 00:16:21.990
Influencers make this mistake when booking through Chase Travel and in fact they don't even realize that they've made this mistake.

00:16:21.990 --> 00:16:29.260
The Sapphire Preferred the $95 annual fee version, gives you 1.25 cents per dollar if you book via Chase Travel.

00:16:29.260 --> 00:16:37.607
The Sapphire Reserve, which costs $155 more per year once you account for the travel credit, gives you 1.5 cents per dollar.

00:16:37.607 --> 00:16:44.066
If you are booking via Chase Travel and are using more than 60,000 points, you'll come out ahead.

00:16:44.066 --> 00:16:51.967
If you upgrade to a reserve, that's because the points you save will be worth more than the net $155 you paid to upgrade.

00:16:51.967 --> 00:16:59.650
Because if you're using 60,000 points with the Sapphire Preferred, you can book $750 of travel in Chase Travel.

00:16:59.650 --> 00:17:08.112
If you're using 60,000 points with the Sapphire Reserve, you're going to be able to book $150 more or $900 of travel.

00:17:08.112 --> 00:17:14.730
I discuss this more in Season 1, but trust me when I say if you like booking via Chase Travel, you'll want to upgrade.

00:17:15.299 --> 00:17:16.766
But let's talk about lounge access.

00:17:16.766 --> 00:17:22.412
On the Sapphire Reserve, you get to bring two guests in with you to Sapphire lounges and Priority Pass lounges.

00:17:22.412 --> 00:17:29.528
You also get to go into Air Canada lounges in San Francisco, laguardia and LAX if you're flying on a Star Alliance flight.

00:17:29.528 --> 00:17:36.604
But if you have more than three people in your family, you'll need to add an authorized user for $75, so it will cost more.

00:17:36.604 --> 00:17:40.861
Then that authorized user will get the same access and guest benefits.

00:17:40.861 --> 00:17:50.085
Though it's harder to get guests and bigger families into Priority Pass lounges, with the Sapphire Reserve you do get access to more Priority Pass options.

00:17:50.085 --> 00:17:59.920
That's because, while the VentureX only lets you into the Priority Pass locations that are marked as lounges, the Sapphire Reserve lets you access experiences.

00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:17.060
Now, those experiences are not super exciting, but they do include the Be Relaxed Spa, where you get to sit in a chair massager for 30 minutes, and some airports have these Gameway locations where you can play video games, and then you get to use your credit to pick out snacks like chips and candy as part of your free perks.

00:18:17.582 --> 00:18:23.942
Now there is one more, even better option to get into Sapphire Lounges, and that's the Ritz-Carlton card.

00:18:23.942 --> 00:18:28.536
This card is no longer available for signups, but you can upgrade to it.

00:18:28.536 --> 00:18:30.119
If you have a Chase Marriott card.

00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:34.173
You would have to hold that card for more than a year before you'd be eligible to upgrade.

00:18:34.173 --> 00:18:38.642
The Ritz-Carlton card has a much lower annual fee than the Sapphire Reserve does.

00:18:38.642 --> 00:18:50.097
It's $450 a year and in addition to lounge access, you get a $300 annual flight incidental credit as well as an annual free night certificate for Marriott properties.

00:18:50.097 --> 00:18:58.403
The flight incidental credit is a little harder to use, but if you google what counts for RIT's $300 credit, you'll get some good ideas.

00:18:58.403 --> 00:19:04.319
After you account for the $300 credit, the effective annual fee is only $150.

00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:15.939
And for that you're getting lounge access, along with this Marriott annual free night certificate at a property up to 85,000 points and, like the Venture X, this lounge access is particularly generous.

00:19:16.569 --> 00:19:28.530
With the Ritz-Carlton card, you can add unlimited authorized users for free and the Priority Pass access it gives you allows you to get in unlimited guests, but again up to the lounge if they decide to cap it.

00:19:28.530 --> 00:19:34.923
And, like the Sapphire Reserve, you get access to Priority Pass experiences in addition to the lounges.

00:19:34.923 --> 00:19:38.597
And remember how the Sapphire Reserve limits you to two guests.

00:19:38.597 --> 00:19:43.338
For the Sapphire lounges, the Ritz-Carlton card gives you unlimited guests.

00:19:43.338 --> 00:19:50.278
The only small exception is the Sapphire Landing at Austin, which won't let you get in at all with a Ritz card.

00:19:50.278 --> 00:19:55.871
Now these benefits aren't publicized widely because, again, this card isn't open to new applicants.

00:19:55.871 --> 00:20:01.930
But it's pretty easy to open a Marriott card from Chase, wait a year and then upgrade to it.

00:20:01.930 --> 00:20:07.634
I have a full guide to the Ritz card on my blog if you're looking for more information, and that's linked in the show notes.

00:20:07.634 --> 00:20:14.682
We actually upgraded to this card about a year ago but still haven't had a chance to use the lounge benefits that are specific to this card.

00:20:14.682 --> 00:20:16.854
Ago, but still haven't had a chance to use the lounge benefits that are specific to this card.

00:20:16.854 --> 00:20:17.635
But I plan to keep it, at least for now.

00:20:17.655 --> 00:20:21.251
The last little detail I want to go over is Priority Pass restaurants.

00:20:21.251 --> 00:20:25.461
When you search in the Priority Pass app, you'll find some restaurants listed in there.

00:20:25.461 --> 00:20:30.541
It used to be that a lot of cards gave you $28 per person to eat at these restaurants.

00:20:30.541 --> 00:20:33.557
Now almost all of them have sadly pulled that benefit.

00:20:33.557 --> 00:20:43.186
But if you're looking at Priority Pass options at your home airport and you see a lot of restaurants, it is possible to get access to those $28 per person credits.

00:20:43.186 --> 00:20:46.035
You just need a very specific card strategy.

00:20:46.035 --> 00:20:47.057
As of now.

00:20:47.117 --> 00:20:50.056
The only cards that offer this that I'm aware of are these two.

00:20:50.056 --> 00:20:56.319
First, the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite credit card, which has a $550 annual fee.

00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:02.282
This one will actually give you four Priority Pass memberships and each one has unlimited guests.

00:21:02.282 --> 00:21:09.998
This does give you access to restaurants, and there are other benefits that will also help you make up that annual fee For Priority Pass restaurants.

00:21:09.998 --> 00:21:11.342
This is an outstanding option.

00:21:11.342 --> 00:21:18.962
The US Bank Altitude Reserve is another great way to get access to Priority Pass restaurants, but your visits will be capped at eight per year.

00:21:18.962 --> 00:21:25.551
You can use your visits for guests who are with you, so it's limited, but the effective annual fee on this card is very low.

00:21:25.551 --> 00:21:36.093
The annual fee is $400, but you get a $325 credit every year that comes off automatically for a statement credit for things like restaurants and travel purchases.

00:21:36.093 --> 00:21:40.611
Either of those are worth considering if your airport has some Priority Pass restaurants.

00:21:41.272 --> 00:21:44.601
I also want to acknowledge that lounges are always a little bit in flux.

00:21:44.601 --> 00:21:50.789
New ones open and other ones will drop out of the Priority Pass network, so you do need to be prepared for that.

00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:57.742
We're so excited that Chicago Midway recently got its first lounge this fall and that it is in the Priority Pass network.

00:21:57.742 --> 00:22:07.172
Midway is our home airport and it used to have some decent, cheap options for eating, but now it went upscale with the restaurants and the prices are just crazy.

00:22:07.172 --> 00:22:14.515
It's a small lounge there, so we'll be getting to the airport early in the future to get on the wait list to get in, which is also important to note.

00:22:14.515 --> 00:22:27.511
Sometimes lounges are full or at capacity and you need to wait to get in, so for a tight connection, they won't always be an option.

00:22:27.511 --> 00:22:28.114
Let's talk action steps.

00:22:28.153 --> 00:22:30.942
You'll want to take a few minutes to figure out which card, if any, matches your travel style and patterns.

00:22:30.942 --> 00:22:37.439
To see the best overview, check out our new blog post, which has a chart to compare each major airport and the bank lounges it has.

00:22:37.439 --> 00:22:41.352
I listed them out in this episode, but I know it's easier to read through a chart.

00:22:41.352 --> 00:22:46.813
Those bank lounges are going to be generally much nicer than any other US-based lounge.

00:22:46.813 --> 00:22:51.242
So if you frequent one of those airports, look at the cards that can get you in.

00:22:51.242 --> 00:22:57.515
Then you'll want to look at PriorityPasscom to see if there are other specific lounges in airports you frequent.

00:22:58.089 --> 00:23:04.236
If your home airport only has a PriorityPass restaurant, you may want to consider the Bank of America or US Bank cards.

00:23:04.236 --> 00:23:13.500
Otherwise, your choice may depend on your family size, how many cards you want to hold and if you value the locations of the Sapphire lounges or the Capital One lounges.

00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:19.340
If you have your site set on the Ritz card, you'll need to open a Chase Marriott card and wait a year to upgrade.

00:23:19.340 --> 00:23:24.200
But you could also open a VentureX now in the meantime and start enjoying some lounges now.

00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:32.153
Generally, I still think that the VentureX is the strongest option overall for most people due to the overall value that it has.

00:23:32.153 --> 00:23:37.898
But of course, if you're by a Sapphire lounge, you should consider a Sapphire Reserve or a Ritz card.

00:23:37.898 --> 00:23:41.619
For us, our sweet spot is the VentureX plus the Ritz card.

00:23:41.619 --> 00:24:03.880
That gives us both Capital One and Sapphire networks and most priority pass options, though I have to admit, after preparing this episode I've almost justified adding the US Bank card too, just in case we're at an airport that has restaurants, but since we don't usually go to airports that have restaurants from Priority Pass with our travel patterns, we'll likely hold off on that for now.

00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:11.132
Remember that there's no right answer to this, because it depends on where you go and who you travel with, and no card is permanent.

00:24:11.132 --> 00:24:16.884
You can upgrade a Sapphire Preferred or Freedom card to a reserve for a year and see if you find it worth it.

00:24:16.884 --> 00:24:19.057
A year later you could downgrade again.

00:24:19.057 --> 00:24:23.080
So ultimately, every year you can choose what strategy makes sense for you.

00:24:23.810 --> 00:24:26.440
I wanted to make a quick behind the scenes note while I wrap up.

00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:30.980
Credit card affiliate links are the primary way my business is able to run.

00:24:30.980 --> 00:24:33.538
I offer my comprehensive course for free.

00:24:33.538 --> 00:24:42.375
I keep my guides free, and I'm able to do this because so many of you take the extra step to apply for a card through my links instead of just Googling an offer.

00:24:42.375 --> 00:24:44.303
Thank you to all of you who do.

00:24:45.046 --> 00:24:56.382
I believe you shouldn't have to spend money to learn how to save money, because I know that over a decade ago, when I was starting to learn all of this, I didn't have spare money to take a course to learn it.

00:24:56.382 --> 00:25:03.637
When you use my affiliate links, it supports our team and allows us to keep bringing resources free resources to more people.

00:25:03.637 --> 00:25:11.657
I'm also committed to sharing the best available offers on my site, even when they don't earn me a commission, so you can have peace of mind when you apply there.

00:25:11.657 --> 00:25:21.298
That's why you'll often find that the Amex links, for instance, are reader referrals, because certain cards have much higher personal referral offers than my affiliate links show.

00:25:21.298 --> 00:25:30.287
It is, to be honest, somewhat tedious to try to stay on top of all the best offers, but I'm doing my absolute best to do it, because I know that's what I would want in a site too.

00:25:30.287 --> 00:25:48.468
Thanks so much for spending time with me today, and I look forward to seeing you next time, where we will continue to unlock these secrets of travel points together.

Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

Listen On

Recent Episodes

Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access

​​​​​

Listen On

Recent Episodes