Anyone who makes a definitive statement about which credit card is the best for lounge access is frankly wrong or , at best , naive . Picking the right card for airport lounge access depends a lot on the airports you frequently visit and your family size . Make sure to listen to the end for information on a secret card option for lounge access . That's actually one of the best . Welcome back to Points for Normal People . I'm Katie and I'm here because I know that travel costs add up , especially for a family . But I believe travel isn't just for the rich . 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 . 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 . Can stomach a $95 annual fee and people understand that the welcome offer you're getting is worth far more than $95 . 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 . 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 . But there's a whole group of premium cards with annual fees of $395 to $695 . 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 . But about 10 years ago we got our first premium card and there is one benefit in particular that hooked us . That's the airport lounge access . Through the years we've had a lot of different cards that give us lounge access . That first one we got was the now-discontinued City Prestige when the Chase Sapphire Reserve was released in 2016 , we got that one . We've held American Express Platinum cards . Currently we hold both the Capital One Venture card and a Ritz Carlton card . I get asked a lot which card is best for lounge access and the answer is resoundingly it depends . Today I want to walk through how you can make a decision on which card is best for you .
Speaker 1The 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 . Let's talk first a little bit about the lounge options in the US . Airport lounges can vary in quality a lot . Typically , lounges will offer some free snacks and drinks , as well as decent internet and a quieter spot to wait than the terminal . We love the free snacks and drinks , but I didn't know how much I loved the lounge for the relative quiet . 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 .
Speaker 1It 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 . Now , to be clear , our kids love fruit snack lounges . A few examples of these lounges would be the Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu and the Swissport Lounge at Chicago O'Hare For snacks . These ones often usually have fruit snacks , chips and maybe granola bars , and then they usually have a coffee machine , soft drinks and beer . 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 . The experience can vary so much by lounge and location , and many airports have no lounges . 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 .
Speaker 1But there are a variety of types of lounges you might be able to access . First of all , there are airline-based lounges . So United and American and Delta all have their own lounges . They won't have them at all airports , but they certainly have them at their hubs . 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 . So if you are extremely loyal to any of those airlines , those co-branded cards very well may make sense for you . Business passengers on those airlines also get access to those lounges . Sometimes international airlines will group together to operate a lounge for their business class passengers together too .
Speaker 1Next , there are various independent lounges operating at airports . 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 . So American Express has these Centurion lounges , capital One now has Capital One lounges , and Chase is opening more and Centurion lounges . Capital One now has Capital One lounges and Chase is opening more and more Sapphire lounges . Different credit cards are going to give you access to different lounge networks . 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 .
Speaker 1The 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 . 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 . This is what I mean about . 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 . I already mentioned the airline-specific lounges . If you always fly United or American or Delta and fly them frequently , I think those cards might make the most sense for you . 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 . I'll get American Express out of the way first , because frankly it is my least favorite option for lounge access . American Express operates at Centurion Lounges and overall these are great lounges . They have been for a long time , though , having issues with overcrowding . 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 .
If you want to access Centurion lounges , you need to have a platinum card and the annual fee is currently $695 . Then that just gets you access for yourself . If you want to have a platinum card and the annual fee is currently $695 . Then that just gets you access for yourself . 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 . 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 . You can also spend $75,000 a year on your platinum card to unlock guest access , but that's a lot of spending .
Speaker 1When 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 . 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 . 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 . So all of those have Centurion lounges . 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 . 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 .
Speaker 1So 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 . Now here's one exception Platinum cards do give you and two guests access to Escape branded lounges as well as Priority Pass lounges . Most Escape lounges are also in the Priority Pass network . 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 . But there are a few Escape lounges that are only accessible with a platinum card . 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 . Still , a family of four would need to get a platinum card for $695 , plus add an authorized user for $175 more . So you'd still only find that worth it if you're a heavy user of those escape lounges .
Speaker 1Next I want to talk about the Capital One Venture X , which is the card I recommend the most often for lounge access . This is a newer card . It's only been around since 2021 . It has a much lower annual fee than the Platinum card . The annual fee on the Venture X is currently $395 a year . You also get a $300 credit each year to use at Capital One Travel , kind of like a coupon . So it's really easy to drop the annual fee cost mentally . In fact , I personally think that even if you don't use the lounge benefits , this card is still a keeper . Next week I'll talk more about that , but today I want to focus on lounge access .
Speaker 1The 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 . Now there are fewer Capital One lounges than there are Centurion lounges . These are currently available in Dallas-Fort Worth , denver and Washington Dulles . 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 . It also has access to certain Plaza Premium lounges . 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 .
Speaker 1With AdventureX , you're able to get into the Capital One lounges and the Plaza Premium lounges and bring two guests in with you . 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 . That makes it really easy and affordable for even large families to get lounge access for everyone . Or you can share access with a friend you trust . 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 . 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 . 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 .
Speaker 1I 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 . 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 . But for now , I do have a detailed YouTube video about that card that goes through all the benefits . I'll link that in the show notes . 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 .
Speaker 1I 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 . If you're foggy on 524 , go back and review episode four of season one . 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 . 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 . Actually , this is one of the ways you can build your kid's credit score and we can discuss this more in the future . You can add a kid of any age and they will get a physical card in the mail . You'd use that physical credit card when you're accessing Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges as a family .
Speaker 1For 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 . For Priority Pass , you have to use your VentureX card number to open a Priority Pass account at a certain Capital One link . 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 . That goes with the card number for the Venture X . 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 . I love the generous guest policy and the authorized user policy of the VentureX . I honestly don't expect it to last forever , since it's so generous . 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 .
Speaker 1The last major network of bank lounges are the Sapphire lounges that Chase has been opening . These are currently open in LaGuardia , boston , austin and JFK , and coming soon are Las Vegas , philadelphia , phoenix and San Diego . 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 . 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 . The Ritz-Carlton card is a more secret card option because it's not available for new signups . I'll talk more about that one in a minute because you have to jump through various hoops to get it .
But the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the premium Sapphire card . Its annual fee is $550 a year , but you do get an extremely easy to use $300 travel credit . 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 . That leaves you with a net of $250 for the annual fee . Now that's still $155 more than the Sapphire Preferred and for that you're , of course , getting a few more benefits . One of those benefits is lounge access . Another benefit is that your points go further when you book through Chase Travel .
Speaker 1I know that's not what this episode is about , but I want to mention this again because I've recently seen a couple points . Influencers make this mistake when booking through Chase Travel and in fact they don't even realize that they've made this mistake . The Sapphire Preferred the $95 annual fee version , gives you 1.25 cents per dollar if you book via Chase Travel . The Sapphire Reserve , which costs $155 more per year once you account for the travel credit , gives you 1.5 cents per dollar . If you are booking via Chase Travel and are using more than 60,000 points , you'll come out ahead . 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 . Because if you're using 60,000 points with the Sapphire Preferred , you can book $750 of travel in Chase Travel . 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 . 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 .
Speaker 1But let's talk about lounge access . On the Sapphire Reserve , you get to bring two guests in with you to Sapphire lounges and Priority Pass lounges . You also get to go into Air Canada lounges in San Francisco , laguardia and LAX if you're flying on a Star Alliance flight . 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 . Then that authorized user will get the same access and guest benefits . 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 . 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 . 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 .
Speaker 1Now there is one more , even better option to get into Sapphire Lounges , and that's the Ritz-Carlton card . This card is no longer available for signups , but you can upgrade to it . If you have a Chase Marriott card . You would have to hold that card for more than a year before you'd be eligible to upgrade . The Ritz-Carlton card has a much lower annual fee than the Sapphire Reserve does . 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 . 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 . After you account for the $300 credit , the effective annual fee is only $150 . 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 .
Speaker 1With 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 . And , like the Sapphire Reserve , you get access to Priority Pass experiences in addition to the lounges . And remember how the Sapphire Reserve limits you to two guests . For the Sapphire lounges , the Ritz-Carlton card gives you unlimited guests . The only small exception is the Sapphire Landing at Austin , which won't let you get in at all with a Ritz card . Now these benefits aren't publicized widely because , again , this card isn't open to new applicants . But it's pretty easy to open a Marriott card from Chase , wait a year and then upgrade to it . 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 . 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 . Ago , but still haven't had a chance to use the lounge benefits that are specific to this card . But I plan to keep it , at least for now .
Speaker 1The last little detail I want to go over is Priority Pass restaurants . When you search in the Priority Pass app , you'll find some restaurants listed in there . It used to be that a lot of cards gave you $28 per person to eat at these restaurants . Now almost all of them have sadly pulled that benefit . 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 . You just need a very specific card strategy . As of now .
Speaker 1The only cards that offer this that I'm aware of are these two . First , the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite credit card , which has a $550 annual fee . This one will actually give you four Priority Pass memberships and each one has unlimited guests . 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 . This is an outstanding option . 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 . 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 . 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 . Either of those are worth considering if your airport has some Priority Pass restaurants .
Speaker 1I also want to acknowledge that lounges are always a little bit in flux . New ones open and other ones will drop out of the Priority Pass network , so you do need to be prepared for that . We're so excited that Chicago Midway recently got its first lounge this fall and that it is in the Priority Pass network . 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 . 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 . 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 . Let's talk action steps .
Speaker 1You'll want to take a few minutes to figure out which card , if any , matches your travel style and patterns . 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 . I listed them out in this episode , but I know it's easier to read through a chart . Those bank lounges are going to be generally much nicer than any other US-based lounge . So if you frequent one of those airports , look at the cards that can get you in . Then you'll want to look at PriorityPasscom to see if there are other specific lounges in airports you frequent .
Speaker 1If your home airport only has a PriorityPass restaurant , you may want to consider the Bank of America or US Bank cards . 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 . 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 . But you could also open a VentureX now in the meantime and start enjoying some lounges now . Generally , I still think that the VentureX is the strongest option overall for most people due to the overall value that it has . But of course , if you're by a Sapphire lounge , you should consider a Sapphire Reserve or a Ritz card . For us , our sweet spot is the VentureX plus the Ritz card . 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 . 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 . You can upgrade a Sapphire Preferred or Freedom card to a reserve for a year and see if you find it worth it . A year later you could downgrade again . So ultimately , every year you can choose what strategy makes sense for you .
Speaker 1I wanted to make a quick behind the scenes note while I wrap up . Credit card affiliate links are the primary way my business is able to run . I offer my comprehensive course for free . 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 . Thank you to all of you who do .
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