Airport lounges can be a welcome haven for the airline passenger and the flying experience starts very much on the ground. Access to an exclusive lounge can separate you away from the crowds at a busy airport terminal and offer plush, all-inclusive facilities.
Now, there are numerous ways for getting airport lounge access. You don’t necessarily have to be travelling first or business class. Nor do you require holding frequent flyer elite status. In this detailed airport lounge guide we’ll show you all the possible lounge access options worldwide at your disposal.
- Premium/Elite passengers
- Airline Alliance Lounge Access
- Priority Pass
- Dragonpass
- Airline Clubs: Australia / NZ
- Airline Clubs: USA / Canada
- One-time Paid Access to Airport / Airline Lounges
- Credit Cards with Lounge Access
But first, what exactly can airport lounges offer? You can find comfortable seating, drinks and light snacks, newspapers and magazines, computer terminals and WiFi internet. Perhaps showers to freshen up. Some lounges can have great views of the airport apron and runways.
At the very top-end you can get full service a-la-carte dining, private day rooms, spa facilities and limousine transfers.
A few of the world’s best airport lounges include the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt, Air France La Premiere Lounge in Paris, Qantas International First Lounges at Sydney and Melbourne, Swiss First Class Lounge in Zurich, Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge in Doha, Thai Airways Royal First Lounge & Spa in Bangkok and Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai.
First class VIP airline lounges have top-of-the-range facilities, whilst business class lounges from major airlines are usually well-appointed.
At the lower end of the scale, third party contract lounges tend to be more basic and their quality can be variable. However we are seeing a growing trend in the premium independent lounge sector which cater to economy flyers and leisure travellers wanting more comfortable facilities on the ground.
Free Lounge Access for Premium/Elite Passengers
Free lounge access is normally available for those who are either flying premium classes or hold elite status.
By flying first class or business class (internationally) you should get complimentary one-time access to an airline or alliance lounge or a local contracted lounge. However, premium class passengers on US domestic flights often do not get automatic lounge access – airline club membership is required (see further below).
Passengers who have top-tier or mid-tier elite status in a frequent flyer program generally get lounge access even if flying on an economy class ticket.
Airline Alliance Lounge Access
For the main 3 alliances here are the lounge access rules:
Oneworld Alliance Lounge Access – Oneworld has over 600 lounges worldwide. Oneworld Emerald tier (AA Executive Platinum, BA Gold, Qantas Platinum/Platinum One etc) flyers can access first class, business class or frequent flyer lounges. Oneworld Sapphire tier (AA Platinum, BA Silver, Qantas Gold) flyers can use business class or frequent flyer lounges. A single guest can be invited so long as they are also flying a Oneworld carrier.
Skyteam Alliance Lounge Access – Skyteam has over 750 lounges worldwide including its own dedicated Skyteam-branded lounges. SkyTeam Elite Plus members (Delta Medallion Gold/Platinum/Diamond, Flying Blue Gold/Platinum etc) flying on a same-day international flight operated by a SkyTeam airline have access to a lounge. One guest is permitted if they are also on a Skyteam flight.
Star Alliance Lounge Access – Star Alliance has over 1,000 lounges worldwide including some Star Alliance -branded lounges. Star Alliance Gold Status members (Lufthansa Senator/HON Circle, United Premier Gold/Platinum/1K etc) have access to any lounge with a Star Alliance Gold sign at the entrance. 1 guest is permitted. Note, to access United Clubs in the US, United Gold members must be flying internationally.
TIP: At some larger airports there may be multiple alliance lounges available to visit – for example London Heathrow Terminal 2 has 4 Star Alliance business class departure lounges. In that case get to know which lounges suit your needs. For example, one could have better food on offer whilst another could have a nicer ambiance or faster Internet.
TIP: Some airport lounges can have a large floor area with many different sections. On entering a new lounge you should walk around and orientate yourself to the various facilities available. A large lounge can be busy near the entrance or food areas but quieter elsewhere.
Free Lounge Access as a Guest – Perhaps you know a friend or colleague who can guest you into an airline lounge for free, as long as they are travelling at the same time. Otherwise check out some of the air travel forums (Flyertalk / BA97 Calendar) where members can meet up at airports and guest each other. If you are really desperate then stand outside a lounge and ask someone entering whether they can possibly guest you in!
For those who don’t travel at the pointy end of the plane nor have a wallet full of shiny gold cards, you may need to buy your way into the lounge…
Paid-for Airport Lounge Access
There are various ways of purchasing airport lounge access if you are not flying business or first class. Your options include getting an annual membership to an independent lounge programs such as Priority Pass and DragonPass, joining an airline club lounge scheme or buying one-time airport lounge access. Some high-end credit cards come with lounge access benefits.
Priority Pass
If you don’t have elite status and normally fly economy class then Priority Pass is probably the best way to go about getting regular lounge access. Set up in 1992, Priority Pass (Collinson Group) now has a contract agreement with over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide in over 600 cities across 148 countries – making it the most comprehensive program in terms of lounge coverage. Try Priority Pass here
There are three tiers of Priority Pass membership:
STANDARD Membership costs $99 annually (or £69 UK or €89 in EU). Each visit costs $35 (£24 / €30) and any guests are charged additionally at the same rate.
STANDARD PLUS Membership will set you back $329/£229/€289 and this will give you 10 free visits. Any more visits are charged at the normal $35 rate, as are all guest visits.
PRESTIGE Membership costs $469/£419/€459 and this will give you unlimited free access. Guests are charged at the standard visit rate.
Just be aware that some lounges are turning away Priority Pass or DragonPass members at peak times.
Priority Pass Prestige membership can be excellent value if you fly on a regular basis as there are no restrictions in terms of which airlines you fly or class of ticket you buy. Priority Pass also makes a good back-up program for those with alliance elite status.
You can purchase a Priority Pass here with a 10% discount.
Priority Pass offers either a digital membership card via its app or you can elect to have a physical card sent to you.
You should present your membership card at the lounge entrance and you should be granted entrance, capacity permitting. Any lounge or guest fees are charged to the payment card linked to your membership.
You need to decide whether Priority Pass lounges matches up with your travel patterns. The quality of the lounges does vary across the network so do your homework by checking out airport lounge reviews online. Most are independent contract lounges and this includes the very reasonable No.1 Lounges* and Plaza Premium lounges. Some airline operated lounges are also in the program.
* Note that No1 Lounges in the UK now requires a £6 reservation payment to Priority Pass and DragonPass holders to guarantee access.
You must be departing from the same terminal where a lounge is located unless it is accessible landside (before security). Some of the larger airports with multiple terminals might not have a Priority Pass lounge at each terminal.
A recent feature of Priority Pass is offering a food and beverage credit at an airport cafe/restaurant where lounge facilities are limited. This is currently available for example at Brisbane, London Gatwick, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York JFK, Tokyo Narita and Sydney airports.
Some credit cards (see below) and bank accounts offer “Priority Pass Select” which is similar to a Prestige membership.
DragonPass
DragonPass is a similar annual membership program to Priority Pass running out of China which offers access to over 1,300 lounge venues worldwide. Established in 2005, it now covers 700 airports in 140+ countries. It uses a digital app and has 30 million members.
There are 3 different types of annual membership:
Classic ($99/£68) offers 1 free visit after which members and guests are each charged $35/£24 per lounge visit.
Preferential ($259/£168) offers 8 free visits, extra visits after that are charged at the $35/£24 rate, as are all guest visits.
Prestige ($429/£379) offers unlimited access to the DragonPass lounge network, guests are charged $35/£24.
Airline Clubs: Australia/New Zealand
Qantas Club
Qantas offers an annual membership which will give you access to Qantas lounges in Australia when flying Qantas, Emirates or Jetstar. For domestic travel you can enter Qantas Club lounges; for international travel you can use the Qantas international business lounges.
Members also have access to the Emirates business lounge in Dubai (if flying on a Qantas flight number), American Airlines Admirals Club lounges (if flying American Airlines or Qantas), Alaska Airlines lounges (if flying Alaska on a QF codeshare when connecting to/from Qantas) plus a variety of associated partner lounges at most international airports that Qantas serves.
Note, Qantas Club offers NO access to British Airways lounges.
Qantas Club members can freely invite one guest into the lounge if they are travelling on any Qantas/Jetstar/Oneworld flight that same day. Check-in is available at dedicated counters or business class desks. Effectively, benefits are similar to mid-tier elite status.
There is a one-off Qantas Club join fee which A$99 for Australian, NZ$99 for New Zealand residents and A$99 for any other international residents. Alternatively you can use 16,000 Qantas points.
You then have membership fees for new members:
Australian: A$600 (1 year), A$1,100 (2 years) or A$2,000 (4 years).
New Zealand: NZ$600 (1 year), NZ$1,100 (2 years) or NZ$2,000 (4 years).
International: A$450 (1 year), A$825 (2 years) or A$1,500 (4 years).
Qantas Points: 93,000 (1 year), 170,000 (2 years) or 308,000 (4 years).
Ongoing membership fees for renewals are:
Australian: A$540 (1 year), A$980 (2 years) or A$1,850 (4 years).
New Zealand: NZ$600 (1 year), NZ$990 (2 years) or NZ$1,870 (4 years).
International: A$410 (1 year), A$740 (2 years) or A$1,400 (4 years).
Qantas Points: 78,000 (1 year), 155,000 (2 years) or 285,000 (4 years).
There is a 40% discount for a spouse/partner membership living at the same address – which is only worth taking if the spouse/partner travels alone in their own right.
An annual guest card costs A$350 (Australia), NZ$335 (New Zealand) or A$255 (international).
Prices for Australian and New Zealand residents include the local applicable GST (sales tax) – however it may be possible to find slightly lower rates by joining through a corporate program.
Finally, the Qantas Points Club is a program available for those who earn a minimum of 150,000 points a year, mainly from credit card spending. If you reach 350,000 points in 1 year you receive a complimentary Qantas Club membership.
Qantas Lounge Passes: Qantas issue digital lounge pass cards which are a complimentary perk of certain credit cards or frequent flyer status. They need to be linked to a specific flight you are taking at least 24 hours in advance. They can also be transferred to someone else.
Virgin Australia Lounge Membership
This airline has a range of stylish domestic Australian lounges with a good standard of facilities. Virgin Australia Lounge annual membership is available for A$399 with no current joining fee – you must be a member of the airline’s Velocity frequent flyer program.
Access is granted on the day of travel with the airline. You can invite 1 guest free of charge and up to 3 children aged 3-17 and any children 0-2. Domestic lounge locations are at Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth T1 and Sydney.
Lifetime membership to Virgin Australia’s Lounge program is offered for A$9,750; seniors 60+ pay a discounted lifetime rate of A$6,750.
Virgin Australia single entry lounge pass: It is possible for flyers to purchase a single entry for A$65 at the lounge reception – credit card payments only. You must have a valid VA boarding pass and entry is valid from 2 hours before departure.
Air New Zealand Koru Membership
Air New Zealand offers a similar lounge program to Qantas and Virgin Australia. Members get lounge access on any Air New Zealand regional, domestic and international lounge if flying on a Air New Zealand flight number (NZ) or ticket number (starting with 086).
Air New Zealand International Lounges are located at Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Nadi and Rarotonga. It also gives access to international partner lounges in around 20 other cities.
One guest is permitted plus up to 3 children 3-17 and any children 0-2, subject to space availability.
Koru members get priority check-in/ boarding and access to frequent flyer seating choices.
There is a joining fee of NZ$255.
Individual membership costs NZ$694 (1 year), NZ$1,219 (2 years) or NZ$2,774 (5 years).
Senior membership costs NZ$530 (1 year), NZ$870 (2 years) or NZ$2,070 (5 years).
An extra guest costs NZ$93 (3 months), NZ$180 (6 months), NZ$273 (9 months) or NZ$355 (12 months).
Airline Clubs: USA/Canada
Unlike Europe and the rest of the world, flying premium cabins in the US does not automatically entitle you to lounge access. Instead, the main US carriers offer lounge club annual membership – holders need to have a same-day boarding pass to enter the lounges.
American Airlines Admirals Club
American Airlines sells access to its Admirals Club lounges in the US and other international locations.
A one-day pass costs $79 and can be used in multiple locations if making stopovers on a single day. Adult guests are not permitted with a day pass (each adult needs to buy their own day-pass) – however up to 3 children under 18 can be admitted with a day pass holder.
Annual Admirals Club membership costs $800 for an individual and $1,600 for a household. New members pay $50 extra to join. There is a discount of $25-100 depending on your AAdvantage status level.
Members can bring immediate family or up to 2 guests. Members have access to more than 50 international partner lounges. Access is granted to all Qantas Club lounges (you must be flying Qantas; or American from Sydney or Auckland), 6 Alaska Airlines lounges (when flying American or Alaska).
United Club
United offers access to over 45 United Club lounge locations plus a variety of Star Alliance and international partner lounges. A one-time pass to a single United Club costs $59 at the door or via the United mobile app – subject to availability.
Annual United Club membership costs $650 (single) with up to $100 discount depending on MileagePlus status level.
Members can bring 2 guests to United Club lounges, guest numbers may be restricted at other partner lounges.
You require a same-day United or Star Alliance boarding pass to enter the United Club lounges.
Delta Sky Club
Delta Airlines offers access to its Sky Club lounges with access granted to over 50 lounges in the US. International lounge access is limited to only the SkyClub lounge at Tokyo Haneda.
Executive Membership costs $1,495 annually and includes access for 2 guests.
Individual membership costs $695 annually with any guests charged at $29 per visit.
Delta Sky Club has discontinued selling single visit passes. Note, members flying on Basic Economy fares are not given access.
Note there are credit cards available in the US (see below) which offer membership to Admirals, United and Delta Sky Clubs respectively.
Air Canada Maple Leaf Club
Air Canada has various annual membership options (new memberships currently suspended) for entry into its Maple Leaf and partner lounges. Guests are charged at CA$59 per person.
Canada individual membership costs CA$375 per year (or with partner membership CA$550) and gives access to the 17 Canadian Maple Leaf lounges.
North America Plus individual membership costs CA$495 per year (or with partner membership CA$730) and gives access to 17 Canadian Maple Leaf lounges, 45 lounges in the US (United Clubs) plus 2 European lounges (Maple Leaf lounges at Frankfurt/London Heathrow).
Worldwide individual membership costs CA$665 per year (or with partner membership CA$970) and gives access to over 230 lounges: Maple Leaf lounges in US/Canada/Frankfurt/London/Paris, United Club lounges, Star Alliance business lounges plus any Air Canada contracted lounge. 1 guest is permitted for free, additional guests are charged.
Alaska Airlines Lounges
Alaska offers annual access to its 6 flagship lounge locations plus over 95 partner lounges worldwide. Alaska Lounges are located at Anchorage, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. Partner lounges include American Admirals Clubs, Qantas Club and some selected United Clubs.
You can bring 2 free guests to Alaska Lounges – you need to show a same-day boarding pass on Alaska, Oneworld or partner airlines.
Standard Alaska Lounge membership costs $450 for elites and $550 for non-elites. This includes access to 9 Alaska Airlines lounges.
Alaska Lounge+ membership costs $650 for elites and $750 for non-elites. This includes access to all Alaska Airlines lounges plus 90 partner lounges worldwide.
Single entry passes to Alaska Airlines lounges at Los Angeles, New York JFK, Portland and San Francisco are available for $60.
Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club
Perhaps only useful to residents of Hawaii, Hawaiian offers access to its 5 lounge locations (Honolulu, Hilo, Kahului, Kona, Lihue) via its Premier Club. Other perks include 2 free checked bags, priority check-in, security lines and boarding.
Annual membership costs $249 per year plus a $50 joining fee.
Hawaiian also offers a single lounge pass to its Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu for $40. Premier Club members get 2 one-time passes to the Plumeria Lounge.
One-time Paid Access to Airport / Airline Lounges
There are a number of airline and independent lounge operators that will sell you a one-time or one-day visit pass.
You can buy access to a number of independent lounges which will generally set you back from around £15 to £60 or $20 to $80 and will grant you between 2 and 6 hours access.
Plaza Premium Lounges
Plaza Premium Group operates the world’s largest network of international airport lounges – over 250 lounge locations at 80+ international airports in 30 countries.It started in Asia but has grown its worldwide presence significantly in the last few years.
Lounges of note in Europe include: Edinburgh / London Heathrow / London Gatwick / Rome
Lounges in Australia: Adelaide / Brisbane / Melbourne / Sydney
Other lounges: Dubai / Hong Kong / Singapore
Plaza also operates lounges on behalf of airlines such as the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Washington Dulles and the Oman Air First Class Lounge at Bangkok – both of which offer paid access.
Plaza Premium offers various multi-visit and lounge pass options which can save money on the standard rates. For example, a 10 visit pass worldwide costs $379; a 10 visit pass for Australian lounges costs $269.
Aspire Lounges (Swissport/Executive Lounges)
Swissport has over 50 airport lounge locations mainly under its Aspire brand around UK and Europe, plus a few lounges in Africa, Middle East, Asia and US/Canada.
The Club
Airport Dimensions (Collinson Group) runs a number of lounges branded The Club in the USA. It has locations at at Atlanta, Baltimore-Washington, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Jose and Seattle-Tacoma.
No1 Lounges / Club Aspire
The No.1 Lounges UK brand was jointly acquired by Airport Dimensions and Swissport in 2021. These offer stylish lounge facilities and include No1 Lounges/Clubrooms/MyLounge/The Gateway brands. There are 3 Club Aspire lounges and 9 No1 lounges in the UK at Birmingham, London Heathrow (T3), London Gatwick and London Luton. Book No1 Lounges here
Escape Lounges
MAG (Manchester Airports group) operates its own lounges in the UK and the US. It has lounges at Manchester airport, Bristol, East Midlands and London Stansted in the UK.
It also has the following US locations: Bradley International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Greenville-Spartanburg, Minneapolis Saint Paul, Oakland, Palm Beach, Pheonix, Rhode Island, Reno-Tahoe, Sacramento and Syracuse.
Marhaba Lounges
UAE aviation group Dnata runs 7 airport lounges under the Marhaba brand at various international locations – Dubai, Geneva, Manila, Melbourne, Sharjah, Zanazibar and Zurich. These are open to any paying passengers.
Primeclass Lounges
Turkish group TAV Operation Services runs 65 airport lounges in 20 countries, many under the Primeclass brand. This includes locations at Almaty, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Muscat, New York JFK, Riga, Santiago, Tblisi, Washington Dulles and Zurich.
USO Lounges
The United Service Organizations (USO) is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers which services US military personnel and their families. The USO has lounge facilities in many US airports which offer comfortable seating, drinks/snacks and internet.
Lounge Portals
Lounge Pass
Lounge Pass (Collinson Group) offers single entry into around 600 (mainly) independent lounges worldwide at 350 airports in over 75 countries. Coverage of independent UK lounges is very good. All major credit cards are accepted.
LoungeBuddy
LoungeBuddy is a site/app which offers paid lounge access and info on airport and airline lounges. The portfolio of paid lounges is vaguely similar to Lounge Pass. In 2019 LoungeBuddy was acquired by American Express and payment is now only possible with an American Express card.
Paid Entry to Airline Lounges
Some airlines now offer passengers the opportunity to purchase lounge access directly. Here are some examples:
Aer Lingus – Economy passengers flying Aer Lingus from London Heathrow can pay from €30/£30 to enter its Gold Circle Lounge at LHR T2.
Air France – Economy passengers flying from Paris can buy access to various Air France lounges including at Paris CDG 2E/2F/2G and Paris Orly 2/3. Access costs €75 (except Orly 2 at €30).
Emirates – Offers its economy and business special fare flyers the opportunity to buy access to its lounges at Dubai (DXB) airport and selected airports worldwide. This costs $150 (Skywards members) or $175 (non-members) for access to Business Class lounge or Emirates Lounge at Dubai. Or $250/$300 to access the First Lounge.
At other airports worldwide you pay $125/$155 plus local VAT.
Etihad – Offers all its passengers paid access to its Business Class and First Class Lounges in Abu Dhabi (AUH) and selected locations worldwide. The Business Class lounges in Abu Dhabi are charged at $120 (up to 4 hours) or $150 (4-8 hours). The First Class lounge entry ranges $150 (up to 4 hours), $180 (4-8 hours). The Etihad arrivals lounge at AUH is $40. Children (5-12) are charged half-price.
KLM – KLM Economy passengers flying from Amsterdam can elect to pay to enter the KLM Crown Lounges. This costs €50 for the Schengen Lounge 50 or €65 for Intercontinental Lounge 52. Flying Blue members get a slight discount.
Lufthansa – Lufthansa now sells lounge access online in advance at airports in Germany (including Frankfurt/Munich/Berlin) and also at Boston/London Heathrow T2/Milan Malpensa/New York JFK/Washington Dulles. Prices start from €39/$39. You can be travelling on any airline.
Qatar Airways – the carrier also allows paid access into its large 7,390m² Al Mourjan business class lounge at Doha. Paid entry is only available to economy fare and business lite fare passengers on Qatar Airways, not for those flying any other partner airline. The cost is QAR350 ($96) online or QAR450 ($124) at the door.
Credit Cards with Lounge Access
There are quite a number of high-end credit cards and bank accounts around the world which offer various forms of airport lounge access as a perk. Some give access via PriorityPass or DragonPass; some offer airline club membership whilst others offer one-time pass vouchers.
We will not discuss specific cards in any detail here (as they are covered vigorously by nearly every frequent flyer blog!) We will however mention 3 financial companies which have their own branded airport lounges.
American Express Airport Lounges
American Express has its own network of Centurion branded lounges. US locations are at Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, New York La Guardia, Philadelphia, Pheonix, San Francisco and Seattle.
International locations include Buenos Aires, Delhi, London Heathrow T3, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Mexico City, Monterrey, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Stockholm and Sydney.
The lounges have a stylish design and generally offer a good standard of food/drink.
Free access is granted to American Express Centurion and Platinum card holders. Depending on country of issue, cardholders may be granted up to 2 free guests, subject to conditions. Otherwise adult guests are charged at $50, children 2-17 at $30.
Capital One Lounges
Capital One Financial Corporation is a US bank which issues some high-end credit cards. It opened its first airport lounge in 2021 and has locations at Dallas Fort Worth (Terminal D), Denver (Concourse A) and Washington Dulles (Main Terminal). Soon to open: Las Vegas.
The lounges have opened to rave reviews and include the likes of a la carte menu, barista coffee, workout rooms, grab & go food options, relaxation pods and shower suites.
Access is granted to holders of various Capital One Venture cards or buy an access pass which costs $65.
Chase Sapphire Lounges
Chase Sapphire is a high-end credit card brand from Chase bank. Chase Sapphire is opening a network of premium airport lounges in collaboration with Airport Dimension’s The Club.
There are currently Chase Sapphire lounges at: Hong Kong, Boston.
There is also a Chase Saphhire Terrace at Austin.
Chase Sapphire lounges in the pipeline: Las Vegas, New York La Guardia, Philadelphia, Pheonix, San Diego.
These are accessible via a Priority Pass membership – particularly if issued via a Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
6 reasons to avoid a lounge! 1. Very busy with no seats available 2. Poor range of (unhealthy) snacks - try an airport restaurant 3. Bad coffee machine 4. Dark and windowless with no natural light 5. Loud-mouth passengers making a call 6. Patchy WiFi internet
In summary, we have discussed the various routes and possibilities to get airport and airline lounge access. These alternatives could be particularly useful if you lack elite status or are not flying first or business class.
- Last updated 30 November 2023.
- First published in 2006.
- Links at AirTravelGenius.com may pay an affiliate commission.
