The Best Credit Cards for Priority Pass Lounge Access

Spending time at the airport terminus has never been pleasant. With the new (and ever-changing) health and safety requirements that have come into force since the pandemic, it’s become even more stressful than ever. If the thought of escaping the madness for a few minutes sound like bliss, there’s some good news. The resumption in travel has meant that airport lounges are back in business. The even better news is that providing you have the right piece of plastic in your wallet, you won’t have to pay to get in. With a Priority Pass credit card, you’ll enjoy access to over 1200 airport lounges worldwide with Priority Pass Select Membership. Here’s our pick of the 10 best credit cards for Priority Pass Lounge Access on the market.

10. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

For a very reasonable annual fee of $95, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers some very solid benefits. Cardholders receive complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide. Visits are capped at 10 per year, with each visit after that charged at $32. New cardholders will receive a welcome bonus of up to 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points when they spend a minimum of $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership, and a further 50,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points if they spend $10,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card membership.

9. U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card offers numerous perks, not least a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide. Cardholders are entitled to four free visits per year along with four free guest passes. On top of that, the card also offers a very generous $325 annual credit for eligible travel purchases. The only flipside is that you’ll already need to have an account with U.S. Bank to apply.

8. The Business Platinum Card from American Express

An annual fee of $595 isn’t to be taken lightly, but fortunately, the Business Platinum Card from American Express comes with enough perks to offset the cost. In addition to gaining complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide for themselves and 2 guests, cardholders can also access Amex’s own Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Escape, Airspace, Plaza Premium, and certain Lufthansa lounges. Other perks include a very generous welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee refund once every four years, Gold status with Hilton Honors and Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, along with numerous other benefits.

7. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

If you’re a frequent guest at Marriott Bonvoy who wants to combine hotel perks with travel benefits, you might want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card. In addition to receiving unlimited access Priority Pass Select membership for themselves and up to two guests, cardholders can also claim up to $300 in statement credits for all eligible purchases made on the card at participating hotels, along with up to $200 statement credits for eligible purchases at restaurants within the first 6 months of account opening.

6. Citi Prestige

Citi Prestige might not come with the travel protections it used to, but it’s still got a very healthy list of perks. In addition to offering cardholders unlimited Priority Pass lounge access for themselves and up to 2 guests, the card also comes with access to Priority Pass restaurants, along with a generous rewards program that offers 5x earnings on eligible restaurant purchases.

5. Mastercard Black Card

Frequent flyers are unlikely to find much to fault with the Mastercard Black Card. As well as offering access to over 1200 airport lounges worldwide, it also includes credits at select airport restaurants for the cardholder and one guest. Other benefits include an annual airline credit of up to $100 in statement credits that can be used towards flight-related purchases, up to $100 application fee credit for the cost of TSA Pre or Global entry, complimentary concierge service, and cell phone protection.

4. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

According to The Points Guy, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is the best all-around Hilton card. In addition to receiving complimentary lounge access for themselves and up to 2 guests, cardholders will also qualify for automatic top-tier Diamond status, along with an annual free weekend night, up to $250 in statement credits for purchases at participating Hilton Resorts, and up to $250 in annual statement credits for airline incidentals. On top of that, they’ll receive up to $100 in credits for bookings made via HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard for a two-night-minimum stay at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts.

3. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

As Forbes notes, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card offers ten complimentary visits to lounges in the Priority Pass network each year. In addition, cardholders benefit from a complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and a generous points program that rewards them with 12 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating properties within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and 3 points per dollar for all other eligible purchases. The annual fee is a very reasonable $95.

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve

As theglobetrottingteacher.com says, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most popular premium travel rewards credit cards on the market. The annual fee may be a hefty $550, but the benefits (which include Priority Pass lounge access at over 1200 airport lounges for the cardholder and 2 guests along with a $28 credit towards food and beverage purchases at airport terminal restaurants) are significant enough to offset the cost.

1. The Platinum Card from American Express

A $695 annual fee may sound daunting, but for frequent flyers at least, the fee pales in comparison to the plethora of benefits provided by the Platinum Card from American Express. Once enrolled, cardholders will gain access to lounges in 140 countries through the Global Lounge Collection and the Priority Pass network, along with American Express Centurion lounges. Cardholders flying Delta same-day can also access Delta SkyClub lounges. In addition, cardholders will receive a generous welcome bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards Points if they spend $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership. After that, they’ll receive 10x points on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide and at Shop Small locations in the U.S., along with 5x points per dollar on flights, 5x points on hotels booked with American Express Travel, and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.