Lounge access is no longer a super exclusive experience made only for first class flyers. The credit card game has changed everything! Even the everyday family traveler can enjoy lounge life. We’ve come to LOVE these spots for their relaxing spaces, plenty of charging outlets, and completely free food and beverages (including adult bevs too!). Playing the credit card game for lounge access SAVES us money. This money would have been wasted on over priced food.
Three of the personal cards (i.e. non-business cards) give you open access to Priority Pass. This is a membership company that allows entrance to hundreds of lounges across the world. Unlike airline-specific cards, which may give you access once you’ve accrued enough miles, these three cards give you automatic access right away.
Capital One Venture X
This card previously allowed the card holder (and all of their free authorized users) plus two guests each access to Priority Pass affiliated as well as Capital One Lounges located in DEN, DFW, IAD, JFK, DCA, LGA, and LAS. This was perfect for our family of 5. However, we were devastated to learn the free access for authorized users and 2 guests per card is going away in February 2026! You can keep the access with $75k spend on the card a year. But that’s hefty!
The Venture X does have a $395 Annual Fee but also a $300 travel credit. This effectively brings the fee down to $95 when used once for travel. We get significantly more value than that $95 with a trip or two to the lounge. Thus, we avoid steep airport food prices.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
This card allows access to Priority Pass lounges as well as Chase Sapphire Lounges currently in BOS, LGA, and JFK (with LAS and PHL coming soon). This one also allows you to bring two guests. However, an authorized user card is an additional $75 a year. The fee on this one is $795 a year (recently increased from $550). A similar $300 travel credit brings its effective expense to $250 a year, or $325 if you add an authorized user.
The current sign on bonus for this card (as of 7/25/25) is 100,000 points plus $500 back for travel.
American Express Platinum
Here’s another one that gives Priority Pass Lounge access in addition to Amex Centurion Lounges. Also included are the Delta Sky Club Lounges when flying Delta (limited to 10 a visits annually starting February 2025), Select Virgin Clubhouses, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Escape Lounges. This card allows two additional guests into the Priority Pass Lounges but charges each non-cardholder guest $50 per visit.
In some locations this fee is higher based on demand. We’ve also heard rumors that access to additional guests may not be available if the lounge is at capacity. However, we’ve never encountered that problem. The annual fee is $695. Authorized Users for this card are charged $195 each year.
On the plus side, this card is like a “coupon book” with lots of ways to earn the annual fee back. But it takes some effort. Presently sign on bonuses are as high as 175,000 points, which is GREAT. Use this link while in Chrome Incognito mode for the best chance of a high sign on bonus.
Hope this inspires you all to become high class lounge loungers at low expense too!
All of the links above benefit you as a new cardholder with a sign on bonus and lounge access. In addition, it benefits FierEscape in the form of points. This helps us continue our travels and share our experience. We appreciate your support!