Best credit cards for cheap lounge access

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Free airport lounge access has become an increasingly rare and elusive perk. These days, it feels like you either need diamond-level status with the airline, a credit card with a sky-high annual fee or A-list celebrity status to breeze through the entryway and grab a cabernet before your flight. 

Or do you? 

To find out, Fortune Recommends conducted research to find what–if any–credit cards still include airport lounge access for a reasonable annual fee in 2024. The good news is that there are several, and each of them has far more to offer frequent flyers than just a pair of lounge coupons. From free checked bags to welcome bonuses worth $750 or more, here are the best credit cards for affordable lounge access in 2024. 

The best credit cards for cheap lounge access in April 2024

Best overall: U.S. Bank Altitude Connect

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card includes a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with four free passes each year to over 1,500 lounge locations worldwide. That–combined with a 50,000-point welcome bonus worth $500 and no annual fee for the first year–made it an easy pick for the best overall card for affordable lounge access in 2024.

Why we like this card: Similar to how Pepsi challenges Coke, the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card seems poised to keep the reigning Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card on its toes. The latter offers a staggering array of travel benefits for its modest $95 annual fee, including a 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with four free passes each year and up to $100 in statement credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. 

But the buck doesn’t stop there–you’ll also get free travel insurance (Trip Cancelation/Interruption, Trip Delay Reimbursement and SmartDelay), no foreign transaction fees and up to 5X on prepaid hotels/car rentals and 4X on travel/gas. Did we mention that it charges no annual fee for the first year, either? 

So if free PreCheck and lounge access with a $0 upfront commitment sounds good to you, check out the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card.

Best for checked bags: United^SM Explorer Card

The United^SM Explorer Card card may only offer two United Club passes per year, but it more than makes up for it with a free checked bag for you and a companion, priority boarding, a $100 Global Entry/PreCheck/NEXUS fee credit and a 50,000-point welcome bonus. Plus, it even waives its $95 annual fee for the first year. 

Why we like this card

While the United Explorer card by Chase only offers two lounge passes per year, we thought it deserved a space on this list given how much cheaper–and smoother–it makes virtually every other step of your flight experience. 

Starting at check-in, you’ll get a free checked bag for yourself and one companion. Then, you’ll scoot through security a little faster thanks to the $100 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. After cashing in your lounge passes, you’ll be able to board a little early thanks to priority boarding. Lastly, even after takeoff you’ll enjoy 25% off all in-flight food, beverages and Wi-Fi packages. 

The caveat, of course, is most of these perks only apply to United flights so you’ll need to show some brand loyalty to maximize the United Explorer card’s benefits. But if you’re already a fan of United–and you’d finally like to experience the United Club on your next trip–it’s an obvious choice.

Best for CLEAR Plus: American Express Green

For a modest $150 annual fee, the American Express® Green Card includes up to $100 LoungeBuddy statement credit, up to $189 credit toward cost of CLEAR® Plus per calendar year and 3X on travel/transit/dining. All things considered, it’s a solid and well-rounded travel companion.

Why we like this card

If you like the idea of flying through security quickly and arriving at the lounge mere minutes after you enter the airport, the American Express Green card may be your ticket to that fantasy. 

That’s because the Amex Green comes with a handy pair of credits for both CLEAR Plus and LoungeBuddy. For the uninitiated, CLEAR Plus allows you to move faster through security by scanning your eyes and/or fingerprints in a dedicated CLEAR Lane, and LoungeBuddy allows you to pre-book lounge access worldwide starting at $25 per visit. 

The Amex Green also offers a 40,000-point welcome bonus worth up to $400 in travel or gift cards (earned after spending $3,000 within six months) plus 3X on travel/transit dining, making it a rewarding card to take on the go. Even better, those points are Membership Rewards points which can have even more value when transferred to partners.

All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™ .

Best value premium card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card quickly justifies its $395 annual fee by offering a $300 travel credit, $100 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit, 75,000-mile welcome bonus and perhaps best of all, unlimited airport lounge access for you and up to two guests. Not only that, authorized users are free and can each get their own memberships. So while the Venture X certainly isn’t cheap, the value proposition earns it a place on the list.

Why we like this card

While it may be a stretch to say that a card charging $395 a year provides “affordable” anything, consider this: the Capital One Venture X also comes with a 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, an annual $300 back annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel and a 10,000-mile Anniversary Bonus. This means that while you’re technically paying a $395 fee each year, you’re getting $400 in travel credit right back. 

That’s not to mention the card’s marquis benefit for frequent flyers: unlimited airport lounge access for you and up to two guests at any Capital One, Priority Pass or Plaza Premium Group location. The pampering doesn’t end there, either, since you’ll also be treated to instant Hertz President’s Circle status (until Jan. 1, 2025), a $100 experience credit at the Premier Collection of hotels and more. 

So if you’re looking for a premium travel card with easy-to-use benefits and unlimited lounge access, your search may end with the Capital One Venture X. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card offers free lounge access for no annual fee? 

At the time of this writing, there are no rewards cards offering airport lounge access for a $0 annual fee. However, both the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect and the United Explorer card offer airport lounge access for a $0 annual fee for the first year and $95 per year thereafter. 

What’s the best card offering airport lounge access for an annual fee below $100? 

Our pick for the best card offering airport lounge access under $100 is the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card. The card comes with a welcome bonus worth $500, complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with four lounge passes per year and charges no annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter). 

Is lounge access free on AmEx Rewards cards?

Complimentary lounge access is a perk of the Amex Green (up to $100 per year) and Platinum cards. 

Which airline rewards cards include lounge access for under $100? 

The United Explorer card, Miles & More World Elite Mastercard (Lufthansa), and SKYPASS Visa Signature cards (Korean Air) all include two complimentary lounge passes per year for an annual fee under $100. 

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