Blog >> The Best Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge Access
By Kevin Zanes / September 17, 2024
Airport lounge access can completely change the way you travel, offering a calm escape from the chaos of crowded terminals. With perks like complimentary refreshments, fast Wi-Fi, and a quiet place to relax before your flight, lounges can make your journey far more enjoyable. One of the best ways to unlock this experience is through Priority Pass, which offers access to a network of lounges worldwide. Luckily, several credit cards include a Priority Pass Select membership as a benefit, giving you the opportunity to travel in comfort while earning points for your next trip. If you are looking to upgrade your travel experience, a credit card with Priority Pass Select is a great place to start.
What Is Priority Pass Select
Credit. Point Hacks. SATS Premier Lounge – Singapore (SIN).
Priority Pass is one of the largest independent airport lounge networks in the world, offering access to over 1,300 lounges across more than 600 cities. It allows travelers to escape crowded terminals and enjoy perks like complimentary snacks, beverages, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating in lounges worldwide. Priority Pass Select is a special membership tier, often included as a benefit with premium travel credit cards. While it provides the same lounge access, this version is specifically designed for cardholders and typically does not require the annual fees associated with direct Priority Pass memberships. With Priority Pass Select, frequent travelers can enjoy a more comfortable journey without extra costs.
Related: The 10 Best Priority Pass Lounges In The World
Before You Apply: Know Your Credit Score
If you are new to travel rewards and credit in general, it is a good idea to check your credit score before applying for a credit or charge card. That way, you will be able to apply for travel rewards cards which align with both your credit score and your travel goals.
Credit. Time. Credit Score Chart.
Credit Scores are shown numerically and range from 300 (Poor) to 850 (Excellent / Perfect). While there are a number of credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and credit scores (FICO and VantageScore), generally, scores above 750 are considered excellent*. While some agencies charge for a credit report, there are a number of “free” options as well:
- Personal Bank
- Credit Karma
- Annual Credit Report
Related: Credit Scores 101: Everything You Need to Know
The Best Credit Cards For Priority Pass Lounge Access
Here is a quick overview of the best travel credit cards for Priority Pass lounge access, which includes a summary of card details, reward rates, benefits, and more.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Even though the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the newest premium travel rewards cards, it quickly became one of the most popular. The popularity stems from the easy earning structure of 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, an easy to use $300 annual credit (when booking through Capital One Travel), and numerous other benefits (including access to the extremely popular Capital One Lounges). In addition, cardholders have the option to get reimbursed for travel purchases with Capital One Miles or utilize one of the many transfer partner options.
Credit. The Points Guy. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $395
- APR: 19.99% – 29.49% (Variable)
- Recommended Credit: 740-850 (Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 10x Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x Miles on Flights and Vacation Rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x Miles on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- $300 back in credit annually (only applicable for bookings made through Capital One Travel portal)
- 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Related: Capital One Venture X Lounge Access: A Quick Guide
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most popular and valuable premium travel rewards cards. Despite the high annual fee of $695, the Platinum Card® from American Express offers incredible overall value through various benefits (i.e. hotel status and lounge access), extensive credits up to $1,500 (i.e. hotel, airline, and others), and a high earning opportunity on flight purchases. In addition, cardholders, can redeem American Express Membership Rewards points through the American Express Travel portal or transfer the points to one of the many American Express transfer partners.
Credit. The Points Guy. The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Annual Fee: $695
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
- See Rates And Fees
Reward Rates
- 5x on Flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on purchases per calendar year)
- 5x on Prepaid Hotels booked with American Express Travel
- 1x on All Other Purchases
Other Benefits
- Up to $200 Hotel credit (prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel) – requires a minimum two night stay
- Up to $240 Digital Entertainment credit ($20 per month on Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM (ending May 8th, 2024), and The Wall Street Journal)
- Up to $155 Walmart+ credit ($12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership) – Plus up benefits are not eligible
- Up to $200 Airline Fee credit (select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees)
- Up to $200 Uber Cash
- You must download the latest version of the Uber App, add your American Express Platinum Card® to your Uber account, and then pay with any Amex card. The Amex benefit may only be used in United States.
- Up to $300 Equinox credit (on an Equinox membership or an Equinox club membership)
- Up to $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit
- Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit
- Up to $100 Saks Firth Avenue credit
- Complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott
- Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and Delta Sky Clubs
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best premium travel rewards cards on the market. The value of the card comes from the ability to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a generous travel credit, and a host of other impressive benefits (i.e. lounge access and travel protection). In addition, cardholders can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.50 cents when booking travel through the Chase Travel portal or transfer the points to one of the many airline and hotel transfer partners.
Credit. The Points Guy. Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $550
- APR: 21.99% – 28.99% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 740-850 (Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 10x on Hotels and Car Rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠
- 5x on Flights when you purchase through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on Other Travel and Dining
- 1x on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- Get 50% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
-
Premium travel protection benefits including trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance, and lost luggage insurance
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is the premium card offering from the Marriott Bonvoy® program and a favorite of Marriott Bonvoy® loyalists. Despite the high annual fee, the card provides multiple elite benefits, which include automatic Platinum Elite status, an annual free night certificate, a $25 monthly statement credit for restaurant purchases worldwide, and a solid earning rate at properties participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. The card also provides limited cell phone protection.
Credit. The Points Guy. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card membership
- Annual Fee: $650
- APR: 20.99% – 29.99% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
- See Rates And Fees
Reward Rates
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at Hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program
- 3x Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at Restaurants
- 3x Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 on Airlines
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite status each year of card membership
- Each calendar year of card membership you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at Hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® (up to 85,000 points per night)
- Up to $300 Brilliant Dining Credit ($25 per month credit)
- Up to $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit at participating The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® properties (2 night minimum stay required)
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select (access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries)
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most popular and valuable business travel rewards cards. Despite the high annual fee of $695, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers incredible overall value through various benefits (i.e. hotel status and lounge access), extensive credits up to $1,000 (i.e. hotel, airline, technology, and others), and a high earning opportunity on flight and large purchases. In addition, cardholders, can redeem American Express Membership Rewards points through the American Express Travel portal or transfer the points to one of the many American Express transfer partners.
Credit. The Points Guy. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of card membership
- Annual Fee: $695
- APR: 19.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit: 670-850 (Good / Excellent)*
- See Rates And Fees
Reward Rates
- 5x on Flights booked through American Express Travel
- 5x on Prepaid Hotels booked with American Express Travel
- 1.5x on each eligible purchase at US Construction Material, Hardware Suppliers, Electronic Goods Retailers, Software & Cloud System Providers, and Shipping Providers
- 1.5x on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year)
- 1x on All Other Purchases
Other Benefits
- Up to $200 Hotel credit (prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel) – requires a minimum two night stay
- Up to $400 Dell credit ($200 semi-annually) – enrollment required
- Up to $360 Indeed credit ($90 per quarter) – enrollment required
- Up To $150 Adobe credit – enrollment required
- Up To $120 Wireless credit ($10 per month) – enrollment required
- Up to $200 Airline Fee credit (select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees)
- Up to $199 CLEAR® Plus credit
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit
- Complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott
- Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and Delta Sky Clubs
Capital One Venture X Business
Even though the Capital One Venture X Business is one of the newest business travel rewards cards, it quickly became one of the most popular. The popularity stems from the easy earning structure of 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, an easy to use $300 annual credit (when booking through Capital One Travel), generous intro offer, and numerous other benefits (including access to the extremely popular Capital One Lounges). In addition, cardholders have the option to get reimbursed for travel purchases with Capital One Miles or utilize one of the many transfer partner options.
Credit. The Points Guy. Capital One Venture X Business.
Credit Card Details
- Intro Offer: Earn 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $395
- APR: N/A
- Recommended Credit: 740-850 (Excellent)*
Reward Rates
- 10x Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5x Miles on Flights and Vacation Rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x Miles on All Other purchases
Other Benefits
- $300 back in credit annually (only applicable for bookings made through Capital One Travel portal)
- 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Add employee cards for free
Final Thoughts
With so many travel credit cards offering Priority Pass Select membership, gaining access to airport lounges has never been easier. Whether you are a frequent flyer or an occasional traveler, these cards not only elevate your travel experience with lounge perks, but also help you rack up points and miles for future trips. From complimentary food and beverages to a quiet space to relax, lounge access transforms the way you travel. By choosing one of the credit cards that provide Priority Pass Select, you will be able to enjoy these benefits on your next journey — turning the airport into a more comfortable and enjoyable part of your travel adventures.
*Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.