Disclosure: Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Basic Travel Couple, LLC and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. You can read our advertiser disclosure located here.Lounge access is by far one of our favorite Basic Travel Hacks. Because of lounge access, this perk has saved us some serious cash-money. Consequently, it helps to pass time waiting in airports more comfortable! These lounge access perks are not only in
Life without Lounge Access
Prior to Basic Traveling, we would arrive at the airport two painful hours early in order to get through security. Afterword, we usually ended up purchasing an overpriced meal in the food court while we were waiting for our gate to begin the check-in procedure. Does this sound familiar?
Life WITH Lounge Access
Nowadays, we typically will arrive an hour early to the airport thanks to TSA Pre-Check. Next, we will head straight to one of the many Airport Lounges available for FREE amenities! Each and every lounge is unique, but some amenities included in them is Coffee, Cocktails, Sandwiches, Snacks, Desserts & More!
Lounge Challenge
This has without a doubt changed our pre-flight experience tremendously. In fact, it has even resulted in our own fun game that we refer to as the “Lounge Challenge.” Put simply, we try to enjoy a snack or beverage at every lounge available during a layover. If the lounges are spread out, this makes for a great work out too! (Be careful though, we’ve almost missed flights due to this game. One time we arrived at the gate and the door was already shut. Luckily, they didn’t close boarding yet so after some convincing, we were able to get on our flight.) We only recommend this if you have a few hours to kill during your airport stay.
WARNING: This has the potential to make long layovers actually fun and not appear so daunting when you’re booking a flight!
HOW Can I get Lounge Access?
You’re probably wondering how the heck do these guys access all of these lounges?! Don’t worry, there is no secret password or handshake that will grant access. However, there is a handful of Credit Cards that can provide you with access to these perks! The most popular Airport Lounge Credit Card perk out there is the Priority Pass Membership. According to the Priority Pass Website, they currently offer 1,200 Lounges in 500 Cities across 143 Countries. This means, wherever you go, chances are a lounge is available! As you can see from the prices below, access to these lounges is not cheap. Luckily, many Credit Cards provide a complimentary membership!
Credit Cards
Basic Ranking of Credits Cards that provide complimentary Priority Pass Membership:
- American Express Platinum Card- Also provides access to the Centurion Lounges in 9 cities
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card- Includes access to Hotel Lounges with Diamond Status
- SPG Luxury Card
- Hilton Honors Ascend Card- 10 Free Visits/year for you and $28 per guest
In Conclusion, Airport Lounges provide multiple benefits that we enjoy. First of all, the variety of free food and drink options available! This is including the excellent mimosas for those early morning flights! Second, many of these lounges offer relaxing places to sit. Sometimes it even includes outdoor seating for fresh air and even a putting green for golfers out there! Lastly, the lounge gets us out of the hustle and bustle of the busy airport and gives us a little bit of peace while we await our flight.
Check out our Basic Reviews of Lounges we have visited around the world:
Disclosure: Basic Travel Couple, LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Basic Travel Couple, LLC and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. You can read our advertiser disclosure located here.