Best credit cards for airport lounge access
Credit and debit cards can come with a host of rewards, with some opening the door to airport lounges. We list the top credit cards for complimentary or discounted airport lounge access.
Spending money on a credit or debit card can give you greater protection on large purchases than with cash – such as chargeback and section 75 for credit card users. But some of these cards also come with extra perks, such as cashback, rewards points or complimentary access to an airport lounge.
When you’re choosing a new rewards credit card, it’s important to first consider which benefits you are likely to actually use.
An airline credit card or a travel credit card which has fee-free overseas spending will be more attractive if you go abroad often, but might not be as useful if you tend to stay in the UK.
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Frequent fliers may value the comfort and complimentary refreshments in airport lounges, and some credit cards and packaged bank accounts include complimentary or discounted access as a benefit.
We list the top credit cards for airport lounge access below. It’s a good idea to compare these cards with other options and consider whether the majority of benefits are worth it to you – rather than choosing the card solely for the airport lounge perks. You could get airport lounge access for less in other ways.
Remember, these cards are only worth having if you are able to pay off the credit card bill in full each month to avoid high interest charges.
Top credit cards for airport lounge access
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
Representative 85.8% APR variable
Fee: £195 per year (£0 in your first year)
Airport lounge access: Four free Priority Pass visits per year
Benefits include:
- Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards bonus points when you spend £3,000 in the first three months of card membership (only available if you don’t have a personal American Express card and haven’t had one in the past 24 months).
- Earn one point for every £1 spent, two points for every £1 spent directly on airline purchases, and three points per £1 spent via American Express Travel.
- Get four complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge visits per year.
- Get £5 Deliveroo statement credit – twice per month (enrolment for this benefit is required).
A MoneyWeek journalist tested this card in 2023/24. As a frequent flier, they found the complimentary airport lounge access was very enjoyable, but they encountered a waiting list for access to Priority Pass airport lounges on several occasions at two major airports, so you might want to leave plenty of time at the airport.
Christopher Evans, CEO of Collinson International, which owns Priority Pass, said: "Demand for premium airport experiences is at an all-time high, with visits to Priority Pass lounges breaking all prior records in 2025 and continuing to grow further in 2026. The pace of growth has meant that the whole airport and airline industry has struggled to keep up, particularly in the busiest airports where demand can at times surpass availability. It is something we are working hard to address.
"It's why we are investing at pace, growing our global network with over 100 lounges and travel experiences in the past year - which now spans over 1,800 lounges and travel experiences across 841 airports in 146 countries. We have introduced services like pre-booking, available in over 200 lounges worldwide, so members can plan ahead and secure their space with confidence. Our commitment is to ensure that every traveller has access to experiences that are seamless, rewarding and genuinely worth their time, and our goal is to keep investing to make sure that's consistently delivered to respond to the surge in demand for lounge experiences."
American Express Platinum Card
Representative 685.3% APR variable
Fee: £650 per year
Airport lounge access: Free, unlimited access, including one guest
Benefits include:
- Earn 50,000 membership rewards bonus points when you spend £6,000 in the first six months of card membership. This offer is only available if you don’t currently have a personal American Express card that earns membership rewards points, and you haven’t had one in the past 24 months.
- Earn one point for every £1 spent and two points for every £1 spent with Amex Travel.
- Complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across more than 140 countries worldwide including the American Express lounges. The cardmember can bring up to one guest into the lounge at no cost, although guest access policies may vary depending on location.
- Metal card.
- Worldwide travel insurance.
- Global Dining Statement Credit – enrol to get up to £200 in statement credits to spend in over 2,000 selected restaurants in the UK each year, plus a further £200 for spending abroad.
- Hotel benefits – complimentary benefits worth an average total value of $600 with Fine Hotels & Resorts at over 1,500 luxury hotels worldwide. This includes room upgrades when available, complimentary breakfast and guaranteed 4pm late check-out. Plus, benefits with The Hotel Collection including US $100 hotel credit and late checkout.
We look at the top American Express credit cards in a separate piece.
Santander World Elite Mastercard
This card is exclusively for Santander Select and Private Banking customers.
Representative 49.8% APR
Fee: £15 per month (equivalent to £180 per year)
Airport lounge access: Free, unlimited access to LoungeKey airport lounges. Guests and children can join for £24 per person per visit.
Benefits include:
- 0.5% cashback (up to £15 a month) on all purchases.
- 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months with no balance transfer fee.
- 40% off Santander Travel Insurance when you apply online.
- Complimentary access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide with LoungeKey for cardholders. Guests and children can join you in the lounge for £24 per person, per visit.
- No foreign transaction fee if the purchase is made using the local currency on your credit card.
Santander Select or Santander Private banking customers may qualify for £90 cashback when opening and using a Santander World Elite Mastercard credit card during the offer period, starting 26 March 2026. This offer can be withdrawn at any time.
Barclaycard Avios Plus Card
Representative 80.1% APR (variable)
Fee: £20 per month (equating to £240 per year)
Airport lounge access: Discounted rate of £24 per lounge pass, per person
Benefits include:
- New Barclaycard customers can get 25,000 bonus Avios points if they spend £3,000 in the first three months.
- Earn 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases.
- The choice between a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher to use on an Avios Reward Flight booking or 7,000 bonus Avios, if you spend £10,000 on your card within 12 months.
- Discounted rate for airport lounges via Dragonpass – access over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide at a discounted rate of £24 per lounge pass, per person.
- If you open the Barclaycard Avios Plus card for £20 per month and turn on Barclays Avios Rewards as a Premier customer for £12 a month, the bank will give you £5 cashback into your current account each month.
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
This card is available for HSBC Premier customers only.
Representative 100.2% APR (variable)
Fee: £290 per year
Airport lounge access: Free, unlimited access for the main cardholder and any additional cardholders
Benefits include:
- Earn 40,000 reward points when you spend £2,000 on your card in the first 90 days of card membership.
- Earn three reward points for every £1 of eligible spending in sterling.
- Earn four reward points for every £1 of eligible spending in another currency (fees apply). Reward points can be converted into certain airline miles (including British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Air India) or swapped for use at participating hotels, retailers (including M&S and Amazon) and charity donations.
- Get unlimited access (main cardholder and any additional cardholders) to more than 1,700 airport lounges worldwide with Priority Pass.
- Airport security fast track at participating airports worldwide via Mastercard Travel Experiences powered by Dragonpass for the main cardholder and any additional cardholders.
HSBC Premier Credit Card
This card is exclusively available for HSBC Premier customers.
Representative 29.9% APR (variable)
Fee: No annual fee
Airport lounge access: Priority Pass membership – airport lounge access costs £24 per person, per visit, subject to availability.
Benefits include:
- Earn 30,000 reward points when you spend £2,000 on your card in the first 90 days of card membership. This offer ends on 23 July 2026. The card previously offered 20,000 reward points when you spent £2,000 on the card in the 90-day initial period.
- Earn 1.5 reward points for every £1 spent on purchases in sterling.
- Earn two reward points for every £1 spent on purchases in another currency (a non-sterling transaction fee of 2.99% will apply). Reward points can be converted into airline miles or swapped for hotel stays, shopping vouchers and more.
- Access to airport lounges with Priority Pass – access more than 1,700 airport lounges worldwide for £24 per person per visit, subject to availability.
Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard/Halifax World Elite Mastercard
Representative 55% APR (variable)
Fee: £15 per month account fee (equivalent to £180 per year)
Airport lounge access: Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300 lounges via Priority Pass, subject to availability, for cardholders and an additional cardholder. Guests can join for a £24 per visit fee.
Benefits include:
- 0.5% cashback on purchases totalling up to and including £15,000 in each anniversary year from the account opening.
- 1% cashback on purchases totalling over £15,000 in each anniversary year from account opening.
- Unlimited complimentary access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide via Priority Pass, subject to availability. Extra guests will be charged a fee of £24 per visit.
- Enjoy airport security fast track at participating airports, via Dragonpass. A fee is charged for extra guests.
- No foreign exchange fees on card purchases.
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Jessica is a financial journalist with extensive experience in digital publishing.
She was previously Digital Finance Editor at GB News and Personal Finance Editor at Express.co.uk. She enjoys writing about savings, pensions and tax, and is passionate about promoting financial education.