There is a scene within the film Unaccompanied Minors the place a wealthy teenager sneaks right into a luxe airport lounge. That was my first publicity to this glamorous journey perk — an amenity I by no means thought I would be capable of expertise myself.
Final yr, I left my job as a full-time private finance editor to journey the world. Armed with my data of bank card factors, financial savings hacks and good cash recommendation, I found out how to visit more than 36 countries on a finances. I rapidly realized that airport lounge access would not value as a lot as you’d suppose. You may usually snag a day cross for round $35 to $75.
However for those who play your playing cards proper, you would possibly be capable of snag Precedence Move lounge entry at no cost.
Precedence Move membership can get your entry to a community of over 1,600 airport lounges and experiences worldwide. This is how one can get Priority Pass airport lounge access affordably, and in some circumstances, for not additional value.
Learn extra: Breeze Through Airport Security. These Credit Cards Offer TSA PreCheck for Free
How a lot does Precedence Move membership value?
The prices for an annual Priority Pass membership vary from $99 for the Commonplace plan (with a $35 cost for every lounge go to) to $469 for the Status plan (with limitless complimentary visits).
When you solely plan to go to a lounge a few times a yr, paying for a day cross or the usual plan is your finest guess. However for those who’re taking extra frequent journeys, you will need a plan that provides you limitless entry.
Fortunately, there is a cheaper technique to get it than buying the Status plan straight from Precedence Move: bank cards.
Standard bank cards that provide Precedence Move
A number of premium journey bank cards provide cardholders (and generally approved customers) complimentary Precedence Move Choose membership, which grants limitless lounge visits similar to the Status plan.
For the reason that Status plan prices $469 yearly, any bank card with an annual charge under that quantity is already a greater deal, even earlier than you think about the cardboard’s different advantages.
Among the most popular travel cards people turn to for Priority Pass embody:
A number of enterprise playing cards and lodge or airline co-branded cards additionally provide Precedence Move, however these playing cards attraction to a narrower viewers and are not considerably cheaper than the choices above.
What is the most cost-effective technique to get Precedence Move airport lounge entry?
Trying on the 4 playing cards above, there is a clear standout: the Capital One Enterprise X has the bottom annual charge, at $395. Capital One additionally allows you to add as much as 4 approved customers, who all get their very own Precedence Move membership at no extra cost.
Clearly, the Enterprise X is the winner, proper?
Nicely, that relies upon. When you’re not going to make use of the cardboard for every other journey advantages, then possibly. However for those who’re touring usually sufficient to need Precedence Move membership, there are different elements to think about.
Along with providing Precedence Move, the 4 playing cards above include a litany of advantages, together with assertion credit that provide quantifiable money worth. When you use these credit to offset purchases you have been going to make by regular spending, they can assist decrease the cardboard’s annual charges considerably. Let’s check out the worth you may get from every card’s assertion credit and efficient annual charges for those who use all of them.
For ease of comparability, I am solely counting credit which have an outlined money worth connected and do not include sophisticated restrictions. Some credit aren’t out there yearly, so the calculations under mirror every card’s first-year worth.
Precedence cross bank card values
| Card title | Annual charge | Whole money worth of credit and advantages | Efficient annual charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Capital One Enterprise X | $395 | $420 | -$25 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | $550 | $755 | -$205 |
| The Platinum Card from American Categorical | $695 | $1,294 | -$599 |
| Financial institution of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit score Card | $550 | $550 | $0 |
Discover a development?
When you can maximize all of the credit with out overspending, these playing cards are successfully free and also you would possibly even come out on high.
Of the 4 playing cards above, the Amex Platinum technically has the bottom efficient annual charge, at -$599. Nevertheless, the Platinum’s credit are cut up into many alternative components, a few of which can be more durable to maximise than others. Among the many choices listed, it is also the cardboard with the very best precise annual charge, which means it requires the most important upfront funding with no assure you’ll “earn” it again.
Which card gives Precedence Move at the very best worth?
For most individuals, the Enterprise X will present the very best steadiness between minimizing the efficient annual charge and ease of utilizing the credit. The cardboard solely has two credit, one for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry and one for the Capital One Journey Portal, which gives a big choice of flights, motels and rental vehicles.
I did not issue every card’s rewards into the calculations above, nevertheless it’s price noting that the Enterprise X gives a ten,000-mile anniversary bonus annually after the primary (price $100 if redeemed as a press release credit score towards journey). This bonus, mixed with the $300 annual journey credit score, retains the cardboard’s efficient annual charge unfavorable even in years with out the TSA PreCheck/World Entry credit score.
Nevertheless, if you need to use the entire journey credit, the Amex Platinum is perhaps a extra rewarding technique to take pleasure in airport lounge entry with different perks besides.
The cardboard that provides Precedence Move at no cost
When you’ll be making 4 or fewer journeys in a yr, there’s one other lesser-known card that would get you Precedence Move for no annual charge: the U.S. Financial institution Altitude® Join Visa Signature® Card*.
The cardboard acquired an improve in September that modified a few of its rewards and advantages and eliminated its earlier $95 annual charge. Regardless of the annual charge elimination, the cardboard saved its Precedence Move and TSA PreCheck/World Entry credit score advantages, primarily giving the cardboard a couple of premium card perks for the worth of a no-annual-fee card.
So what is the catch?
You will solely get 4 complimentary lounge visits per yr with the Altitude Join’s Precedence Move membership. Any visitor you convey additionally counts towards the four-visit allowance. That may not be sufficient to tempt frequent vacationers, nevertheless it’s good for infrequent vacationers or anybody interested in airport lounges who would not wish to decide to an annual charge card.
Do you want airport lounge entry?
You do not want airport lounge entry to take pleasure in touring. In reality, you would possibly study, like I did, that this explicit perk isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. However for those who’re out and in of airports usually, lounge entry may elevate your journey expertise.
When you’re new to airport lounges, I do not suggest springing for limitless lounge entry till you have determined that it is an expertise you worth. Investing a couple of hundred {dollars} or opening a brand new bank card — which might have bigger implications in your credit score rating and total funds — is not a call it’s best to make evenly. When you’re on the fence, purchase a day cross and take a look at it out with no dedication.
After testing the waters, for those who plan to go to lounges incessantly, it is good to discover a bank card that aligns together with your journey objectives. For many vacationers, the Capital One Enterprise X would be the finest choose. For extra frequent journeys, the American Categorical Platinum can provide the finest bang to your buck.
As for me, if I determine I need lounge entry once more, I would flip to the U.S. Financial institution Altitude® Join Visa Signature® Card. With no annual charge, airport lounge entry seems like a pleasant perk, slightly than a profit I would really feel pressured to make use of every time I fly to get my cash’s price.
Full listing of credit in contrast within the desk above:
Capital One Enterprise:
- $300 annual journey credit score by Capital One Journey
- As much as $120 credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck charge each 4 years
Chase Sapphire Reserve:
- $300 annual journey credit score for any journey buy charged to the cardboard
- As much as $100 credit score for World Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS charge each 4 years
- Complimentary DashPass for one yr if you activate by Dec. 31, 2027 ($96 retail worth by DoorDash)
- $5 month-to-month DoorDash credit score ($60 yearly)
- Complimentary Lyft Pink All Entry membership for 2 years if you activate by Dec. 31, 2024 ($199/yr retail worth by Lyft)
The Platinum Card from American Categorical:
- As much as $200 annual credit score for choose pay as you go lodge bookings by American Categorical Journey
- As much as $20 month-to-month credit score for choose digital leisure subscriptions (As much as $240 yearly)
- As much as $12.95 month-to-month Walmart+ credit score ($155 yearly)
- $15 month-to-month Uber Money for US rides, plus a bonus $20 in December (As much as $200 yearly)
- $As much as 200 annual credit score for airline incidental charges from one qualifying airline of your selecting
- As much as $50 semi-annual credit score for Saks Fifth Avenue ($100 yearly)
- As much as $199 annual credit score for a CLEAR® Plus membership
Phrases apply to American Categorical advantages and gives. Enrollment could also be required for choose American Categorical advantages and gives. Go to americanexpress.com to study extra.
Financial institution of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit score Card:
- $300 annual credit score for qualifying airline incidental purchases
- $150 annual credit score for qualifying purchases of video streaming providers, meals supply, health subscriptions and rideshare providers
- As much as $100 credit score for TSA PreCheck or World Entry each 4 years
*All details about the Financial institution of America Premium Rewards Elite Credit score Card, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card and the U.S. Financial institution Altitude® Join Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
For charges and costs of The Platinum Card from American Categorical, click here.