Finest bank cards for affordable lounge entry

Phrases apply to American Specific advantages and affords. Enrollment could also be required for choose American Specific advantages and affords. Go to americanexpress.com to study extra. 

Free airport lounge entry has develop into an more and more uncommon and elusive perk. Nowadays, it feels such as you both want diamond-level standing with the airline, a bank card with a sky-high annual payment or A-list celeb standing to breeze by way of the entryway and seize a cabernet earlier than your flight. 

Or do you? 

To seek out out, Fortune Recommends performed analysis to search out what–if any–bank cards nonetheless embody airport lounge entry for an inexpensive annual payment in 2024. The excellent news is that there are a number of, and every of them has way more to supply frequent flyers than only a pair of lounge coupons. From free checked luggage to welcome bonuses value $750 or extra, listed here are the perfect bank cards for inexpensive lounge entry in 2024. 

The very best bank cards for affordable lounge entry in April 2024

Finest general: U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card features a complimentary Precedence Move Choose membership with 4 free passes every year to over 1,500 lounge places worldwide. That–mixed with a 50,000-point welcome bonus value $500 and no annual payment for the primary yr–made it a simple choose for the perfect general card for inexpensive lounge entry in 2024.

Why we like this card: Just like how Pepsi challenges Coke, the U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join Visa Signature Card appears poised to maintain the reigning Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card on its toes. The latter affords a staggering array of journey advantages for its modest $95 annual payment, together with a 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, complimentary Precedence Move Choose membership with 4 free passes every year and as much as $100 in assertion credit score in direction of TSA PreCheck or World Entry. 

However the buck doesn’t cease there–you’ll additionally get free journey insurance coverage (Journey Cancelation/Interruption, Journey Delay Reimbursement and SmartDelay), no international transaction charges and as much as 5X on pay as you go lodges/automotive leases and 4X on journey/fuel. Did we point out that it prices no annual payment for the primary yr, both? 

So if free PreCheck and lounge entry with a $0 upfront dedication sounds good to you, try the U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join card.

Finest for checked luggage: United^SM Explorer Card

The United^SM Explorer Card card could solely supply two United Membership passes per yr, but it surely greater than makes up for it with a free checked bag for you and a companion, precedence boarding, a $100 World Entry/PreCheck/NEXUS payment credit score and a 50,000-point welcome bonus. Plus, it even waives its $95 annual payment for the primary yr. 

Why we like this card

Whereas the United Explorer card by Chase solely affords two lounge passes per yr, we thought it deserved an area on this checklist given how less expensive–and smoother–it makes just about each different step of your flight expertise. 

Beginning at check-in, you’ll get a free checked bag for your self and one companion. Then, you’ll scoot by way of safety a little bit sooner due to the $100 assertion credit score for World Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. After cashing in your lounge passes, you’ll have the ability to board a little bit early due to precedence boarding. Lastly, even after takeoff you’ll get pleasure from 25% off all in-flight meals, drinks and Wi-Fi packages. 

The caveat, after all, is most of those perks solely apply to United flights so that you’ll want to indicate some model loyalty to maximise the United Explorer card’s advantages. However when you’re already a fan of United–and also you’d lastly prefer to expertise the United Membership in your subsequent journey–it’s an apparent selection.

Finest for CLEAR Plus: American Specific Inexperienced

For a modest $150 annual payment, the American Express® Green Card contains as much as $100 LoungeBuddy assertion credit score, as much as $189 credit score towards price of CLEAR® Plus per calendar yr and 3X on journey/transit/eating. All issues thought of, it’s a stable and well-rounded journey companion.

Why we like this card

Should you like the thought of flying by way of safety shortly and arriving on the lounge mere minutes after you enter the airport, the American Specific Inexperienced card could also be your ticket to that fantasy. 

That’s as a result of the Amex Inexperienced comes with a useful pair of credit for each CLEAR Plus and LoungeBuddy. For the uninitiated, CLEAR Plus permits you to transfer sooner by way of safety by scanning your eyes and/or fingerprints in a devoted CLEAR Lane, and LoungeBuddy permits you to pre-book lounge entry worldwide beginning at $25 per go to. 

The Amex Inexperienced additionally affords a 40,000-point welcome bonus value as much as $400 in journey or present playing cards (earned after spending $3,000 inside six months) plus 3X on journey/transit eating, making it a rewarding card to tackle the go. Even higher, these factors are Membership Rewards factors which might have much more worth when transferred to companions.

All details about the American Specific® Inexperienced Card has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™ .

Finest worth premium card: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card shortly justifies its $395 annual payment by providing a $300 journey credit score, $100 TSA PreCheck/World Entry credit score, 75,000-mile welcome bonus and maybe better of all, limitless airport lounge entry for you and as much as two friends. Not solely that, licensed customers are free and might every get their very own memberships. So whereas the Enterprise X actually isn’t low-cost, the worth proposition earns it a spot on the checklist.

Why we like this card

Whereas it could be a stretch to say {that a} card charging $395 a yr offers “affordable” something, think about this: the Capital One Enterprise X additionally comes with a 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first 3 months from account opening, an annual $300 again yearly for bookings made by way of Capital One Journey and a ten,000-mile Anniversary Bonus. Which means that when you’re technically paying a $395 payment every year, you’re getting $400 in journey credit score proper again. 

That’s to not point out the cardboard’s marquis profit for frequent flyers: limitless airport lounge entry for you and as much as two friends at any Capital One, Precedence Move or Plaza Premium Group location. The pampering doesn’t finish there, both, because you’ll even be handled to instantaneous Hertz President’s Circle standing (till Jan. 1, 2025), a $100 expertise credit score on the Premier Assortment of lodges and extra. 

So when you’re on the lookout for a premium journey card with easy-to-use advantages and limitless lounge entry, your search could finish with the Capital One Enterprise X. 

Steadily Requested Questions

Which card affords free lounge entry for no annual payment? 

On the time of this writing, there are not any rewards playing cards providing airport lounge entry for a $0 annual payment. Nonetheless, each the U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join and the United Explorer card supply airport lounge entry for a $0 annual payment for the primary yr and $95 per yr thereafter. 

What’s the perfect card providing airport lounge entry for an annual payment under $100? 

Our choose for the perfect card providing airport lounge entry below $100 is the U.S. Financial institution Altitude Join card. The cardboard comes with a welcome bonus value $500, complimentary Precedence Move Choose membership with 4 lounge passes per yr and prices no annual payment for the primary yr ($95 thereafter). 

Is lounge entry free on AmEx Rewards playing cards?

Complimentary lounge entry is a perk of the Amex Inexperienced (as much as $100 per yr) and Platinum playing cards. 

Which airline rewards playing cards embody lounge entry for below $100? 

The United Explorer card, Miles & Extra World Elite Mastercard (Lufthansa), and SKYPASS Visa Signature playing cards (Korean Air) all embody two complimentary lounge passes per yr for an annual payment below $100. 

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