Strategizing Airport Lounge Access Options

What’s an airport lounge and what do they offer?

Airport lounges offer a haven of comfort and convenience for travelers, transforming the often chaotic airport experience into one of relaxation and productivity. Amenities typically include comfortable seating, quieter environments, and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, making them ideal for business travelers or those seeking a peaceful escape before their flight.

Food and beverage options are a staple, ranging from light snacks to full meals, alongside a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. For travelers looking to unwind, many lounges provide private shower facilities, nap pods, and even spa services, offering a refreshing reprieve during layovers.

Business travelers benefit from well-equipped workstations, meeting rooms, and printing services. Entertainment options might include TVs, newspapers, and magazines, while premium lounges may offer gaming areas or children’s play zones for families. Personalized services, like dedicated concierge support and assistance with travel arrangements, further enhance the experience.

Access is typically granted through frequent flyer programs, premium tickets, or credit cards with lounge benefits, ensuring a tailored experience for every type of traveler.

So how do we leverage this to our advantage?

Five simple steps:

  • First, consider your home airport. Does it have lounges? If so, which ones? What hours are they open?

  • Consider the destinations you regularly travel to. Which lounges do they have? What hours are they open?

  • Cross reference your lists to see which would be most advantageous for you!

  • Look into what credit cards offer access to the lounges you want!

  • Consider alternatives like Priority Pass.

Pro Tip: Check https://www.loungebuddy.com to see operating hours and reviews for each lounge.

Disclaimer: Access to these lounges varies; some are exclusive to certain airlines or classes of service, while others may offer entry through memberships, day passes, or specific credit cards. It's advisable to check the specific access requirements and operating hours before your visit.

Me for example:

This will be long, and you can totally ignore it. I just want to go through it as a thought exercise, analyzing my current situation and seeing if there is room to upgrade my experience.

As a chronically ill / disabled traveler, having a lounge available is SO nice. It gives me a quieter environment to rest in between the phases of travel. They often even have gluten free food available, which is hard to find in the normal airport shops.

My personal factors:

HOME AIRPORT(S) - I live in southwest Michigan. My airline preference is generally Delta but I can be always wooed by a cheap fare to somewhere interesting. Delta and American are the only airlines serving my tiny local airport, but I normally drive a couple of hours to fly out of Chicago or Detroit. Detroit is my preference as it is less traffic to deal with than driving to and through Chicago.

DESTINATIONS - I often travel to Hawaii for work, and to Phoenix to see my daughter. I tend to vacation in Mexico, Central and South America.

CREDIT CARD(S) - I have a Delta SkyMiles Platinum card through American Express.

I have been operating under the theory that Delta Sky Club is my best option. Here are the reasons:

  • I already have the qualifying card. However, I have found that even routing my routine spending to churn through the card doesn’t rack up points quickly. The vast majority of my points are from flying.

  • Access at Key Airports:

    • DTW (Detroit): Multiple Sky Clubs in Concourse A and C.

    • PHX (Phoenix): Sky Club in Terminal 3.

    • HNL (Honolulu): Sky Club near Gate F1.

    • ORD (Chicago O’Hare): Sky Club in Terminal 2.

    • Mexico: Mexico City and Cancun

    • Central America: Panama City

    • South America: Sao Paolo and Buenas Aires

  • Daily Access Rate: $50 per day, paid at the entrance. <<< This is the part I don’t like.

    • If I use a Delta Lounge more than 7 times per year, it is more economical to switch to the annual pass, which is $695.

  • Membership only includes access when flying Delta or eligible partners (aka SkyTeam Alliance).

    • The “eligible partners” part is a little tricky, but I am not likely to have to deal with it very often. Delta Sky Club access rules allow entry when flying Delta or certain “eligible partners”, which are not airlines I tend to fly on so I will just not worry about it.

The option of adding Priority Pass

Priority Pass offers access to member lounges, and you don’t need a particular credit card to get it.

If I was giving up my SkyMiles card in favor of Priority Pass, that would take me down to just these options at my frequent airports:

PHX: The Club at PHX (Terminal 4)

ORD: The Lounge by Plaza Premium (Terminal 5), Airline Lounge by Swissport (Terminal 3)

DTW: Delta Sky Club (McNamara Terminal, Terminal 1)

HNL: The Club Lounge (Terminal 2)

The main advantage seems to be if I am traveling on a carrier other than Delta, which would allow me to take advantage of deal.

Lounges overseas are way nicer than the ones in the US, so this would probably be worth it in a year that I plan on doing a lot of far flung traveling.

Costs of Priority Pass:

1. Standard Membership

Annual Fee: $99

Lounge Access: Pay-as-you-go access at $32 per visit.

2. Standard Plus Membership <<< probably what I would get

Annual Fee: $299

Lounge Access: Includes 10 free visits per year; after that, it's $32 per visit.

3. Prestige Membership

Annual Fee: $429

Lounge Access: Unlimited access with no additional cost per visit.

The option of switching / adding other credit cards to get Priority Pass

These cards include Priority Pass as a benefit to cardholders:


Hilton Honors AmEx Aspire $450/year
Citi Prestige $495/year
Chase Sapphire Reserve $550/year
AmEx Platinum $695/year

So this is what I am thinking…

Potential Scenario A:

Keep SkyMiles Amex 250 annually
Add mid-tier Priority Pass +299 annually
Global Entry +100 every 5 years (just mine, hubby’s job pays for his)

Total 649 the first year
549 the next 4 years

Potential Scenario B:

Get Amex Aspire 450
Includes Select Priority Pass +0
Incl $100 annual Global Entry credit + 0

Total 450

Potential Scenario C:

Keep SkyMiles AmEx 250
Get AmEx Aspire 450
Includes Select Priority Pass +0
Incl $100 annual Global Entry credit + 0

Total 650


Plus the Aspire card has a lot of other benefits I won’t get into here.

It looks like I will be adding an Aspire card, and whether decide to keep the SkyMiles card is up in the air. (See what I did there?) Anyway, the point is just to occasionally inventory if what you have and what you are doing is supporting your needs and your goals.

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