Which credit card offers free international airport lounges access?
What is the best value around?
Free airport lounges - which credit card?
evgpek on 23/01/2018 - 18:32
Comments
So you don’t know?
Most cards will only get you two lounge passes a year. Why not get a Priority Pass membership for US$399 which gets you unlimited access into 1000+ lounges worldwide flying with any airline.
Citibank Signature, 2 priority pass freebies per year.
St George Amplify. 2 Qantas Lounge passes ea yr
AMEX platinum charge has the most free- you and a supplementary cardholder both get unlimited Priority Pass and can bring a guest (so basically can bring 4 people total if travelling together), plus you get Virgin lounge access for the primary cardholder, plus AMEX lounge access as well.
But super expensive.
Are you a medical / dental / CPA or .CA?
Out of curiosity should anyone else be one of the above, they may be curious to know why you ask? Because of the cheaper rates for qantas club membership? Just looking at the Priority Pass now. Never realised that it covered some freebies at bars in domestic terminals that otherwise wouldn't have lounges. I don't do a huge amount of international travel currently so never bothered with the whole lounge thing but I've been doing a lot of domestic recently.
Special bank, special credit card with unlimited Priority Pass (including guest as the same as AMEX) for $250 ;)
Of course if you and a partner both need priority pass separately then I think AMEX Platinum is the only option within the one card.
Do you have a link for this? Am quite interested.
CPA does not give you unlimited Priority Pass for $250. Although you do get $250 off the standard annual fee on the Amex Platinum card. Still expensive though.
does medial or cpa get a sweet discount?
Priority pass lounge food is quite crap from experience. Only good if you wanna get high on liquor.
Depends on the airport..
In SYD, BNE and MEL it will give you $36 worth of food… real food which frankly is better quality than most lounges
That is not an actual lounge but yes, some airports doesnt have a PP so they collaborate with restaurants. The italian restaurant at Kingsford Smith (before customs) is actually pretty decent, but $36 buck can only get you a plate of pasta + 1 beer/soft drink. Food vs unlimited alcohol…hmmm
Not unless you get unlimited Priority Pass then it's party time!!! You simply eat at one restaurant and then drink at the other :)
@RJW:
Well, I have many PP free passes a year, I could ask them next time if I can redeem 5 passes at a go so they can bring out the Maccallan 18
Agree for certain lounges. However some lounges (e.g. Guangzhou Plaza Premium) are actually the business class lounges for some airlines.
Priority Pass doesn't operate the lounges, they provide access to lounges run by others. So the quality of food is related to quality of the lounge which of course can be variable. I think a lot of the lounges (well at least the ones I've been to) are less than premium and compared to lounges operated by airlines, they have relatively poor food choices and only 'snacks' in many instances.
The OP would do well to look at the PP lounges available at the airport they're going to use, if any, and decide from there if the PP system is worthwhile.
Amex have a lounge in Sydney you get 2 entries a year.
I think westpac or anz also offer QF lounge passes with their higher end cards
I went to this a few months ago, it is after customs in the International terminal.
It was small and pretty full, but quiet and well stocked.
We weren't looking for a meal, but had a pastry, mineral water and coffee. There were things like sweets, nuts etc. and some light food. Plus an intriguing automatic pancake making machine (?).I don't fly often enough to justify Qantas club anymore (and even when I did I didn't think it was good value), so this was a nice perk compared to sitting at the gate.
I had a kid with me, and they didn't use up a entry pass, which I though was generous.Perfectly decent.
Went there last year as well. All I require from a airport lounge is comfy seats, a place for a beer, food , decent wifi and a place to charge my devices.
When the Amex lounge was busy they gave us entry to another lounge very close by which was much quieter due to being Platinum Charge Members. For that international trip we used PP in every airport, some lounges better than others , amex lounge in SFO was great. Lots of other benefits, $400 travel credit, velocity membership, access to concierge but its NOT a credit card - you must pay off balance in full every month.
How about Diners Club it came with free unlimited lounges before
You pay for it anyway, with the annual fee and high interest rates.