Credit Cards which offer Free Airport Lounge Access (updated October 23, 2017)
Shirley put together a very comprehensive post about Credit Cards which offer Lounge Access over 2 years ago, so I thought that this post was due for an update. Alternatively from the previous post, I will only focus on credit cards that give complimentary airport lounge visits, along with how many.
If you have been to an airport lounge recently, you probably felt that it was packed. How did so many other people get lounge access? In the United States, there are many credit cards that offer this benefits, but do not underestimate the Canadian market either.
Below is a list of credit cards that offer lounge access, along with the requirements.
|
Credit Cards |
Lounge Access |
Annual Fees |
| American Express AeroplanPlus Platinum Card | Unlimited access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge.
Unlimited access to Priority Pass Lounges. |
$499 |
| American Express AeroplanPlus Reserve Card | Unlimited access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge.
Unlimited access to Priority Pass Lounges. |
$899 |
| American Express Air Miles Reserve Card | Receive 4 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$299 |
| American Express Business Platinum Card | Unlimited Canadian Platinum Lounge Benefit.
Unlimited access to The Centurion Lounges. Unlimited access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges. |
$399 |
| American Express Platinum Card | Unlimited Canadian Platinum Lounge Benefit.
Unlimited access to Priority Pass Lounges, along with one companion. Unlimited access to The Centurion Lounges. Unlimited access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges. |
$699 |
| BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard | Receive 2 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$120 |
| BMO World Elite MasterCard | Receive 4 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$150 |
| CIBC Aerogold Visa Card for Business
|
Receive 1 complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge pass per calendar year. To be used only on an Aeroplan Flight Reward only, on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. |
$180 |
| CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite Privilege Card | Receive 4 complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge passes per calendar year. To be used only on an Aeroplan Flight Reward only, on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner.
Receive 6 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$399 |
| CIBC Aerogold Visa Infinite Card | Receive 1 complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge pass per calendar year. To be used only on an Aeroplan Flight Reward only, on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. |
$120 |
| Desjardins Visa Odyssey Infinite Privilege | Receive 12 complimentary Desjardins Odyssey Lounge passes per year.
Receive 6 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$395 |
| Desjardins Odyssey World Elite MasterCard | Receive 8 complimentary Desjardins Odyssey Lounge passes per year. |
$130 |
| NBC World Elite MasterCard | Unlimited access to the National Bank World MasterCard lounge, along with a companion. |
$150 |
| NBC World MasterCard | Receive 1 National Bank World MasterCard lounge pass. |
$125 |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege Card | Receive 6 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$399 |
| Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card | Receive 10 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year.
Supplementary cardholder receives 4 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$399 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Business Card | Receive 1 complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge pass per calendar year. To be used only on an Aeroplan Flight Reward only, on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. |
$149 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card | Receive 1 complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge pass per calendar year. To be used only on an Aeroplan Flight Reward only, on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. |
$120 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card | Receive 4 complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge passes per calendar year. To be used only on an Aeroplan Flight Reward only, on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner.
Receive 6 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge passes per membership year. |
$399 |
Please let me know if I missed any credit cards!
Great post! Regarding the Amex AeroplanPlus Platinum vs. Reserve, is the $400 difference in cost mitigated by the $200 annual travel credit? Is that $200 travel credit based on calendar year (similar to the Amex Platinum)? The terms say that it is per year based on card anniversary date, but does anyone have experience with this?
You do need to spend $200 first to get the credit back later. Should be per calendar year.
Which means that if we signup now, we will get 2x $200 back?
Thank you.
You do not get it on sign up. You get the credit if you fulfil the conditions of using your credit card for a travel purchase.
Thank you for the clarification. Understood.. So if I signup for the card now, fulfill the conditions of using the card for a travel purchase before December 2017, I will receive 1x $200 credit. Next year, say in March 2018, I fulfill the conditions of using the card for a travel purchase again, would I receive a second $200 credit?
Yes
Thanks for this post. I do find the lounge access wording confusing at times, and this helps.
Questions: does the American Express AeroplanPlus Platinum Card not give unlimited access to The Centurion Lounges? I thought it did because it was a Platinum card. Also I thought that you get a guest at Centurion Lounges such as a spouse and a family member such as a child.
I thought that the American Express Platinum just gives Delta access to the cardholder only?
Also do any of the cards give out free or lower cost authorized user cards?
I do not see the Centurion lounge offer for the AeroplanPlus card. Did you see it somewhere?
Good point about the authorized users. Will include that aspect in a future update of the post. In the meantime, all authorized users have a lower annual fee than the primary cardholder; however, they may not all have lounge access being a supplementary cardholder.