GUIDE: Bank Accounts and Credit Cards with Airline Lounge Access

Lounge access doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag or Business Class ticket. Several credit cards, bank accounts, and travel insurance options offer complimentary or discounted lounge access as a perk.

Upgrading your bank account, swapping banks or investing in a credit card with lounge access could save you a considerable amount of money if you’re a frequent traveller and have yet to climb the ladder to elite airline status with one of the major airline alliances. Even if you have lounge access as a perk, it will give you even more of a choice as to what lounge to use, so you don’t need to visit the same one every time you fly.

We will cover the top lounge pass options in a separate article soon, but here are the top credit cards and bank accounts with lounge access.

Using Your Credit Card to Access Airport Lounges

Credit cards with lounge access usually have partnerships with one of the big-name lounge access companies, such as Priority Pass and DragonPass, which are also available as stand-alone annual passes. Some companies use providers like LoungeKey, which is unavailable to purchase as a stand-alone annual pass.

Lounge access using your credit card or bank account will differ depending on your choice. More premium options offer free lounge access and complimentary guests, whereas others provide a set number of reduced lounge passes each year.

The Platinum Card (AMEX)

Annual Fee: £650 (Works out at £54.16 per month)

Lounge Access Provider: Priority Pass

Welcome Bonus: CURRENT OFFER – 95,000 Membership Reward Points (usually 50,000) if you spend £10,000 in the first 6 months.

The Amex Platinum is the best credit card for frequent travellers as long as you can justify the recently increased yearly fee with the number of benefits offered.

Once you have your card, you’ll receive a Prestige Priority Pass membership, granting you free access to over 1,600 airport lounges across 140 countries.

Pre-booking depends on the lounge. Some allow pre-booking, and some only allow walk-ins. Priority Pass has plenty of options at Heathrow, including Plaza Premium, Aspire, No.1 Lounges, and more.

Guests: At most lounges, two guests get complimentary lounge access, but check with the lounge before you visit. Lounge policies vary. Some lounges also allow two guests and children under 12. If you give a secondary card to someone, you can travel as a group of 4, and all use the lounge.

A Prestige Priority Pass membership would normally cost £419 per year and incur a £24 fee per guest. If you were planning to purchase this pass, it would nearly pay for your £650 in card fees. The other benefits are definitely worth the extra £231.

Other Lounge Access

As well as lounges booked via Priority Pass, the AMEX Platinum card offers access to several other lounges, including:

• Access to Eurostar Lounges: Entry for you and a supplementary cardholder (no guests). Putting onboard food aside can save you from upgrading just for lounge access.
• The Centurion Lounge Network: There is a limit of 10 visits per year, and you must pay for guests.
• Delta Sky Club: There are over 250 lounges to choose from. You must be flying on a Delta-operated flight or a Delta-marketed flight operated by WestJet. You will no longer have access if you have a Delta Basic Economy ticket or equivalent. Up to 2 guests may be added for a fee, and visits are limited to 15 per year. Unlimited visits can be unlocked through spending requirements.
• Lufthansa Lounges: These are select lounges only. You must be flying with Lufthansa Group Airlines. When flying Business Class, you can access select Lufthansa Senator Lounges. Guests can be added for a fee.

You can also access a few other Global Collection lounges. Details are available on the AMEX website.

Other Travel Benefits:

• 1 membership Rewards Point per £1 spent when using your card. Your points can be converted into hotel loyalty points, Avios, Virgin Points and more. Some purchases will earn more than 1 point per £1.
•  Your card will get you automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold. Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold
• Comprehensive Worldwide travel insurance: This policy covers trips of up to 90 days for you, supplementary cardholders, and children under 12. It’s worth noting that Medical assistance and expense benefits are not available for people over 70.
• Car hire insurance
• Credit for select restaurants (£150 for the UK and £150 abroad).
• Up to 20% off airfares

There are so many benefits we can’t cover them all here, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive credit card with lounge access plus a huge range of other benefits, consider AMEX Platinum.

Preferred Rewards Gold Card (AMEX)

Cost: £195 per year – FREE in your first year!

Lounge Access Provider: Priority Pass

Welcome Bonus: CURRENT OFFER – 38,000 Membership Reward Points (usually 20,000) when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months.

The AMEX Gold Card doesn’t have a lounge access benefit as good as the AMEX Platinum card, but it’s a much cheaper option with plenty of benefits.

You’ll get 4 complimentary lounge visits per year via PriorityPass. This will cover lounge access on two special trips per year both ways or four trips one way.

Unlike the AMEX Platinum, you’ll have to pay £24 for a guest pass.

You can use the AMEX airport lounge finder to see which lounges you can access as well as the cafes and restaurants where discounts are available.

Other Travel Benefits:

• AMEX Membership Rewards Points on money spent can be converted to British Airways, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Emirates and more.
• 12,500 bonus Membership Rewards Points a year.
• Travel Accident and Travel Inconvenience Insurance

The AMEX Gold Card is very good value for money at £195 per year, especially considering the first year is free. If you have lounge access via another means, this card could be a good combination (e.g. 6 passes through Barclays Travel Plus Pack Insurance + 4 passes via your AMEX Gold card).

Premier World Elite Mastercard

Cost: £290 per year

Lounge Access Provider: Priority Pass

Signup Bonus: 40,000 HSBC points. These convert to 20,000 Avios or 12 other airline and hotel programmes.

This is the paid version of the card above. The HSBC Premier World Elite Card gives you unlimited lounge access. You can also purchase guest passes for £24 each.

Instead of paying for a guest pass, you can pay £60 for a supplementary card, and the cardholder will also receive unlimited lounge access.

Other Travel Benefits:

• 14% off bookings at more than 180,000 Agoda hotels and 10% off at Expedia hotels.
• Get additional cards for up to 3 members of your family or friends for a fee.
• 3 points per £1 spent in sterling or 4 points in foreign currency. You can redeem points for airline miles with 11 airlines, including British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.
• Security fast track at participating airports worldwide via Mastercard Travel Experiences.
• 24/7 worldwide assistance.
• Comprehensive Travel Insurance (you will have this with your HSBC Premier account anyway).

Eligibility:

You must be an HSBC Premier Current Account holder with a substantial financial commitment to HSBC. A yearly income of £100,000 or at least £100,000 in savings or investments with HSBC.

This card’s lounge access benefit is worth £419, doubling if you add a supplementary cardholder for £60. If you meet the high-income requirements, it’s worth applying for this card for lounge access alone.

HSBC Premier Credit Card

Cost: Free

Lounge Access Provider: Priority Pass

You’ll get access to lounge passes at £24 per entry. You can access the lounge by showing your card at the door.

Other Travel Benefits:

• 1 point per £1 spent in £ and 2 points for every £1 spent in foreign currency. You can convert points into air miles to use on British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and more. You can opt for shopping vouchers or Laithwaites wine deliveries instead or use points for stays at a selection of hotels.
• Get up to 14% off bookings at more than 180,000 Agoda hotels and 10% off at Expedia hotels.
• 24/7 worldwide assistance

Eligibility: The same as the Premier World Elite Credit Card above. You must be an HSBC Premier Customer.

This card is definitely not worth getting for lounge access alone. Even the discounted lounge access is more than that of many other companies. It is a free card, after all. For example, passes through DragonPass via Barclays are £18.50.

Barclaycard Avios Plus

Cost: £20/month (£240 per year)

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

Signup Bonus: 25,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months.

Lounge use is not free with this card. You’ll be eligible for reduced lounge passes at £18.50 through the DragonPass app.

Other Travel Benefits:

• 1x British Airways cabin upgrade voucher per year if you meet the minimum spend of £10,000 in 12 months.
• Earn 1.5 Avios points for every £1 spent on eligible purchases

This card is not worth getting for the lounge access alone. However, if you’re looking for an Avios earning credit card without a massive yearly fee, this is a good option, especially if you already bank with Barclays.

However, the British Airways AMEX card is free and also earns 1 Avios per £1 spent. There’s also a free version of this card (Barclaycard Avios) without the lounge access benefit. You get 1 Avios per £1 spent and still get a cabin upgrade voucher, but you’ll have to spend £20,000 in 12 months.

Santander World Elite Mastercard

Cost: £15/month (£180 per year)

Lounge Access Provider: LoungeKey

With LoungeKey, you can access over 1,600 airport lounges. Show your Santander World Elite Mastercard and say you’re a LoungeKey customer.

Other Travel Benefits:

• Airport security fast-track
• You won’t be charged foreign transaction fees if you buy things in the local currency using your credit card.
• 40% discount on Santander Travel Insurance

Guests: Lounge access is for you and supplementary cardholders. Guests and children can join you in the lounge for £24 per person.

Eligibility: Be a Santander Select or Private Banking customer. You must have at least £500,000 in savings or investments for private banking. Santander Select has now been withdrawn, so you must be an existing Select customer.

The Santander World Elite Mastercard has the highest earning and savings requirements of all the cards covered here. If you are eligible for Santander Private Banking, the card is a good option for unlimited lounge access for £180 per year.

Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard

Cost: £180 per year (£15/month)

Lounge Access Provider: Priority Pass

The Lloyds World Elite Mastercard gives you and your supplementary cardholder a Prestige Priority Pass worth £419. This gives you unlimited lounge access to over 1,600 lounges worldwide. You can also add a secondary cardholder who can also access these benefits!

Unlike AMEX, you’ll also have the option of £18 credit at selected airport restaurants when you’re not using a lounge. Heathrow has many choices, including The Globe Pub in T5—The Big Smoke Taphouse and Kitchen in T2 and the Oceanic Pub and Kitchen (T3). The credit is valid at Gatwick South Terminal at The Grain Store Cafe & Bar and has 3 options in North Terminal. You also have options at Stanstead, London City, Luton, Bristol Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester airports.

There’s also the option to reserve a lounge at £6 per person.

Other Travel Benefits:

• Fast track security via DragonPass
• Access to Mastercard priceless experiences

Guests: A fee must be paid.

This is the cheapest card in the UK to provide unlimited lounge access. On top of this, you’ll also benefit from the £18 credit at selected airport restaurants! It’s also worth getting a secondary credit card just for lounge access and an Avios earning card for miles. You don’t even need a Lloyds current account to apply!

Bank Accounts With Lounge Access Perks

While the focus among frequent travellers for free or discounted lounge access is credit cards, many premium bank accounts also offer this benefit.

Most bank accounts with lounge access require a high income or savings requirement of at least £70,000, and many are around the £100,000 mark. All the options have a monthly fee. If you meet the requirements and are already paying a fee for your bank account, why not swap? Many also provide additional benefits like fast-track security, worldwide travel insurance, and concierge.

Royal Bank of Scotland Premier Reward Black Account

Cost: £432 per year (£36 per month)

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass 

Unlimited lounge access with DragonPass, which gives you access to over 1,000 lounges. 40 of these are in the UK. Some lounges allow you to pre-book for £6 per person.

If you have a joint account, you’ll both receive lounge access! DragonPass also offers discounts at selected airport spas, cafes, and restaurants. A good range of lounges are on offer, including big names like Aspire, Plaza Premium, and Escape Lounges.

Other Travel Benefits:

• 24/7 concierge
• No Non-Sterling Transaction Fee on debit card purchases abroad.
• Cashback rewards
• Worldwide family Travel insurance

Guests: £24 per person

Eligibility: You must be an existing Royal Bank of Scotland current account customer and have £100,000 in savings, £100,000 in sole income, or £120,000 joint income paid into the account.

This is a good option if you meet the high-income or savings eligibility criteria. It’s one of the only UK bank accounts with unlimited lounge access via DragonPass. The value of the Prestige DragonPass membership offered is £379, meaning you’re paying £53 for the range of other benefits this card offers.

NatWest Reward Black

Cost: £432 per year (£36 per month)

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

This is similar to the RBS Premier Reward Black account above for England residents. Your membership card will give you unlimited lounge access, and you’ll receive a DragonPass card in the post when you upgrade.

Other Travel Benefits:

• Worldwide family travel insurance
• UK and European breakdown cover
• Concierge service

Guests: Guests travelling with you who don’t have a Premier Reward Black account can use the lounge for a payment of £24 per person.

Eligibility: Be an existing current account holder. Have an income of at least £100,000 or £100,000 in NatWest savings or investments or a £500,000+ NatWest mortgage. 

Ulster Bank ufirst Private Current Account

Cost: £312 per year (£26/month)

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

The Ulster Private Current Account gives unlimited lounge access to over 1,300 lounges worldwide.

If you have a joint account and are travelling with the other account holder, you must show your membership cards to enter the lounge.

Other Travel Benefits:

• Annual Worldwide Travel Insurance for trips of up to 31 days.
• Phone insurance
• 15% cashback on shows, concerts and sports events.

Guests: Passes can be purchased via the DragonPass app.

Eligibility: You must be an existing Ulster Current Account holder and have a £75,000 income or £100,000 joint income paid into the account. The alternative is £100,000 in savings or investments.

If you already have a bank with Ulster, this is a great option – again, only if you meet the income or savings requirements.

Barclays Avios Rewards

Cost: £12 per month (£144 per year)

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

Barclays Avios Rewards is a £12 addon to your Barclays account. To be eligible for Barclays Avios Rewards, you must have a Barclays Wealth Account or Premier Bank Account. These Barclays accounts give discounted airport lounge access at £18.50 per visit for up to 6 visits per year. You can increase this benefit by also having the Barclays Avios Plus Credit Card.

You can get £5 back into your account each month if you also have a Barclaycard Avios Plus card.

Other Travel Benefits:

• If you meet the requirements, 1 x British Airways cabin upgrade voucher per year.
• 1,500 Avios Per Month

Guests: You can bring a guest, but your guest will be one of your 6 discounted lounge visits per year (£18.50). For children, check the lounge policy. Most offer children under a certain age free. In my experience, this varies from 1 to 4.

Eligibility: £75,000 per year income or £100,000 savings

Revolut Lounge Access

With a Revolut Card, you can spend in 130 different currencies fee-free, plus hold and exchange 25 currencies in the app. You can also top up your Revolut account by bank transfer, debit, or credit card.

It’s important to note that you can get a refund for any lounge pass purchased through Revolut if unused within 14 days of purchase.

If your flight is delayed by an hour or more, lounge passes are automatically sent to the Revolut app. This is the perfect option if you only want to use a lounge if your flight is delayed. However, in my experience, when trying to enter a lounge during a flight delay (especially if it’s across the board), the lounge is nearly always full.

Revolut Ultra

Cost: £45/month (introductory offer) – Comes to £540 per year

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

Revolut Ultra is the only Revolut bank plan with unlimited lounge access.

NOTE: If you downgrade your Revolut Ultra plan, you will have to pay the difference in price between the old and new plan for any discounted (Premium and Metal account) or free lounge passes used.

Guests: You can purchase a lounge pass for your travel companions/guests directly from the Revolut app.

Other Travel Benefits:

• Unlimited fee-free currency exchange on weekdays
• Use RevPoints for travel rewards
• Global medical insurance
• Travel Insurance
• 3GB global data monthly, which can be used in 100+ countries
• Trip/event cancellation insurance
• A huge range of unique benefits which can save you £+++. Here’s a snapshot of what you could get:

This is by far the best Revolut card for lounge access. Other options include buying full-price passes or getting them at a rate of £22 per pass. However, at a yearly fee of £540, it’s not worth getting the card just for lounge access. There are a huge number of other benefits offered. Revolut states the perks are worth £4,000+, but it depends on how many you’ll use!

Revolut Premium and Metal Accounts

Cost: Premium – £7.99/month (Premium) -£14.99 per month (Metal)

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

Unlike the Revolut Ultra account, you don’t get free lounge passes. Instead, you can use Revolut’s partnership with DragonPass to purchase discounted lounge passes for £22 per visit. You can easily do this on the app. You are limited to 10 passes per year, but you can still buy more on the app at full price.

To access the lounge, you must present your QR code and a valid ID at the check-in desk.

Other Travel Benefits:

• Unlimited fee-free currency exchange on weekdays
• Use RevPoints for travel rewards
• Global medical insurance
• Withdraw up to £400 monthly in free international ATM withdrawals, with a small 2% after (£600 with the Metal Account).
• Travel Insurance
• 0.1% cashback within Europe and 1% outside Europe on all card payments with the Metal account.
• Travel concierge with the metal account.

There is a good range of other miscellaneous benefits for Metal, although not as good as the ULTRA plan:

Guests: You can purchase a lounge pass for your travel companions/guests directly from the Revolut app.

With some lounges like Aspire charging up to £40 at the door, it’s worth getting one of these cards for discounted lounge access if you’ll be taking advantage of some of the other benefits, too.

With all other Revolut plans, you can purchase a full-price lounge pass via DragonPass.

Insurance With Lounge Access

The only insurance with lounge access is the Barclays Travel Plus Pack. However, many companies offer free access if your flight is more than one hour delayed if you send details before you go to the airport.

Barclays Travel Plus Pack

Cost: £22.50/month (minimum)

The cost is based on any conditions declared. You can enjoy 6 free lounge visits per year or swap 1x lounge pass for a meal voucher worth £15 at over 50 airport restaurants.

Lounge Access Provider: DragonPass

Other Travel Benefits:

• UK and Europe breakdown cover
• 24/7 concierge
• Discounted security fast track
• Worldwide family travel insurance

Guests: Guests are classed as one of the free passes.

Eligibility: You must have a Barclays Current Account.

Final Words

From credit cards to premium bank accounts and travel insurance, there are plenty of ways to get discounted or free lounge access beyond climbing the tiers of airline loyalty programmes. The most important thing to do is consider the product’s overall value against the lounge access benefits.