I used to be a Delta girl. Die-hard. When I was an asset manager inspecting hotel portfolios across the country, my SkyClub membership was non-negotiable. The routine was simple: arrive at the airport, head straight to the lounge, settle into a comfortable chair, enjoy a glass of wine, and review my notes before boarding. The lounge was my pre-flight ritual, my buffer against airport chaos.
Then I missed a flight.
I hate sitting around airports, so I'd developed a habit of arriving at the very last minute. That day, the habit caught up with me. The irony? If I'd had a comfortable place to wait, I would have been there earlier. After that experience, I purchased a Delta lounge membership and never looked back. Or so I thought.
Here's something I don't often admit: as much as I love travel, I detest airports. The fluorescent lights, the constant announcements, the crowds jostling toward gates, the overstimulation of it all. For me, airports are sensory overload. A lounge isn't about feeling fancy or flashing a premium credit card. It's about self-care. It's about finding a pocket of calm before stepping onto a plane.
I'm not alone in this. According to J.D. Power's inaugural U.S. Airport Lounge Benchmark, 62% of lounge users cite rest and relaxation as a primary reason for visiting, and 37% specifically mention escaping airport crowds. Nearly half of all lounge customers now plan their flight routes based on lounge access, and 82% say lounge availability influences which airline they choose. Lounges have become that important to how we travel.
But here's what the data also reveals: more than one-third of lounge customers now access lounges through credit card perks, while only 21% get in through elite frequent flyer status. The game has shifted.
If you're a frequent traveler, you've likely noticed that airline lounge access has become a moving target. Delta changed its SkyClub access rules. Then changed them again. I wrote about this broader trend of constantly shifting airline loyalty programs —and the same pattern applies to lounges. Now, as of February 2025, American Express Platinum cardholders are limited to just 10 SkyClub visits per year, while Delta Reserve cardholders get 15. Want unlimited access? You'll need to spend $75,000 on your card annually.
United recently followed suit with its own changes. A standard United Club membership jumped to $750 per year, up from $550. They've introduced a two-tier system, with the new All Access membership costing $1,400 for those who want to bring guests or access partner lounges. And those elite member discounts? Gone.
Airlines have been transparent about why: their lounges are overcrowded. J.D. Power's Michael Taylor put it plainly: "Lounges are clearly resonating with travelers, as expanded access through credit card perks and other non-status-related offers has fueled demand, bringing with it the unfortunate side effect of increased crowding." The explosion of premium credit cards offering lounge access created longer lines at Sky Club check-in desks than at some TSA checkpoints. Something had to give.
Capital One is also tightening access. Starting February 1, 2026, guests at Capital One Lounges will pay $45 per adult and $25 for children. Authorized users will no longer receive complimentary lounge access unless the primary cardholder pays $125 per authorized user annually. Even the most traveler-friendly cards are pulling back.
Let me tell you about two recent lounge experiences that crystallized this whole debate for me.
On a trip through Dallas-Fort Worth, I visited the Capital One Lounge. The space was thoughtfully designed, the food was genuinely good, and I left feeling like I'd actually had a moment to decompress before my flight. It delivered exactly what I needed: a reset.
Then came a recent trip through Washington Dulles. I'd just stepped off a 16-hour flight, exhausted and desperate for somewhere to regroup before my connection. I paid $59 for a United Club day pass in Concourse D, thinking it would be worth the splurge.
It wasn't.
No shower—after 16 hours in the air. A lackluster bathroom with only two stalls. No quiet area. No reclining seats. Just a crowded room with some snacks and a bar. As I sat there, scrolling through my phone, I realized Capital One had opened a lounge at Dulles. It's conveniently located just past security. If I had done my research, I could have had a completely different experience for the same money—or less.
That's when the question hit me: Why am I still defaulting to airline lounges out of habit when the credit card lounges are consistently delivering a better experience?
Here's what I've noticed in recent years: not all airline lounges have kept pace with traveler expectations. Some feel tired. Dated. The furniture shows its age. The food spread has shrunk. And somewhere along the way, real glasses and plates were replaced with plastic cups and disposable cutlery. That's not the premium experience I signed up for.
Meanwhile, credit card companies have been quietly raising the bar. The Centurion Lounges from American Express have earned their reputation: craft cocktails, chef-curated menus, and thoughtful design. Capital One Lounges have been winning awards for their food quality and modern amenities. Chase Sapphire Lounges were just named the best credit card lounge network for 2026 by The Points Guy, with eight locations now open in the U.S. and two more—Los Angeles and Dallas—scheduled to open this year.
According to J.D. Power, American Express Centurion Lounges ranked as the top airport lounge brand in the United States for 2025, with Capital One Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs tied for second. Notice that two of the top three are credit card lounges, not airline lounges.
Let's talk numbers, because this is where the decision becomes clear for many travelers.
A United Club membership costs $750 per year for solo access with no guests. Want to bring your spouse or a colleague? That's $59 each time, or you can upgrade to the $1,400 All Access tier. A single day pass—like the one I bought at Dulles—runs $59.
Compare that to the Capital One Venture X card at $395 per year. You get access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and—until the February changes—complimentary guest access at Capital One locations. You also receive $300 in annual travel credits and 10,000 bonus miles on your card anniversary. The net cost? Potentially close to zero.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve runs $795 annually but includes Priority Pass membership, access to the growing network of Chase Sapphire Lounges with up to two guests, plus $300 in annual travel credits. The American Express Platinum card at $895 opens doors to over 1,550 lounges worldwide: Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta SkyClub visits per year, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying certain carriers.
Here's where airline loyalty can still hold an edge—if you travel internationally and value partner lounge access.
The three major airline alliances—Star Alliance (United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines), SkyTeam (Delta, Air France, KLM), and Oneworld (American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways)—offer reciprocal lounge access for elite status holders and premium cabin passengers traveling internationally. If you've earned Gold status with United, for example, you can access partner lounges operated by Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, or Singapore Airlines when flying internationally on any Star Alliance carrier.
This matters because credit card lounges, while excellent domestically, have limited international presence. Centurion Lounges exist in select international airports like London Heathrow and Hong Kong, but the network is far smaller overseas. Priority Pass fills some gaps with over 1,400 lounges worldwide, but quality varies wildly—some are exceptional, others are glorified waiting rooms.
For travelers who frequently fly long-haul international routes, Oneworld is generally considered the most generous alliance for lounge access, granting entry based on your highest ticketed cabin that day rather than just your departing flight. Star Alliance follows closely, with access to over 1,000 lounges worldwide for Gold members. SkyTeam is more restrictive, typically limiting lounge access to three hours before departure and excluding domestic itineraries for most U.S.-based members. (On my recent trip to Cape Town, I experienced this firsthand navigating international connections.)
My take? If you're primarily a domestic traveler or fly on multiple carriers without loyalty to one alliance, credit card lounges offer more consistent value. But if you regularly fly international routes on alliance partners—especially in business class—maintaining airline status for that partner lounge access still makes sense. Some of the world's best lounges, like the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge in Doha or the Cathay Pacific lounges in Hong Kong, are only accessible through airline status or premium tickets, not credit cards.
Here's my honest assessment after years of navigating airport lounges around the world:
If you fly one airline almost exclusively and that airline has lounges in your home airport and frequent destinations, airline loyalty can still make sense—especially if you have elite status that grants complimentary access. The familiarity and consistency have value.
If you're more airline-agnostic or if you travel through airports where your preferred airline doesn't have a strong presence, credit card lounges offer more flexibility. You're not penalized for choosing the flight that works best for your schedule rather than the flight that gets you into a lounge.
If sensory overload is real for you —if airports drain you the way they drain me—then lounge quality matters more than lounge brand. A quiet corner, a real meal, maybe a shower after a long-haul flight: these aren't luxuries. They're how some of us survive travel. And right now, credit card lounges are more consistently delivering on that promise.
Travel comfort isn't about brand loyalty; it's about designing experiences that serve you. Airlines know we'll keep chasing status, keep paying membership fees, keep rearranging our itineraries for an extra segment or two. But the lounge landscape has shifted. Credit card issuers have invested heavily in creating premium spaces that compete directly with—and often surpass—what the airlines offer.
CNN recently described air travel as being "in the midst of a golden age for airport lounges", noting that airlines are trying to one-up each other while credit card companies invest heavily to attract customers. The result? Lounges that are more plentiful and accessible than ever—if you know where to look.
For sophisticated travelers who value their time and wellbeing, the question isn't whether to have lounge access. It's whether to continue paying allegiance to an airline that keeps moving the goalposts, or to embrace the flexibility that credit card lounges provide. (This is the same strategic thinking I encourage for all travel planning —focus on what actually serves your goals, not what you've always done.)
My recommendation? Evaluate your actual travel patterns. Check which lounges are available in the airports you use most frequently. Run the numbers. And remember: a lounge that serves wine in plastic cups while charging premium prices isn't a sanctuary. It's a waiting room with snacks.
Next time I'm at Dulles, you'll find me at the Capital One Lounge. Lesson learned.
I'm curious where you've landed on this. Are you still loyal to your airline lounge, or have you made the switch to credit card lounges? And for those of you who've tried both—what's been your experience? Have the airline lounges you frequent kept up, or have you noticed the same decline I have? I'd love to hear what's working for you. (I'd love to hear from you! Email me at team@lawaltravel.com)