How to get a free Priority Pass membership — which includes access to over 1,200 airport lounges around the world (2024)

Personal Finance

Written by David Slotnick

2024-07-31T18:18:34Z

How to get a free Priority Pass membership — which includes access to over 1,200 airport lounges around the world (1)

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Airport lounges are comfortable, exclusive places within airport terminals where you can relax and enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, plenty of seating, fast Wi-Fi, and more, all separate from the main part of the terminal.
The Priority Pass network includes access to more than 1,200 lounges around the world, as well as credits at a few restaurants.
It can be expensive to join Priority Pass, but two premium rewards cards come with a complimentary membership: the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card® from American Express**.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Amex Platinum Card are two of the best cards available for anyone who travels. While there are a few differences between the cards, which you can read about here, they're also similar in many respects.

One of the things that the cards have in common is that they both come with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. Priority Pass is a network of airport lounges that members can access for free, as well as a number of restaurants and spa-type properties that offer substantial credits for Priority Pass members.

Priority Pass recently announced that it has surpassed 1,200 locations around the world, having spent the past year bringing about 175 new lounge properties and other facilities into the network.

As cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve have become more popular and common, there's been an increased demand on the Priority Pass network. By adding 141 traditional lounges and 34 restaurants, spas, and "relaxation experiences," Priority Pass has expanded offerings around the world.

"We aim to continually improve and evolve the Priority Pass offering to our members with new and exciting experiences that meet their ever-changing needs," saidSheryl Pflaum, EVP of The Americas at Collinson, the operator of Priority Pass.

Personally, I love having lounge access. They're comfortable, relaxing, and generally include access to relatively private, comfortable seats, an internet connection, food and drinks (which are often complimentary), and sometimes other amenities. Lounges are the perfect oases where you can get away of the hustle and bustle of the main terminals — even when lounges are busy, they still beat the gate area by a wide margin.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Apply now

On Chase's website

Insider’s Rating

Business Insider's Ratings are decided by our editorial team. The rating system considers various factors and evaluates cards against others of the same type so you can pick a card that is a good fit for your goals.

4.4/5

Perks

Earn 5x points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Annual Fee

$550

Intro APR

N/A

Regular APR

22.49% - 29.49% Variable

Intro Offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Earn 60,000 bonus points

Recommended Credit

Recommended credit score. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.

Good to Excellent

Insider’s Rating

Insider's Ratings are decided by our editorial team. The rating system considers various factors and evaluates cards against others of the same type so you can pick a card that is a good fit for your goals.

4.4/5

Perks

Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Points on other purchases.

Annual Fee

See Rates and Fees

$695

Intro APR

N/A

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Intro Offer

80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Pros

Long list of travel benefits, including airport lounge access and complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
Annual statement credits with Saks and Uber

Cons

Bonus categories leave something to be desired
One of the highest annual fees among premium travel cards

Insider’s Take

If you want as many premium travel perks as possible, The Platinum Card® from American Express could be the right card for you. The annual fee is high, but you get a long list of benefits such as airport lounge access, travel statement credits, complimentary hotel elite status, and more.

Amex Platinum Card review External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user."

Product Details

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peaco*ck, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

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This article was originally published on 6/15/2018.

David Slotnick

Senior Reporter, Airlines

David is a Senior Transportation Reporter for Business Insider. He primarily covers airlines and air travel. A native New Yorker and avid photographer, David previously covered travel, credit-card rewards, and frequent-flyer programs. Before joining Business Insider, David was a freelance writer and editor — before that, he worked in public affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree from Muhlenberg College and his master's from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, visit his website, or send him an e-mail at dslotnick@businessinsider.com. Here are some of his recent stories:

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How to get a free Priority Pass membership — which includes access to over 1,200 airport lounges around the world (2024)

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