For a few years, membership to airport lounge networks like Precedence Go has been one of many golden tickets for luxurious air journey.
Attracted by the beautiful seating, peaceable ambiance and the attraction of free meals and drinks, frequent flyers hoped to reach early on the airport, take pleasure in a blitz by safety and luxuriate in a quiet shelter within the airport lounge earlier than flying.
However as vacationers develop into increasingly more conversant in insider perks like precedence passes, this international community of airport lounges has additionally been provided because the benefit of signing up for common journey bank cards, however has not too long ago misplaced a few of its brilliance.
“Precedence Go is useless,” shouted one offended traveler on Reddit after posting a photograph of the airport lounge entrance signal saying, “We’re at present not accepting precedence passes attributable to area constraints.” A fast on-line seek for “Is a precedence cross nonetheless price it?” Reveals the moody emotions from different dissatisfied members.
These disappointments have led many bank card holders to take a position whether or not precedence passes have handed.
Is the precedence cross actually “useless”?
With over 2 million customers and over 1,700 areas all over the world, precedence passes are not at all “useless.” Nevertheless, US vacationers who’ve a bank card cross preferentially profit much less from their free membership than they did prior to now.
US vacationers overwhelmingly hyperlink precedence passes with bank card possession, together with half a dozen journey bank cards (together with common choices akin to Amex Platinum, Capital One Enterprise X, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Marriott Bonvoy Brillion). In distinction, few worldwide bank cards supply entry to PERK, so non-US vacationers independently buy most popular cross membership or day cross to take pleasure in lounge entry.
Social media additionally teaches vacationers learn how to maximize the perks of pricy journey bank cards and justifies excessive annual charges by selling facilities akin to lounge entry and computerized elite standing. The beneficiant bank card welcome bonus has additional sweetened the attraction of the flashy journey playing cards, making it seem to be you might have a bank card with entry to the airport lounge.
As extra folks than ever flaunt their honorable bank cards, overcrowding and capability restrictions make airport lounges much less pleasurable. It assumes you possibly can enter too: members are more and more reporting that they are going to be added to an extended ready listing or fully depart on the entrance attributable to capability points.
To deal with these points, bank card issuers regularly regulate the phrases of their most popular cross and partnership with different advantages suppliers in a number of methods.
The US has a comparatively small community of most popular cross lounges in comparison with Europe and Asia. If conventional lounge entry was not out there at small airports, the popular cross created a inventive resolution. We’ll supply $28 foods and drinks credit at collaborating airport eating places (now not out there to friends with a most popular cross membership through bank card).
For a few years, the advantages of US Precedence Go Eating places have been probably the most dependable methods to get worth from Precedence Go membership. (Screams to Bobby Van’s Shrimp Scampi at Terminal 8 at JFK Airport in New York.)
This profit was significantly interesting to households with younger kids and those that solely chew a bit. As a result of every visitor at a celebration can declare beneficiant credit score for something on the menu.
Nevertheless, bank card issuers are dropping this perk one after the other, as extra precedence cross diners try to get extra creditable airport eating places than capability, particularly throughout journey delays and peak seasons.
In the summertime of 2024, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Holder discovered that memberships will now not embody entry to precedence cross eating credit at airport eating places and cafes. Membership by Capital One and Amex has already misplaced Capital One in 2023 and Amex in 2019.
Alternative routes to get lounge advantages
Simply 10 years in the past, the thought of paying $450 a 12 months for a bank card appeared ridiculous to most Individuals. Nevertheless, as of June 2025, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is $795 a 12 months, a second value improve because it was launched in 2016 at its first $450 value. Its high rival, the favored Amex Platinum, is anticipated to lift its present annual membership price of $695 throughout the imminent refreshment within the fall of 2025.
The world of bank card earnings is consistently evolving. In case you’re anxious about not getting sufficient worth from a premium journey bank card, listed here are three alternative routes to take pleasure in a most popular cross like a most popular cross with out paying for an annual price.
Typically the very best annual fee-free bank card for vacationers
In case you hardly ever journey to an airport with a precedence cross lounge, annually US Financial institution Superior Connection often is the good journey bank card for you.
Along with providing travel-friendly perks together with a Comped World Entry or TSA Precheck registration price, the US financial institution Altitude Join comes with a model of most popular cross membership, together with a four-day cross every year. In case you do not journey often, you may make 4 visits a 12 months (free, to start out) comfy to journey.
Use the Credit score Card (Development) Lounge Community
In case you’re uninterested in your most popular cross, Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Capital One Enterprise X bank cards all supply their very own airport lounge community.
Amex has the biggest attain and probably the most established footprint, with dozens of areas within the US and about as many because the world. Chase has nearly 12 areas all over the world, largely scattered all through the US, with Capital 1 rapidly catching as much as half a dozen all through the US, with extra areas ongoing.
As a common rule, bank card issuer lounges are considerably higher than most popular cross lounges, particularly throughout the US.
These refined areas are more and more giving conventional airline lounges a run for his or her cash. The publisher-run lounge gives loads of meals choices, together with a child-friendly playroom, customized cocktails, chef-designed menus, and premium amenities akin to complimentary spa remedies.
Some locations, just like the small Chase Sapphire Lounge at Phoenix Worldwide Airport (PHX), inevitably cope with overcrowding throughout peak journey occasions and vacation seasons. Nevertheless, many of those lounges are new and leading edge, with most seats with charging stations and semi-private seats all through. You continue to sometimes sit shoulder to shoulder with different vacationers, however you do not have to combat in a single outlet.
Get inventive with Day Go
If you’re a uncommon traveler, the Fundamental Layer Precedence Go Customary Membership prices solely $99 a 12 months. After getting a normal membership, you should purchase a one-day cross with $35 per member or a professional visitor. Higher but, paying with a bank card that earns further rewards on journey bills will normally earn you bonus factors.
Different non-credit card memberships or subscriptions may additionally embody the advantages of a most popular cross. For instance, premium members of the Pet Sitting Hows Share service get two free single-use pre-murpass passes every year, whereas customers of the FinTech Revolut Banking app should purchase DragonPass Day Go through the app (DragonPass is a most popular cross competitor).
Conclusion
On the finish of the day, your bank card perks can disappear simply as rapidly as you see them. Advantages like precedence cross entry proceed to evolve, and approaches to journey perks ought to change with them. Do not depart your playing cards trustworthy only for that flashy steel exterior or sharing historical past. As a substitute, give attention to what makes probably the most sense to your funds and journey habits.
