Remember that movie “The Terminal,” where Tom Hanks basically lives at JFK for nine months, eating cafeteria food and sleeping across those plastic waiting-area chairs at empty gates? Well, that felt like my life for a stretch in my twenties. I was a traveling sales rep covering a 10-state territory, always at airports.
I cover credit cards for a living now, and my team at Motley Fool Money just named the American Express Platinum Card® our Best Card for Airport Lounge Access of 2026.
If you’re a frequent flyer, this is the single perk that might actually justify the $895 annual fee (see rates and fees) all by itself.
The value of lounge access
The Platinum Card®’s annual fee is steep. There’s no sugarcoating that.
But Amex packs more than $3,500 in annual credits and perks into the benefits package (terms apply), so most frequent flyers come out ahead before lounge access even enters the conversation.
But let’s for a moment isolate the lounge network benefit alone. If we assume a conservative $50 of value per visit (for meals, drinks, quiet workspace, fast wifi, free showers at many locations) — you’d need roughly 18 lounge visits a year to cover the fee.
For someone flying twice a month, that’s doable. If you’re flying weekly, it’s almost a no-brainer to get a credit card with airport lounge access.
Centurion Lounges are the crown jewel
The American Express Centurion Lounges are the cream of the crop when it comes to fancy airport clubs.
There are around 30 Centurion Lounges worldwide, with U.S. locations in major hubs including JFK, DFW, DEN, LAX, MIA, LAS, SFO, ATL, SEA, and IAH. I’ve personally been to the ones at JFK, DFW, and DEN while traveling for both work and personal trips.
These are truly high-end spaces, with hot food prepared on-site (often by name-brand chefs), full bars with no extra charge, quiet work pods, showers in many locations, and family rooms at the bigger ones.
Platinum Card® members get complimentary access, and you can bring up to two guests for $50 each. Once you spend $75,000 on the card in a calendar year, those two guests become complimentary for the remainder of the year, plus the following year. That’s a meaningful unlock if you travel with a partner or kid. Terms apply.
Priority Pass Select access
Priority Pass is the largest independent airport lounge network in the world, with more than 1,400 lounges worldwide.
A standalone Priority Pass Prestige membership runs $469 a year on its own, which is more than half the Platinum Card®’s annual fee right there.
Platinum Card® members get complimentary Priority Pass Select enrollment, plus the ability to bring two guests at no extra charge — if the lounge accommodates guests (some lounges limit the number of guests or do not admit guests at all). Terms apply; enrollment required.
While this network spans far and wide into smaller regional airports or terminals that Centurion doesn’t reach, the amenities and “fanciness” of each location varies.
Delta Sky Clubs and partner lounges
If you fly Delta even occasionally, the Sky Club access is a real treat. Platinum Card® members get 10 visits per program year, and if you cross $75,000 in annual spend, you unlock unlimited Sky Club access for the rest of that year and the following one (you have to be flying Delta same-day to use the benefit). Terms apply.
The Sky Club network is enormous — more than 50 lounges in the U.S. alone, plus international locations — so this is a real perk for anyone who flies Delta-marketed flights with any regularity.
Beyond that, the card opens the door to a wider partner network: Lufthansa Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges in airports across Asia and the U.K., Escape Lounges in regional U.S. airports, and Airspace Lounges.
Add it all up and Amex says cardmembers get access to more than 1,550 lounges across 140 countries. And that’s why it’s the king of all lounge access credit cards.
Our Foolish take
I no longer carry the Platinum Card® personally because my sales rep days are behind me and I don’t travel that much anymore.
But if I were back in that 10-state-territory life today, I’d apply without thinking twice. The lounge access alone would pay for the card several times over, and that’s before factoring in the other credits and travel perks Amex builds in.
The $895 annual fee (see rates and fees) scares a lot of people off, and it should (if you fly once or twice a year, this card isn’t a great fit). But for a true frequent flyer, this is the perk that flips the math from “expensive” to “obvious.”
If you’re still not sold, check out our full American Express Platinum Card® review to learn more about the $3,500+ in annual perks and benefits.
