Airport lounges are one of the nicer perks of premium travel credit cards — free food, decent coffee, showers, and a quiet corner away from a packed terminal. But there's a catch many cardholders discover at the door: most cards only extend that access to the primary cardholder, and guest policies have been getting stricter as lounges get busier.
The good news, as laid out in a recent roundup from The Points Guy, is that several premium travel cards will give authorised users their own lounge privileges in their own right. It usually costs extra, but if you regularly fly with a partner, that fee can be worth every cent — especially on long-haul trips with layovers.
The American Express Platinum is the heavyweight here. Its authorised users ($195 each per year) get the full American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion and Priority Pass lounges, plus capped Delta Sky Club visits — unlimited only if you put $75,000 or more a year on the card. The Business Platinum version offers the same access but charges a steep $400 per additional cardmember.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795 a year, $195 per authorised user) shares its own growing network of Chase Sapphire lounges plus a Priority Pass Select membership covering more than 1,900 lounges worldwide. Capital One's Venture X is the budget-friendly option of the bunch: a $395 annual fee, and lounge access for authorised users at $125 each, for up to four people. Notably, you can add up to four authorised users with no fee at all if they don't need lounge access.
Airline-loyal travellers have solid options too. The Citi / AAdvantage Executive ($695) brings Admirals Club access — including immediate family or two guests at no cost — with authorised users at $175 for up to three people. Delta's SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business cards ($650 a year, $175 per additional cardmember) include Delta Sky Club and Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta with a same-day boarding pass, with 15 Sky Club visits a year unless spending hits the $75,000 threshold.
Who is this actually for? Frequent couples or small teams who fly together a few times a year will find the maths works quickly: a single long layover with two lounge entries can justify a big chunk of an authorised user fee. It's less compelling if you mostly travel solo or take one trip a year — in that case, paying per-visit at the lounge door may be cheaper than any annual fee.
Two things to check before applying. First, confirm what your authorised user actually gets: some cards grant identical privileges to the primary cardholder, while others cap visits or restrict access to specific airlines' lounges. Second, remember guest policies differ from authorised user policies — even with your own card in hand, bringing in extra guests often costs extra. If lounge time matters to the people you travel with, adding them as an authorised user is usually the cleanest way to make it happen.
Original reporting: The Points Guy