Best credit cards for airport lounge access and credits for expedited security

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Flying for travel is notoriously stressful, even for the most prepared travelers. Thankfully, there are a few ways to make your next trip to the airport a little bit easier, especially if you have the right credit card.

If you want to make your upcoming flight less of a headache, these travel credit cards are worth considering, as they each include complimentary lounge access and statement credits toward expedited security programs such as Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.

Who’s this for? The Platinum Card® from American Express is a great fit for anyone who wants elite status benefits with hotels and rental cars, valuable travel rewards and lucrative statement credit offers

Lounge benefits: You can enjoy access to the following airport lounges (enrollment required):

Security benefits: You can receive up to $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit (subject to auto-renewal) every year. In addition, you can receive up to $120 in statement credits every four years for a Global Entry application fee or every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® application (through a TSA official enrollment provider) when you charge the application fee to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.

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Who’s this for? The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a solid choice if you’re seeking lounge access and you regularly fly with Delta.

Lounge benefits: You’ll receive access to American Express Centurion℠ lounges when you book Delta flights with your Reserve Card, as well as access to Delta Sky Club® lounges. Effective Feb. 1, 2025, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. To earn an unlimited number of visits each year starting on Feb. 1, 2025, the total eligible purchases on your card must equal $75,000 or more between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024, and each calendar year after that. Once all 15 visits have been used, you may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits at a per-visit rate of $50 per person using your Delta Reserve Card.

Security benefits: The card provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck through an official enrollment provider when you pay the application fee with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card.

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Who’s this for? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is another great option if you’re looking to escape the airport terminal without breaking the bank.

Lounge benefits: You can enroll in a Priority Pass membership and enjoy unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and Capital One Landing locations. You can add up to four authorized users to your account for no additional fee and they each receive the same airport lounge access as the primary cardholder.

Security benefits: The card provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years when you use it to pay for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership.

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Who’s this for? If you fly with United Airlines, the United Club℠ Infinite Card is one of the best options for getting unlimited United Club lounge access.

Lounge benefits: This gives you and up to two guests access to United Club and affiliated Star Alliance lounges worldwide when traveling with United or an eligible partner airline.

Security benefits: The card provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover your membership with Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS.

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Who’s this for? The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best travel credit cards with an array of insurance benefits to complement the valuable travel rewards it earns.

Lounge benefits: You’ll have unlimited access to Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required) and Sapphire Lounge by the Club locations.

Security benefits: The Chase Sapphire Reserve provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to reimburse you for your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee.

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Who’s this for? The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is ideal for American Airlines flyers as it comes with a full Admirals Club membership, worth up to $850 per year.

Lounge benefits: You can bring immediate family or up to two guests for free into any Admirals Club lounge. You can add up to three authorized users to the card for $175, then $175 for each additional authorized user. Each authorized user can also access Admirals Club lounges when traveling with American Airlines.

Security benefits: The card provides a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover your application fee with Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.

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Who’s this for? The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a rare no-annual-fee card that offers airport lounge access and a trusted traveler program credit.

Lounge benefits: You can enroll for a Priority Pass membership with four free visits per year. These visits include airport experiences and restaurants within the Priority Pass network.

Security benefits: You can receive up to $100 in statement credits once every four years for your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.

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Rewards

• 5X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
• 5X points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee

$695 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

On top of this card’s CLEAR credit, trusted traveler program credits and airport lounge access, you can easily receive over $1,300 in additional benefits every year with The Platinum Card® from American Express, including:

• Airline fee credit: Earn up to $200 in airline fee credits every year (enrollment required)
• Digital entertainment credit: Earn up to $240 in annual digital entertainment credit (Up to $20 per month back for eligible purchases at participating retailers; enrollment required)
• Walmart+ credit: Earn up to $155 annual Walmart+ credit. (Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee. Subject to auto renewal)
• Equinox credit: Earn up to $300 in Equinox credit per calendar year (enrollment required)
• Saks Fifth Avenue credit: Earn up to $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 semi-annually; enrollment required)
• Uber Cash: Receive up to $200 in Uber Cash every year. Benefit renews annually. (Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available only to the basic card member. An Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit
• Hotel credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade.

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Rewards

• 3X miles on Delta purchases
• 1X miles on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

Annual fee

$650 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers up to $560 in travel credits every year. This includes the following:

• Resy credit: Receive up to $240 in Resy credit annually (up to $20 back per month; enrollment required).
• Rideshare credit: You’ll receive up to $120 in rideshare credit each year (up to $10 back per month; enrollment required).
• Delta Stays credit: Earn up to $200 in statement credits every year after using your card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on Delta.com.

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Rewards

• 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
• 5X miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$395

Notable perks

It’s easy for Capital One Venture X cardholders to offset its hefty annual fee. Every year you’ll get an annual travel credit of $300, which you can use to pay for bookings you make through Capital One Travel. In addition, every year after your cardmember anniversary (starting with your first anniversary) you’ll receive 10,000 bonus miles. That 10,000-mile bonus is worth at least $100 in travel.

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Rewards

• 4X miles on United® purchases
• 2X miles on all other travel purchases
• 2X miles on dining, including eligible delivery services
• 1X miles on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Limited-time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$525

Notable perks

When you pay for your United flight with your United Club Infinite card, you and a companion receive your first and second checked bags for free. That’s a savings of up to $360 roundtrip (terms apply). You can also boost your United elite status goals by earning up to 15,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP) every year. You’ll receive 1 PQP for every $15 you spend on your card.

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Rewards

• 10X total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠*
• 10X points on Lyft purchases through March 2025
• 5X total points on flights purchased through Chase Travel℠*
• 3X points on other travel*
• 3X points on dining
• 1X points on all other purchases

*After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$550

Notable perks

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has an easy-to-use annual travel credit worth up to $300. There’s no registration required and it’s not doled out in small increments. Just spend $300 in eligible travel purchases in a card anniversary year to maximize this benefit. A wide swath of purchases can qualify as travel, including airlines, hotels and rental cars, as well as tolls, parking, campgrounds and more.

You can also save on delivery by enrolling for a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for at least 12 months (must activate by December 31, 2027). This gets you $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After activating the DashPass membership, Sapphire Reserve cardholders also get $5 in monthly DoorDash credit (through Jan. 31, 2025, starting Feb. 1, 2025, you’ll receive $5 off DoorDash restaurant orders) and $10 off two non-restaurant DoorDash orders per month.

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Rewards

• 10X miles on eligible hotels booked through aadvantagehotels.com
• 10X miles on eligible rental cars booked through aa.com/cars
• 4X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
• 5X total miles on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the year after you spend at least $150,000 on your card in a calendar year
• 1X miles on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 70,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee

$595

Notable perks

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard comes with up to $360 in travel and dining credits every year. You’ll receive the following:

• Up to $120 in Lyft credit every year (earn $10 in credit each month after taking three eligible rides)
• Up to $120 back on eligible Avis and Budget car rentals (must book prepaid rentals directly through Avis or Budget to qualify)
• Up to $120 back on GrubHub purchases (up to $10 back per month)

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Rewards

• 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center
• 4X points on travel
• 4X at gas stations and EV charging stations on your first $1,000 each quarter (excluding wholesale clubs, discount stores and supercenters)
• 2X points on dining
• 2X points on streaming services
• 2X points at grocery stores (excluding discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs)
• 1X points on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card offers an intro 0% APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles. After the intro APR ends, a variable APR of 17.49% to 28.49% applies. There is a balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount transferred with a $5 minimum.

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Before you can visit the lounge, you’ll need to get through a potentially long security line. While wait times are completely out of your control, there are a few expedited security clearance programs you can enroll in to hopefully shorten your time in line.

• TSA PreCheck®: This is the cheapest option and lets you use faster security lines at U.S. airports. A five-year membership starts at $78.
• Global Entry: Global Entry is a good option for most travelers since it comes with TSA PreCheck benefits. You can also clear customs much quicker when arriving in the U.S. It costs $120 for a five-year membership.
• NEXUS: With a NEXUS membership you can use dedicated lanes and kiosks at U.S. and Canadian border crossings. You can also take advantage of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry lanes when applicable. A 5-year membership costs $120.
• CLEAR: CLEAR provides quicker clearance through security thanks to biometric technology. By simply scanning your boarding pass and either using your eyes or fingerprints as your method of personal identification, you will be escorted to the front of the general security line, or the front of the TSA PreCheck line if you’re also enrolled in the program. CLEAR membership costs $199 per year.

Airport lounges aren’t only for travelers who fly in business or first class. Many rewards credit cards offer airport lounge access.

Lounges provide many benefits to travelers, and they’re especially worthwhile if you hope to avoid large crowds in the airport terminal while waiting to board your flight. Many lounges also offer complimentary food and beverages to their guests, so visiting one is an easy way to save money instead of having to purchase expensive airport food. Some even offer unique amenities like cycling rooms, showers and complimentary massages.

The most common airport lounge benefit is a Priority Pass membership, which grants access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide. Many card issuers also offer access to proprietary lounges, such as Capital One Lounges, Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club locations and Amex Centurion Lounges. Co-branded airline credit cards can be a great way to access that airline’s lounge network and are typically cheaper than paying for an airline lounge membership. The biggest airlines have co-branded premium credit cards that come with airport lounge access, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards.

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For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.