How To Get Airport Lounge Access For The Whole Family

Which Credit Cards And Passes Allow You To Bring You Spouse AND All Of Your Kids Into A Lounge, Not Just Your Favorite

In my previous, never-been-in-an-airport-lounge life, I had not understood why anyone would pay $500 a year for a lounge pass.

Yes, airports are overcrowded and overpriced places full of hoops to jump through and obnoxious people, but it is just a fact of life and you get on with it.

Then one of my siblings started using a credit card with lounge access and I had a chance to travel with him and his kids.

I began to see the light. Especially when traveling with children, a lounge can be a blessed reprieve. It’s a quiet oasis in the middle of civilized airport chaos.

The problem is… how do you get your whole family into this magical lounge when so many of them only allow you one guest?

Picking your favorite child and telling the rest to wait in the hall isn’t really feasible for most parents (although there are times where I have absolutely wanted to do that, no cap.)

Let’s Cut To the Chase- How Are You Getting Two Adults And Four Kids Into an Airport Lounge?

And the answer to the whole family in the lounge problem is the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.

And yes, it is not cheap. But keep reading and you will see why we think it pays for itself and more.

And not just in free food in the lounge, although with teenagers, we have definitely made that pay for itself :).

Note- I do not have an affiliate marketing thing with this credit card and this is not a sponsored post in any way. (But feel free to contact me Citi Bank and let’s talk!) I just truly like the product and think it is the best credit card for families that travel.

I will also talk about some of the other options for airport lounge access, like Priority Pass and other credit cards) and tell you why we think the American card is the best of the bunch. Hint- it has to do with the number of guests you can bring.

The Pros Of Airport Lounge Access For The Family

More Space And Relaxation

Everyone can put their bags down in a somewhat comfy chair, get a power outlet, and use a table.

Some lounges are better than others and at busy times, this can be a bit of a search when we are traveling with 7-8 of us in our family. Sometimes we don’t all sit together (which the teenagers are thrilled about) but I have never not found seats in an airport lounge.

I can leave my suitcase for a second to go get coffee and generally ease up on the vigilance of bags a little bit.

Free Food And Drink

I should say it’s not really “free” but “included” since you do have to pay for the lounge access. But when you are feeding several kids, and several of them are teenagers, then I start seeing some major value.

And you can get a draft beer/ house glass of wine/ fountain soda for no additional charge which I love because then I will enjoy a drink that I never would buy myself if I had to pay $5- $8 for it each time.

I do carry a couple of dollars for tips for the bartender and waitstaff clearing tables but it is still significantly cheaper than paying for meals in the terminal. It is also less hassle than trying to bring enough food to feed teenagers in my bag. (I don’t think that is actually possible but I have tried.)

Decent Coffee For AM Arrivals

I have popped into lounges even in my arrival airport to get coffee and breakfast before leaving the airport.

It isn’t Starbucks, but when you see the line for Starbucks, the free and fast coffee in the lounge starts looking like a much better deal. And the lounges do try and get pretty decent coffee, not just gas station drip.

You can also get mochas and cappuccinos in the machines that most lounges have if you like fancy stuff.

Free WiFi That Is Good

Since many people in airport lounges are business people, the lounges always have decently fast WiFi that is included in your lounge access. This is a huge bonus when the kids want to download the next episode of whatever they were watching or you need to catch up on some work.

Nice Bathrooms Without Lines. And Occasionally, Even Showers

This may seem like a small thing, but sometimes the bathroom is the only time I get alone time on a family trip so I tend to appreciate roomy stalls and not having a million people in there.

Plus, the sinks have lots of counter top space which is handy for doing a mini- morning routine after a red- eye. It feels so refreshing to wash your face, brush your teeth, and even have space to change clothes.

Some lounges have even added showers which is my favorite thing ever after a long day and night of traveling and I know I have to hit the ground running. Something about the shower really helps me reset and deal with jet lag.

Private Kids Areas

A few lounges have kids play areas that are sealed off so your kids can take a break from best behavior for a second. They aren’t as good as the big play areas that some airports have but it is still nice.

Read this blog from The Points Guy for the best airport lounges with specific kid areas – The Best U.S. Airport Lounges To Keep The Kids Happy.

People To Help You When Your Flights Get Messed Up. And They Are Nice To You

The front desk people in the lounges are willing and able to help you with all of your issues (flight- related that is. Sibling spats are unfortunately yours to deal with.).

When snowstorms in a hub throws everyone’s flights into disarray across the country, you will be so happy not to be standing in line at the help desk in the terminal with thousands of other people dealing with overwhelmed staff.

3 Most Common Ways To Get Airport Lounge Access

1. Buy A Day Pass To A Lounge
2. Pay For A Priority Pass Membership
3. Get A Credit Card That Comes With Lounge Access- I think this is best IMHO

*IMPORTANT NOTE* For airline- specific lounges, you must be flying that airline, ie you can’t get into an American lounge if you are on Delta flights and vice versa. They will ask to see your boarding pass.

1. Day Passes For Airport Lounges

You can buy day passes for some airport lounges but it is getting harder and harder. As lounges get busy, day passes are usually the first things they cut.

American still offers a day pass if that lounge has room (and that’s a big IF). I would not buy day passes online ahead of time but wait until you visit the lounge in person because it might be busy.

You can bring up to 3 under 18 children with you on a day pass. A great deal if you have a long layover. I don’t think Delta and United have day passes any more.

2. A Priority Pass Membership

Priority Pass is an independent membership that has deals with 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. You pay a yearly fee and either get free or discounted entry to the lounge depending on what kind of membership you buy.

The problem with Priority Pass is that you have to pay for guests and that usually includes children older than 2. So you are paying $100- $500 for the membership plus $35 each for guests. And they can decline guests if the lounge is busy.

The Priority Pass is a great membership if you fly solo internationally quite a bit, use lots of different airlines, and you want to ensure club access in a variety of places. It is not so great if you are frequently flying with guests– like your kids for instance.

Several credit cards come with Priority Pass membership, including Chase Sapphire Reserve and AMEX Platinums. And many of those allow you to bring 1-2 guests complimentary. More on the credit cards with lounge access in the next section.

3. Credit Cards With Lounge Access

I think this is the best way to go if you are flying with kids and want airport lounge access.

There are a variety of ways to get lounge access with a credit card as there are a seemingly infinite number of credit cards out there with all kinds of combinations of points/ lounge access/ guests/ authorized users/ etc.

The key to credit cards with lounge access is that they all cost money, anywhere from $100 – $800 a year.

Here are a couple of questions to answer if you aren’t sure about getting a credit card with a yearly fee:

1. How often am I flying every year and how long?

If it’s less than 2 or 3 times a year then it may not be worth it for you to pay for a credit card. If you only do direct flights to visit relatives with no layovers or red- eyes it also might not make sense to pay for lounge access.

2. What airline has a hub in your city?

If you are mostly flying through Chicago, then a United or American card makes sense whereas if you are in Atlanta, a Delta program might be the best.

3. How many kids do you have?

(This should be an easy one I hope.)

4. Are additional authorized users important to you?

Not just your spouse but do you want grandparents, siblings, BFFs, adult kids, etc to be able to enjoy lounge access?

5. Are there other perks that matter to you?

Do you like priority boarding or maybe you want hotel points because you stay with one hotel brand a lot. There are cards that can add these to your lounge access while other just maximize mileage rewards. It’s up to you.

6. Will you put a lot of money on the card?

If you are going to use the card frequently enough to really build up rewards miles and you fly a lot, this can be a really awesome combination. It is surprising how often you can get flights that are about $800 worth of miles but would cost $2000 if bought outright.

We use our card for everything and often get our big vacation flights for free then. It does take a little bit of practice and willingness to shop around flights on the airline websites though.

Answers to the questions above will help you decide 1), if you need an airline credit card and then 2), which card might work best for you.

If you only have 1-2 kids, then you only need to look for a card that allows 2 guests on it. If you are frequently traveling with your spouse and 4 kids, then having to pay for any additional guests is going to be costly so you want a card that allows all of your dependent children in with you.

The Points Guy website is a fabulous resource for learning about credit cards and all their myriad rewards programs.

Best Credit Cards For Airport Lounge Access has a detailed summation of the best of the different branded cards. It is a lot of information but the take-home message is that many of the credit cards restrict lounge access to the primary cardholder.

You might get complimentary access for 2 guests with some cards but you are often paying $40-$50 bucks for guests, including your own offspring. Which brings me to……

My Favorite Credit Card For Lounge Access With The Family

My favorite card is the Citi /AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard. (This is not the platinum card which only costs $99/ year, but the executive one that charges a cool $595 / year. Ouch.)

It is an American Airlines branded card so gets you into all of their Admirals Club Lounges for no additional cost, provided you are flying on American or one of their partners.

3 Reasons I like The AA Executive WorldElite Mastercard:

1. American Airlines lounges let you bring in ALL of your kids.

American lets you bring 2 guests or your spouse/domestic partner plus all children under 18.

Sounds normal but Delta often charges you or makes you pick your 2 favorites. Same with AMEX Centurion lounges or Priority Pass. United also believes families should stick together and lets you bring in all of your kids without an extra charge.

2. Authorized users of the AA Executive World Elite card also get Admirals Club lounge access.

You can add authorized users that also get access to American lounges (but not partner lounges as only the primary cardholder gets those). The primary cardholder does not need to be with flying with them.

Authorized users also can bring a spouse/ domestic partner and all of their minor children into the lounge. In contrast, United only allows that for the primary cardholder.

*As of 2023, the AA Executive World Elite now charges $175 a year for the first 3 authorized users and $175 per authorized user after that. You used to get up to 10 authorized users included at no extra charge so I am sad about the change but still think the card is worth it.

Get a sibling or close friend to split the cost of the card and now you have lounge access for $385 a year ($595 + $175 for authorized users). All the accumulated points will go to one primary cardholder though.

3. Free checked bags with the AA Executive WorldElite credit card.

You get a free checked bag for you and up to 8 people flying with you if you bought the flights with the card and you are the primary cardholder.

3 Reasons To NOT Get The AA Executive WorldElite Mastercard

1. The AA Executive WorldElite credit card is not that great internationally.

There are only a few American Airlines Admirals lounges found in international airports. The lounges of partner airlines don’t accept the card unless you are the primary cardholder AND they have a reciprocal agreement with American.

It’s the same for the United and Delta cards. Because you are paying the credit card fee to that specific airline, partner airlines are not inclined to let you into their lounges and especially not your potentially demon children.

2. The Executive WorldElite card costs $595 dollars a year.

That being said, if you have 3 or 4 kids (or like, one teenage boy) and you fly several times a year on American, then this card can pay for itself in saved food and drink costs.

Just getting snacks and drinks at a Hudson News can set us back $50 it seems. And let’s not talk about an actual meal in an airport restaurant which we never do because it is so expensive.

If you add in the cost of a checked bag on top of the food, you can see how the credit card can start to pay for itself with its perks.

3. You don’t fly American often enough to use an American Airlines branded card.

You need to be flying on American or its codeshare partner airlines to get the most out of this card. If you rarely fly on American, it doesn’t make sense to pay the fee for this card. Get a Chase Sapphire or Capital One travel card that gets you rewards no matter what you fly.