Finest bank cards for lounge entry
For a frequent traveller, lounge entry can vastly enhance air journey, particularly if you must make a number of flight connections. On a long-distance journey with layovers, accessing meals and drinks, a quiet place to relaxation, leisure, a enterprise centre and even a bathe throughout a cease in your journey could make the distinction between arriving at your vacation spot exhausted and arriving refreshed.
After all, you should purchase one-time entry to a lounge, however it can value you solely rather less than half the worth of a yearly limitless entry subscription, resembling Precedence Move. Quite a lot of Canadian bank cards provide lounge privileges included with the annual charge, however there are variations round how entry is granted and which of them you’ll be able to go to. Some playing cards provide limitless entry to pick airport lounges, whereas others provide restricted entry annually. If it’s doable to find out what number of occasions you’ll be travelling in a 12 months, it may possibly aid you resolve which card will maintain essentially the most worth for you.
In Canada, there are various kinds of airport lounges you’ll be able to entry by means of your bank card, together with Precedence Move lounges, these within the American Categorical International Lounge Assortment and conventional airline-specific lounges, resembling Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge and the Mastercard Expertise Lounges. With that in thoughts, we’ve rounded up the very best bank cards for lounge entry, together with annual charges and the worth of their lounge advantages.
Finest total airport lounge entry bank card
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card*
With a $150 annual charge, this card will get you a Precedence Move membership, plus six free visits per 12 months to all taking part lounges worldwide, together with each Precedence Move and Plaza Premium lounges. Every lounge presents complimentary snacks and refreshments, web entry, a spot to cost your units and, in fact, a calming environment. In the event you take into account the total retail worth of those passes, to not point out the playing cards’ different perks, the annual charge pays for itself.
Past that, it presents no overseas transaction charges (each on-line and whenever you’re overseas). It additionally presents aggressive journey insurance coverage protection, together with emergency medical, flight delay, misplaced baggage, resort/motel housebreaking and rental automobile protection. What units this card aside is that it’s well-rounded and makes for an awesome card even if you happen to don’t find yourself travelling this 12 months. It earns you Scene+ factors in your on a regular basis bills, which you’ll redeem for journey, together with motion pictures, merchandise, reward playing cards and extra.
Finest luxurious airport lounge entry card
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege*
In the event you’re a loyal Aeroplan factors collector who additionally needs to have a greater airport expertise, take into account this card. You’ll get entry to Maple Leaf lounges, full with complimentary snacks and drinks, web entry and showers. Plus, get six complimentary lounge visits from 1,200 airport lounges per 12 months. You additionally get a bunch of different perks to make you’re feeling like a VIP on the airport, like precedence check-in, boarding and baggage dealing with (and different perks). You’ll additionally get a Nexus charge rebate of as much as $100 each 48 months and free first checked luggage, too. You’ll get an intensive swimsuit of journey insurance coverage, whilst you proceed to earn Aeroplan factors in your day by day purchases you can redeem for Air Canada flights, merchandise and reward playing cards.
- Annual charge: $599
- Rates of interest: purchases 20.99%, money advances 22.99%
- Earnings requirement: $150,000 particular person or $200,000 family annual revenue
- Welcome bonus: You possibly can earn as much as 105,000 Aeroplan factors. First, earn 20,000 Aeroplan factors whenever you make your first buy together with your card. Then earn one other 30,000 Aeroplan factors whenever you spend $3,000 throughout the first 90 days. Lastly, earn 55,000 Aeroplan factors whenever you spend $12,000 throughout the first 12 months of opening an account. Should apply by January 3, 2023.
- Rewards: 2 Aeroplan factors per $1 spent on direct purchases with Air Canada and Air Canada Holidays, 1.5 Aeroplan factors per $1 spent on eligible gasoline, grocery, journey and eating purchases, 1.25 factors per $1 spent in all places else.
- Different perks: Entry to Maple Leaf Lounges, Nexus charge rebate as much as $100 each 48 months, free first checked bag, precedence check-in, precedence baggage dealing with, precedence boarding, precedence airport standby, precedence upgrades. Entry a yearly round-trip companion go from $99 (plus taxes, charges, fees and surcharges).
Finest airport lounge entry card for frequent travellers
American Categorical The Platinum Card*
This top-tier card presents limitless entry to the widest vary of airport lounges, that are included together with your annual charge. With it, you acquire entry to the lounges throughout the American Categorical International Lounge Assortment, together with: Precedence Move, Amex’s personal Centurion Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment (when flying with the service). The lounges within the American Categorical Centurion Lounge Assortment are spectacular, with seasonal and domestically impressed menus, curated wine pairings and refreshing showers.
That stated, the Platinum Card comes at a steep $699 annual charge, however together with it comes a collection of advantages, together with resort standing, enhanced lounge choices, and premium insurance coverage protection. Whenever you issue within the $200 annual journey credit score within the welcome bonus, it brings the annual charge all the way down to $499. If you understand you’ll leverage the advantages, like if you happen to journey very steadily, this can be a worthwhile choice.
- Annual charge: $699
- Rates of interest: N/A
- Earnings requirement: N/A
- Welcome bonus: Earn as much as 80,000 membership rewards factors. Within the first Three months, you’ll get 60,000 factors after you cost $6,000 in purchases to your card. Then earn one other 20,000 factors whenever you make a purchase order between the primary 14 and 17 months of card membership.
- Rewards: Three factors per $1 on eating and meals supply; 2 factors per $1 spent on journey; 1 level per $1 on the whole lot else
- Perks: Precedence Move and American Categorical Centurion Lounge entry; Toronto Pearson Airport precedence lane; resort standing at choose manufacturers; premium medical, flight delay/cancellation and baggage insurance coverage
Finest airport lounge entry card for infrequent journey
BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard*
With this card, you’ll obtain 4 passes to make use of your self or to share together with your journey companions, which is a superb choice if you happen to’re not a frequent flyer however nonetheless need the pliability of utilizing a lounge a couple of occasions a 12 months. It presents no annual charge the primary 12 months, in addition to a aggressive welcome bonus 60,000 BMO Rewards factors. It additionally presents participation within the Mastercard Airport Experiences program. Mastercard’s Airport Experiences program and lounges are run by LoungeKey and provide World Elite customers entry to 1,000 lounges across the globe. Past that, this card lets you earn BMO Rewards factors at an affordable fee of three factors per $1 spent on journey, eating and leisure and two factors per $1 spent on the whole lot else. They are often redeemed for flights (together with charges and taxes), inns, automobile leases, cruises and trip packages. You may also use your factors towards merchandise and reward playing cards, contribute them to a financial savings account or use them towards eligible purchases.
- Annual charge: $150
- Rates of interest: purchases 20.99%, money advances 23.99%, steadiness transfers 22.99%
- Earnings requirement: $80,000 particular person or $150,000 family annual revenue required
- Welcome bonus: Get 60,000 factors whenever you join the cardboard.
- Rewards: 5 factors per $1 on journey, Three factors per $1 on eating and leisure, 1 level per $1 on the whole lot else
- Perks: Acess to over 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots all around the world, BMO concierge service, prolonged guarantee, buy safety and BMO World Elite journey and medical safety
Finest airport lounge entry card for travelling to the U.S.
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite
In the event you steadily cross the border to the U.S. for holidays, work journeys or to go to household, it’s best to take into account this card. Not solely does it acquire you entry to the Visa Airport Companion Program it will get you 4 visits a 12 months and a rebate in your Nexus membership. Whereas this card presents two much less lounge visits than the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, the annual charge is rebated the primary 12 months, and also you get a Nexus membership rebate for $50. It additionally comes with an intensive suite of journey insurance coverage, together with out-of-province emergency journey medical insurance coverage and extra. Plus, you’ll be able to earn Adventura factors in your on a regular basis purchases that may be redeemed loads of methods, together with for journey, merchandise, paying down your bank card or contributing to financial savings accounts.
Perks: Visa Airport Companion Program membership with four lounge visits a 12 months; Nexus card charge rebate ($50 worth, each four years); out-of-province emergency journey medical insurance coverage; flight delay and baggage insurance coverage; buy safety and cell machine insurance coverage; use Journie awards to avoid wasting on gasoline.
This text was initially printed on Nov 27, 2020. It was final up to date on April 14, 2022.