A lounge is useful if you actually use it. The tricky part is the fine print: which lounges your card opens, whether travel companions are free, and who in your household gets in. Three of the most-discussed premium US cards show the range, and one of them has just moved the goalposts.
Who gets in, in 2026
What changed on 1 February 2026
On 1 February 2026 Capital One limited complimentary Venture X lounge access to the cardholder alone. Before, the card allowed up to four authorised users, each with full access. Now each authorised user must pay $125 to keep lounge access, and the old two free guests are gone, with guests costing $35 to $45 each. The authorised users on the card are still free, but they are free to hold the card, not free to enter the lounge. US Credit Card Guide's verdict is that a benefit that requires an extra payment is, in practice, no benefit at all.
The decision
- $35-$45
- What a Venture X guest now costs per visit
- $125
- What each Venture X authorised user pays to keep lounge access
- $50
- A Centurion guest, unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year
One visit, one guest
A yearly figure in the review
Amex Platinum
For a party of four, a Venture X cardholder pays for three extra people each visit, so the benefit helps single travellers and couples more than families. An Amex Platinum holder with Priority Pass can bring up to two companions to many lounges but should check the Centurion rule. Sapphire Reserve covers the main holder and authorised users with a Priority Pass Select card and up to two guests, as described in the 2026 review.
Is it worth it?
Count your flights
Use the number of times you really go airside early enough to use a lounge, not the number of trips.
Value a visit
Compare the cost of what you would otherwise buy to eat and drink, plus the value of a quiet seat. A value of $25 to $35 a visit is a reasonable placeholder, but your number is what counts.
Include your party
Multiply by the people who will really travel with you and what guests cost you.
Subtract the fee
If lounge access is the main reason for a premium fee, it must clear the fee on its own. If it is one of several benefits, treat it as a bonus. See annual fees and break-even.
For how the three cards compare on rewards, see the best US cards for your spending style. For other card protections while travelling, see card travel protections and insurance.
Questions people ask
Is Priority Pass the same as the issuer's own lounge?
No. Priority Pass Select is a third-party network that the issuers add to some cards. Issuer lounges such as Centurion or Capital One Lounges have their own rules, and may have queues at busy times.
Do Amex-issued Priority Pass cards include restaurant credits?
Per the review, Amex-issued Priority Pass Select cards no longer give a restaurant credit and can only be used in lounges.
Can I keep lounge access if I close the card?
No. Access follows the card and its terms. Check the issuer's current terms because they change.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 6, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.