How to use airport business lounges for free (or almost free)
Quiet seats, free food and drinks, and a shower before a long flight, without a business class ticket. Here are the realistic ways to get airport lounge access for little or no money.
An early-morning charter flight feels very different when you spend the wait in a quiet lounge with breakfast, coffee and a comfortable seat instead of at a crowded gate. The good news: you don't need a business class ticket to get in. Here are the realistic ways to use airport lounges for free or close to it, and how to work out which one pays off for you.
What you get in an airport lounge
Lounge facilities vary by airport, but you can usually expect:
- comfortable seating away from the busy terminal;
- free snacks or hot food, soft drinks, coffee and often beer, wine and spirits;
- free Wi-Fi and power sockets;
- in many larger lounges, showers and quiet areas.
For a family or a couple flying on holiday, the food and drinks alone can be worth €20-40 per person compared with airport prices.
1. Credit and debit cards with lounge access
This is the most common way to get into lounges "for free". Many premium bank cards include membership of a lounge programme such as Priority Pass, LoungeKey or DragonPass, which between them cover well over a thousand lounges worldwide.
- Premium credit cards: cards such as American Express Platinum include a Priority Pass membership. Premium Visa (Infinite) and Mastercard (World Elite) cards from many banks include a number of lounge visits per year.
- Your own bank's premium package: ask your bank what its top card or account package includes. Lounge visits are often part of it, sometimes with free visits for a companion.
- App-based banks: Revolut's top Ultra plan includes lounge access, and its Premium and Metal plans can give you a free lounge pass when your flight is delayed by an hour or more.
Check the details: card benefits change often. Look at how many free visits you get per year, whether a travelling companion is included, and whether you need to activate the benefit or register in an app before you fly.
A card with an annual fee only makes sense if you use the other benefits too or travel several times a year. If lounges are the only reason, compare the fee with the other options below.
2. Buy a lounge membership yourself
You can also buy a membership directly, without a bank card. Priority Pass is the best known, with three levels. At the time of writing they cost roughly:
| Plan | Approximate price | Visits |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | about €99 per year | pay a fee (around €35) for each visit |
| Standard Plus | about €329 per year | 10 free visits, then a fee per visit |
| Prestige | about €469 per year | unlimited visits for the member |
Prices change and are often discounted, so check the current offer. As a rule of thumb, a paid membership starts to pay off if you fly three or more times a year, or if several people in your family travel together often.
3. Pay per visit
If you fly once or twice a year, a single visit is often the simplest option. Many lounges sell day passes at the entrance or, usually cheaper, online in advance, typically for €25-45 per person. Booking ahead also guarantees you a place, as popular lounges can fill up in the summer.
4. Airline status and premium tickets
Business class tickets and airline elite status (for example Star Alliance Gold or oneworld Sapphire) include lounge access. Some frequent flyer programmes also let you spend miles on a lounge visit. This is a great benefit if you fly often with one airline or alliance, but it rarely helps with holiday charter flights.
5. Lounge access with Wenfly
If you book your holiday with Wenfly, you have three easy options:
- Add lounge access to your booking: at checkout you can add airport lounge access for each traveller as an extra, so it's all arranged in one place.
- Wenfly Prime: our membership includes business lounge visits, 2 visits per year with the Gold plan and unlimited lounge access with the Platinum plan, together with price monitoring and automatic rebooking, a free eSIM on every trip and, with Platinum, a private airport transfer. Prime is launching soon. Join the waitlist to get 30% off.
- Earn it by travelling with us: for our regular travellers the lounge is free. Book a holiday with Wenfly three years in a row, or introduce three new families who book with us, and your business lounge visit is on us.
What it costs: cards, apps and Wenfly Prime side by side
Lounge access is never really free: you pay for it through a card fee, a membership or a price at the door. Outside the traditional banks it is the app-based accounts that now offer the most generous deals. Here is what a year of lounge access costs one traveller, checked in September 2026.
| Option | Cost per year | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Revolut Ultra | €599 paid annually, or €55 a month | Unlimited visits for the account holder in more than 1,600 lounges; guests are charged separately |
| Revolut Premium / Metal | from about €8 / €14 a month, depending on your country | No free admissions included, but a lounge pass when your flight is delayed by an hour or more |
| American Express Platinum | €720 | Priority Pass Prestige with 50 visits a year shared across the cards on the account, plus Amex's own lounges |
| Priority Pass Prestige bought directly | about €469 | Unlimited visits for the member; each guest pays around €35 |
| Wenfly Prime Gold | €199 | 2 lounge visits a year, plus price monitoring, automatic rebooking and a free eSIM on every trip |
| Wenfly Prime Platinum | €599 | Unlimited lounge access, a private airport transfer, price monitoring and a free eSIM |
The interesting comparison is the last one: Revolut Ultra and Wenfly Prime Platinum cost almost exactly the same €599 a year. One is a banking plan that happens to include lounges; the other is built around the two or three holidays you actually take, and adds the transfer, the eSIM and the price watching on top. And if you fly once or twice a year, neither beats the simplest option: paying at the door, or adding lounge access to your booking for €30 per traveller. And with us it can cost nothing at all: travel with Wenfly three years in a row, or bring three new families on board, and the lounge is free. See what Prime includes.
Tips for a smooth lounge visit
- Check the right terminal and zone. Many airports have separate areas for Schengen and non-Schengen flights. For a flight from Riga or Frankfurt to Turkey, you need a lounge in the non-Schengen area after passport control.
- Know the time limits. Most lounges let you in up to about three hours before departure.
- Check guest rules. Free visits often cover only the cardholder, guests may pay a fee, and children's policies differ.
- Use the app. Priority Pass, DragonPass and many bank apps show every lounge at your airport, opening hours and whether it's currently busy.
- Don't forget the way home. Holiday airports such as Antalya have lounges too. A comfortable wait before an evening flight home is a nice way to end the trip.
Which option is right for you?
If you travel once or twice a year, pay per visit or add lounge access to your Wenfly booking. If you fly more often, check whether your bank card already includes lounge visits before paying for anything. And if you like having everything in one place (lounges, better prices and a free eSIM), take a look at Wenfly Prime.
Before your trip, read our guides on tipping at all-inclusive hotels and getting an early check-in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an airport lounge with an economy ticket?
Yes. Lounge programmes such as Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass, lounge day passes and many bank cards give you access regardless of your ticket class, including charter flights.
Which credit cards give free airport lounge access?
Premium cards such as American Express Platinum include Priority Pass, and many premium Visa and Mastercard cards include a number of lounge visits per year. Ask your bank what its premium card or account package includes, as benefits change often.
Is Priority Pass worth it?
It usually pays off if you fly three or more times a year. For one or two trips a year, buying single visits or adding lounge access to your booking is often cheaper.
How much does a single lounge visit cost?
Typically €25-45 per person, and often less when you book online in advance.
Can children use airport lounges?
Most lounges welcome children, but free membership visits often cover only the cardholder. Check the lounge's guest and child policy before you go.
Can I get airport lounge access for free with Wenfly?
Yes. For our regular travellers the lounge is free. Book a holiday with Wenfly three years in a row, or introduce three new families who book with us, and we cover your business lounge visit. You can also add lounge access to any booking as an extra, or get it through Wenfly Prime.
