برچسب: underscored travel

CNN Underscored reviews financial products such as credit cards and bank accounts based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through the LendingTree affiliate network if you apply and are approved for a card, but our reporting is always independent and objective.

When you think of free travel, there’s a good chance you immediately focus on travel-rewards specific credit cards. And while that’s a great strategy for the most part, you might actually be surprised to hear this little secret: cash back credit cards can also earn you free travel.

But, you have to be strategic by which cash back credit cards you consider. By pairing credit cards together, you can actually turn your cash back into points and miles travel rewards to get you booked on that next vacation even quicker.

Generally speaking, there are two types of cash back credit cards: those that solely earn cash back and those that can earn rewards that are part of a larger travel rewards program. For the purpose of maximizing your free travel, we’ll focus on the latter to show you how those cards that are marketed as cash back can, in fact, land you an airplane ticket or hotel room for next to nothing.

Here are the best cash back credit cards that can turn your rewards into travel.

The Chase Freedom Flex is a great cash back credit card where you’ll receive 5% cash back on rotating quarterly bonus categories (up to $1,500 on combined purchases). If you’re able to maximize the quarterly bonuses, this will earn you an extra $75 per quarter.

But, you can instead earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points instead of cash back. If you have a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer points from one account to another. That same maximum $75 you can earn in cash back each quarter is equivalent to 7,500 points when you choose to use them toward travel.

The benefit of using the points earned from your Chase Freedom Flex toward travel is that you have more versatility. This opens up the door to allow you to redeem your rewards toward travel — either by transferring to many partner airlines and hotels or when redeeming directly through Chase’s travel portal (where you’ll receive a 25% bonus on your points if you have the Sapphire Preferred or a 50% bonus if you have the Sapphire Reserve).

Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece when transferring them to partner loyalty programs, which means you’re getting double the value than the cash back you’d receive.

For example, if you maximize your rotating quarterly bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex card, you’ll earn a total of 30,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points during the calendar year as opposed to earning $300 cash back. You can then transfer the Ultimate Rewards points to a partner program such as World of Hyatt, United, JetBlue or British Airways at a one-to-one ratio. Transferring those points to Hyatt, for example, can score you two free nights in San Diego where rates are easily more than $300 a night in the summer. Or, if you’re looking for something more exotic, you can use those 30,000 points for a free night in the Maldives.

Transferring your points between accounts is also incredibly easy. From the Ultimate Rewards combine points page, you can select your cash back card in the first column and then your premier Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card from the second. You can then decide exactly how many points you want to move from one account to the other. Best of all, point transfers are instant.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to worry about rotating quarterly bonuses, you might want to instead consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. The card works in a similar way to the Chase Freedom Flex where the cash back earned is actually in the form of Chase Ultimate Reward points, but the point-earning structure is significantly different — and more simplistic.

With this card, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back on most purchases. Similar to the Chase Freedom Flex, you’ll also earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.

Let’s say you spend $3,000 per quarter but on purchases that don’t fall into any of the bonus categories. You’ll then earn 1.5% cash back, which could be 4,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per quarter or 18,000 points throughout the calendar year. You can then transfer those points to United, for example, at a one-to-one ratio. With many short-haul flights with United costing just 5,000 miles one way, it’s easy to earn three one-way flights all on points just from this card alone.

Now, to truly maximize your points earned, you might want to consider having both the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited along with the Chase Sapphire Preferred for the ultimate Chase trifecta. This will allow you to use the card that will earn you the most points on every purchase you make, ultimately helping to boost your Ultimate Rewards account.

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At CNN Underscored, we’ve picked the Citi Double Cash Card as our best overall cash back credit card. But, did you know that the points earned from the card can provide you more rewards than just cash back? With this card, you’ll earn 2% cash back on every purchase you make — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your statement — all for no annual fee.

As of March 28, 2022, the Citi Double Cash Card now earns cash back in the form of ThankYou points, which were typically reserved for premium cards like the Citi Premier. While this new earning capability with the Citi Double Cash Card allows you to transfer your points to a few select partner programs, the transfer ratio is less favorable. To maximize your points and open up the doors to all partner programs, you’ll still need a premium Citi ThankYou card, such as the Premier.

Assuming you spend $12,000 per year, this will net you 24,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards if you spend exclusively on the Citi Double Cash Card. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use program for domestic travel, you can transfer those points to JetBlue. With JetBlue’s TrueBlue program, points are worth around 1.3 cents apiece, which will give you about $312 toward JetBlue flights.

The Citi Custom Cash Card is another Citi credit card that earns cash back but in the form of ThankYou points, so the rewards can be used toward free travel.

With this card, you’ll earn 5% cash back — or 5x points if the ThankYou points are used toward travel — in one eligible category you spend the most in each month, up to $500 in purchases (then 1% cash back thereafter). Eligible categories include common household expenses such as gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

If you want to maximize your earnings on this card, the best practice is to dedicate your spend to a single category each month — one that doesn’t fall into a bonus category on any other credit cards you have — to maximize the full $500 maximum. This will then allow you to earn up to $25 cash back per month, which equates to $300 cash back over the course of a year or 30,000 ThankYou points.

With 30,000 points, you can transfer them to Wyndham Rewards, as an example, to book a hotel reservation. With Wyndham’s fixed award chart, the 30,000 points will earn you two nights at many properties worldwide. Or, you can use your points to book a two-night stay at a one-bedroom condo through Wyndham’s Vacasa Rental Management program. Based on personal experience, this could easily save you $1,000 on a two-night home rental.

Similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards, one of the best ways to fully maximize your Citi ThankYou points is to have multiple Citi credit cards in your wallet. Colloquially known as the Citi Quartet, this will allow you to earn the most points every time you swipe your credit card.

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Similar to Chase and Citi, Capital One is another program where you can earn cash back but instead use the rewards toward free travel. The Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card is an excellent cash back credit card where you’ll earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores — with no cap.

With the rewards earned on this no-annual-fee card, you can convert them at a one-to-one ratio to the Capital One Venture, Capital One VentureOne or Capital One Venture X cards. These are the more premium cards within the Capital One portfolio, which allow you to transfer miles to partner travel programs.

With Capital One miles worth 1.85 cents apiece, according to frequent flyer website The Points Guy, this means your purchases in the 3% bonus categories will give you more than a 5% return toward travel. One simple and rewarding way to redeem for free travel is to transfer your Capital One miles to British Airways Avios, where your miles can then be used on partner American Airlines.

To turn your cash back into Capital One miles, you’ll need to go into the “Share My Rewards” feature within the “Rewards” tab on Capital One.

The short answer is: yes, as long as you plan to travel in the future. If you’re looking at the best way to maximize your credit card rewards, there’s a good chance that turning your cash back into travel rewards will meet those goals. And since these programs have a wide array of airline and hotel transfer partners, you have endless opportunities for your next vacation. Of course, this does require you to have multiple credit cards in your wallet in some cases, but if you’re strategic about the card you use on every purchase you make, you’ll be on your way to traveling the world in no time.

Looking for a new credit card, but don’t need a cash back card? Check out CNN Underscored’s list of the best credit cards of 2022.

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CNN Underscored reviews financial products such as credit cards and bank accounts based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through the LendingTree affiliate network if you apply and are approved for a card, but our reporting is always independent and objective. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

There was once a time when flying business class meant sitting in a recliner-style seat that was ever so slightly more spacious than economy. But ever since British Airways launched the first lie-flat business-class seat in 2000, the gap between business class and first class has continuously shrunk. Now, lie-flat business-class seats are not only standard on international flights, but they’ve become common offerings on domestic flights as well.

We’re now entering a new era where airlines are introducing even more first-class perks into their business-class cabins in order to lure frequent travelers. And, better yet for travelers who may otherwise be unable to afford the luxuries of business class, there are ways to fly at the front of the plane for a fraction of the price. Thanks to frequent flyer points and miles, you can redeem your rewards for nearly free flights — you’ll just be on the hook for paying the taxes and fees on your ticket.

From fully lie-flat beds to fully-enclosed suites, here are eight of the best business-class seats you can book with points and miles.

Qatar Airways

Since Qatar Airways introduced its famed Qsuite product in 2017, it’s become the gold standard in business-class seating. With the launch of Qsuite, Qatar Airways became the first airline to launch a fully-enclosed business-class seat — and it remains one of the best options out there today.

Between the chic color palette and sleek finishes, the Qsuite is stylish yet functional. But what makes it unique is that the seats are incredibly versatile in the way they can be configured. Couples traveling together can choose to have adjoining seats combined into a single suite with a double bed.

Or, families can choose the middle section with seats that can swivel into a “pod” for four people to dine together. It’s a feature unique to Qsuite, making it a worthwhile splurge on a long-haul flight — especially if you’re traveling with a group.

Qatar Airways’ Qsuite seat can be found on various routes operated by the airline’s Airbus A350-1000s as well as some of its Airbus A350-900s, Boeing 777-200LRs and Boeing 777-300ERs. Research your route and aircraft to determine if the flight you’re interested in features a Qsuite cabin. Generally speaking, you can find the Qsuite flying on routes from Doha (DOH) to cities like New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX) and more.

How to book Qatar Qsuite with points and miles

Flyers with frequent flyer rewards to spend will be pleased to know that despite offering arguably the best business-class seat, the Qatar Qsuite is still attainable using points and miles. Both Qatar Qmiles and partner program American AAdvantage require 70,000 miles plus taxes and fees one way for a flight to the Middle East. (As of late March, Qatar is replacing its own Qmiles currency with Avios, which is the loyalty currency used by British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling.)

To search, you’ll want to head to American Airlines’ website and search for award tickets. Find a route and a date with availability that works for you. If you’ve got enough American AAdvantage miles in your account, you’ll be able to book the Qsuite and just have to pay the taxes and fees on the ticket.

You can nearly earn enough miles for a one-way flight from the US to the Middle East just from the sign-up bonus offer from either of the following credit cards:

ANA

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has a relatively new business-class product called “The Room,” which gives Qatar’s Qsuite a run for its money. The Room lives up to its name with spacious, fully-enclosed suites. The suites are nearly three feet wide and rival even the most aspirational first-class seats on some of the world’s best airlines. Travelers can relax in the privacy of their sanctuary while enjoying world-class cuisine from either a western or Japanese menu.

The cabin of the aircraft is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration and seats alternate throughout the cabin between forward- and rear-facing. If you’re traveling with a companion, you’ll want one of the two middle seats where you can share a space, whereas if you’re traveling alone, you’ll want one of the seats flush against the window so you have more privacy.

ANA’s The Room is available on the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft on flights between Tokyo-Haneda (HND) and London (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA) and New York (JFK).

How to book ANA’s The Room with points and miles

You can book ANA’s The Room for as few as 75,000 miles plus taxes and fees round trip for a low-season award from the US to Tokyo directly through ANA’s Mileage Club program. High-season awards increase to as much as 88,000 miles plus taxes and fees round-trip. Especially at the lower end of the spectrum, this is a fantastic deal for a round-trip award ticket, considering programs like United MileagePlus charge at least 70,000 miles plus taxes and fees one way for a business class ticket to Japan.

Perhaps the best news of all is that it’s incredibly easy to get miles in your ANA Mileage Club account. That’s because ANA is a 1:1 transfer partner of the Amex Membership Rewards program. In other words, you can transfer your Amex points right to ANA for this sweet redemption.

Better yet, it’s easy to rack up American Express Membership Rewards points from welcome bonus offers that come with the issuer’s credit cards. Consider any of the following American Express credit cards:

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines’ Sky Suite has been around for years — it even won an award as the best business-class seat in 2013 — but it continues to get high marks for comfort. That’s because the lie-flat seat offers Airweave mattresses and pillows for passengers to sleep in comfort while they’re cruising through the skies.

Privacy is a key feature of the JAL Sky Suite, as it offers a motorized partition to close off access to your neighbors. With a 1-2-1 cabin configuration, every seat has direct aisle access, offering privacy and ease of mobility throughout the cabin.

The JAL Sky Suite is available on the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft. You can find the product on routes between the US and Tokyo from cities like Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Dallas (DFW) and more.

How to book JAL’s Sky Suite with points and miles

A Japan Airlines Sky Suite business-class award between the US and Japan starts at 50,000 miles plus taxes and fees each way. This rate can increase substantially if you’re booking a PLUS award, which means that you’ll be asked to pay more for a ticket that would otherwise be unavailable for redeeming miles.

You can also book Sky Suite using miles in partner airline programs. For example, American Airlines’ AAdvantage program and Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program are both partners with JAL, and awards with both to Asia start at just 60,000 miles plus taxes and fees each way. Alaska even allows a free stopover on one-way awards, enabling you to make Tokyo your stopover and then continue to a second destination in Asia.

You can cover a one-way flight with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, which offers 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 within the first 90 days of account opening. Alternately, you can pick up two AAdvantage credit cards to cover a round-trip flight at the 50,000-mile each-way mark. Consider one of the following:

Turkish Airlines

Foodies, take note: One of the most notable features of flying Turkish Airlines business class is access to a “flying chef.” Not only does Turkish Airlines have some of the best catering in the air, but on flights of eight hours or longer, the airline also staffs the flight with a chef who prepares meals onboard.

And not only does Turkish Airlines offer some of the best catering you’ll find at 35,000 feet, but its business-class seat on the Boeing 787 aircraft is also renowned for its luxurious comfort. The cabin offers 30 seats, which are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, meaning each passenger has direct access to the aisle. Passengers also have a good amount of privacy along with modern amenities like in-seat power outlets, a lie-flat seat and a large entertainment screen.

If you fly Turkish Airlines business class from Istanbul, you’ll also have the privilege of visiting its lounge at Istanbul Airport. Considered one of the better airport lounges in the world, it offers expansive meal options, a golf simulator, a tea garden, a massive kid’s play area and much more.

You’ll find the Turkish 787 on several routes between the US and Istanbul (IST), including Atlanta (ATL), San Francisco (SFO), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS) and Washington, DC (IAD), among others.

How to book Turkish Airlines business class with points and miles

While it may seem strange, one of the cheapest ways to book a Turkish Airlines business class award is via the ANA Mileage Club, as they’re both members of the Star Alliance. A round-trip award flight between the US and Europe will set you back just 88,000 miles when booked via ANA Mileage Club.

As mentioned above, ANA miles are relatively easy to come by, thanks to the fact that ANA is a 1:1 transfer partner of the Amex Membership Rewards program. The welcome bonus offers from the following credit cards offer enough points for a round-trip transatlantic flight in Turkish business class:

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program requires just 45,000 miles plus taxes and fees each way for a business-class ticket from the US to Turkey. Miles&Smiles is a 1:1 transfer partner of the Citi ThankYou program, meaning the ThankYou points earned from Citi cards can transfer to Turkish to get you a nearly free flight. With the Citi Premier® Card, you can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. That’s not quite enough for a round-trip ticket to Turkey, but it is enough to cover a one-way ticket.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is the world’s most awarded airline and offers some of the best business-class seats in the air. Onboard Singapore’s A380, you’ll find a pod-like business-class product with hand-stitched leather seats.

If you’re traveling with a companion, you can turn any two middle seats into a double bed. Meanwhile, if you’re traveling solo, you’ll get a great amount of privacy thanks to the sculpted wings around the top of the seat.

Starting late March 2022, Singapore Airlines will fly this double-decker A380 to New York (JFK). The plane will fly nonstop from NYC to Frankfurt (FRA) before continuing on to Singapore (SIN), its final destination. New York is your only option for finding this A380 business-class seat from the US, but you can also find it on several routes from Singapore (SIN) to Asian cities such as Shanghai (PVG) and Beijing (PEK), among others.

How to book Singapore Airlines business class with points and miles

Singapore Airlines awards are some of the most accessible for travelers looking to redeem rewards, and that’s because the Singapore KrisFlyer program is a transfer partner of all of the major transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards.

One of the best ways to experience Singapore Airlines’ A380 business class is from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA). This route operates a terrific value at just 72,000 miles plus taxes and fees each way if you can find availability directly through Singapore Airlines.

As mentioned, Singapore KrisFlyer miles are easy to earn, thanks to Singapore KrisFlyer’s 1:1 transfer partnership. You can transfer points earned from the following cards — along with others — right to Singapore.

American Airlines

American’s Flagship First and Business offer an elevated flying experience. In fact, the Flagship business product provides more privacy than the first-class cabin on the same Boeing 777-300ER aircraft — in fact, many flyers agree that business class on that aircraft is better than first class. Business-class passengers can enjoy a lie-flat seat with a Casper sleep set and a three-course meal.

Flagship business-class travelers also get access to American’s famed Flagship Lounges, which offer premium amenities like shower suites, chef-curated meals and expansive wine and cocktail menus.

American Airlines Flagship business class is available on various domestic routes, including Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) on the A321T, though those seats are configured differently than the internationally-equipped aircraft. Internationally, you can try this fantastic product on routes to Europe (New York to London), South America (Miami to Buenos Aires) and Asia (Los Angeles to Hong Kong), for example.

How to book American Flagship business with points and miles

Domestically, you can fly Flagship business class for just 25,000 AAdvantage miles each way. You can earn enough miles for a round-trip ticket — for example, between New York and Los Angeles — after just one welcome bonus. The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card currently offers 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening.

If you’re looking for more time in the air, you can book a one-way award ticket in Flagship business class for just 57,500 miles each way plus taxes and fees from the US to Europe and parts of South America. With the welcome bonus from two AAdvantage credit cards, you’ll have nearly enough to cover a round-trip itinerary.

JetBlue

For a few years, JetBlue Mint has arguably been the best domestic business-class seat on the market. Yet, the airline outdid itself with the introduction of its new JetBlue Mint Studio on its newer, longer-range aircraft. There are just two Mint Studio seats on the longer-range A321LRs and they feature stylish lie-flat seats in the first row, while the other seats in the cabin are called Mint Suites.

The Mint Studio is currently available on both domestic and international routes, including Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) and New York (JFK) to London (LHR).

The spacious seat converts into the largest bed on a US airline and comes with Tuft & Needle bedding, plenty of storage, wireless charging and more.

How to book JetBlue Mint Studio with points and miles

JetBlue TrueBlue points can be redeemed in line with the price of cash ticket. If you’re redeeming TrueBlue points toward a Mint seat, they’re worth about 1.01 cents each, so a $2,505 flight would cost 247,500 TrueBlue points plus taxes and fees.

JetBlue has two credit cards you can earn these points with: JetBlue Card and JetBlue Plus Card. The JetBlue Plus Card offers a higher welcome bonus of 60,000 TrueBlue points after spending $1,000 and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days.

While the JetBlue Plus offers a solid bonus, it won’t be enough to get you into the Mint Studio cabin. That’s where transferable rewards come in. You can transfer points from the Citi ThankYou and Chase Ultimate Rewards programs — both at a 1:1 ratio. Several credit cards affiliated with these programs offer higher welcome bonuses than the JetBlue Plus card. For example, consider any of the following:

• Chase Ink Business Preferred: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 within the first three months after account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
• Citi Premier: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Delta Air Lines

There was a time when fully lie-flat business class seats were revolutionary. Delta turned that notion on its head in 2016 with the announcement of Delta One suite, offering fully-enclosed “suites” with direct aisle access. Until that point, fully-enclosed suites were featured only in the world’s best first-class cabins, making Delta One an anomaly. (Qatar Airways later beat Delta to become the first to implement and offer the first fully-enclosed business-class suite by the way of its Qsuite product.)

Today, Delta is only one of a handful of airlines offering seats with doors that close and provide the utmost privacy. If you want to give the Delta One suite a spin, it’s available on the airline’s Airbus A350-900 and Airbus A330-900neo fleet of aircraft.

How to book Delta One suite with points and miles

If you want to book a Delta One suite with points and miles, the logical first choice is to use Delta SkyMiles. However, Delta uses dynamic award pricing, meaning the exact miles required for a Delta One suite depends on demand. Delta charges pretty astronomical rates for premium cabin awards regardless of how tickets are priced.

A better option is to use Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club, which requires fewer than 100,000 Virgin Points round trip plus taxes and fees for a Delta One business-class award between the US and UK. Since Virgin Atlantic partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou points — and Virgin Red will soon be added as a Capital One miles transfer partner — earning enough miles is fairly easy.

The following cards offer enough points via the welcome bonus offers to help you cover one round-trip Delta One award ticket to Europe when booking via Virgin Atlantic:

Ultimately, if you’re looking to fly business class, points and miles are your best option for affording a seat for a fraction of the price. While there are some other great business-class seats out there — British Airways Club Suite, Etihad Studio, United Polaris and others — these are some of our favorites. Many of these business-class products cost thousands of dollars to fly. But, by using your rewards points and miles, you can fly at the front of the plane almost for free.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards of 2022.

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CNN Underscored reviews financial products such as credit cards and bank accounts based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through the LendingTree affiliate network if you apply and are approved for a card, but our reporting is always independent and objective. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The feelings often associated with flying tend to be dreary. Between time spent waiting in line to check in and get through security, dodging other passengers in narrow corridors and waiting in a gate area that never seems to have enough seats, there’s plenty that makes the flying experience less than ideal.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There are places in the airport you can go to escape the manic nature of the terminal. They’re called airport lounges. Airport lounges are some of the most idyllic places to spend time before your flight. They often offer free food and drinks, ample seating, free Wi-Fi and additional amenities like showers and nap pods, and some even offer spas, barbershops and workout equipment.

Accessing these lounges can be easy too, as they’re often not just reserved for the most frequent flyers. Indeed, even if you only travel a couple of times per year, you can gain access to lounges all across the globe without paying a fortune.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways you can access airport lounges across the world.

By far the easiest way to ensure you can access an airport lounge is with a credit card. There are a number of credit cards that offer lounge access as a perk of simply having the card. The best example of this is The Platinum Card® from American Express, which is often considered one of the best overall credit cards for frequent travelers.

With the Amex Platinum Card, card members are allowed to access any of American Express’s own network of Centurion Lounges. Centurion Lounges are some of the nicest and most desirable airport lounges in the United States, given their comfy environments, business-related services and curated menus that offer free food and drinks for travelers.

Currently, there are 24 Centurion Lounges around the world at these domestic and international airports, with the most recent opening being London Heathrow.

• Domestic: Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/JFK, New York/LGA, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle
• International: Buenos Aires, Delhi, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Monterrey, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Sydney

Additionally, American Express has announced plans to open new locations in Atlanta and Washington, DC.

With the Amex Platinum card, members also have access to Delta Air Lines’s network of Sky Club lounges, so long as you’re flying on a Delta-operated flight on the same day.

It’s not just Amex that has its own set of lounges. In November, Capital One opened its first-ever airport lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The first lounge in the Capital One network has quickly become one of the best domestic lounges thanks to its premium food offerings, multiple relaxation areas, two Peloton bikes and bar with custom cocktails.

Emily McNutt

Capital One is also planning to open more lounges in the future, with Denver International Airport (DEN) and Washington, DC’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) set to open later in 2022. Access to Capital One Lounges is reserved for card holders of the new Capital One Venture X. Additionally, Venture and Spark Miles card holders get two free visits per year and then a fee of $45 per visit each time thereafter.

Chase is also planning to get in on the issuer-branded airport lounge trend. With its lounge network, called Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club, the issuer is planning to open locations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), New York LaGuardia (LGA), San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

It’s unclear at this point who will be welcomed to visit the Chase lounges. However, it’s likely that Chase Sapphire Reserve® card holders will be permitted access.

A number of cards — including the Amex Platinum — also offer a Priority Pass membership as a benefit of having the card. Priority Pass is a network of more than 1,300 lounges available around the world, entitling members to a relaxing space and food and drink before their flight. Some Priority Pass benefits even extend beyond lounges to restaurants within the airport terminal, allowing members to save money on meals.

Personal credit cards that offer a Priority Pass membership with unlimited access to lounges include the Amex Platinum, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.

Some other credit cards, such as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, offer some Priority Pass visits each year, but not unlimited access. Also, some cards allow card holders to take guests into Priority Pass lounges for free, while other memberships charge for guest access.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all also have their own respective lounge networks as well, dubbed Admirals Clubs, Sky Clubs and United Clubs, respectively. Each airline typically allows select elite members, international premium-cabin flyers and people with the airline’s top-tier credit card to access their lounges.

For example, with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, card members receive an Admirals Club membership, including access for up to two guests, while the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card provides access to Delta Sky Clubs when you’re traveling Delta on a same-day ticket.

If you don’t think you’ll get enough use out of a credit card to justify its annual fee, you can consider purchasing a lounge membership all on its own. Priority Pass, which offers a network of lounges across the globe, allows travelers to purchase a membership outright.

Priority Pass offers three levels of membership, which vary in price depending how much you plan to use the service:

1. Standard — $99 per year, which allows you to access lounges for $32 per visit. You can also pay $32 for each guest traveling with you to enter the lounge.
2. Standard Plus — $299 per year, which grants you 10 free visits each year and then costs $32 for each visit thereafter. Additionally, each guest costs $32, even for the first 10 visits.
3. Prestige — $429 per year, which grants you unlimited free visits each year. Each guest will cost $32.

Keep in mind that if you think you may use the service several times a year and plan to bring guests with you when you travel, you may get better value with one of the credit cards we mentioned above, since the annual fee on one of those cards may be less than what you’d pay for a membership plus guest passes.

If you live near a city that’s home to an airline — think Atlanta with Delta, Chicago with United or Dallas with American — you could consider purchasing a lounge membership to that airline’s lounge network. For example, you can pay $650 per year for a membership to gain access to American Airlines’ Admirals Club lounges, as well as those with Alaska Airlines and Qantas.

However, paying directly for a lounge membership typically doesn’t give you the best value — getting lounge access with a credit card can be both cheaper and come with additional perks when flying that airline.

Historically, the easiest way to guarantee access to an airport lounge comes via your boarding pass. Airlines around the world have spent large sums of money to create bespoke airport lounges for their premium flyers to enjoy before a flight.

Most legacy airlines — including Delta, American and United — have dedicated lounge spaces where business- and first-class flyers can relax. If you want access to these spaces, book yourself an eligible business-class ticket that grants you lounge access.

Now, it’s important to note that if you’re flying domestically, you typically won’t get access to an airline’s lounge just for having a business-class ticket. There are some exceptions, mainly centered around transcontinental flights, but to get lounge access with your boarding pass, you usually need to be traveling to an international destination.

Some airlines — especially in Europe, Asia and the Middle East — also have separate, dedicated spaces for their most premium first-class flyers. These spaces, which are the most exclusive in any airport, are often reserved entirely for customers flying in first class with an airline.

For example, Air France has a dedicated lounge for its first-class passengers, dubbed La Première. Tickets in La Première often cost in the thousands of dollars. So unless you’re willing to shell over the cash, don’t expect to get access to this exclusive space.

Airlines reward their most loyal customers with elite status, and the benefits you get with elite status vary by airline and what level of status you attain. For example, if you fly enough with a single airline to earn its lowest level of elite status, you may be entitled to perks such as complimentary checked baggage, priority check-in and boarding and the ability to earn additional frequent flyer miles for each flight you take.

But if you fly enough with a single airline to earn its highest level of elite status, you might be entitled to additional, more lucrative benefits — including some lounge access.

For example, with United Airlines’ MileagePlus loyalty program, Gold, Platinum and 1K members — the top three levels of United elite status — are entitled to access United lounges with a same-day international United boarding pass, even if they’re flying on an economy ticket. Unfortunately, you still won’t get lounge access if you’re only flying domestically, even with elite status.

But because United is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes 25 other global airlines, Gold, Platinum and 1K members can also access Star Alliance partner lounges outside of the US, so long as they have a same-day Star Alliance boarding pass, even in economy.

Elite status benefits vary widely depending on the airline, so be sure to check the perks of the airline with which you have status to see if you’re entitled to lounge access.

Perhaps the easiest way to guarantee you have lounge access on any given day is to purchase it outright with a day pass or one-time-use pass. By buying your way into a lounge, you’re guaranteed access without having to worry about any extras. If you only travel once or twice a year but want lounge access, this could be the best way to go.

LoungeBuddy is a great service that allows you to preview which lounges in any given airport around the world offer travelers the ability to purchase one-time access. If you find a lounge that looks appealing, you can purchase your one-time access directly through LoungeBuddy’s app.

The service charges varying fees for access, depending on the lounge. But if you have the American Express® Green Card, you’ll get up to $100 in LoungeBuddy credits each year to spend on single-use lounge passes.

All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by CNN. The American Express® Green Card is not currently available through CNN.

Alternatively, LoungeBuddy can be useful for determining if you have complimentary lounge access via airline elite status, credit cards or your fare class. It’s otherwise free to use as long as you’re not buying access to a lounge.

American Airlines also recently began offering flyers the option to purchase one-time access to its Flagship Lounges, which are typically reserved for Flagship First and Flagship Business passengers only. Travelers flying on an American- or Oneworld-operated flight can purchase a single-visit pass for $150 — and you can be traveling in any cabin to take advantage.

As of February 2022, travelers can purchase one-time access to the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Since November 2021, travelers could purchase access to the Star Alliance Lounge at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), and the alliance plans to roll the option out to more of its global network. You must pre-book your visit, and once you do so, you’ll receive a QR code to show on entry. Access costs $65 per person.

A few lounge providers allow active duty members of the military to access their lounges for free. In particular, United Airlines provides lounge access to active duty military members with a valid military ID and their families, so long as they have a boarding pass for travel within 24 hours on a United-operated flight. American Airlines also allows US military personnel traveling in uniform to access its Admirals Clubs if they’re traveling on a same-day flight operated by American.

Keep in mind, too, that active duty members of the military are also eligible to have their annual fees waived on the Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Reserve. This could be a great option for military members, as not only will they be able to access the cards’ slew of benefits, but they’ll also get complimentary lounge access via the cards’ lounge access perks.

Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards of 2022.

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