You’ve got a 3-hour layover, two premium cards in your wallet, and no clue which of the four lounges in your terminal will actually let you in. That’s the whole problem. The best apps for finding airport lounge access answer one question fast: where can I sit down right now, and what will it cost me?
Quick warning before we start. A lot of the lists you’ll find online still recommend LoungeBuddy. It’s dead. Amex pulled the app in 2024 and shut the website down on January 30, 2025.
Here’s what actually works in 2026.
What a Good Lounge App Should Do
Most beginners make the mistake of downloading every lounge network’s app and still getting turned away at the door. Network apps only show their own lounges. They won’t tell you that your Amex gets you into a different lounge down the hall.
So the apps for finding airport lounge access that are worth keeping do three things:
- Check your cards, memberships, and airline status against every lounge at your airport.
- Show real hours and rules (guest fees, time limits, same-day flight rules).
- Sell a day pass when you don’t qualify for anything.
That last one matters more than you’d think. Paying $40 for one 4-hour visit beats a $469 yearly membership if you fly twice a year.
The 10 Best Apps for Finding Airport Lounge Access
| App | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| LoungeReview | Checking every lounge at once | Free (paid day passes) |
| AwardWallet | Matching lounges to your trips | Free app |
| Loungepedia | Quick checks, no account | Free (iOS) |
| Priority Pass+ | Priority Pass members | Membership from $99/yr |
| DragonPass | Visa and Mastercard perks | Membership from $99/yr |
| Visa Airport Companion | Visa cardholders | Free with eligible card |
| Mastercard Travel Pass | Mastercard cardholders | Free with eligible card |
| American Express | Amex Platinum holders | Card benefit |
| Capital One | Venture X holders | Card benefit |
| Holiday Extras | UK pay per visit | From about £33 |
1. LoungeReview
If you ask anyone who’s used this daily, LoungeReview is the closest thing to what LoungeBuddy used to be. It covers more than 4,000 lounges at around 1,900 airports, and it checks your access based on your status, cards, and memberships.
You can import trips from TripIt or Tripsy, see crowding estimates at hundreds of lounges, and buy guaranteed entry with a card or Apple Pay. Among apps for finding airport lounge access, it’s the one to open first.
Here’s the catch: it’s still a small app with only 24 ratings on the US App Store, and a couple of reviewers mention trips vanishing after a sync. Screenshot your plan before you fly.
2. AwardWallet
AwardWallet tracks your points, but its free Lounge Tool is the sleeper hit. Link your cards and memberships (Priority Pass, DragonPass), and every upcoming trip shows lounges at each airport with a checkmark on the ones you can enter.
It also lists Priority Pass restaurants where your card works. That alone saves arguments at the host stand. For apps for finding airport lounge access that work off your actual itinerary, this one’s hard to beat for $0.
3. Loungepedia
Loungepedia launched on iOS in January 2025 as another LoungeBuddy replacement. You pick your cards and status from a list, then tap an airport: green lounges let you in, and red ones don’t.
No sign-up, no card numbers, no linked accounts. That’s the appeal. The downside is accuracy, since early users caught it missing lounges like Capital One Landing at Washington Reagan. Use it as a fast first check among apps for finding airport lounge access, then confirm the rules before you walk over.
4. Priority Pass+
Priority Pass covers more than 1,900 lounges and experiences in over 600 cities, so it’s still the biggest network. Memberships cost $99 a year (paying for every visit), $329 with 10 visits, or $469 for unlimited visits, with guests at $35 each.
The new Priority Pass+ app replaced the old one in stages starting in late 2025. It lets you hold several memberships under one email login, prebook some lounges, and add your card to Apple Wallet.
The truth is, people hate it right now. It sat at 1.4 out of 5 on the US App Store with 800+ ratings, mostly over failed logins and memberships that won’t import. You still need it if you hold a membership, just not one of the friendlier apps for finding airport lounge access. Keep a screenshot of your membership number. Seriously.
5. DragonPass
DragonPass runs a network of about 1,300 airport lounges in 140 countries and regions, plus some restaurant credits. Direct plans run $99 (one free visit), $259 (eight visits), or $429 (unlimited for you, guests extra).
Most people don’t buy it directly, though. They get it free through a Visa or Mastercard and never realize it. If your card says “airport lounge access” and doesn’t mention Priority Pass, check DragonPass before you assume you’ve got nothing. It’s one of the most overlooked apps for finding airport lounge access.
6. Visa Airport Companion
This is DragonPass under Visa’s name. You register an eligible Visa card in the app, search “Explore Lounges,” and show a QR code at the desk. Banks decide how many free visits you get, so two Visa Infinite cards from different banks can have totally different perks.
It has no web version, so you’ll need your phone charged. Among apps for finding airport lounge access tied to a bank card, it’s the one Visa holders outside the US use most.
7. Mastercard Travel Pass
Same idea for Mastercard. The app (provided by DragonPass) replaced LoungeKey for many Mastercard programs, starting with Canada in 2022.
Many World Elite cards give you membership but charge for each visit (about $32 per person). So “lounge access” on the card ad can mean “the right to pay.” Check your visit count in the app before you assume it’s free. That’s the most common surprise with apps for finding airport lounge access tied to Mastercard.
8. American Express
The Amex app’s “Airport Lounge Access” section shows the lounges your Platinum Card gets you into at your departure airport, from the Global Lounge Collection of 1,400+ lounges. For Centurion Lounges, you can pull up a QR code for entry.
Know the 2026 rules first. US Delta Sky Club visits cap at 10 a year unless you spend $75,000 on the card. Since July 8, 2026, Centurion guests must be on your same flight, and US guests cost $50 per adult and $30 per child unless you hit that $75,000 spend.
It’s one of the better card issuer apps for finding airport lounge access, but only for Amex lounges and partners.
9. Capital One
The Capital One app’s Travel section has a Lounges tab listing Capital One Lounges plus the Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges Venture X gives you. You can also join a waitlist for Capital One Lounges, which helps at busy hubs.
The rules changed February 1, 2026. Free guests are gone: you’ll pay $45 per adult guest (with a lower fee for kids), authorized users pay $125 a year to keep access, and only $75,000 in yearly spending restores free guests.
Families felt that one. Check the app before you bring the kids along, since it’s still one of the handiest apps for finding airport lounge access if you hold the card.
10. Holiday Extras (UK)
Flying out of Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester with no cards at all? Holiday Extras sells prebooked lounge entry, with Heathrow VIP lounges starting around £33 a person and free cancellation up to the day before.
Most UK lounges cap stays at 3 hours, though some (like Plaza Premium at Heathrow Terminal 2) sell 6- or 12-hour stays. For pay-as-you-go travelers, it’s among the most practical apps for finding airport lounge access in Britain.
Gimmicks to Skip (and Where to Spend Instead)
A lot of apps for finding airport lounge access and the memberships behind them push upgrades you probably don’t need:
- Priority Pass Prestige at $469. If you take fewer than 6 trips a year, a single day passes for less. And plenty of travel cards already include it (see our list of credit cards for airport lounge access).
- “Unlimited access” on the card ad. Read the fine print. Visit caps, spending thresholds, and guest fees now apply on Amex and Capital One cards.
- Lounges you can’t use. Chase Sapphire Lounges leave Priority Pass and LoungeKey on August 15, 2026. Only eligible Chase cardholders get in after that.
- Paying lounge fees in foreign currency on the wrong card. A 3% fee on a $40 pass adds up across a long trip. Pay with one of the no foreign transaction fee cards instead.
Where should the money go? A good free finder (LoungeReview or AwardWallet), then one card that matches the airports you actually use. Huge hubs (check our list of the biggest airports in the world) usually have several networks, while small regional airports might have one lounge or none.
Final Thoughts
The best apps for finding airport lounge access don’t care which network you belong to. Start with LoungeReview or AwardWallet to see everything you qualify for, then use your network or card app (Priority Pass+, DragonPass, Amex, or Capital One) to get through the door.
Before your next trip, add your cards to one finder app, screenshot your membership numbers, and check the guest rules. That’s ten minutes that’ll save you a very awkward conversation at the front desk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to what travelers ask most about apps for finding airport lounge access.
What replaced LoungeBuddy?
LoungeReview is the closest replacement, with access checks and paid day passes. AwardWallet and Loungepedia also show which lounges you can enter.
Can I get into an airport lounge without a membership?
Yes. Many lounges sell day passes through LoungeReview, Holiday Extras, or the lounge’s own site, and some airlines sell single entries.
Is Priority Pass worth it in 2026?
Only if you visit lounges often or get them free through a card. Light travelers usually save money with single-day passes.
Which app shows all the lounges I can access?
LoungeReview, AwardWallet, and Loungepedia all check your cards and status against every lounge at an airport, not just one network.
Why did a lounge turn me away with a valid card?
Common reasons: the lounge was full, you weren’t flying out that day, you showed up too early, or your card’s guest or visit limit kicked in.
Do lounge apps work offline?
Mostly no. Screenshot your digital membership card or QR code before you leave home, just in case.
