help me pick a credit card for travel and lounge access

[Anonymous]

Looking for some advice on which credit card makes sense for travel benefits. Most important benefit is lounge access for two adults/2 kids. Tell me your advice on what you've found useful and not. Primary airports we use these days - DCA, BWI, IAD, PVD, San Diego, London. I'm thinking about this mostly in terms of an upcoming trip to London with kids.

[Anonymous]

Chase Sapphire Reserve. Comes with Priority Pass. If you add spouse as additional card holder, you’ll each get PP with one guest each, covering all four of you.

[Anonymous]

I am a CSR cardholder but for two adults/two kids you should get the Capital One Venture X. Authorized users are free, so even though you can only get two guests into a lounge per cardholder it doesn't cost any extra to get the whole family in. Plus Capital One has some of their own lounges in addition to the Priority Pass lounges (Chase is getting into this game, but only just). Authorized users are $75/year on the CSR.

If you want to use the points for transfer to hotels/airlines, the calculus can shift. But just for lounge access I'd say VentureX is your best bet.

[Anonymous]

Between those two, the travel insurance is much better on the CSR. But the annual fee is higher (though the $300 travel credits gets used automatically).

[Anonymous]

VentureX because they have their own lounges at IAD and DCA. Chase has their own lounge at IAD only.

Both offer priority pass, so that part is the same.

[Anonymous]

check to make sure you can bring in that many people with your lounge access.

The priority pass from Ritz Chase includes unlimited guests. Unfortunately, no priority pass lounge in DCA. It has worked out especially well in Europe though.

My Amex platinum gives me centurion lounge access but just for me. Not worth $50/person for rest of family each time we travel.

[Anonymous]

Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

1 trip might not be worth it. We travel a lot, about 4 times a year and longe acesss has been a total game changer, especially with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

This. And I'd add that the lounge experience is not what it used to be. They are now oversubscribed and crowded, and it's not uncommon to have to wait in line to get inside because they fill to capacity when airports are busy or there are weather delays.

[Anonymous]

I prefer the Amex Platinum but we also have the CSR. I keep the CSR because Amex is useless internationally.

I prefer the Amex lounges and the Delta Sky Clubs -- they're much nicer than the crappy priority pass lounges. Some of them are really, really bad, even international ones. There was one at the Geneva airport (I think it was the Horizon Lounge) that looked like a refugee camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

I am jealous that you don’t experience layovers and travel delays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

Ha, okay. Not OP but I'd rather be early and futz around than cut it close like that. Clearly you've never been in a nice lounge. They're key, especially on layovers for long international flights. Many of them have showers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

I am jealous that you don’t experience layovers and travel delays.

To be clearer, it’s not even about the lounge access. It’s sometimes just about getting a chair - not always possible near the gates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I prefer the Amex Platinum but we also have the CSR. I keep the CSR because Amex is useless internationally.

I prefer the Amex lounges and the Delta Sky Clubs -- they're much nicer than the crappy priority pass lounges. Some of them are really, really bad, even international ones. There was one at the Geneva airport (I think it was the Horizon Lounge) that looked like a refugee camp.

The regular waiting areas at the San Juan PR airport are actually better than the lounge. The one there is BAD---crowded, cramped, and not very clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is lounge access so important to you? Especially just for one trip? Goal is to get to the airport in a timeframe where you won’t be sitting around that long before boarding.

I’d focus on a card that prioritizes other useful benefits and points earnings based on your typical spending habits.

I am jealous that you don’t experience layovers and travel delays.

To be clearer, it’s not even about the lounge access. It’s sometimes just about getting a chair - not always possible near the gates.

NP - but even a place to charge your phone!!