Have you ever walked past those airline lounge doors and wondered how to afford a membership? If you've sat through weather delays and mechanical breakdowns, you know how much it will mean to sit in a quiet, comfortable seat. Airline lounge membership gives regular travelers a much-needed sanctuary.



I used to think airline lounges were only for the wealthy, or the lucky executives whose companies footed the bill. Not so. Here's how the "in the know" travelers get their airline lounge memberships.

1. The obvious method is to purchase at full price from the airline. I don't recommend outright purchase personally -- at a price tag of several hundred dollars (depending on the airline) it's not much of a bargain. Unless your company pays for membership, you probably won't go this route.

2. If you travel rarely, consider a day pass. Prices run from $25 to $75 for the day, depending on the airline. There's a catch though: the passes are sold on a space-available basis and are good only in that particular airline's clubs.

3. If you're an established American Express customer, you might consider upgrading to their Platinum card. Access to many Northwest, Delta, American and Continental lounges comes with the card. This isn't a low-cost option -- last I checked the annual fee was $450. (The card obviously comes with a number of other services beyond airport lounges.)

4. If you travel internationally you might consider getting a Diners club card. Diners Club airport lounges airport lounges are available around the globe. Unfortunately, they operate very few lounges within the United States (5 at the time of this writing).

5. If most of your travel is on one airline, you probably qualify for a discounted membership with that club. Most airlines offer discounted membership prices if you have frequent flyer status, and may allow you to purchase membership with airline miles insead of hard currency. I don't travel a single airline enough for this to be practical.

6. If you've made it this far down the list without finding an answer, don't dispair. You still have Priority Pass membership to look forward to, and it's a great option. My Priority Pass membership gives me access to over 500 lounges in more than 275 cities. They have access in the U.S. airports I frequent, and a nice range of membership fees. You can start as low as $99 plus $27 per visit.

As you can see, there are many ways to get membership to an airline lounge. You can spend a lot of money on full-price membership or credit card annual fees. You can also spend very little by using airline miles or purchasing a Priority Pass membership. The choice is yours.