Airport Lounges Restrict Guest Access After Visits Jump 31% in a Year
Everyone got a lounge access card. Nobody built more lounges. Do the math, then read the new rules.
Priority Pass, the lounge network bundled with many premium travel credit cards, recorded a 31% jump in visits from 2023 to 2024 — card issuers were minting new lounge access faster than anyone was building new lounges.
The result has been standing-room-only lounges and lines at the door, and issuers are now walking the benefit back. Delta capped Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders at 10 Sky Club visits a year starting February 2025, with Delta Reserve cardholders capped at 15.
Capital One eliminated free guest access to its lounges entirely as of February 2026 — guests now pay $45 for adults, $25 for children 17 and under. American Express is going further still: starting July 2026, guests will need to show a shared flight itinerary to get in with you.
The perk hasn't been removed. It's just been re-metered, one restriction at a time, until the crowd thins out.
Filed from public reporting: Thrifty Traveler, The Points Guy, Newsweek.
