Airport lounge access to suit all budget categories

It is 6 am. After battling early morning traffic, dragging your suitcase through the airport terminal, and enduring the long check-in and security procedures, all you want is to catch your breath before your flight. But instead of wandering around the gate looking for a clean seat, imagine sinking into a cushy armchair, and sipping a hot cappuccino in a quiet lounge.

Once a luxury reserved for high-flying CEOs and first-class travellers, airport lounges are within reach of all budget categories now. Thanks to the rise of lifestyle-focused credit and debit cards, bundled with complimentary lounge access, even occasional flyers can enjoy perks like free meals, WiFi, silent zones and spa chairs.

Most premium cards offer access through global networks like Priority Pass. Domestic lounges are typically covered under Visa, Mastercard, or RuPay networks. The benefits are not limited to credit cards. Many banks have dedicated lounge programmes for elite customers.

For Mohali-based architect Rashmi Sharma, who prefers not to use credit cards, her debit card provides the benefits. “My Axis Bank Burgundy Debit Card offers 12 complimentary domestic lounge access facility across the country,” she says.

At the top end are premium credit cards like American Express Platinum Card, HDFC Diners Club Black Metal Edition, HDFC Infinia, ICICI Emeralde Private Metal, and Axis Bank Magnus, etc, which offer unlimited access to both domestic and international lounges, often for both primary and add-on cardholders.

These cards usually have an annual fee starting from Rs 10,000. Many come with complimentary memberships of top hotels and offer travel benefits. The invite-only HDFC Bank Infinia offers a free Club Marriott membership for a year, besides free nights at ITC Hotels. Times Black ICICI Credit Card (annual fee Rs 20,000) offers stay vouchers from EaseMyTrip.

While these high-end cards carry steep annual fees, most offer fee waivers if the spending crosses a threshold. For instance, the Rs 10,000 annual fee for HDFC Diners Club Black Card gets reversed on a spending of Rs 5 lakh during the year.

For mid-range travellers, SBI Elite Advantage Card (annual fee Rs 4,999) offers six international and eight domestic lounge visits a year. SBI Prime Card (annual fee Rs 2,999) offers four international and eight domestic visits.

Budget-conscious travellers can explore zero-fee cards like Federal Bank Scapia Credit Card, which offer unlimited domestic airport lounge access at a monthly spending of Rs 10,000.

The ixigo AU Credit Card offers one international and 16 domestic airport and railway lounge access in a year on a spending of Rs 20,000 per quarter.

Ultimately, the best card depends on the travel frequency, budget, and the kind of benefits you value. Many airlines offer lounge passes to frequent flyers based on the loyalty tier. But there’s a flip side. With lounge access opening up thanks to a growing array of credit and debit cards, many are finding that the comfort once promised now comes with its own waiting period.

Sandeep Luthra, a Gurugram-based professional who frequently travels abroad, says, “While air traffic has increased immensely, the lounges haven’t been upgraded proportionately. There’s nothing premium about them anymore.”