The four, side by side
Fees and benefits quoted from each issuer’s own product page, checked 8 October 2026. “Pays for itself at” counts lounge value only, at the £38.86 average walk-in price across the 35 Priority Pass lounges we have verified — most of these cards are sold on far more than lounges, so treat it as one line in a bigger sum.
| Card | Fee | Lounge benefit | Network | Pays for itself at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express PlatinumAmerican Express |
£650 a year |
IncludedMembership, no published cap |
Priority Pass |
17 visits a year |
American Express Preferred Rewards GoldAmerican Express |
£195 a year |
Limited4 visits a year |
Priority Pass |
Never, on lounges alone |
£290 a year |
IncludedMembership, no published cap |
Priority Pass |
8 visits a year |
|
Barclaycard Avios PlusBarclaycard |
£20 a month |
Not included£18.50 a head, every visit |
Not published |
12 visits a year |
Which one, for how you actually fly
Two flights a year? None of them.
Two lounge visits at the £38.86 average is about £78. Every annual fee here is higher, and the cheapest UK departures lounge we have verified is £27. Pay at the door and keep the fee — our cheapest lounge access guide covers how.
A couple who fly often: HSBC Premier World Elite, if you qualify
£290 plus £60 for a second cardholder is £350 for two unlimited Priority Pass memberships and no guest fee at the door. Nothing else here handles two adults without charging for one of them. The catch is the HSBC Premier account behind it, which needs £100,000 of income or savings.
One frequent flyer who wants it all: Amex Platinum
The widest access on this page, plus the Centurion Lounge at Heathrow T3 on the card itself. On lounge value alone £650 needs about 17 UK visits a year, so the lounges have to be one reason among several rather than the reason.
An occasional flyer who wants a cheaper door price
Look at the fee-free HSBC Premier Credit Card — no annual fee, Priority Pass at a £24 charge per person per visit — or Barclaycard’s £18.50 a head if you hold Avios Plus anyway. Both are discounts rather than access, and both start saving from the first visit because there is no fee to earn back.
Nobody, for the lounges alone: Barclaycard Avios Plus
It does not include lounge access. It discounts it, to £18.50 a head. That is a real saving — about £20 a visit — but it is not what most people mean when they ask whether a card “has lounge access”, and the card should be judged on its Avios earning instead.
A card is not the only way in
You can buy the membership directly
Priority Pass is sold to anyone, without a credit card attached. Whether that beats paying at the door depends entirely on how many times a year you fly — our break-even calculator does that sum with your own numbers.
Or just pay on the day
52 of the 55 UK lounges we list sell entry to anyone. At two or three trips a year that is almost always the cheapest route, and it is the one nobody advertises.
Check your airport before your wallet
None of this matters if the lounge at your airport is not in the network. Priority Pass covers 43 of the 55 UK lounges we list and DragonPass covers a different set — at some airports there is only one lounge and it may be in neither.
What we are not telling you
Nothing on this page is advice about whether to apply for credit, and we are not authorised to give it. We have read what four issuers publish about lounges and checked it against lounge prices we verified ourselves. That is the whole of it.
Frequently asked
Which UK credit card gives the best airport lounge access?
For breadth, American Express Platinum — Priority Pass with no published visit cap plus the Centurion Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3, for £650 a year. For a couple, the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard is usually better value at £290 plus £60 for a second cardholder, because both get unlimited Priority Pass with no guest fee. It requires an HSBC Premier account.
Does Barclaycard Avios Plus include lounge access?
No. Barclaycard offers lounge entry at a discounted £18.50 per pass per person. There is no free visit and no included membership.
How many lounge visits does Amex Gold include?
Four Priority Pass visits a year. They can be used by the cardholder or shared with someone travelling with them, so a return trip for two uses the entire annual allowance.
Is a credit card the cheapest way to get into a UK lounge?
Only if you fly often. The average walk-in price across the 35 UK Priority Pass lounges we have verified is £38.86, and 52 of the 55 UK lounges we list sell entry to anyone. At two or three trips a year, paying at the door beats every annual fee on this page.
Can I get Priority Pass without a credit card?
Yes. Priority Pass sells memberships directly to anyone. Whether that is cheaper than paying per visit depends on how often you fly.