A lounge is worth it when you have a delay, a laptop and an hour. It is not worth it when it is full. American and Chase both say on their own pages that access can be limited or denied when a lounge is at capacity, and Delta now caps how often some cardholders can visit. Plan as if you may be turned away.
Every figure below was read on Nov. 5, 2026. Where the source was a travel site and not the airline, I say so. Several operator pages would not show prices, and those are marked. Check the airline's own page before you buy.
What the airline clubs cost
- American Admirals Club. Membership is $1,400 a year or 140,000 miles, and covers you plus up to two guests. Executive Platinum members pay $1,200. A new Single membership is $750 or 75,000 miles, with no guests. A One-Day Pass is $79 or 7,900 miles and "may be limited or unavailable" by capacity. Source: aa.com, corroborated by The Points Guy on Aug. 3, 2026.
- United Club. Individual membership is $750 a year, for you alone. All Access is $1,400 and includes up to two adult guests, or one adult plus dependents under 18. A one-time pass is $59 per person and depends on availability. Source: The Points Guy, updated Nov. 4, 2026. NerdWallet reports that one-time passes are valid only within three hours of departure and only at standard United Clubs. [Confirm at united.com.]
- Alaska Lounge. $595 a year, or $795 for Lounge+ with partner lounges. The day pass is $60 on a space-available basis. Members bring a partner and children under 21, or up to two guests. Source: NerdWallet, updated Oct. 21, 2026.
- Delta Sky Club. Delta's own page says the Executive membership allows up to two guests. It listed no prices on Nov. 5. The prices I found conflicted, so I am not printing one. [Get the current price from delta.com.]
What the cards cost and what they open
Fees are from the issuers' own pages unless noted.
- Amex Platinum: $895 a year. Includes 10 Delta Sky Club visits on an eligible Delta flight, Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass with enrollment. Centurion guests are $50 per adult and $30 per child. Two guests are free after $75,000 in eligible spend in a calendar year.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $795 a year. Includes Sapphire Lounges by The Club with up to two guests, and Priority Pass Select. Extra Priority Pass guests are $27 each.
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve: $650 a year, per NerdWallet and Inside Flyer in October 2026. It carries 15 Sky Club visits a year.
- Capital One Venture X: $395, per Afar. Since Feb. 1, 2026, guests at Capital One Lounges cost $45 per adult. Two free guests return after $75,000 in spend.
Delta has capped visits. The most recent account I found, from Your Mileage May Vary on Jan. 24, 2026, says Platinum holders get 10 visits and Reserve holders 15, with extra visits at $50 each, and that Basic Economy tickets are not eligible. That is a blog's reading of Delta's rules. [Confirm with Delta.]
Priority Pass prices are not current. A Chase page priced "as of August 2025" lists $99, $329 and $469 plans plus $35 per visit. I could not read the operator's own page.
Which lounge, at which airport
Dated sources support only a few:
- Dallas/Fort Worth: One Mile at a Time (Mar. 22, 2025) says the Capital One Lounge "remains my favorite."
- Los Angeles: the same writer calls the Qantas First Lounge the best lounge available through airline elite status.
- New York, JFK: the same writer calls the Delta One Lounge the best business-class lounge in the country. The Points Guy gave its Jan. 29, 2026 award for best new credit-card lounge to Capital One's lounge in Terminal 4.
- Seattle: The Points Guy named the Delta One Lounge the best new U.S. airline lounge in 2026.
For Atlanta, Chicago, Washington National, Boston, Denver and San Francisco I could not find a dated source, so I am not naming one. Some of the best lounges at those airports admit only certain cardholders or premium cabins.
Can you work there
Only Capital One says so in writing. Its page lists free Wi-Fi and outlets at every seat, private phone booths with built-in desks at Denver, Las Vegas and JFK, and group workspaces at Dulles and Denver. That is the company's marketing page. I could not verify phone booths, quiet zones or meeting rooms at the airline clubs or Centurion. American lists shower suites and business centers at select locations.
What you can say out loud
ABA Model Rule 1.6(c) says a lawyer "shall make reasonable efforts to prevent" inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of client information. The Florida Bar News said on June 24, 2026 that lawyers should avoid discussing client matters in public. Apply that to a lounge, a gate area or a table next to a window. Open networks are covered by ABA Formal Opinion 477R, which lists secure Wi-Fi and a VPN among the safeguards. A lounge does not change any of it.
Prices and rules read Nov. 5, 2026 and change often. Nothing on this page is sponsored. This page reports fees and rules. It does not recommend a card.
Sources
American Airlines, Admirals Club membership · The Points Guy, Admirals Club prices, Aug. 3, 2026 · The Points Guy, United Club guide, updated Nov. 4, 2026 · NerdWallet, United Club changes · NerdWallet, Alaska lounges, Oct. 21, 2026 · Delta Sky Club · Your Mileage May Vary, Jan. 24, 2026 · American Express Platinum · Centurion Lounge access rules · Chase Sapphire Reserve · NerdWallet, Delta Reserve · Inside Flyer, Oct. 27, 2026 · Afar, Capital One lounge changes · Chase, Priority Pass levels · One Mile at a Time, Mar. 22, 2025 · The Points Guy, 2026 awards, Jan. 29, 2026 · Capital One lounge perks · ABA Model Rule 1.6 · ABA Formal Opinion 477R · Florida Bar News, June 24, 2026