When we first started using more points and miles, I didn’t want to hear about airport lounges and other perks that certain cards came with. It just sounded like too many details on top of an already heavily-detailed game we were getting used to playing. But then I had my first sip of free champagne, and my kids had their first experience of packing out cans of coke and trail mix in their backpacks (sorry). We haven’t looked back since.

#loungelife

Our friend Ann recently traveled a ton with her family and had many stops in many different airports. As she returned from her trip she texted that airport lounge access was the next thing she really wanted to figure out in her points and miles journey. Naturally, Tom and I had completely different opinions about what she should do, and thought we’d share them with her and the world. 

Tom’s plan for Ann, Chase Ritz Carlton Rewards: I (Tom) happen to know that Ann holds the Chase Bonvoy Boundless Card, so my plan is to live vicariously through her as she upgrades that card to the Chase Ritz Carlton Rewards card. This is a play we’ve been waiting to do, but because there are so many rules around when one is eligible for a bonus on a Marriott card, and also because the RItz card is only available by upgrading from the Chase Boundless, and also because you need to hold the Boundless for a year before upgrading, we haven’t yet had the opportunity.

Annual Fee: The annual fee for this card seems steep, at $450 per year, but there are some credits to offset that fee. First, the card comes with a $300 per year airline incidental credit. This can be used on a wide array of things officially, from baggage fees to seat upgrades, and unofficially can be used on any number of travel-related expenses. I am sure that Ann could get value from this credit. This credit is per calendar year, so she’d be able to use it twice in her first year of holding the card. Additionally, this card comes with a Marriott Free NIght Certificate worth 85,000 Bonvoy points. This could easily be used for more than $150, which is what is left of the fee after the $300 credit. If she knows she is going to possibly spend at least $450 on airline related purchases and a hotel room in the next year, this card pays for itself.

Lounge Access: This card comes with free Priority Pass Select membership with unlimited guests. Please note that with Priority Pass you have to enroll ahead of time on the credit card’s page and receive the membership card before being able to enter a lounge. This card also will give you access to the swanky Sapphire Lounges. Authorized users on this card are free, and they can get into both of these lounges with guests. Ann could make her spouse and/or her near college-age kids authorized users, if she wants, and they could have access to lounges without her. The quality of the Priority Pass lounges varies greatly, but they have a wide footprint. We have yet to experience a Sapphire Lounge, but they are supposed to be quite nice with several more coming soon to different airports throughout the US

Status: This card gives you Marriott Gold status, which is not the greatest but can get you 2PM check out and the ability to pool Marriott points with others. It also gives you National Emerald Club Executive status which can give you a full size rental car for the midsize rate

Travel Protections: One of the best things about this card is that the travel protections match those of the Sapphire Reserve for a $100 lower annual fee. These are the best available travel protections that are available via credit card.

Ease of getting: All Ann would have to do is call Chase and ask to product change to the Ritz card. She would be charged a pro-rated  annual fee and it would not add to her 5/24 card count.

Melissa’s Plan for Ann, Capital One Venture X: While I (Melissa) don’t want to poo-poo Tom’s Ritz plan, I think opening the Venture X (disclaimer, this is my referral link) is a simpler plan and carries the added benefit of a welcome offer.

Annual Fee: This is also a higher-fee card at $395 annually, and it also comes with some credits. There is a $300 annual travel credit for travel booked through the Capital One travel portal. This could be used on hotels, flights, or rental cars. Additionally, each anniversary year, card holders receive 10,000 Capital One miles. Not to mention, in the first year, the sign up bonus is 75,000 miles after a $4,000 spend on the card. Capital One miles can be redeemed at $0.01/point as a travel expense eraser, so essentially for $750 in travel. Or, they can be used for much greater value by transferring to one of their many airline partners, which include AirFrance, Aeroplan, British, LifeMiles, Turkish, among others, or by transferring to Choice or Wyndham hotels. This card comes with a $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA Pre check. All of these things could make this card a keeper year after year, especially if your primary goal is lounge access. Which brings me to…

Lounge Access: Those who hold this card can also get a Priority Pass membership and get into those lounges with unlimited guests. This card also gets you access to Plaza Premium Lounges with up to two guests. There are also Capital One Lounges in Denver, Dallas, and Dulles, with more on the horizon, for you and 2 guests. These are quite nice, and could also be accessed by an authorized user of the card, which is also free. We made our teen daughters authorized users and our whole family was able to gain access to the Capital One Lounge in Denver earlier this year.

Status: The Venture X gets you the ability to register for Hertz President’s Circle status, which is also available to authorized users on the card. This status guarantees upgrades, allows choice of any vehicle in the President’s Circle section of the lot, includes expedited vehicle pick-up among other perks.

Travel Protections: The Venture X also includes similar travel protections to the Ritz card if at least part of a trip was booked on the card, as well as auto rental coverage, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.

Ease of Getting: Capital One can be tricky and may be less likely to approve someone who has opened several cards across banks. However, I applied for one last year and was approved even while last year was my busiest card-opening year to date. So, it’s hard to know what they’re really sensitive about. Generally it’s a commonly held opinion in the points world that getting this card earlier on in the journey might be easier.

Of course, there are many other ways to get lounge access from credit cards, but these are a couple of ideas we had for her. Happy lounging!