Airport lounges: when a pass is worth paying for

Escape Lounges runs two lounges at Phoenix Sky Harbor that let in any traveler, whatever the airline or ticket class. In November 2026 its Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 pages listed entry from $45 a person, with a walk-up price of $60 and food and drinks included. Four visits a year at that price cost $180. Priority Pass's cheapest plan with four visits comes to $239: a $99 fee plus four visits at $35.

Paying for a single visit

Walking up to an Escape lounge costs $60. Booking ahead is the only way to guarantee a place, and Escape takes those bookings no later than 24 hours before entry. The lounges take cards only, and all sales are final. Staff can also refuse entry or ask a guest to leave, with no refund. Children under 3 get in free.

In November 2026 Escape's Terminal 3 page put that lounge where the E and F gates meet and listed a 4:30 a.m. opening. Its Terminal 4 page put the lounge across from Gate B22 and listed a 5 a.m. opening. Both listed a 10 p.m. close, so neither helps a late-night departure.

Some lounges sell time rather than a visit. At Dubai International, marhaba's lounge page listed two hours from $52.89 a person in November 2026. Four hours were from $105.79 and six from $158.68, with an eight-hour maximum stay. The page lists its lounges in Terminals 1 and 2 and in Terminal 3's A and B concourses as open 24 hours, and says the Concourse C lounge closed on June 3, 2026. Showers cost extra, and so does the sleeping room in Terminal 1.

Delta no longer sells a day pass. In November 2026 its Sky Club access page said the sale of Single Visit Passes had been discontinued, and that annual memberships could be bought only by Medallion Members of its SkyMiles program.

Priority Pass: which plan for how many visits

Priority Pass is an annual lounge membership. Escape's Terminal 3 page says its cardholders can pre-book that Phoenix lounge. In November 2026 its membership page, set to US residence, listed $99 for Standard, $329 for Standard Plus and $469 for Prestige. Opened without that setting, the page came up set to the UK and priced in pounds (£69, £229 and £419), so check the residence box before you compare.

Standard charges $35 for each visit. Standard Plus includes 10 visits and then charges $35. Prestige covers every member visit. Guests cost $35 a visit on all three.

Six visits cost $309 on Standard, under the $329 for Standard Plus. A seventh makes it $344, so Standard Plus is the cheaper plan from there. At 14 visits Standard Plus costs $469 ($329 plus four visits at $35), the same as Prestige. From 15 visits on, Prestige wins.

Paying $45 a visit, as at Escape, beats every plan through seven visits: $315, against $329 on Standard Plus and $344 on Standard. The eighth takes the $45 total to $360, and Standard Plus is cheaper from there.

Priority Pass's conditions of use say a membership doesn't guarantee entry and that access is subject to capacity. The same goes for a pre-booked visit: admission stays at the lounge's discretion. Priority Pass says it has no control over how many people a lounge admits or how long members may stay. You need your membership and a valid boarding pass at the desk, and a photo of the card isn't accepted. The terms also say lounges have no obligation to announce flight information.

Credit card access: the Centurion rules

American Express Platinum cardholders get into Centurion Lounges, and the access policy is strict about timing. At US lounges you can enter within three hours of the departure time on a same-day boarding pass. You can't go in after landing unless you have a connection that day, and on a layover you must arrive within five hours of the connecting flight. At Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas the window is shorter, 90 minutes.

The card gets you in, but the people with you pay. In November 2026 the access policy set the fee for US Consumer and Business Platinum cardholders at $50 for each guest 18 or older and $30 for each child aged 2 to 17; children under 2 were free. A cardholder who brings a partner and children aged 8 and 12 pays $110 for the three guests. The same page says up to two complimentary guests per visit unlock only after $75,000 in eligible purchases on the card within a calendar year. Every guest has to be on the cardholder's flight, and guest fees must be paid with a physical Amex card.

The same card opens other doors. Escape's Terminal 4 page says American Express Platinum Card Members get into its Phoenix lounge free. Delta's access page says US Platinum cardholders get 10 Sky Club visits each Medallion year, which runs from February 1 to January 31, on a same-day Delta flight. Further visits cost $50. The 10 visits are for the cardholder only; two guests can come in at $50 each, paid with the Platinum card.

Delta Sky Club: who gets in

Delta's Sky Club page sets the same three-hour window. It says you can enter within three hours of your scheduled departure, while connecting passengers can use the club at the connecting airport at any time before their flight. Customers flying on a Main Basic ticket can't get in, members included. Under-18s need a supervising adult, and you have to be 21 to drink.

Lounge, or a trip into town?

Leaving the airport on a long layover adds steps. In November 2026 Heathrow's connecting-flights page said it wouldn't recommend leaving the airport during a long wait. Anyone who does has to pass through UK immigration, so you need the right to enter the UK, and connecting passengers at Heathrow go through security again. Our layovers guide covers minimum connection times, visas and what to do if you miss a flight.

More airports on the trip essentials page.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a one-time airport lounge pass?

In November 2026 Escape Lounges at Phoenix Sky Harbor listed entry from $45 a person, with a $60 walk-up price and food and drinks included. marhaba's Dubai lounges sold two hours from $52.89.

Which Priority Pass plan should I buy?

Standard ($99 plus $35 a visit) is the cheapest plan up to six visits a year. Standard Plus ($329 with 10 visits) is cheapest from 7 to 13, the two top plans tie at 14, and Prestige ($469, all member visits included) wins from 15. Guests are $35 a visit on every plan.

How early can I get into a lounge before my flight?

Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs both admit you within three hours of departure. Connecting passengers get more room: Centurion allows five hours before the connecting flight, and Delta lets connecting customers in at any time before departure.

How much does a guest cost at a Centurion Lounge?

At US lounges, $50 for each guest 18 or older and $30 for children aged 2 to 17, with under-2s free. Cardholders who make $75,000 in eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year get up to two free guests per visit.

Can I buy a Delta Sky Club day pass?

No. Delta has stopped selling Single Visit Passes, and Sky Club members flying on a Main Basic fare can't get in.

Does Priority Pass guarantee entry?

No. Its conditions of use say access is subject to capacity and that each lounge decides how many people it admits.