Your business card gets you into the lounges of the networks it belongs to, such as Priority Pass, American Express Centurion, Plaza Premium, Delta Sky Club or Air Canada Maple Leaf, and only under that network's rules. Your team gets in one of two ways. They come along as your guests, which is often paid, or they hold their own employee card that carries its own lounge access.
Which lounge networks can a card get me into?
Most premium cards give you one or more of five networks. Each has its own door rules, so the card name matters less than the network behind it.
- Priority Pass. A large group of independent lounges around the world. Many premium cards include a membership. Some cards let you bring a set number of guests for free. Others charge for every guest, and the charge shows up on your card later. Some Priority Pass memberships also include airport restaurants. The American Express version does not.
- Plaza Premium. Independent lounges in many big airports, including most large Canadian ones. You can get in through some cards, through Priority Pass at some locations, or by paying at the door.
- Delta Sky Club. Delta's own lounges. A card only gets you in when you fly Delta that same day. The American Express Platinum card in the US does not cover Delta basic economy fares, and it now has a yearly visit limit unless you spend above a set amount.
- American Express Centurion. Amex's own lounges, mostly in big US airports, plus some abroad.
- Air Canada Maple Leaf. Air Canada's lounges. They are open to some Aeroplan cards in Canada, covered below.
What are the American Express lounge rules?
The Platinum Card and the Business Platinum Card from American Express open the most doors. Amex calls this the Global Lounge Collection. It covers Centurion lounges, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium in some places, and Delta Sky Club in the US.
A few rules catch people out:
- You need a boarding pass for a flight that same day. Any airline works for Centurion lounges.
- You can only enter within a set window before your flight. You cannot spend a long layover there from early morning.
- Free guests depend on your spending. If you spend above a yearly amount on the card, you can bring guests free. If you do not, each guest pays a fee at the door.
Amex changes these amounts from time to time. Check the current rules on the American Express page for your exact card before you travel.
How do Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Signature Suites work?
Maple Leaf Lounges are open to Air Canada business class flyers, higher Aeroplan Elite members, and holders of top Aeroplan cards in Canada. Those cards include the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege and the American Express Aeroplan Reserve. On those cards, access is usually for North American lounges when you fly Air Canada. Each card sets its own guest rule. Many business versions of Aeroplan cards do not include lounge access, so check the card page.
The Air Canada Signature Suite is different. It is a sit down restaurant style lounge at Air Canada's biggest hubs. You get in with a long haul international business class ticket on a flight Air Canada flies itself. No credit card opens it, and status alone does not either. Book the right seat and the suite comes with it. Our guide on booking Air Canada business class with Aeroplan shows how.
Can my team get in too?
Yes, in two ways. Staff can enter as your guests, which only works when you fly together. Or they can carry their own card with lounge access, which lets them use lounges when they travel alone.
Guests. Most cards let the main cardholder bring one or two guests. Whether they are free or paid depends on the card and the network. A guest fee is charged per person, per visit.
Employee cards. On the Business Platinum Card from American Express, an employee Platinum card comes with its own lounge access. It also carries its own yearly fee. Cheaper employee cards on the same account, such as basic or Gold versions, do not include lounges. Other issuers work the same way. The employee needs the premium version of the card to get the premium lounges.
Here is how to decide. These are made up round numbers to show the math, not real prices.
- You fly with two staff 10 times a year.
- Say a guest fee is $50. Two guests on 10 trips is 20 visits, or $1,000 a year.
- Say an employee Platinum card costs $200 a year each. Two cards cost $400, and your staff can also use lounges when they fly alone.
Put in the real guest fee and the real employee card fee from your issuer's page, then compare. If your team travels often, employee cards usually win. If they travel once a year with you, paying for guests is often cheaper.
Is it different in Canada than in the US?
Yes. The same card name can give different lounges on each side of the border. The biggest gaps are these:
- Delta Sky Club comes with the US American Express Platinum cards. The Canadian versions do not include it.
- Air Canada Maple Leaf comes with some Canadian Aeroplan cards. US cards do not offer it.
- Plaza Premium is a bigger part of the lounge story in Canada, because it runs many of the independent lounges in Canadian airports.
- Supplementary cards in Canada work like employee cards in the US. Premium versions often carry their own lounge access, and basic ones do not.
So if you run a company in Canada and hold a US card, or the other way around, read the lounge page for the country that issued your card, not the one you live in.
Lounges are a nice start, but the bigger prize is the business class seat itself. If you own a business, you can see how many business class trips your current spending already buys. See what your spending buys.