In anticipation of our ultimate guide to VIP airport lounges coming soon, here’s how 6 different types of access work very concretely. These 6 excellent cards are among the best that offer free lounge access, but their benefits are not identical.
Here are the details in infographic format for the 6 cards, with many more details (and many more cards) to come very soon.
Best lounge access (unlimited and for the largest network)
Luxury benefits such as automatic hotel elite status
Huge welcome bonus of ≈ $652
Lucrative points with unlimited value (≈ $652 can become $2000+)
Credit that reimburses your NEXUS subscription to avoid airport queues
$200 travel credit that can be cashed in on Day 1 (so net fee is $599, not $799)
$200 dining credit at luxury restaurants
No minimum income requirement
Excellent insurance
Platinum Card® from American Express
Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value)
≈ $
Rewards: ≈ $1451*
Card fee: $799
minimum income required: $0
spend $10,000
in 3 months
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Amex is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
Airport lounge access: Visa Airport Companion by DragonPass
More lounge passes than any other card in Canada (except premium cards)
No foreign transaction fees (savings of 2.5%)
Simple points that can be used for any trip booked on any website
Very low minimum spending requirements (giving you 9.5% back with the bonus)
Excellent insurance
Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card
Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value)
$
Rewards: $340*
Card fee: $150
ends July 1st
min. income: $60k (or $100k household)
spend $2,000
in 3 months
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Scotia is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
BMO Ascend World Elite MasterCard
Airport lounge access: Mastercard Travel Pass by DragonPass
Best Mastercard with lounge access (so it’s accepted at Costco)
Simple points that can be used for any trip booked on any website
Free welcome bonus of $330
One of the best earn rates for travel (3.33%), even if it’s not that important
Excellent insurance
BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* MasterCard®*
Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value)
$
Rewards: $330*
Card fee: $0 $150
min. income: $80k (or $150k household)
spend $4,500 in 3 months
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
Airport lounge access: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges (North America)
Unlimited access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges (widest coverage in Canada)
Priority boarding (and other luxury benefits) on Air Canada
Free checked bags on Air Canada (for 8 companions too)
Free full-size carry-ons on Air Canada (even in basic economy fare class)
Discounts on flights booked with points (on Air Canada, not partners)
Accelerator for those with Air Canada Aeroplan elite status
Lucrative points with unlimited value (≈ $442 can become $1,000)
Credit that reimburses your NEXUS subscription to avoid airport queues
No minimum income requirement
Excellent insurance
American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value)
≈ $
Rewards: ≈ $1041*
Card fee: $599
minimum income required: $0
spend $7,500
in 3 months
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Amex is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
$100 travel credit that can be cashed in on Day 1 (so net fee is $150, not $250)
No minimum income requirement
Largest welcome bonus in Canada right now (except for premium cards)
8 lounge passes in the 1st year of your card (4 in 2025 and 4 in 2026)
Lucrative points with unlimited value (≈ $930 can become $2,000)
Credit that reimburses your NEXUS subscription to avoid airport queues
Excellent insurance
American Express® Gold Rewards Card
Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value)
≈ $
Rewards: ≈ $1180*
Card fee: $250
minimum income required: $0
spend $1,000/month
for 12 months
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Amex is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
More lounge passes than any other card in Canada (except cards with unlimited access)
New increased welcome bonus (highest ever seen for this card)
No foreign transaction fees (savings of 2.5%)
Simple points that can be used for any trip on any website
Low minimum income requirement
Excellent insurance
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card
Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value)
$
Rewards: $1000*
Card fee: $399
ends October 31st
minimum income required: $12k
spend $10,000 in 14 months
(or $3,000 for lower bonus)
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Scotia is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
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What would you like to know about how free access to VIP airport lounges works? Tell us in the comments below.
Andrew is the co-founder of Flytrippers. He is passionate about traveling the world but also, as a former management consultant, about the travel industry itself. He shares his experiences to help you save money on travel. As a very cost-conscious traveler, he loves finding deals and getting free travel thanks to travel rewards points... to help him visit every country in the world (current count: 71/193 Countries, 47/50 US States & 9/10 Canadian Provinces).
Valuation $190