Airport Lounge Day Pass: What Each Airline Charges in 2026

Airport lounge day passes let you pay for a single visit without a membership or an annual-fee credit card. The price ranges from $59 to $90 depending on the lounge. Whether that is worth paying depends on how long you are at the airport and what you would otherwise spend on food and drinks during the wait.

Prices on this page are verified from lounge operator sources, September 2026. Lounge policies change frequently — confirm before purchase.

Lounge Day Pass Prices in 2026

Lounge	Day pass price	How to buy	Restriction
United Club	$59	United app or at Club location	3-hour pre-departure limit; not valid at United Club Fly
American Admirals Club	$79 or 7,900 miles	AA.com or at the door	Must fly same-day on AA or Oneworld
Alaska Lounge	$65 ($35 active military)	At the door	Same-day Alaska flight required
Capital One Lounge	$90	At the door	Must have a Capital One card
Delta Sky Club	Not available	—	Day passes discontinued

Sources for this section (verify current pricing on each lounge’s official site):

• United Club day passes: united.com United Club passes
• American Admirals Club: aa.com Admirals Club membership
• Capital One Lounge: capitalone.com lounges

United Club Day Pass: $59

United Club day passes cost $59 each and are purchased through the United mobile app or at a physical United Club location. The passes are not available at United Club Fly grab-and-go locations, which are the smaller express-format units at some gates.

One important restriction: day pass holders are limited to entering within three hours of their scheduled departure. You cannot use the pass for a four-hour layover that begins six hours before your flight.

Each pass is valid for the individual buyer and a guest. Children under two travel free.

The United Club network covers major US hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York Newark, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles. Not every United hub has a full Club location — some have only United Club Fly.

What you get: food and snacks (a rotating selection, not a full restaurant), alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, charging stations, and in some locations, shower facilities.

American Admirals Club Day Pass: $79 or 7,900 Miles

Admirals Club day passes cost $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles and can be purchased at aa.com or at the lounge door. The pass is valid at any Admirals Club location on the same travel day.

Eligibility requires same-day travel on a flight marketed or operated by American Airlines or a Oneworld partner airline. The pass covers you and up to three children under 18.

One useful detail: the $79 fee can be applied toward the cost of an annual Admirals Club membership within 30 days of purchase. If you are already considering a membership, a day pass first is a way to evaluate whether the lounge is worth the annual fee.

American has raised its Admirals Club membership fees significantly in 2026, which makes the day pass increasingly expensive relative to what you receive. The lounge experience at Admirals Club varies considerably by location — some flagship clubs are genuinely pleasant; others are overcrowded and understaffed during peak hours.

Source: American Airlines Admirals Club membership rate increase, 2026 — NerdWallet coverage

Delta Sky Club: No Day Passes Available

Delta stopped selling day passes due to overcrowding. As of 2026, access to Delta Sky Club requires a Delta credit card with lounge access, a Delta Medallion status that includes club access, or a paid Delta One ticket on a same-day flight.

If you want Sky Club access without a co-branded card, the clearest path is the Amex Platinum card, which includes Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta. Without any of those qualifications, there is no day-pass option.

Capital One Lounge: $90 for Non-Cardholders

Capital One Lounges are available at Dallas DFW, Denver DEN, and Dulles IAD, with additional locations planned. Non-cardholders pay $90 at the door. Capital One cardholders with a Venture or Venture X card pay $0 with the Venture X or receive two free visits per year with the standard Venture card.

The $90 price is the highest day-pass cost of any US airline or network lounge. The lounges themselves are regarded as among the better domestic lounge experiences, with full food service and cocktail programs. Whether that justifies $90 for a single visit depends on how long you will be there.

Priority Pass: $35 Per Guest Without Membership

Priority Pass sells individual guest passes at $35 each, but only when you are already a Priority Pass member. The pass itself does not have a walk-up purchase option — it requires an underlying membership, which runs $99 per year for the Standard tier.

Priority Pass is more commonly included as a credit card benefit (Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and others) than purchased directly. If you have one of those cards, guests pay $35 when the cardholder accompanies them.

Is a Day Pass Worth the Money?

The math only works when you will be at the airport long enough to use what you are paying for.

At $59 for a United Club pass, you need to spend at least four to five hours in the airport to break even against what you would spend at airport bars and restaurants — roughly two drinks and a meal. For a 90-minute connection, a day pass is a bad deal. For a four-hour delay, it is a reasonable one.

The specific calculation:

• Airport meal: $18–$30
• Two drinks at an airport bar: $20–$30
• Total spend without lounge: $40–$60

At that rate, the United Club at $59 roughly breaks even on food and drinks for a three-to-four-hour stay, and you also get a quiet seat, reliable Wi-Fi, and a shower option. At American’s $79 rate, you need a longer visit or a higher personal bar spend to make the numbers work.

The most honest way to evaluate it: if you are at the airport for more than three hours, a day pass is probably worth the money for the comfort. For short connections, it almost never is.

FAQ: Airport Lounge Day Passes

Can I just walk up to an airport lounge and buy a day pass?

It depends on the lounge. American Admirals Club allows walk-up purchase at the door. United Club requires the United app for purchase (no cash or card at the door in most locations). Delta Sky Club does not sell day passes at all. Capital One Lounge allows walk-up but charges $90.

What is included in an airport lounge day pass?

Most US airline lounges with day passes include food (light snacks to full meal service, depending on location), alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, and charging stations. Shower facilities are available at some United Club and Admirals Club locations but not all.

Can I bring a guest into a lounge with a day pass?

Policies vary. United Club day passes include the purchaser and one guest. Admirals Club allows the purchaser and three children under 18, but a companion adult typically requires their own pass. Confirm the guest policy before purchasing.

Are airport lounge day passes refundable if my flight is cancelled?

Most lounge day passes are non-refundable. If you purchase a United Club pass and your flight is cancelled, the pass is still valid only for that travel day — it does not carry over. Check the cancellation terms before buying, especially if your flight is at risk of disruption.

Which airport lounges are the best in the US?

Quality varies significantly by location. United Polaris Lounges (at JFK, IAD, SFO, and ORD) are consistently rated among the best for passengers flying international routes. Amex Centurion Lounges (available to Platinum cardholders) are widely regarded as the strongest independent lounge network for domestic travelers. For day-pass purchasers, Admirals Club flagship locations in DFW and LAX offer more than the standard club experience.