If there is one thing that significantly improved our travel experience, it would be the airport lounges. Ever since we first learnt about their existance and how we could access them, we have never travelled the same again.
These days, we would go to airports several hours before our flight departure to take advantage of the lounge facilities available.
We are also more inclined to accept longer layovers between flights if the transiting airport has an amazing lounge. Some lounges even have shower rooms that are perfect for layovers between very long flights.
How do I access Airport Lounges?
In general, there are a couple of ways one can get access to airport lounges.
The first way is to fly in a premium cabin. This typically means Business Class and First Class tickets, though occasionally Premium Economy might qualify. Your boarding pass will grant you access to an airport lounge regardless of whether it’s a revenue or a redemption ticket.
The second way is to purchase a single entry pass. Many lounges around the world allow guests to purchase single passes to enter the lounge, typically around the range of US$40 to US$100 per person. Personally, I would not pay for lounge access as I feel that most lounges are not worth the steep prices asked of them.
Last but not least, my favourite method is to use Credit Cards to get into lounges for free. Many credit cards in Singapore offer free airport lounge access to cardholders and their guests. The most common arrangement is via a complimentary Priority Pass or LoungeKey lounge membership when you hold the credit card.
Lounge memberships typically grant you complimentary access to thousands of lounges around the world, greatly elevating your travel experience.
In this blog post, we will introduce the best credit cards in Singapore to gain access to airport lounges for free.
Our favourite Airport Lounges
Over the years, we’ve been to multiple airport lounges around the world simply by holding on to our credit cards. No 2 lounges are the same and here are some of our favourites.
ANA Lounge Narita Airport Tokyo
Read our full review of the ANA Lounge Narita Airport Tokyo.
SATS Premier Lounge Changi Airport
Read our full review of the SATS Premier Lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
Sky Hub Lounge Incheon Airport Seoul
Read our full review of the Sky Hub Lounge at Incheon International Airport Seoul.
Best Credit Cards for free lounge access
There are many credit cards in Singapore that offers complimentary airport lounge access. However, many of them are mediocre or cost too much for what they offer.
Below are the credit cards that we think are the most bang for your buck in terms of gaining free access into airport lounges.
DBS Altitude Visa Card
| Lounge membership | Priority Pass |
| Number of complimentary visits per year | 2 |
| Number of complimentary guests | Up to the complimentary limit |
Read our full review of the DBS Altitude Card here.
The DBS Altitude Credit Card offers a complimentary digital Priority Pass membership to its cardholders. With the Priority Pass membership, cardholders can enjoy 2 free lounge visits within each 12-month period.
Cardholders can either enjoy 2 separate visits, or 1 concurrent member and guest visit. Subsequent visits will cost US$32 per person per visit regardless of whether it’s the cardholder or the guest.
The DBS Altitude’s lounge offering is not the best of the bunch. However, given the low cost of the card (waivable annual fee), having some free lounge visits is better than none at all.
Citi Premiermiles Card
| Lounge membership | Priority Pass |
| Number of complimentary visits per year | 2 |
| Number of complimentary guests | Up to the complimentary limit |
Citi Premiermiles is another entry-level credit card that offers complimentary Priority Pass membership. The Citi Premiermiles card allows for 2 complimentary visits per calendar year. This is slightly different from the DBS Altitude card. You can potentially get 4 complimentary visits in a year if you apply for the card later in the year.
After the complimentary visits, each subsequent visit will cost US$32 per person per visit.
I would put the Citi Premiermiles Card at the same level as the DBS Altitude Card. You’ll not go wrong with either of them, though I have a slight preference for the Citi card.
Citi Premiermiles sign up bonus
| Offer |
|---|
| Dyson V8 Absolute™ (worth S$609) |
| Sony WH-1000XM5 (worth S$575) |
| Flujo Ayla Ergonomic Office Chair (worth S$1,139) |
| S$300 Cash via PayNow |
The sign-up bonus is only available to new-to-bank customers who do not currently have a Citibank credit card and have not cancelled 1 in the past 12 months. Cardholders will need to activate and spend a minimum S$500 within 30 days of card approval to be eligible for the offers.
This offer is valid until 2 April 2023.
Citi Prestige Credit Card
| Lounge membership | Priority Pass |
| Number of complimentary visits per year | Unlimited |
| Number of complimentary guests | 1 |
Now we’re stepping a level up into the premium credit card category with the Citi Prestige Card.
The Citi Prestige has an annual income requirement of S$120,000 for application and costs S$540 for its annual fee which is not waivable. In return, you’ll get a Priority Pass membership which grants you an unlimited number of complimentary visits to airport lounges around the world.
This is a great option if you travel frequently throughout the year. You can easily make back the high annual fee through your lounge visits if you value each visit at US$32.
American Express Platinum Charge Card
| Lounge membership | Priority Pass, Amex Centurion Lounge, Delta SkyClub, Plaza Premium |
| Number of visits per year | Unlimited |
| Number of complimentary guests | 1 |
Last but not least, the crème de la crème credit card for complimentary lounge access in Singapore would be the American Express Platinum Charge card.
What sets it apart from the rest of the cards is the variety of lounges cardmembers have access to. On top of the Priority Pass lounges typical of other credit cards, cardmembers can enter The Centurion Lounge, International American Express Lounges, Delta SkyClub and Plaza Premium lounge.
The Centurion Lounge is one of the best airport lounges available around the world. Travellers can only access these lounges if they are cardholders of the Amex Platinum Card or the Amex Centurion Card, making them a lot more exclusive than the typical airport lounge.
However, most Centurion Lounges are located in the US. At the time of writing this blog post, there are only 8 other countries with Centurion lounges. Unfortunately, none of them is in Singapore.
The American Express Platinum Charge Card requires an annual income of S$200,000 and comes with an annual fee of S$1,728. This is not an affordable option for attaining lounge access, but it can prove worthwhile for travellers looking for the ultimate luxury.
American Express Platinum Charge Sign up bonus
| Offer |
|---|
| Receive up to 61,250 Membership Rewards® points |
The sign-up bonus is only available to new card customers who do not currently have an American Express Platinum Charge Card and have not cancelled 1 in the past 12 months. Cardholders will need to spend a minimum S$300 within 1 month of card approval and pay the annual fee of S$1,728 to be eligible for the offers.
This offer is valid until 3 April 2023.
Conclusion
Using credit cards to get complimentary access to airport lounges is the easliest way to immediately elevate your travel experience. Air travel is typically a very stressful affair, and airport lounges can really help to reduce some parts of that.
For travellers who are a little more savvy, some airport lounges can even be a great way to save money as they provide great food that can substitute a full meal. It is a no brainer for anyone who even remotely travel for the slightest bits!
