The Best Airport Lounges in the US (2026), Ranked by Travelers

The best airport lounges in the US in 2026 are the American Express Centurion Lounges and the Capital One Lounges, tied for first at 771 points out of 1,000 in J.D. Power’s 2026 U.S. Airport Lounge Satisfaction Study. Chase Sapphire Lounges came third at 764, one point ahead of Delta’s Sky Clubs and Delta One lounges.

J.D. Power surveyed 2,991 travelers who had used a US airport lounge in the past year, between April and June 2026, and published the results on August 19, 2026. It scores whole lounge networks, not single rooms, so this list ranks the ten networks in its study and names the one location in each worth planning a trip around.

The pattern is hard to miss. Three of the top four are credit card lounges, and United finished ninth of ten.

1. American Express Centurion Lounges (tied)

Centurion Lounges topped J.D. Power’s ranking again in 2026, this time sharing the lead with Capital One at 771 points. The network covers more than a dozen major US airports, from Atlanta and Charlotte to Seattle and Salt Lake City, which no other card lounge comes close to.

The one to visit is New York JFK in Terminal 4. At more than 15,000 square feet over two floors, it is the largest Centurion Lounge, with an “1850” speakeasy bar and an Equinox Body Lab wellness space, the first in an airport lounge.

Entry comes with the Amex Platinum, Delta SkyMiles Reserve or Centurion card, within 3 hours of departure. Guests cost $50 for adults and $30 for children aged 2 to 17, unless a Platinum member has spent $75,000 on the card in a calendar year, which unlocks two free guests.

For a closer look at the access math against Delta’s own clubs, see our Centurion Lounge vs Delta Sky Club comparison.

1. Capital One Lounges (tied)

Capital One matched Amex at 771 points with a far smaller network: five Capital One Lounges at Dallas DFW, Washington Dulles, Denver, Las Vegas and New York JFK, plus two Capital One Landings at Washington National and LaGuardia. Capital One says it scored highest of any network in five of J.D. Power’s categories, including food and beverage, ease of access and Wi-Fi.

The one to visit is JFK, which Skytrax ranked fifth among the world’s independent airport lounges for 2026, one place ahead of the Centurion Lounge at JFK. Dulles also made that list, at 13th.

Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders get in free. Since February 1, 2026, guests cost $45 per adult and $25 per child under 18, unless the account spends $75,000 in a calendar year, and authorized users need a $125 add-on.

3. Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club

Chase scored 764, seven points behind the leaders, and it holds the best individual credential of any US lounge. Skytrax named the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Terminal B the world’s best independent airport lounge for 2026, and Philadelphia placed 14th.

Nine are open in the US as of October 2026: Boston, Dallas DFW, New York JFK, LaGuardia, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego and Washington Dulles. The newest, at DFW Terminal D, opened on July 16, 2026, with 18,000 square feet over two levels and a dedicated whiskey lounge, and Los Angeles is expected in 2027.

Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Reserve for Business and J.P. Morgan Reserve cardholders get in with two free guests, and extra guests cost $27. On August 15, 2026, Chase stopped admitting Priority Pass members from other cards, who can now pay $100 for entry when space allows.

4. Delta Sky Clubs and Delta One Lounges

Delta scored 763, the best of any US airline and one point behind Chase. The score blends the large Sky Club network with the newer Delta One Lounges, which are open at New York JFK, Boston, Los Angeles (Terminals 2 and 3) and Seattle.

Our pick for the single best lounge in the US is the Delta One Lounge at JFK Terminal 4. It has a 140-seat brasserie, a walk-up market and bakery, wellness rooms with massage options and an outdoor terrace with a retractable roof, and it does not admit credit card holders at all.

Delta One Lounges take same-day Delta One passengers, Delta 360 members in First, and premium-cabin travelers on Air France, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic. Sky Clubs are easier to reach, but Amex Platinum holders get 10 visits a year and Delta Reserve holders 15, with each extra visit costing $50.

5. British Airways Lounges

British Airways joined the study in 2026 and went straight to fifth with 751 points. It runs 10 lounges at 8 US airports, mostly Galleries Club lounges for business class passengers on transatlantic departures.

The one to visit is the Chelsea Lounge in JFK Terminal 8, open only to first class passengers on British Airways and American. Its neighbors, the Soho Lounge for oneworld first class and Emerald members and the Greenwich Lounge for business class, sit on the same level.

BA sells no day passes or memberships, so the ticket or oneworld status is the only way in, with one narrow exception: Priority Pass members can use the San Francisco lounge between 5 and 11:30 a.m. Newark’s lounge closed on July 31, 2026, for a rebuild and is due back in summer 2027.

6. American Airlines Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges

American scored 749, two points behind its oneworld partner. Admirals Clubs make up most of that network, but the reason to go is the Flagship Lounge, open at Chicago O’Hare, Dallas DFW, Los Angeles, Miami and Philadelphia, with JFK’s Greenwich Lounge run the same way.

The one to visit is the DFW Flagship Lounge in Terminal D, because it adds Flagship Dining, a sit-down restaurant inside the lounge, which only DFW and Miami offer for now. Flagship Business passengers on long-haul international, transcontinental and Hawaii flights can get a table.

Flagship Lounges admit oneworld business and first class passengers on long-haul routes and premium transcons such as JFK to Los Angeles, plus oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members on qualifying trips. Anyone on a same-day American or oneworld flight can also buy entry for $150 or 15,000 AAdvantage miles.

7. Air France Lounges

Air France was the other new entry in 2026 and scored 746. Like British Airways, it runs lounges for its own premium passengers rather than for cardholders.

The bigger story is coming. Air France announced on September 15, 2026, that it will open a 29,000-square-foot lounge over two levels at JFK’s New Terminal One, seating more than 400 and becoming its largest lounge outside France, as its New York flights move there from 2027. Access will go to La Première and business class passengers, Flying Blue Elite Plus members and eligible SkyTeam travelers.

8. Alaska Lounges

Alaska scored 737, just above the 732 average. It runs nine lounges at six airports: Anchorage, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Portland (two), San Francisco and Seattle (three).

Alaska is the friendliest network to pay your way into. A day pass costs $65 at most locations, and a membership costs $595, or $795 for Lounge+, which adds more than 90 partner lounges, including many Admirals Clubs.

Paid first class passengers on an Alaska flight over 2,100 miles get in free. The one to visit is the newer North Satellite lounge in Seattle, the airline’s home airport.

9. United Clubs and Polaris Lounges

United scored 702, well below the average and 61 points behind Delta. This year J.D. Power counted the Polaris Lounges inside United’s score for the first time, so the result reflects a whole network that is mostly United Clubs.

That hides United’s best product. Polaris Lounges, open at Chicago O’Hare, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington Dulles, serve sit-down à la carte meals, have showers and quiet rooms with day beds, and admit only Polaris and Star Alliance business and first class passengers on long-haul international flights.

No card, club membership or day pass gets you into Polaris. The one to visit is Newark, before an overnight flight to Europe in one of the better business class cabins.

10. The Club

The Club, a shared-use network not tied to any airline, scored 650, the lowest in the study by 52 points. Its lounges, at airports including San Francisco, San Jose, Chicago Midway and Charleston, take Priority Pass and LoungeKey members, which helps explain the crowds.

Anyone can buy a Club Pass online ahead of time, and within six hours of departure only at the door if seats are free. The one to visit is San Francisco, which adds shower sessions at $25 for 30 minutes.

Card Lounge or Airline Lounge: Which Should You Chase?

The card lounges win the survey because they are built to impress the people paying an annual fee: real food, cocktails and a design budget. Their weakness is the same thing that makes them popular, since every cardholder at the airport can walk in.

The best rooms in America, Delta One at JFK, Polaris and the Flagship Lounges, sit inside airline networks and are reserved for long-haul premium tickets. If you fly coach on domestic routes, a card lounge is your best realistic option; if you fly business to Europe or Asia, the ticket already opens a better door.

For the lounges that beat all of these abroad, from Hong Kong to Doha, see our ranking of the best airport lounges in the world. And if the terminal itself matters more than the lounge, start with the best airports in the US.