{"id":274068,"date":"2026-08-22T12:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=274068\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T01:26:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T01:26:34","slug":"priority-pass-keeps-getting-worse-for-u-s-credit-cardholders-heres-what-changed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/travel\/priority-pass-devaluations\/","title":{"rendered":"Priority Pass Keeps Getting Worse for U.S. Credit Cardholders \u2014 Here\u2019s What Changed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At one point, a Priority Pass Select membership was <em>the<\/em> membership to have if you wanted to travel comfortably. However, thanks to several devaluations over the years &#8212; including the most recent news that <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/chase-ultimate-rewards\/sapphire-lounges-leave-priority-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations will leave Priority Pass<\/a> on August 15, 2026 &#8212; Priority Pass doesn\u2019t look as favorable as it once did.<\/p>\n<p>Here's a look at how Priority Pass has changed over the years, and which cards still offer the most comprehensive Priority Pass membership.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Priority_Pass_Timeline_Whats_Changed_Over_the_Years\">Priority Pass Timeline: What\u2019s Changed Over the Years?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As with any program, it's natural for things to evolve over the years. Each small change doesn't seem very impactful, but when you list them all out, it's rather shocking.<\/p>\n<p>Here's a look at what's changed with <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/travel\/priority-pass-lounges-guide\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Priority Pass<\/a> in the past two years:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2024: <\/strong>All <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/hilton-honors\/hilton-amex-priority-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hilton Honors credit cards lost access to Priority Pass<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>July 1, 2024:<\/strong> Chase Sapphire Reserve<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, The Ritz-Carlton\u2122 Credit Card, and <b>J.P. Morgan Reserve\u00a0card<\/b> memberships <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/chase-ultimate-rewards\/sapphire-reserve-priority-pass-benefit-change\/\" rel=\"noopener\">lost access to Priority Pass restaurants, caf\u00e9s, and markets<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>April 2025:<\/strong> The LAX location of The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse joined Priority Pass, but it isn\u2019t an automatic get-in as a standard visit allocation. You'll have to pay an additional $35 per person to enter. A Priority Pass Select membership is supposed to offer complimentary access to participating lounges, so having to pay an extra fee isn't ideal for most travelers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>November 1, 2025: <\/strong>Capital One canceled and replaced existing Capital One Venture X Business Priority Pass Select memberships, and\u00a0grandfathered cardholders <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/capital-one-rewards\/venture-x-business-priority-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\">lost access to Priority Pass restaurants<\/a> and other non-lounge experiences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>January 15, 2026:<\/strong> Cardholders of the The Ritz-Carlton\u2122 Credit Card <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/chase-ultimate-rewards\/ritz-card-lounge-access\/\" rel=\"noopener\">lost unlimited Priority Pass guests<\/a>, marking a big change for the generous membership. The new limit is just two complimentary guests, with any others at $27 each.<\/li>\n<li><strong>February 1, 2026:<\/strong> Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card personal cardholders <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/capital-one-rewards\/guest-lounge-access-changes\/\" rel=\"noopener\">lost access to complimentary Priority Pass guest passes<\/a>. Primary cardholders must pay $35 per guest, per visit. Complimentary lounge access for authorized users was also reduced \u2014 you must pay a $125 fee each year to gain access.<\/li>\n<li><strong>June 2026:<\/strong> The Plaza Premium Lounge in DFW Terminal D swiftly left Priority Pass almost as quickly as it joined. It's normal for lounges to move in and out of the program, but losing access mere months after a lounge opens is bad news for travelers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>July 2026:<\/strong> Showers are no longer complimentary at The Club lounges at CLT, DFW, LAS, PIT, and SJC. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses at JFK, SFO, and IAD also introduced charges for the shower facilities at that time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>August 15, 2026:<\/strong> Priority Pass members will lose both the annual complimentary visit to a Chase Sapphire Lounge and the additional $75 paid-entry option. The lounges will now be exclusively available to select premium Chase credit cardholders. This update impacts all nine currently open lounges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep in mind that these are the Priority Pass changes that have plagued travelers in the last couple of years. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/credit-cards\/capital-one-priority-pass-changes-2023\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Capital One got rid of non-lounge benefits in 2023<\/a> while <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/credit-cards\/amex-priority-pass-cards-lose-restaurant-access\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Amex dropped access in 2019<\/a>. Slowly but surely, Priority Pass has devolved from a must-have to a &#8220;kind of nice&#8221; perk while travelers seek out other options like <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/amex-membership-rewards\/centurion-lounge-locations\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Centurion Lounges<\/a> or co-branded airline lounges.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_198895\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/481\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-198895 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chase-Sapphire-Lounge-PHL-Featured-Entry.png\" alt=\"Chase Sapphire Lounge PHL entryway, sign with Sapphire Logo and desk in front.\" width=\"600\" height=\"481\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chase-Sapphire-Lounge-PHL-Featured-Entry.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chase-Sapphire-Lounge-PHL-Featured-Entry-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chase-Sapphire-Lounge-PHL-Featured-Entry-768x615.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chase-Sapphire-Lounge-PHL-Featured-Entry-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Tyler Glatt\/AwardWallet<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"Which_Cards_Currently_Offer_the_Best_Priority_Pass_Membership\">Which Cards Currently Offer the Best Priority Pass Membership?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While the vast majority of cards have eroded their Priority Pass benefits over the past few years, there are a handful that still have access to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/priority-pass-restaurants\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Priority Pass restaurants<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"152\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/bank-of-america\/premium-rewards-elite\/\">Bank of America<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Premium Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Elite Credit Card<\/a>:<\/strong> Includes four Priority Pass memberships that can be shared with authorized users or family members. You can also bring unlimited guests.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"3006107\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/mastercard-black-card\/\">Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Black Card<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>:<\/strong> You can bring unlimited guests with you to the lounge.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"4048248\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/us-bank-altitude-connect\/\">U.S. Bank Altitude<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Connect Visa Signature<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a>:<\/strong> You only get four visits per year, and if you want to bring a guest, you'll need to use one of your four visits for them. However, this is great for a no-annual-fee card.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"254\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/jetblue-trueblue\/jetblue-premier-card\/\" target=_blank>JetBlue Premier Card<\/a>:<\/strong> You can bring one guest for free per visit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Generally, you're covered for around $28 at Priority Pass restaurants. Anything above that, you'll need to pay yourself.<\/p>\n<div class=\"compare-cards-wrap compare-count-cards-3 compare-p-u-s-bank\"><div class=\"compare-card\"><div class=\"compare-pre\"><div class=\"compare-image\"><div><img data-aspectratio=\"150\/95\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/CardArt-BankOfAmericaPremiumRewardsEliteCreditCard.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"Bank of America\u00ae Premium Rewards\u00ae Elite Credit Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-name\">Bank of America<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Premium Rewards<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Elite Credit Card<\/div><div class=\"compare-offer\"><strong>Welcome Bonus<\/strong> Earn 75,000 online bonus points after you make at least $5,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-apply\"><a class=\"qs-how-apply\" data-ccid=\"152\" data-exit=\"ccw\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/BankOfAmericaPremiumRewardsEliteCreditCard\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">How to Apply<\/a><\/div><div class=\"compare-fee-score\"><div class=\"compare-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee<\/strong><p>$550<\/p><\/div><div class=\"compare-rating compare-rating--0\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-earning\"><ul>\r\n<li>2 points for every dollar spent on travel and dining purchases<\/li>\r\n<li>1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-card\"><div class=\"compare-pre\"><div class=\"compare-image\"><div><img data-aspectratio=\"150\/95\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CardArt-MastercardBlack.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"Mastercard&lt;sup&gt;\u00ae&lt;\/sup&gt; Black Card&lt;sup&gt;\u00ae&lt;\/sup&gt;\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-name\">Mastercard<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Black Card<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/div><div class=\"compare-offer\"><strong>Featured Benefit<\/strong>\r\nEnjoy automatic enrollment in Priority Pass\u2122 Select with access to over 1,800 airport lounges worldwide with no guest or lounge limits. Includes credits at select airport restaurants for cardholder and one guest.<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='Mastercard&lt;sup&gt;\u00ae&lt;\/sup&gt; Black Card&lt;sup&gt;\u00ae&lt;\/sup&gt;' data-ccid=\"3006107\" data-exit=\"ccw\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/MastercardBlackCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div><div class=\"compare-fee-score\"><div class=\"compare-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee<\/strong><p>$699<\/p><\/div><div class=\"compare-rating compare-rating--5\"><strong>Credit Score<\/strong><p>Very Good, Excellent<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-earning\"><ul>\r\n<li>Earn one point for every dollar spent<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-card\"><div class=\"compare-pre\"><div class=\"compare-image\"><div><img data-aspectratio=\"150\/94\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CardArt-USBankAltitudeConnectVisaSignatureCard.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"U.S. Bank Altitude\u00ae Connect Visa Signature\u00ae Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-name\">U.S. Bank Altitude<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Connect Visa Signature<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/div><div class=\"compare-offer\"><strong>Welcome Bonus<\/strong> Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-apply\"><a class=\"qs-how-apply\" data-ccid=\"4048248\" data-exit=\"ccw\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/CR-USBankAltitudeConnectVisaSignatureCard\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">How to Apply<\/a><\/div><div class=\"compare-fee-score\"><div class=\"compare-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee<\/strong><p>$0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"compare-rating compare-rating--6\"><strong>Credit Score<\/strong><p>Excellent Credit<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-earning\"><ul>\r\n<li>5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center<\/li>\r\n<li>4X points on other travel, including airlines, hotels, rental cars, cruises, taxis, trains, and limousines.<\/li>\r\n<li>4X points at gas stations and on electric vehicle charging (on up to $1,000 in spending each quarter)<\/li>\r\n<li>2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and streaming services<\/li>\r\n<li>1 point on all other eligible purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With such a wide network globally, the Priority Pass benefit on many cards is still a golden one if you travel often enough. Depending on the card, though, it might be more beneficial for solo travelers than families, as you may have to pay for extra guests to enter lounges.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s definitely still worth having, but if more lounges start disappearing from the network, the appeal might not be as strong for some as it once was. Even with these changes, the global membership program still has more than 1,900 lounges available worldwide.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ftoc\"><div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Priority_Pass_Timeline_Whats_Changed_Over_the_Years\">Priority Pass Timeline: What\u2019s Changed Over the Years?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Which_Cards_Currently_Offer_the_Best_Priority_Pass_Membership\">Which Cards Currently Offer the Best Priority Pass Membership?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the news that Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations will leave the Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks starting August 15, 2026, Priority Pass doesn\u2019t look as favorable as it once did. Here&#8217;s a glimpse of the changes Priority Pass has made in the last two years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":54313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12054],"tags":[12520,12628],"coauthors":[36542],"class_list":["post-274068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","tag-card-benefits","tag-travel-experience"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274068"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":274989,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274068\/revisions\/274989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274068"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=274068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}