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A good airport lounge can greatly improve the quality of a trip, especially with long-haul flights or odd hours. But some are a cut above the rest. To help you figure out where those top lounges are are, here's the list of the 2026 best airport lounges worldwide from the Priority Pass Excellence Awards.
Priority Pass Announces Best Airport Lounges in 2026
Travelers have thousands of airport lounges worldwide to relax in before or after a flight. Just the Priority Pass lounge network has over 1,900 lounges. Most offer great food, drinks, and other amenities. But some lounges sit above others in terms of quality and offerings. The Priority Pass Excellence Awards named the best airport lounges in 2026, specifically among Priority Pass lounges.
This year's winners are based on over 700,000 reviews from Priority Pass members. There are five categories: regional winners (including an overall global winner), highly recommended lounges (a.k.a. runners-up), Pioneer of the Year winners focusing on innovation, All-Star of the Year winners focusing on customer service, and One to Watch for lounges with significant improvements.
Note that two categories, Pioneer of the Year and All-Star of the Year, have delayed awards. We will update this article when the winners are announced.
Overall global winner 2026
Winner: Escape Lounges, Concourse D, Portland OR International Airport – Oregon, United States
Escape Lounges at Portland International Airport is a vibrant space where you can escape the hubbub of the terminal to work, relax, or socialize. The lounge offers freshly-prepared local food, including vegan and gluten-free options, and complimentary drinks at the bar. Access is available from 4:30 a.m. until midnight daily.
Regional winners 2026
- Asia Pacific: Lounge Fukuoka, International Terminal, Fukuoka International, Japan
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Club Kingston, Norman Manley International, Jamaica
- Middle East and Africa: Bidvest Premier Lounge, Domestic Terminal B, O.R. Tambo International, South Africa
- Europe: Vienna Lounge, Terminal 1, Vienna Schwechat, Austria (2024 global winner)
Highly commended lounges 2026
- Asia Pacific: Kyra Lounge, Terminal 1, Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International, Hong Kong
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Advantage VIP Lounge, Terminal 1 Domestic, Capinas Viracopos International, Brazil
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa: No. 1 Lounge Jersey, Jersey Airport, Jersey
- North America: Escape Lounges, Concourse A, Kansas City MO International, United States
“One to Watch” winners 2026
A new category is for One-to-Watch lounges. This category recognizes lounges that have made the most significant improvements to their overall experience across the Priority Pass global network, as reflected in reviews. Here are the winners this year:
- Asia Pacific: Kocoo Lounge, Terminal 2, Narita International Airport, Japan
- Americas: Advantage VIP Lounge, São Paulo Congonhas, Brazil
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa: VIP Lounge ‘Angelo D'Arrigo', Terminal A, Catania Fontanarossa, Italy
What Makes an Airport Lounge Great?
Many factors go into the perfect airport lounge. The most common things travelers look for are comfortable seats, good food and drinks, showers, quiet work locations, and overall convenience. Other things to consider include the overall lounge layout, window views, temperature control, bathroom and shower amenities, preventing overcrowding, the quality of meals and cocktails, noise levels, etc.
Furthermore, the artistic presentation of the lounge or art installations, the food and drink displays, and, of course, the behavior of the staff all go toward a relaxing and comfortable experience before or after your flight.
Our Take
Of course, great lounges aren't the only benefits of a Priority Pass membership. The membership also gives access to great restaurants, complimentary terminal hotels, swimming pools, and even golf. Just to recap, the Priority Pass costs $99 to $469 annually, depending on the tier. However, there are plenty of ways you can get a discounted or free Priority Pass membership — and it starts with having the right credit card in your wallet.
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Some of the best airport lounges for 2026 are in rather remote or unusual airports. However, that makes them even more fun to visit if you happen to pass through that airport. There's certainly competition for the best lounge, considering each lounge has its pros and cons.
What factors do you think go into a good airport lounge? Did you visit any of the lounges that won an award in 2026?
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