The best airport lounges from the 2026 TPG Awards — and the top card for gaining access
One undeniable way that airlines and premium credit cards battle it out to win a slot in your wallet is by creating must-visit airport lounges. And honestly, we're not the least bit mad about that friendly competition because travelers are the ultimate winners.
In the airport, travelers are pretty much a captive audience, and who among us doesn't want access to complimentary, high-quality food; a hand-crafted cocktail; a nice, stylish place to sit; and maybe even a shower, nap room or arcade game while waiting for that next flight?
In our quest to name some of the best airport lounges this year, we had to make some tough choices. On the list of winners, there's not a single lounge titan that dominates across all categories.
Instead, you'll see there's a lot of competition in the airport lounge arena — with some fresh-faced challengers who have made real gains against established competitors that once stood out as sole leaders in the space. And one more thing is becoming clear: Sad cheese cubes on a buffet are no longer going to impress travelers (especially not when some lounges have an actual cheesemonger available).
So, which new lounges are offering the best experience in 2026? Which lounge network is the most consistent? And which credit card provides you with the best access to as many lounges as possible?
Grab a Momofuku small plate of snacks, get comfy, and let's dive in.
Best Credit Card Lounge Network: Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club
We are handing out a couple of trophies to the best new individual lounge locations of the year. But since some of us often visit many airports per year, there's value in knowing the best overall lounge network. This is the network that you know will be outstanding — whether you are on the East Coast, the West Coast or somewhere in between.
This year, the title of the Best Credit Card Lounge Network goes to the growing list of Chase Sapphire Lounges.
There are now eight Chase Sapphire Lounges open in the U.S. Two of these just opened in 2025 (Las Vegas and Philadelphia), and two more are scheduled to join the lineup in 2026 (Los Angeles and Dallas).
We didn't select the winner by debating who has the best wine list and small plates, though. Instead, we used a data-backed methodology that considered:
- The size of the network of lounges within the U.S.
- Amenities in the lounges
- Quality and variety of food and beverage options
- Ease of use of the lounges (included access, guest policies, authorized user privileges, etc.)
While it was a very close race — we're talking seven hundredths of a point — the Chase Sapphire Lounge network took the prize due to its guest policies, variety of amenities and enjoyable menu that is often available both via buffet and QR code.
Perhaps the best gut-check that this is, indeed, the lounge network to beat: Many frequent travelers on the TPG staff still actively build in some extra airport time just to stop by the Chase Sapphire Lounges. In the era of "airport theory" where it's in vogue to spend as little time as possible catching that next flight, this is really saying something.
So whether you (and your guests) visit the Champagne Lounge at the Sapphire Lounge in Las Vegas, get a complimentary facial in Philadelphia, take the kids to the family room in San Diego or play an arcade game in New York City, the Chase Sapphire Lounges are likely to put a smile on your face and some good food in your belly while you pass the time.
Best New Credit Card Lounge: Capital One Lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
There was strong competition for the best new credit card lounge as well.
While Chase Sapphire took the cake for the best overall credit card lounge network, a different favorite emerged as the best individual credit card lounge: the Capital One Lounge at JFK in New York City.
It's a new flagship lounge concept from Capital One that really shines — even when compared to the rest of the fierce competition at JFK's Terminal 4. (The terminal has a flagship American Express Centurion Lounge, two Delta Sky Clubs, a new Chase Sapphire Lounge and a fairly new Delta One Lounge.)
Frankly, we have not seen a lounge quite like it before.
It has an extensive list of superlatives: It's Capital One's first flagship concept, its first lounge open 24/7 (yes, you read that right), its first lounge with a bagel bar featuring freshly baked bagels, and — as previously mentioned — the first lounge to feature a cheesemonger.
Capital One teamed up with the famous Murray's Cheese to open the cheese shop within the lounge. You can sign up for a 45-minute personalized cheese tasting, and we can attest that it's absolutely worth the time commitment. Now, that's an only-in-New York idea we can get behind.
Ess-a-Bagel, a well-known spot among New Yorkers, teamed up with Capital One to bring in fresh dough every single day and bake a variety of six different bagels in the lounge's kitchen.
There's also a buffet with hot and cold options that rotate throughout the day; you can also order via a QR code menu at every table. We are fans of the innovative grab-and-go, walk-up counter for which Capital One flagship lounges are known. You can get takeaway your way, and either dine in the lounge or bring it to your boarding gate.
Another superlative: It's the largest lounge in Capital One's network, measuring in at an impressive 13,500 square feet.
Perhaps one of the best features is the flagship bar that had us swooning over more than a dozen specialty cocktails, all named for famous New York City locales like the Lower East Side and Staten Island. The lounge worked with Brooklyn brewer Grimm Artisanal Ales on an exclusive beer.
You'll also find roving bar carts that provide mixed drinks or other treats at various times during the lounge hours.
A panel of editorial subject-matter experts used on-the-ground experience to evaluate all card issuer lounges that opened in 2025 and decide which stood out as the best value and experience for TPG readers. For us, it was the new Capital One Lounge.
Wondering how you can get in to check it out for yourself?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is your best bet here. The $395 annual fee comes with entry to Capital One lounges for you, and you can pay $125 annually for an authorized user to access all lounges included with the card (Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and Priority Pass lounges) starting February 1. For more on how to access the lounge, check out our complete guide.
Best New Airline Lounge: Delta One Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Now onto the best new airline lounge in the U.S.
Not to sound like a broken record, but this was another tight race. Our winner was a fancy new outpost that's available to travelers flying out of a certain Pacific Northwest hub in a swanky seat.
Yes, we're talking about Delta Air Lines' new Delta One Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
This is the fourth location for the business-class lounge concept that Delta first debuted in 2024: a lineup of high-end clubs that pretty much raised the bar for what an airline-affiliate lounge could look like in the U.S.
This Delta One Lounge spans 10,000 square feet on the fourth floor of the airport's A concourse; it overlooks a traditional (though also brand-new) Sky Club one level below.
It's only about a quarter of the size of Delta's flagship (and first-ever) Delta One lounge location at JFK, so with its smaller footprint, don't expect facials, zero-gravity chairs or shoe-shining services — which are among the many amenities at its New York oasis.
At this club, it's all about the food and drink, and we think the offerings more than make up for the smaller size and fewer niche amenities. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you're entering an exclusive restaurant rather than an airport lounge.
It's an open-concept setup: The place runs exclusively on table service, and you can order a full sit-down meal at no cost (well, other than the high-priced airline ticket you bought or redeemed miles for in order to gain lounge access).
If you're a restaurant aficionado, settle at the bar overlooking the kitchen where chefs prepare dishes that taste nothing like your run-of-the-mill airport food.
On a recent visit, highlights included shrimp and chicken dumplings, sticky hoisin ribs, and butter lettuce with green goddess dressing.
An impressive wine and cocktail list also comes with your visit, though you can opt to pay cash (or SkyMiles) for top-shelf selections, like the bottle of Opus One Bordeaux listed at 45,000 miles.
Pro tip: For the full experience, visit during one of the Pacific Northwest's hallmark beautiful summer days. Nearly half the seating capacity here is on the wraparound terrace, which offers views of the mountains (including Mount Rainier on a clear day). For the AvGeeks among us, you can also see Delta's aircraft hangar.
Unfortunately, we don't have a magic bullet credit card that'll get you into this Delta One Lounge, or the other three clubs in this young business-class lounge network.
You'll need to be flying on a same-day business- or first-class ticket that's marketed as Delta One, or in a comparable cabin on one of its eligible SkyTeam alliance partners.
We've laid out the full entry requirements in our review of the outpost. But if you're flying in seats that good, you should also take the opportunity to enjoy one of the best seats in the airport beforehand.
Lounge Access Credit Card of the Year: American Express Platinum Card
So far, Chase wins for the best lounge network, and Capital One takes home a trophy for the best individual new lounge to open in the last year. Therefore, it might be reasonable to think either Chase or Capital One is the odds-on favorite to take home the award for the best credit card for lounge access. And to be fair, you could make a really good argument for that.
But since we hand out each award on its own merit, here's what we considered when selecting the winner for the best credit card for lounge access:
- Total number of lounges around the world that cardholders can access
- Total number of lounges in the United States that cardholders can access, since that is where most trips occur
- Number of domestic airports with at least one accessible lounge with that card
- Access policies, such as guest policies and pricing, airline restrictions, authorized user rules, and waitlists
This was another close race, with Chase closely nipping at the winner's heels. But due mainly to its much larger international lounge footprint, access to Delta and Lufthansa lounges, and access to its own growing Centurion Lounge network and that of Priority Pass (enrollment required), the American Express Platinum Card® once again takes home the prize for the Lounge Access Credit Card of the Year.
Related: Guide to lounge access with the Amex Platinum Card
There's just no question that if you want the ability to access a whole lot of lounges on your travels, this is the premium card to have.
In fact, the Amex Global Lounge Collection features 158 locations in the U.S. alone, covering 62 different airports (the next-largest footprint was 87 lounges across 48 airports). While some of these require you to fly specific carriers to gain entry, it's nevertheless this massive footprint that pushed Amex to the top.
And not for nothing, but the Amex Centurion Lounge network itself is quite strong with some gorgeous recent additions, such as the Centurion Lounge in Salt Lake City, which just may be the nicest one yet.
We are very excited to see the planned 2026 Centurion Lounge additions coming to Newark and Amsterdam, and even a new Sidecar boutique concept coming to Las Vegas.
Bottom line
To recap, the winners of the TPG lounge awards for 2026 are:
- Best Credit Card Lounge Network: Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club
- Best New Credit Card Lounge: Capital One Lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Best New U.S. Airline Lounge: Delta One Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Lounge Access Credit Card of the Year: American Express Platinum Card
From Chase and Capital One to American Express and Delta, we were thrilled to see many great new airport spaces rise to the top over the past year. With so many very close races and even more new lounges on the horizon for 2026, we expect more very close races when we do this all again next year. In the meantime, we'll be happily filling up on cheese and Champagne tastings between flights — at least when we aren't playing an arcade game or squeezing in a quick facial.
Every year, the TPG Awards honor excellence in credit cards, loyalty programs and travel. Please click here to read more about our winner-selection process and methodology for the 2026 TPG Awards.
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