127. Lounge Access Update: Credit Card Changes, Perks & Picks with Traci Siegel

Point Me To First Class

Devon Gimbel MD

Finances, Education, How To, Travel, Credit, Expenses, Card, Cards, Society & Culture, Professionals, Tips, Personal, Places & Travel, Business, Points, Rewards

5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you’ve ever been confused about airport lounge access—what counts, what’s changed, and what’s still worth it—you’re not alone.

In this episode, I welcome back guest Traci Siegel for an updated look at lounge access using rewards credit cards in 2025. We unpack the biggest changes to credit card lounge access this year, including new restrictions on who gets in and when.

From premium travel cards like the Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X to underrated options and family-friendly picks, we’re breaking down which cards actually deliver on their lounge promises—and which ones have quietly downgraded their perks.

If you’re trying to figure out which card is best for your personal travel style, or you’ve ever been turned away at a lounge counter and thought, “Wait, I thought this card included access,” this episode is for you.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/airport-lounge-access/

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Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Point Me to First Class, the only show for employed professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners who are looking to optimize their higher than average expenses to travel the world.
0:10.7	I'm your host, Devin Gimble, and I believe that your expenses are your greatest untapped asset, if you know how to leverage them.
0:17.8	Ready to dive into the world of credit card points and miles so you can travel more, travel better, and travel often. Let's get started. Hello, everyone, and welcome
0:31.2	back to the podcast. Today, I've invited Tracy Siegel back to the show for an updated conversation
0:36.7	about airport lounge
0:38.2	access.
0:39.0	From recent changes that significantly affect lounge access with one specific premium
0:44.0	rewards credit card to strategizing how to know which credit card will get you the best
0:48.7	lounge access for your travels, we sit through what can be a complicated and confusing topic. We talk about the math you
0:55.5	need to know to make smart lounge decisions, different types of credit cards that grant lounge
1:00.1	access and how to know the difference between them, and we give our recommendations for best
1:04.4	rewards cards for lounge access if you're traveling with a family. Whether you're brand new to
1:08.9	navigating the world of airport lounge access or just trying to keep up to date with all the changes in this area of award
1:14.8	travel. There's something for everyone in today's episode. I hope you enjoy this conversation with
1:19.8	Tracy. Tracy, what do you think are some of the most significant changes that have happened
1:25.5	in lounge access with rewards credit cards since the
1:28.3	last time that you were on the podcast last year and we first talked about this topic.
1:32.3	So the main one that immediately springs to mind, and it's not just because it's so recent,
1:36.8	but it is sort of changing the landscape and recommendations for what to do for lounge access
1:41.4	is capital one. Because back in June, they announced that they
1:46.5	were going to sort of obliterate their policy on allowing guests into not only Capital One
1:53.9	lounges, but also the priority pass lounges that you get access to with your card through them.
	...

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