America's Best Airport Lounges of 2026, Ranked
Airport lounges, the former remit of frequent flyers who stayed loyal to a single airline, have exploded in popularity with the advent of lounges opened up by credit card companies. In a customer satisfaction study released Wednesday by JD Power, the credit card company airport lounges reign supreme over the airlines.
The two lounges at the top of the list were the American Express Centurion Lounge and the Capital One Lounge. Third place belonged to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club. After the top three, Delta, American Airlines, Air France and Alaska Airlines' lounges were next. JD Power reports that the study is based on responses from 2,991 travelers who have been to an airport lounge in the United States in the last year. The report measured value of experience, staff, food and beverage, cleanliness/upkeep, amenities, ease of access, ambiance and Wi-Fi.
Some major takeaways from the study were that the complimentary food and drink and staff service drew customers into the lounges, while overcrowding at the lounges resulted in lower guest satisfaction. As prices of meals and refreshments in the terminals rise, the convenience of unlimited food and beverage becomes harder to pass up. On the other hand, massive crowds trying to get in has led the companies running the lounges to limit access to guests and add reservations with waiting lists during busier times.
Ben Schlappig, the founder of the flight and travel site, One Mile at a Time , told the New York Times in 2025, "At some point, when everybody has lounge access, it's almost like nobody does." It is possible that at some point, lounges will become the more popular option to the average traveler. This could cause the overcrowding to feel less like an exclusive luxury and make an overpriced bag of nuts and a soda in a deserted terminal seem like a decent alternative.
In the meantime, JD Power's survey is a small sample size but an indicator nonetheless that the airlines might need to do more with their lounge amenities and other offerings to keep up with the credit card companies.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
