Airport lounges: How does the LoungeKey Mastercard Airport Experiences program work?

***Update June 30, 2022: Mastercard is no longer with LoungeKey and now has a partnership with DragonPass. All Mastercard credit card issuers (BMO, HSBC, etc) have joined the DragonPass network. This article will be updated and/or archived. From now on, the program is called Mastercard Travel Pass. Register here.

LoungeKey’s Airport Experiences Mastercard program is a benefit available to eligible World or World Elite Mastercard credit card holders.

It gives:

• access to over 1,000 lounges at over 400 airports worldwide
• unique promotions in airport restaurants
• special prices in airport shops
• as well as exclusive offers in airport spas

The most popular and advantageous option is access to airport lounges.

The cardholder has access to these benefits regardless of the airline, frequent flyer program, or class of travel.

To help you relax before your flight, the following services are available in airport lounges:

• Free meal service, snacks and drinks
• Free Wi-Fi and charging stations for mobile devices and computers
• Televisions and information screens on departures and arrivals
• Private and comfortable relaxation areas
• In some lounges: family play area, showers, and conference rooms
• Free luggage storage service

Please note that the services offered vary depending on the airport lounge. Please see the information sheet for each on the Mastercard LoungeKey website.

No membership card is required, unlike Priority Pass. First, register your eligible card before your trip on the Mastercard Airport Experiences website. Then, to enter the lounge, you only have to present the credit card .

If the physical card is not available, download the Mastercard Airport Experiences application. The QR code assigned to the card will be used to confirm access to the lounge by the receptionist.

For example, the National Bank VIP Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport is part of the LoungeKey program.

Similarly, at the Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City, the VIP lounge is also affiliated with the program.

Most Mastercard World and World Elite credit cards offer membership to the LoungeKey airport lounges network. After that, you have to pay for each entry, which costs $32 US.

Here are some examples of credit cards that offer the LoungeKey subscription:

Only ONE of these credit cards offers LoungeKey membership AND free visits (passes), and that’s the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard^®*.

This card offers 4 free visits per year. After the fifth visit, access to the lounges is always offered and therefore the cardholder pays $32 US per person, per visit.

These entries are valid for the card and accompanying persons. Each lounge has a different policy for children. In general, children under 2 years of age are admitted free of charge.

Strangely enough, LoungeKey and Priority Pass are managed by the same company: Collinson Group.

With LoungeKey lounges, the gate agent only requires the Mastercard credit card for access to the lounge (in addition to the boarding card and ID). For Priority Pass, the requirement is to show your Priority Pass membership card .

For Priority Pass, there is a subscription fee. The good news is that it’s free with some credit cards. By the way, Milesopedia has talked about this program and how it works in this article.

Priority Pass has a network of about 400 more lounges than LoungeKey. Some lounges are linked to both Priority Pass and LoungeKey.

The offers vary from airport to airport or are even absent in some airports. For example:

• Discounts of up to 20% or specially priced menus at selected airport restaurants
• Short massages at LoungeKey affiliated spas for less
• Discounts on purchases in certain specialty stores.

There are two times when the program subscription automatically ends.

When:

• the eligible Mastercard credit card is cancelled
• or the expiration date of the credit card has passed. At this point, you need to re-register with the new card on the Mastercard Airport Experiences website.

***Update June 30, 2022: Mastercard is no longer with LoungeKey and now has a partnership with DragonPass. All Mastercard credit card issuers (BMO, HSBC, etc) have joined the DragonPass network. This article will be updated and/or archived. From now on, the program is called Mastercard Travel Pass. Register here.