By simply holding the right credit card, you can enjoy free lounge membership and passes through the DragonPass program, as part of the card’s perks and benefits package.
In this article, we explain how to use the Visa Airport Companion program (along with its website and app) to access and enjoy your airport lounges passes and some bonus dining and retail discounts.
The Visa Airport Companion Program is associated with the DragonPass airport lounge program, which provides access to airport lounge passes and memberships to eligible Visa and Mastercard holders.
The DragonPass program offers the opportunity to use your passes at over 1,200 lounges worldwide, so you can enjoy a comfortable and relaxing pre-departure experience the next time you’re at the airport. We’ve written a complete guide on the DragonPass program, so feel free to peruse that to learn more.
If you have one of the eligible Visa cards that gives you complimentary lounge membership and passes, the Visa Airport Companion program is what you use to organize your annual passes and to search for and book your lounge visits.
Plus, as a member of the Visa Airport Companion program, you also get access to discounts on dining and retail at eligible airports.
The following credit cards offer complimentary DragonPass airport lounges passes, accessible through the Visa Airport Companion Program:
The number of complimentary passes that come with each card typically ranges from 4 to 6, though there are some exceptions. For example, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card offers 4 complimentary passes as of May 1, 2025, while the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card comes with 10 complimentary visits!
In addition to the free airport lounge access offered by these cards, you can expect to also receive some strong travel perks and benefits to further improve your travel experiences. Travel-focused credit cards like those listed above often include travel insurance coverage, free checked bags, priority airport services, and more, as part of their perks and benefits packages.
To get more details about each of these cards, you can click the links above, and to learn more about your airport lounge options, you can check out our complete guide to the DragonPass program.
Once you have an eligible Visa card, signing up for the Visa Airport Companion Program is easy!
Simply download the program’s app or go to the program’s website and fill in your information.
You’ll need to be registered in order to use the membership/passes that come with your eligible Visa card(s), so make sure to get this step done before your next travel dates.
Also, keep in mind that while you can access some airport lounges by simply showing your eligible Visa card, there are a number of lounges that require you to use the app to gain entry. Additionally, if you want to pre-book your lounge visit, you will need to use the app.
If you have multiple Visa cards that offer free lounge visits, you can have multiple Dragonpass memberships to access all your passes and offers. You get one DragonPass membership per eligible card. The Visa Airport Companion app lets you switch between memberships as needed.
Once you’ve signed up for the app with your credit card information, your lounge passes are automatically loaded. Your complimentary lounge passes are refilled annually in the weeks after you’ve paid your card’s annual fee
Under the “Explore” heading in the app, enter the name of the airport you’re planning to visit. Next, confirm which terminal you’re departing from (if there are multiple terminals at the airport).
Once you’ve chosen the airport and terminal, you can explore the available lounges and choose the one that suits you best.
When you’re choosing your lounge, you’ll want to consider the following things:
With the Visa Airport Companion program, you can access an eligible airport lounge by using one of your complimentary passes.
To gain entry to an eligible lounge, you can either walk up when you arrive at the airport and hope that there is room available, or if you’ve got your heart set on a specific lounge, you can choose to pre-book your visit through the app.
To pre-book, just:
Keep in mind that there’s usually a small fee when pre-booking (approx. $5).
If you don’t want to pre-book, or pre-booking is not available for your preferred lounge, you will have to take your chances with availability when you arrive.
To use your complimentary passes for a “walk-in” visit, the lounge staff at the entrance will let you know whether to use the app or whether you can just swipe your eligible Visa credit card to confirm eligibility and available lounges passes. If you’re using the app, you’ll be able to select your lounge of choice, and the app will bring up a QR code for the staff to scan.
Unfortunately, it’s always possible that the lounge will be at capacity when you try to enter. In this case, you may be able to put your name on a wait-list, or sadly, you may just be out of luck.
Keep in mind that some lounges can only be accessed through the app. Given this, it’s best to always have the app available on your phone to make sure you’re not disappointed when you try to get into a lounge.
Conveniently, you can use your Visa Airport Companion account to share your complimentary passes with guests that are accompanying you to the lounge.
If you don’t have enough passes for you and your guests, you can also pay for entry at the rate of $32 (USD) per person.
Another perk of the Visa Airport Companion program is the opportunity to enjoy discounts on dining and retail options in the airport.
For example, the images below show some of the participating dining establishments at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
If you’re looking to grab a new book, magazine, or even a new knapsack, you can also take advantage of the retail discounts from retailers such as those shown in the image below.
To access the discounts, simply click on your brand of choice to see the offer and then follow the instructions that are presented.
The Visa Airport Companion program also helps you access your exclusive Visa benefits and offers.
These include discounts at select hotels, Visa Infinite Concierge assistance, complimentary wine tastings, and more. You can explore all that’s on offer by clicking the links in the app or on the website.
The Visa Airport Companion program helps you access and enjoy your complimentary DragonPass airport lounge memberships and passes.
By having an eligible Visa card and signing up for the program, you can easily enjoy comfortable and relaxing airport lounge experiences around the world, as well as discounts on airport dining and retail.
Check out our additional guides to learn how to maximize your airport lounge experiences and get the most out of your travel credit cards.
If you have an eligible Visa credit card, you can enroll in the Visa Airport Companion Program by simply going to the Visa Airport Companion’s website or downloading the program’s app and entering the required information.
The Visa Airport Companion program is associated with the DragonPass airport lounge program, which gives you access to 1,200+ lounges around the world. You can find the complete list of available lounges on the Visa Airport Companion website or the DragonPass website.
You do not need to pre-book your lounge visit with the Visa Airport Companion Program. However, it can be helpful to pre-book when possible as this will help you avoid disappointment should your lounge of choice be full when you try to walk in without a reservation.
The Visa Airport Companion Program is the interface that provides you access to the DragonPass memberships and passes that you have through your eligible Visa credit cards. The Visa Airport Companion Program also provides additional airport discounts and Visa-related benefits and offers.
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
