Do Families Of 3 ~ 6 Still Belong In Airport Lounges? What I Learned From Traveling With Kids & Grandparents

This post is about how two thoughtfully chosen credit cards helped us make airport lounges work for family travel with a little more calm and sanity.

If you’re traveling as a family of three to six, you might quietly assume airport lounges aren’t meant for you. For years, airport lounges carried a very specific image in my mind: solo travel vloggers moving through terminals, frequent business consultants flying nonstop with elite status, or well-off passengers in first or business class slipping behind frosted glass doors. Families, especially those juggling kids, backpacks, school calendars, and sometimes grandparents traveling along, often felt like they didn’t quite belong.

I used to believe that too.

But over time, and across many trips with children, grandparents, and extended family, my relationship with airport lounges has changed. I stopped thinking of lounges as a luxury. I have started thinking of them as part of our family travel infrastructure: a place to reset before the next flight before long international itineraries, or when schedules are delayed.

With the right planning, lounge access quietly has become one of the most practical tools in our family travel system.

International Lounge Access: Why Chase The Ritz-Carlton Card Still Matters?

Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card has long occupied a unique place in my wallet for international travel. I relied on its airport lounge access with Priority Pass membership to bring in my immediate family for many years and often extended family as well. It was generous in a way few cards were. It made long-haul travel feel noticeably more humane, especially when traveling with kids. That generosity is changing, and it’s important to understand how before I move on to anything.

A Meaningful Shift Beginning January 15, 2026

Starting January 15th, 2026, Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card will no longer offer unlimited guest access to Priority Pass Lounges or Chase Sapphire Lounges. Instead, the policy becomes much clearer and more structured:

• The primary cardholder may bring up to two guests per visit
• Additional guests cost $27 each
• Unlimited guest access relying on a single card is discontinued

For families who were used to walking into lounges together on one card, this is a real adjustment. Pause here for a moment, though because this isn’t the whole story.

What Hasn’t Changed And Why Families Should Pay Attention

Despite the new guest limits, Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card remains one of the most family-friendly international lounge cards available from my point of view. The reason is often overlooked: authorized users.

The card still allows unlimited FREE authorized users, and each authorized user receives:

• their own Priority Pass membership
• unlimited lounge visits
• the ability to bring two guests per visit
• access to Priority Pass Lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges where available

This single feature keeps Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card in a different category altogether especially when compared with the other cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, where each authorized user costs $195 per year.

How This Works In Real Family Travel? (The Math That Actually Matters)

Rather than thinking in terms of “one card, one group,” Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card rewards families who think in units. Here’s what that looks like in reality:

• Primary Chase The Ritz-Carlton cardholder: 1 person + 2 guests = 3
• One free authorized user: 1 person + 2 guests = 3

That’s six people entering lounges together, with unlimited visits without paying additional guest fees. For international travel, this matters, especialy flying on short haul flights economy class within Asia, Australia, New Zealand and even the South Pacific. The unlimited-guest era may be ending. The family strategy is not.

 How You Actually Get Chase The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card?

Because Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card is no longer open to new applications, it’s often misunderstood as “unavailable.” In reality, it just requires patience. The path runs through either Chase Marriott Bold or Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless. (Yes, it is a stepping stone!)

Photo Credit: Marriott

• After holding the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for one full year and once the annual fee posts, you can request a product change to Chase The Ritz-Carlton card.
• This can be done by phone or secure message, and the change is typically immediate.
• Once converted, you can request Priority Pass membership and add authorized users as needed.
• Authorized users share your credit line, but they do not need to reside in the United States.

In our family, this flexibility has been invaluable. My families live in the UK, and each of the member holds an authorized user card of Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card. When they travel with their families, they have independent Priority Pass lounge access that mirrors ours.

Finding Lounges Abroad (Before You Need Them)

Priority Pass works best when you treat it as a planning tool rather than a surprise perk. The app clearly shows which lounges are available at each airport and what access rules apply. When my kids traveled on their own through Hong Kong, the app made it easy for them to identify lounges they could use including Chase Sapphire Lounge (now closed), Plaza Premium Lounge and Kyra Lounge. Knowing where to go ahead of time removes friction and overwhelm, especially for younger travelers navigating airports independently.

For international itineraries, this Chase The Ritz-Carlton credit card, product-changed from Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, remains one of the most reliable ways to ensure the family arrives rested rather than depleted.

Domestic Lounge Access: Why Citi AAdvantage Executive Anchors Our U.S. Travel?

Photo Credit: Maria Fung

Domestic travel has a different rhythm, and it calls for a different solution. For flights within the U.S., the Citi AAdvantage Executive has become my most consistently useful lounge card. (Yes, my all time favorite!) At its core, the card includes a full Admirals Club membership. It is exactly the same one you could otherwise purchase outright. What makes it powerful for families is how that membership applies in real life.

Photo Credit: Maria Fung

I’ve shared many times how our family of four has used Alaska Airlines Lounges and Admirals Clubs in San Francisco Airport, and how much time and hustle it has saved us by avoiding long lines at the other clubs. What still surprises people is that we can be traveling on a domestic economy class ticket and still step into a quiet lounge of our own. (Yes, it really works that way in San Francisco Airport before any domestic tournaments trips.) 

Importantly, this access applies not only on departure, but on arrival as well. That arrival access is often underestimated. After a red-eye from San Francisco to New York to reposition for a long-haul international flight to Abu Dhabi, I was able to step into an Admirals Club at 7 AM, wash up, and reset before continuing. I’ve relied on the same access at many different Admiral Clubs and Alaska Airlines Lounges before business meetings, school events, and short family trips where timing mattered.

(Note: The card grants access to Alaska Airlines Lounges when flying American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or Hawaiian Airlines on both departure and arrival.)

When A Full Membership Isn’t The Right Fit

Not every family needs a full airport lounge membership. For families who travel less frequently, limited-pass options can still play a useful role particularly during peak seasons or long travel days. Credit cards such as the Citi AAdvantage Globe, Citi Strata Elite and Bank of America Atmos Rewards Summit offer a small number of lounge passes each year, often with generous child entry policies (For example, up to 3 children under 18 years of age who are traveling with an adult pass-holder of Admirals Club may also enter.) These work best when lounge access is an occasional pressure-release valve, not a default. As always, the right card is the one that matches how your family actually travels, not how travel looks in marketing photos.

Final Thoughts

Lounges have become part of our family’s travel rhythm. When you’re traveling with children, parents, or extended family, the right lounge access smooths transitions, lowers stress, and creates breathing room in days that are otherwise long and unpredictable. With the right credit cards and a thoughtful setup, lounge access becomes more about stewardship of time, energy and the people you’re traveling with. These are the card and lounge strategies that hold up over time for my family. This is how family travel starts to feel calmer, even on the longest days.

What’s your lounge strategy when you travel as a family, and how do your cards actually come into play on real travel days?