Best Airport Lounge Networks of 2026, According to JD Power
⏱ 10 min read
As of August 2026
- Which lounge network ranked highest in 2026?
- How did JD Power score the lounges?
- Full 2026 lounge network rankings
- What does this mean if you fly out of HNL?
- What new lounges are coming to Honolulu?
- Which cards get you into the top ranked lounges?
- Is lounge overcrowding really that bad?
- Scottie's Take
- FAQ
- American Express Centurion Lounge and Capital One Lounge tied for first in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Airport Lounge Satisfaction Study, each scoring 771 out of 1,000.
- Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club ranked third at 764. Delta Sky Club was the top airline network at 763. The study average was 732.
- JD Power surveyed 2,991 travelers who visited a U.S. airport lounge in the past year, fielded April through June 2026.
- None of the three top scoring networks has a Honolulu location yet, so for kamaʻāina this study matters most on the mainland end of your trip.
- Overcrowding is the biggest satisfaction killer. Scores dropped 244 points between "not at all crowded" and "severely crowded" lounges.
- Three new HNL lounges are under lease from Alaska, Delta, and Southwest, roughly 38,000 square feet combined. None has an announced opening date.
JD Power released its second annual U.S. airport lounge study on August 19, 2026, and the headline is a tie at the top between two credit card lounge networks. If you fly out of HNL, OGG, KOA, LIH, or ITO, the interesting part is not who won. It is what the results say about which card you should be carrying for the mainland half of your trip.
Which lounge network ranked highest in 2026?
American Express Centurion Lounge and Capital One Lounge tied for the highest customer satisfaction score in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Airport Lounge Satisfaction Study, both landing at 771 points on a 1,000 point scale. Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club took third at 764. Delta Sky Club, including Delta One Lounges, was the highest scoring airline operated network at 763.
That is three credit card networks in the top three spots, and it is the first year Capital One has pulled level with Amex in this study.
How did JD Power score the lounges?
JD Power measured satisfaction across eight weighted dimensions, listed here in order of importance: value of experience, staff, food and beverage, cleanliness and upkeep, amenities, ease of accessing the lounge, ambiance, and Wi-Fi service. The 2026 study drew on responses from 2,991 travelers who had visited a U.S. airport lounge in the past year, fielded from April through June 2026.
One methodology change matters. This year JD Power factored in how many U.S. locations each brand runs at large and mega airports, which pulled foreign carrier lounges into the rankings for the first time. It also makes year over year score comparisons shaky, so rank order is the cleaner read.
Full 2026 lounge network rankings
Here is the full field, top to bottom, with the study average included for context.
| Rank | Lounge network | Score (of 1,000) | Vs. average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (tie) | Amex Centurion Lounge | 771 | +39 |
| 1 (tie) | Capital One Lounge | 771 | +39 |
| 3 | Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club | 764 | +32 |
| 4 | Delta Sky Club (incl. Delta One) | 763 | +31 |
| 5 | British Airways (U.S. lounges) | 751 | +19 |
| 6 | American Admirals Club (incl. Flagship) | 749 | +17 |
| 7 | Air France (U.S. lounges) | 746 | +14 |
| 8 | Alaska Lounge | 737 | +5 |
| 9 | United Club (incl. Polaris) | 702 | -30 |
| 10 | The Club | 650 | -82 |
Source: JD Power 2026 U.S. Airport Lounge Satisfaction Study, released August 19, 2026. Study average: 732.
What does this mean if you fly out of HNL?
Practically speaking, it means the winners are not waiting for you in Honolulu. There is no Amex Centurion Lounge, Capital One Lounge, or Chase Sapphire Lounge at HNL today, so the top three networks in this study only pay off once you land on the mainland or connect through a hub like SEA, LAX, SFO, DFW, or DEN.
What you can use at HNL today is the Delta Sky Club, the Plumeria Lounge and Premier Club on the Hawaiian and Alaska side, plus the airline clubs in the international terminal. Delta scoring 763 tracks with what most of us already know about the HNL Sky Club. For who gets in where, see our HNL airport lounge guide.
A network score is not a lounge score. JD Power rated whole networks, weighted partly by U.S. footprint. One excellent lounge inside a mid pack brand is still worth going out of your way for.
What new lounges are coming to Honolulu?
Three new lounges are under lease at HNL right now: an Alaska premium lounge, a new Delta Sky Club, and the first airport lounge Southwest has ever built. None has an announced opening date, so treat all three as coming rather than close.
Put together, that is roughly 38,000 square feet of new lounge space headed for one airport, plus tens of millions in committed buildout. For an airport that has spent years near the bottom of every premium ground experience list, that is a real shift.
| Lounge | Size | Location | Lease terms | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska premium lounge | 14,022 sq ft | Building 305, level 2, Mauka Extension of the Inter-Island Terminal | 20 year lease, $15 million minimum buildout | Not announced |
| Southwest VIP lounge | 12,241 sq ft over two levels | Building 342, Terminal 2, the former Garden Conference Center | 5 year lease approved October 2025, amended January 2026, $20 million minimum buildout | Not announced |
| New Delta Sky Club | Not disclosed | HNL | Lease approved March 27, 2026, 12 month rent waiver window | Not announced |
Source: Hawaii Department of Transportation lease filings. No airline has published an opening date as of August 2026.
The Alaska lounge is the one I would watch. It carries the longest commitment of the three and it lands inside the terminal most kamaʻāina actually use. Southwest is the most surprising, because the carrier that built its brand on no frills is starting its entire lounge program in Honolulu, and access is widely expected to run through a new premium co-branded card rather than status. Nothing about that card has been confirmed. We track it in our Southwest lounge at HNL update, and the Delta and Alaska timelines live in our piece on the new lounges coming to HNL.
Lounge buildouts of this size typically run years, not months, from signed lease to open doors. Plan your next few trips around what exists today and treat any of these opening as a bonus.
Which cards get you into the top ranked lounges?
All three of the highest scoring networks are gated behind a premium annual fee card, not an airline elite tier. If you want the lounges travelers rate highest, you get in through your wallet, not your status.
- Amex Centurion Lounge: access comes with The Platinum Card from American Express and the Centurion card. Guest rules have tightened in recent years, so check the current policy before you count on bringing the family.
- Capital One Lounge: access comes with Venture X and Venture X Business, which also include Priority Pass.
- Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club: access comes with Chase Sapphire Reserve, which also carries Priority Pass Select.
- Delta Sky Club: access comes through Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum, with visit limits that reset each Medallion year.
I hit the Centurion Lounge at Haneda last summer and it reset my expectations for what these places can be. Sushi. At a lounge. Not a sad tray of California rolls, actual sushi. If you are flying HNL to HND, that lounge alone is an argument for carrying the card, and it pairs well with the rest of our Japan from Hawaii guide.
Here is the move. Pick your premium card based on where you actually connect, not on which network scored highest nationally. If your mainland trips route through SEA and LAX, a card that opens those doors beats one that shines in DFW. Start with our rundown of the best cards for Hawaii residents.
Is lounge overcrowding really that bad?
Yes, and the numbers are blunt about it. Nearly half of guests, 46 percent, said the lounge they use most often is usually moderately or severely crowded. Satisfaction averaged 833 among people who described their lounge as not at all crowded, and fell to 589 when they called it severely crowded. That is a 244 point swing, larger than the entire gap between the best and worst network in the study.
The rest tracks with what most of us have felt. Complimentary food and beverage was the top rated benefit, and 39 percent of visitors said high terminal food prices were a reason they went in. On staff, 77 percent felt welcomed, but only 52 percent thought staff seemed happy. Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at JD Power, described the lounge as an oasis that turns into a mirage once the room is packed. Full findings are in the JD Power study release.
Scottie's Take
Aloha ʻohana, the tie at the top does not surprise me one bit. Capital One built their lounges late and learned from everybody else's mistakes, and it shows the second you walk in. Amex has the name and the footprint, but Centurion at peak hours can feel like a food court with better lighting, and this study basically confirms that crowding is the whole ballgame.
What actually gets me excited is that Alaska Lounge number sitting quietly mid pack at 737, because that is the network building a 14,022 square foot flagship right here in Honolulu, with a Delta Sky Club and the first Southwest lounge in company history going in alongside it. If those three land, HNL goes from an afterthought to a reason to show up early. Until then I am not picking a premium card off a national ranking, I am picking it off where I connect, and from here that usually means SEA, LAX, or SFO. If you fly out of HNL a lot, drop a comment and tell me which lounge you actually end up in. I want to know whether the local experience matches these scores.
FAQ
Which airport lounge ranked best in 2026?
Amex Centurion Lounge and Capital One Lounge tied for first in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Airport Lounge Satisfaction Study, each scoring 771 out of 1,000. Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club ranked third at 764. The study rated networks rather than individual lounge locations.
Is there a Centurion Lounge or Capital One Lounge at Honolulu airport?
No. As of August 2026 there is no Amex Centurion Lounge, Capital One Lounge, or Chase Sapphire Lounge at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Those networks only help kamaʻāina on the mainland portion of a trip, which is why card choice should follow your connecting hubs.
How did Alaska Lounge score in the 2026 study?
Alaska Lounge scored 737 out of 1,000, above the study average of 732 and ahead of United Club at 702. Alaska is building a 14,022 square foot premium lounge at HNL under an HDOT lease, though no opening date has been announced and it is not open today.
How much does crowding affect lounge satisfaction?
A lot. Satisfaction averaged 833 for guests who said their lounge was not at all crowded, and dropped to 589 for those who called it severely crowded, a 244 point difference. Nearly half of all guests, 46 percent, said their most used lounge is usually moderately or severely crowded.
When will the new Honolulu airport lounges open?
No opening date has been announced for any of them as of August 2026. Alaska, Delta, and Southwest all hold HDOT leases at HNL, and Southwest's 12,241 square foot Terminal 2 space will be the first lounge in that airline's history. Buildouts of this size usually take years from lease to opening.
Can I compare these scores to last year's study?
Not directly. JD Power adjusted the 2026 methodology to factor in U.S. network size and to fold premium business class lounges into their parent brand's score. Rank order is the more reliable year over year comparison than the raw point totals.
Do I need elite status to get into the top ranked lounges?
No. Amex Centurion, Capital One, and Chase Sapphire lounges are all accessed through premium annual fee credit cards rather than airline elite tiers. Airline lounges like Delta Sky Club and Alaska Lounge use a mix of cards, memberships, and premium cabin tickets.
