Lounge access on a connection: which boarding pass counts, network by network

A connection is the one time most of us have hours to spare in an airport, and it is also the moment lounge rules get confusing. You landed on one flight and you are leaving on another. Which boarding pass does the desk want to see? The answer changes from network to network, and a few of the differences are big enough to leave you standing in the hallway.

The short version

Every network in this guide wants a boarding pass for a flight that departs today. The arriving boarding pass almost never gets you in on its own. Where the networks differ is in how long before that departure you can enter, and whether a long layover counts against you.

Centurion: five hours, counted backward from your next flight

American Express publishes the strictest clock. Its access policy says Platinum and Delta Reserve cardholders can enter within three hours of the departure time on a same-day, confirmed boarding pass. On a connection the window stretches, but only a little. The policy says: "During a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of their connecting flight." Amex also rules out the obvious workaround. Same-day round trips are not considered connecting flights. If you have just landed and have no onward flight, you will be turned away. We broke down the July 2026 changes in our Centurion rules explainer, and the Centurion program page lists every location.

Sapphire and Capital One: three hours, and the layover question is murky

Sapphire Lounge by The Club asks for a same-day boarding pass and entry within three hours of scheduled departure. Chase does not publish a separate connection rule, so a six-hour layover technically means waiting three hours in the terminal first. In practice, front desks often look only at the departure time on the pass you hand them.

Capital One Lounges run on the same three-hour clock, and the boarding pass must be for a departing flight, so they do not work as arrivals lounges. Capital One's terms do not spell out a connection exception either. If you are connecting through Dallas, Denver, Washington Dulles or Las Vegas with a long gap, assume the three hours is counted from your next departure.

Delta Sky Club: the three-hour rule disappears on a connection

Delta's rule is the clearest. Its access page limits visits to "within 3 hours of their scheduled departure time." It then adds that "connecting customers can continue to access Clubs in the connecting airport at any time prior to departure." A delay does not hurt you either, since access is tied to the originally scheduled time. Two catches remain. Basic Economy tickets are excluded entirely, and SkyTeam Elite Plus members from other airlines only get in on a same-day international flight. See the Delta Sky Club program page for the card limits.

United Club and Admirals Club: a same-day flight, no clock

Neither United nor American publishes an entry window for members and elites. United Club access depends on flying United or a Star Alliance partner the same day, and United's own day passes are the only product with a three-hour limit. Polaris and business class passengers can use clubs on departure, at the connecting airport and on arrival. Star Alliance Gold members from other airlines get in on any same-day Star Alliance flight, even a domestic one, while United's own Premier Gold members need an international itinerary.

American's Admirals Club access page asks for "a boarding pass for same-day travel on an eligible flight," and it counts both departing and arriving flights. That makes the Admirals Club unusually friendly to long connections and even to arrivals. The only time limit is a footnote for Alaska-operated flights, which must be within 24 hours of the visit.

Priority Pass: it depends on the lounge

Priority Pass does not set one global rule, because it does not run the lounges. Most independent lounges want a boarding pass for a flight departing today, and many will also admit arriving passengers. Operators like No1 and Escape set their own clocks, usually three hours before departure. Expect the desk to read the departure time on your next boarding pass, and check the lounge's page in our directory for any note about arrivals or time limits.

The alliances: your next flight is all that matters

Star Alliance Gold access is tied to the flight you are about to take, which must be operated by a Star Alliance member, and the standard allowance is one guest. oneworld rules say Sapphire members use business class lounges and Emerald members use first class lounges. Access runs on the day of travel, or until 06:00 the next morning, at the departure airport of a oneworld flight. The SkyTeam Elite Plus rule is the fussiest. Access requires a same-day international flight, although a domestic leg that connects to an international one qualifies. It applies at departure and transfer airports, never on arrival.

What to carry

Keep the onward boarding pass on your phone before you walk up, because an arriving pass alone rarely works anywhere except at Admirals Clubs. If your connection is longer than five hours, Centurion is off the table until the window opens. Plan a Sky Club, Admirals Club or Priority Pass lounge for the first part of the wait. And remember that a separate ticket on a different airline is still a same-day departure, so the card networks will honor it while the alliance lounges will not.

Related reading

Our guides to Priority Pass and Delta Sky Club list every lounge each one opens, and the Top 100 shows which connecting hubs have the best lounges to wait in.