Lounge access rules change often — confirm in the lounge's app or the card's benefits page before you fly.
DTW is a Delta fortress: five Delta Sky Clubs line the McNamara Terminal, and for most travelers the best credit card for Detroit flyers is simply the one that gets you into those clubs. Everyone else gets very little — there's no Centurion Lounge at DTW, no Chase Sapphire or Capital One Lounge, and Priority Pass DTW access comes down to one Lufthansa lounge in the Evans Terminal with restricted hours.
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Quick answer
- Best overall for DTW lounge access: Delta SkyMiles Reserve — 15 Sky Club visits a year across all five McNamara clubs, plus four guest passes
- Best for occasional Delta flyers: Amex Platinum — 10 Sky Club visits a year plus Priority Pass (it lost its own Lufthansa lounge access on October 1, 2026)
- Best value for Priority Pass: Capital One Venture X — $395, but at DTW it mainly means the Lufthansa lounge in Evans and a few Minute Suites/Gameway options in McNamara
- Best for frequent United or Star Alliance flyers: a United Club membership (via the United Club card) — there's no United Club at DTW, but members can use the Lufthansa lounge on Star Alliance flights
Airport snapshot
Delta and its partners fly from the McNamara Terminal — a mile-long Concourse A with an express tram, plus the smaller B and C concourses — and all five Sky Clubs are there. Southwest, American, United, Lufthansa and the other non-Delta airlines use the Evans Terminal (the North Terminal), which has exactly one lounge. Detroit has no secondary commercial airport nearby, and Delta has said a Delta One Lounge will come to DTW "in the coming years" without giving a date.
Where to go by terminal
| Terminal | Airlines | Lounges there |
|---|---|---|
| McNamara (A, B, C) | Delta and partners | 5 Sky Clubs; PP: Minute Suites, Gameway, Be Relax |
| Evans (North, D) | Southwest, American, United, Lufthansa, others | Lufthansa Business Lounge (Priority Pass) |
The two terminals aren't connected after security. Moving between them means a landside shuttle and rescreening, so in practice you can only use the lounges in your own terminal.
Lounges at DTW
Delta Sky Club DTW (five locations)
- Location: All in McNamara: Concourse A upper level at the tram's south station (across from A18), at the Link across from A38 (the only one with showers), gate level across from A43, upper level at the tram's north station (across from A68), and between B2 and C9.
- Access: Same-day Delta flight. Delta SkyMiles Reserve (15 visits a year), Amex Platinum and Business Platinum (10 visits a year; unlimited after $75,000 in annual spend), Sky Club members, Delta One and SkyTeam premium-cabin passengers, and eligible Medallion/SkyTeam Elite Plus members. No day passes and no Priority Pass.
- Guest policy: $50 per guest, up to two; Reserve cardholders also get four free guest passes a year.
- Best for: Anyone flying Delta — with five clubs along the concourse, one is never far from your gate. Two of them close early on Saturdays, so check hours in the Fly Delta app.
Lufthansa Business Lounge DTW (Priority Pass)
- Location: Evans Terminal, departure level between gates D6 and D8.
- Access: Lufthansa and Star Alliance business-class passengers, Star Alliance Gold members, United Club members on Star Alliance flights, and Priority Pass members (21+, up to 3 hours). Priority Pass entry is blocked during parts of the day around Lufthansa's own departures — check the Priority Pass app. Amex Platinum's direct Lufthansa lounge access ended October 1, 2026; Platinum holders now need to use their Priority Pass card.
- Guest policy: Set by your Priority Pass membership; Star Alliance Gold guests follow Lufthansa's rules.
- Best for: Southwest, American or United flyers with Priority Pass — it's the only real lounge in Evans.
Priority Pass at DTW
- Lufthansa Business Lounge — Evans Terminal, D6–D8. Real lounge, with time-of-day restrictions.
- Minute Suites — McNamara, near A66. One-hour private suite; extra hours cost $40.
- Gameway — McNamara, near A17 and between A63 and A65. Gaming lounge with a drink, not a traditional lounge.
- Be Relax Spa — McNamara, between A43 and A45. Spa treatment, only on memberships that include experiences.
- Access: Priority Pass Select from Amex Platinum, Sapphire Reserve, Venture X or Citi Strata Elite covers the Lufthansa lounge. Chase's version still includes Minute Suites and spa visits; Amex and Capital One memberships are lounge-only. Delta flyers effectively have no Priority Pass lounge in McNamara.
Best credit cards for DTW
| Card | Annual fee | Lounges you get at DTW | Guests | Best if you… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve | $650 | 5 Sky Clubs (15 visits) | 4 free passes/yr, then $50 | Fly Delta from DTW often |
| Amex Platinum | $895 | Sky Clubs (10 visits), Priority Pass | $50 at Sky Club | Fly Delta sometimes, travel widely |
| Capital One Venture X | $395 | Priority Pass (Lufthansa lounge) | $35 each via PP | Fly from Evans on a budget |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | $795 | Priority Pass + Minute Suites | 2 free via PP | Want Minute Suites in McNamara |
| United Club card | $695 | Lufthansa lounge on Star flights | 1 adult + kids | Fly United, mostly elsewhere |
Recommended strategy
- If you fly Delta often from DTW: Delta SkyMiles Reserve. Fifteen visits cover a flight a month with room to spare, and Delta's Sky Club is the only real lounge experience in McNamara. Very frequent flyers can unlock unlimited visits at $75,000 in spend, or buy a Sky Club membership.
- If you want one card that covers the best lounges: Amex Platinum. Ten Sky Club visits on Delta days plus Priority Pass for the Lufthansa lounge when you fly from Evans — and Centurion Lounges at the other end of your trip.
- If you want strong lounges at a lower cost: Venture X, but only if you fly from Evans or value lounges at other airports — at DTW, Priority Pass gives Delta flyers almost nothing.
- If you fly Southwest or American from Evans: expect one lounge with limited Priority Pass hours. Check the app before you count on it.
No card? Day passes & other options
Options are thin. Delta doesn't sell Sky Club day passes. Minute Suites rents private suites by the hour (from $65), and Gameway sells timed gaming passes. Lufthansa sells lounge access to its own premium-economy passengers, not to the general public.
FAQ
Is there a Centurion Lounge at DTW? No. There's no Centurion, Chase Sapphire or Capital One Lounge in Detroit. Platinum cardholders get Sky Club access on Delta flights (10 visits a year) and Priority Pass.
Does Priority Pass work at DTW? Only in a limited way. The one Priority Pass lounge is the Lufthansa Business Lounge in the Evans Terminal, with restricted hours. In McNamara, Priority Pass covers Minute Suites, Gameway and a spa — not a lounge.
Amex Platinum vs Sapphire Reserve vs Venture X: which is best at DTW? Platinum, because it's the only one of the three that gets you into the Sky Clubs (on Delta flights, 10 visits a year). Sapphire Reserve and Venture X only get Priority Pass, which at DTW means the Evans lounge plus Minute Suites (Reserve only). If you fly Delta, a Delta Reserve card beats all three here.
Can Amex Platinum still get into the Lufthansa lounge at DTW? Not directly. Amex removed Lufthansa lounges from the Platinum's Global Lounge Collection on October 1, 2026. You can still enter using the Priority Pass membership that comes with the card, subject to its time restrictions.
Is there a Delta One Lounge at DTW? Not yet. Delta has said Detroit will get one in the coming years but hasn't given a date or location.
Related guides
- Best credit cards for airport lounge access
- Delta Sky Club access
- Delta Amex cards guide
- Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) airport lounges
- Cleveland (CLE) airport lounges
- Priority Pass lounges in the USA
Lounge access rules, guest policies and locations change. Always confirm current details with the airline, lounge operator or card issuer before you travel.
