Lounge access rules change often — confirm in the lounge's app or the card's benefits page before you fly.
Memphis lost its Delta hub more than a decade ago, and today it's a mid-size airport with Delta, American, Southwest and United splitting traffic. It has one lounge: a Delta Sky Club next to the B security checkpoint. There's no Centurion Lounge MEM, no Chase Sapphire Lounge, no Capital One Lounge and no Priority Pass MEM location. So the best credit card for Memphis flyers is a Delta card, or Amex Platinum if you fly Delta.
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Quick answer
- Best overall for MEM lounge access: Amex Platinum: Delta Sky Club on Delta flights (10 visits a year). There's no Centurion Lounge at MEM, and Priority Pass has nothing here.
- Best for frequent Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles Reserve with 15 Sky Club visits a year and four free guest passes.
- Best value for Priority Pass: Capital One Venture X, but only for the other end of your trip. Priority Pass doesn't list any lounge at Memphis.
- If you fly American, United or Southwest: No card gets you into a lounge at MEM today. An Escape Lounge, open to anyone for a fee, has been approved but has no opening date.
Airport snapshot
MEM's rebuilt Concourse B now handles almost all flights. The airport lists Delta (gates 12–18), American, Southwest, Allegiant, Breeze and Frontier at numbered B gates, and United at gates 11, 13 and 15. The Delta Sky Club is on the walkway east of the concourse entrance, next to the B checkpoint, so it's past security for everyone on that side. Because Delta is the only airline with a club here, a Delta card or Amex Platinum is the only card that gets you into a lounge at MEM.
Where to go by terminal
- Concourse B (all main airlines): The Delta Sky Club is next to the B security checkpoint, on the walkway east of the concourse entrance.
- United: United checks in at the C ticket counter, and its gates (11, 13, 15) are numbered alongside the B gates. If you have Sky Club access on a Delta flight, it's the same building.
- Coming: An Escape Lounge in the main rotunda (3,200 sq ft, expandable to 4,900) was approved under a 12-year lease. No opening date has been set.
Lounges at MEM
Delta Sky Club MEM
- Location: Next to the B security checkpoint, on the walkway east of the concourse entrance. Opens at 5am daily and closes early evening (earlier on some days). Check hours in the app.
- Access: Same-day Delta flight. Delta SkyMiles Reserve (15 visits a year), Amex Platinum and Business Platinum (10 visits a year; after that, $50 per visit; unlimited after $75,000 in calendar-year spending), Sky Club members, Delta One passengers and eligible Medallion members. Amex Platinum entry is within 3 hours of departure unless you're connecting. Delta doesn't sell day passes.
- Guest policy: Platinum and Reserve cardholders can bring up to two guests at $50 each, or immediate family under Amex's terms. Reserve cardholders get four free guest passes a year. Children under 2 are free.
- Best for: Delta flyers. It's the only lounge in Memphis.
Escape Lounge MEM (approved, not open)
- Location: Planned for the main rotunda.
- Access: Escape Lounges sell entry to anyone. At other Escape locations, Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve (on Delta days) get in free, and many take Priority Pass, but Memphis's access terms haven't been announced.
- Guest policy: Not announced.
- Best for: Eventually, American, United and Southwest flyers who have no lounge today.
Priority Pass at MEM
- None. Priority Pass's US directory doesn't list Memphis, so Sapphire Reserve, Venture X and Citi Strata Elite get you nothing at MEM itself.
- Access: Use Priority Pass at your connecting airport instead. Dallas (DFW), Atlanta (ATL) and Charlotte (CLT) all have options.
Best credit cards for MEM
| Card | Annual fee | Lounges you get at MEM | Guests | Best if you… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve | $650 | Sky Club (15 visits) | $50 each; 4 free passes | Fly Delta often |
| Amex Platinum | $895 | Sky Club on Delta (10 visits) | $50 each | Fly Delta + others |
| Capital One Venture X | $395 | None at MEM | — | Want lounges at hubs |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | $795 | None at MEM | — | Connect via PP airports |
Recommended strategy
- If you fly Delta often from MEM: Delta SkyMiles Reserve. It's the cheapest card that gets you into the only lounge, and it covers Sky Clubs at Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis when you connect.
- If you want one card that covers the best lounges: Amex Platinum covers the MEM Sky Club on Delta days, plus Centurion Lounges at hubs like Atlanta, Charlotte and Dallas. Its 10 Sky Club visits go quickly if you also use them at connections.
- If you fly American, Southwest or United: Don't pay for a card for MEM lounge access, because there's nothing to unlock. Venture X ($395) is the value pick for Priority Pass at your connecting or destination airport.
- If you fly American often: The Citi AAdvantage Executive ($695 for new accounts) gets you Admirals Club at DFW and Charlotte, but nothing at MEM.
No card? Day passes & other options
There's no paid lounge at Memphis right now: Delta doesn't sell Sky Club day passes, and the Escape Lounge isn't open yet. Once it opens, Escape locations elsewhere charge roughly $45 pre-booked or $60 at the door. Check whether Memphis follows that pricing when it launches.
FAQ
Is there a Centurion Lounge at MEM? No. There's no Centurion Lounge at MEM and none has been announced. Amex Platinum cardholders can use the Delta Sky Club when flying Delta.
Does Priority Pass work at MEM? No. Priority Pass doesn't list any lounge or restaurant at Memphis. Use your Priority Pass membership at your connecting or destination airport.
When will the Memphis Escape Lounge open? No date has been announced. The airport authority approved a lease with Escape's operator for a lounge in the main rotunda, and reports in 2026 still described it as in early planning.
Amex Platinum vs Sapphire Reserve vs Venture X: which is best at MEM? Only Platinum works at MEM, and only through the Delta Sky Club on Delta flights. Sapphire Reserve and Venture X rely on Priority Pass, which has nothing in Memphis. If you rarely fly Delta from here, choose by where you connect, not by MEM.
Related guides
- Delta Sky Club access
- Best credit cards for airport lounge access
- Nashville (BNA) airport lounges
- Atlanta (ATL) airport lounges
- St. Louis (STL) airport lounges
- Delta Amex cards guide
Lounge access rules, guest policies and locations change. Always confirm current details with the airline, lounge operator or card issuer before you travel.
