Alaska Airlines tightens lounge access, raises cost

Alaska Airlines is increasing its lounge membership costs for 2024 and tightening restrictions in the process.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2024, the Seattle-based carrier will increase both the costs of a standard Alaska Airlines Lounge membership and an Alaska Airlines Lounge+ membership — for both elite and non-elite Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members.

Alaska will also dispose of one of the most uncommon perks of its lounges: the ability to enter regardless of which airline you’re flying.

The changes were first spotted by One Mile at a Time, but confirmed with the airline by TPG.

Here’s what you need to know.

Cost of an Alaska Airlines lounge membership

Alaska Airlines sells two types of lounge memberships. The standard membership gets you into the airline’s network of nine lounges while a Lounge+ membership gets you into Alaska lounges and those of its 25 Oneworld Alliance and other partner airlines.

However, the carrier does offer $100 discounts for Mileage Plan elite status members.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2024, standard membership prices will increase by $50. Lounge+ memberships will increase by $100.

Here’s how it breaks down.

Alaska Lounge membership:

• Membership price will increase from $500 annually to $550
• Membership price for elite members will increase from $400 to $450

Alaska Lounge+ membership:

• Membership price will increase from $650 to $750
• Membership price for elite members will increase from $550 to $650

It’s worth noting that a complimentary Alaska Lounge+ membership does remain a 100K Choice Benefit option for Mileage Plan elite members with MVP Gold 100K status.

Also, cardholders with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card get a $100 discount off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership after paying with their card. (Note that the credit card discount cannot be combined with the elite status discount, though).

However, these changes for 2024 follow steps the airline took this past year in raising the cards’ annual fees and adding new restrictions, such as the ability to purchase discounted lounge daypasses.

New lounge entry restrictions

Starting Feb. 1, 2024, Alaska will also tighten its lounge access rules.

Going forward, members can only enter a lounge with a boarding pass on Alaska, a Oneworld partner or one of the airline’s other non-Oneworld partners.

Admittedly, this is a rule travelers face with most (if not all) U.S. airlines. After all, you can’t enter an American Airlines Admirals Club with a Delta Air Lines ticket.

However, Alaska has been the exception.

Its current rules specify that access is available to members and immediate family or up to two friends at no cost. They just need “a same-day ticketed boarding pass on any carrier.”

With the new restrictions, the airline will largely bring its entry requirements in line with those of many other carriers. However, it still won’t have the sort of sweeping guest restrictions and other policies rolled out at lounges like the Amex Centurion Lounge or Delta Sky Clubs.

The same rules will apply to single-day pass holders: You’ll need to be flying on Alaska, a Oneworld airline such as American Airlines, or another Alaska partner like Condor.

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines’ lounge changes are twofold: pricier annual membership fees and the end of a fairly lenient policy that allows members to enter regardless of the airline they’re flying with.

In a statement to TPG, the airline cited “more generous benefits” with its lounge memberships compared to other U.S. airlines.

“Occasionally, we need to adjust our pricing to make sure that quality stays at the level our members appreciate,” an Alaska spokesperson added.

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