Way back when airlines were badly in need of cash, they developed a couple of ways to, well, separate travelers from their money.
The first option was something that most travel geeks are familiar with — lifetime airline passes. Buy a pass for a whole lot of money back in the late 1970s, follow the rules, and you could fly for the rest of your life. Here’s a bunch of information about them.
Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays, America’s Cup skipper Dennis Conner and computer magnate Michael Dell all had American’s version of the pass, called an AAirpass. So did Mark Cuban (spoiler alert: Cuban said he bought his while he was “drunk shopping”).
But there was another way airlines raised some greenbacks, back in the day. And they weren’t nearly as expensive as lifetime flight passes, either. They sold lifetime passes to their lounges! Not only were they comparatively cheap, but as airlines merged, they were able to retain their status.
Quick History of Airline Lounges
When airline lounges started, they were intended for only the big spenders (read: the passengers considered to be the most valued by the respective airline). However, by the 1970s, Congress compelled them to open their gates to the “great unwashed,” and any passenger who could pay the membership fee was required to be allowed in.
The membership price was initially low and only provided access to one lounge. But then the offers started becoming better. This is what Lester Anderson wrote about his Eastern Airlines lounge pass, back in 2018:
For $25 for a year, I signed up for a membership at Newark Airport. A few months later they sent me an invitation to upgrade to a 5-year membership, which I also gladly did. Then a few months later (they had an effective marketing department), I was given the opportunity to become a lifetime member, for me and (eventually) my wife. The total cost was just about $500, and this has given me club access through all of Eastern’s existence…
Lester also discussed the other offers he received due to his lifetime Eastern lounge access, and how that pass evolved into Continental and then United access as each airline merged or was acquired. So make sure to read his piece.
Here’s a look at what some of the major U.S. airlines offered:
America West
In 1995, a lifetime pass to America West Clubs could be purchased for $1,000.
America West merged with US Airways in 2007.
American Airlines
American Airlines sold lifetime access to the Admirals Club. It cost about $250 in the early 1970s and $300 by the late ’70s. By 1992, the price jumped to $2,500 and then to $5,500 by 2005. They stopped selling them on 12/31/2005.
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines offered access to the Presidents Club, which was also valid for Copa Airlines and AeroRepublica. The price for a lifetime pass was $5,500 in 2010, equivalent to approximately $8,097 in today’s dollars.
Delta Air Lines
Delta’s lounges were originally known as the Crown Room Club. In the 1980s, lifetime memberships were available, with prices reported to be around $1,500 for individuals and $1,850 for couples, according to a 1986 Washington Post article. These memberships granted unlimited access to Crown Room locations, although that access transitioned to Sky Club locations after the 2009 rebranding following Delta’s merger with Northwest.
While Delta has implemented stricter access policies in recent years, such as limiting entry for certain credit card holders, these changes have not affected the privileges of lifetime members. Their memberships continue to offer the same level of access as originally promised.
Eastern Airlines
Eastern’s Ionosphere Club offered lifetime access for $300 in the early 1980s or $525 by 1984 (about $1,616 in today’s money).
After Eastern went bankrupt in 1985, Continental Airlines acquired much of its operation and honored the Ionosphere lifetime memberships. Those were later absorbed into United’s lounge network.
Northwest Airlines
Northwest’s WorldClubs also sold lifetime memberships, typically priced between $2,000 and $3,000. When Northwest merged with Delta in 2008, some members were granted Sky Club access, but not all. Documentation and persistence helped.
Pan Am
Pan Am’s Clipper Club was legendary. When Pan Am collapsed in the early ’90s, Delta took over many of their transatlantic routes — and in some cases, offered former Clipper Club members lifetime access to Delta’s Crown Room, which is now the Delta Sky Club.
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont reportedly sold a lifetime membership for two people for $350 in the early ’80s. When Piedmont merged into USAir, those memberships rolled into the USAir Club — and later into the Admirals Club after the US Airways–American merger.
TWA
TWA sold lifetime access to its Ambassador Club, but when American acquired TWA in 2001, members were only given two years of Admirals Club access. It was one of the worst conversion deals for lifetime members.
United Airlines
United once sold lifetime access to its Red Carpet Club, now the United Club. But in 2021, United changed the rules, requiring lifetime members to be flying United or a partner airline that day to access the club — a move that was widely criticized.
View From the Wing covered the backlash in depth.
US Airways
In 2000, a lifetime USAirways Club membership for two cost $2,500. When US Airways merged with American, those passes became valid for Admirals Club access.
Final Thoughts: The Best Travel Hack You (Probably) Missed
The travelers who scored one of these lifetime lounge memberships are part of a very lucky, very small club. Sure, some airlines didn’t fully honor their commitments — looking at you, TWA — but others handed out lounge access for decades across multiple mergers.
In a world where yearly lounge memberships can cost $600 or more (and may not even include guest access), a few thousand dollars for lifetime access looks like an incredible bargain, especially when those memberships last well beyond the original airline.
Got a story about one of these lifetime lounge passes? We’d love to hear it.
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3 comments
Back in the early 80’s I was flying Continental Airlines from Shreveport, LA to Newark several times a year as a consultant for Educational Testing Service in Princeton. My ticket was booked by ETS and always on Continental. I bought a year’s membership in the President’s Club for around a hundred dollars, and a few months later a deal was offered to apply that amount to a lifetime membership for $1,200, and I thought that was a good deal (I was 37 and believed I had many more years to live). When the Continental-United merger occurred, my membership was transferred to United Club, and when possible I continue to fly United. That $1,200 membership was the best investment I’ve made, even better than my stock portfolio. True, I did not like it when some changes were made (i.e. access to Club only if I were flying United on that date), but I fly Delta only a few times a year, and the Atlanta United Club is a very long distance from Delta gates, so the United rule is not too bothersome unless I have a 3-hour layover in Atlanta.
Never bought lifetime lounge access. For a brief while I had thought it was a mistake for me not to have bought some of them, but I have long gotten airline lounge access anyway when flying with airlines in the big 3 airline alliances because of airline elite status in US and European airline loyalty programs. And then there is the Priority Pass and other lounges because of lounge access covered by Amex.
Don’t look at TWA, it was AA that did the rip-off.