Are Mastercard World Elite credit cards swapping from Lounge Key to DragonPass?
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Certain Mastercard World Elite credit cards in the UK offer airport lounge access via the LoungeKey network. The two you are most likely to come across are Curve Metal – which charges £20 for every lounge visit – and the HSBC Premier World Elite credit card (review) where lounge access for the cardholder is free.
LoungeKey is owned by Priority Pass and the lounge networks are very similar, although not identical.
In some parts of the world, Mastercard World Elite has started to migrate to DragonPass.
It has just been announced that World Elite credit cards in Canada will be switching between now and mid May. It also appears to be live for cardholders in Qatar, Bahrain and Pakistan.
It isn’t clear if this is a global switch or not. It would be good news if Mastercard World Elite in the UK switched to DragonPass, however.
The key difference between DragonPass and Lounge Key / Priority Pass is that the former has access to Plaza Premium airport lounges. If Mastercard UK switches, you would gain access to the excellent Plaza Premium lounges at Heathrow Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 and at Gatwick’s North Terminal. Let’s see what happens.
PS. It isn’t yet clear if Barclaycard will be offering any lounge privileges with the new Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card, which is a World Elite product. I imagine it is unlikely, as nothing has been announced, but I have asked for more information on which World Elite benefits it intends to offer.
Want to earn more points from credit cards? – March 2024 update
If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Earning miles and points from small business cards
If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:
SPECIAL OFFER: You receive a huge 120,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply for American Express Business Platinum by 9th April 2024. You receive 80,000 points for spending £12,000 within 90 days and a further 40,000 points if you retain the card for 14 months. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: You receive 60,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply for American Express Business Gold by 9th April 2024. Remember that the card is FREE for the first year. You receive 40,000 points for spending £6,000 within 90 days and a further 20,000 points if you retain the card for 14 months. Click here to apply.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
American Express Business Platinum
Crazy 120,000 points bonus (to 9th April) and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
Huge 60,000 points sign-up bonus (until 9th April) and free for a year Read our full review
Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa
Get a 10,000 points bonus plus an extra 500 points for our readers Read our full review
For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.
Barclaycard Select Cashback credit card
2% cashback on all your business spend for 3 months (1% thereafter) and no annual fee Read our full review
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