The Guide to Tampa Airport Lounges

Passengers on select airlines, military personnel and Priority Pass members can access Tampa airport lounges.

Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.

Published · 3 min read
Profile photo of Tiffani Sherman
Written by Tiffani Sherman
Writer
Profile photo of Meg Lee
Edited by Meg Lee
Assigning Editor
Fact Checked

Tampa International Airport (TPA) is the 23rd busiest airport in the U.S. and averages 292 daily departures. Southwest Airlines carries the most travelers through TPA, followed by Delta, American and United. Several other airlines also fly in and out of TPA.

Here's a look at Tampa's airport lounge options for the next time you fly out of The Big Guava.

Airside E: Delta Sky Club

(Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

Delta Air Lines has a Sky Club in Airside E with the entrance near E68.

The lounge area overlooks both the gate area and the security lines.

  • It is open from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • Food and drinks are available.

  • Complimentary Wi-Fi is available. 

  • Travelers must be at least 18 to enter without an adult.

  • Access requires a same-day boarding pass up to three hours before departure time or during a layover.

Travelers who are Sky Club members, are traveling in Delta One on a domestic or international flight on Delta or a SkyTeam partner or have access via a credit card can enter the club, unless traveling on a basic economy ticket. Note that Delta has recently made several drastic changes to Delta Sky Club access.

Medallion Members of the Delta SkyMiles Program can buy an individual membership for $695 or 69,500 miles.

Cards that allow access into the Sky Clubs include:

Cards with Delta SkyClub access
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Annual fee
$650
$650
$695
$695
Horizontal scroll

Terms apply.

Airside F: American Admirals Club and more

American Admirals Club

The American Airlines Admirals Club is near Gate 85 and the door is a bit tucked away.

  • Open from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

  • Food and drinks are available.

  • Complimentary Wi-Fi is available. 

Citibank Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard® Credit Card
NerdWallet rating 

Access is for Admirals Club members, passengers flying in first or business class on an international or transcontinental ticket on a flight marketed and operated by American, a Oneworld airline or on certain flights to Hawaii.

Individual memberships are available to AAdvantage members and begin at $850 or 85,000 miles and decrease based on AAdvantage membership level.

Day passes are available for $79 or 7,900 miles and are based on lounge capacity.

Access is also available to people with Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.

The International Club

For passengers traveling in premium classes on outbound international flights, there is a Tampa International Club Lounge near Gate 78 that operates only when those flights are departing.

It is only accessible to those passengers and not via memberships or other means.

The Cafe by Mise en Place (part of Priority Pass dining)

Another option in Airside F is The Café by Mise en Place. It’s a Priority Pass restaurant and is in front of the security checkpoint by Gate F85. You must have a same-day boarding pass to use the Priority Pass benefit.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
NerdWallet rating 

Having certain Priority Pass memberships will get you $28 off your meal, which can go a long way. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one example of a card that includes Priority Pass dining in its suite of perks.

Annual standard Priority Pass memberships that include 10 free visits begin at $329. There are also a few travel credit cards with Priority Pass restaurant dining built-in as a perk (which is different than Priority Pass Select membership).

Before security: USO Center

(Photo by Tiffani Sherman)

The USO Center at Tampa International Airport is the only lounge that is in the main terminal building before security.

It’s on the second (ticketing) level near the escalators and ticketing areas for Breeze Airways and British Airways.

Access to the USO Center is limited to active military members and their families.

  • The USO Center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • Drinks and snacks are available.

  • Wi-Fi is available.

  • There is space to rest, relax and sleep. 

🤓Nerdy Tip

There are no lounge options in Terminals A or C.

Recapping Tampa airport lounges

If you’re a member of the U.S. Military, are flying on Delta or American Airlines, or are a Priority Pass member, there might be a lounge option for you at Tampa International Airport.

A lounge is also available for premium passengers traveling on some international flights.

No matter where you’re going, make sure to say hi to Phoebe, the 21-foot-tall flamingo in the main terminal building by the escalators.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:

Airport Lounge Cards from our Partners
Citibank Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard® Credit Card

on Citibank's application

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
4.6
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x

Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

Miles

Intro offer

70,000

Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

Miles
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Reserve®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-10x

Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Points
See more Airport Lounge cards
MORE LIKE THISTravel
Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.

Boost your travel fund with up to $425/year* in cash rewards and exclusive savings

NerdWallet+ members can earn cash rewards for making smart financial decisions. Join now for just $49/year to start saving.

*$425 value is based on the max $253 in rewards + max of $180 savings on exclusive offers as of 9/26/24.
*$425 value is based on the max $253 in rewards + max of $180 savings on exclusive offers as of 9/26/24.