Why airport lounge access is the gateway to sustainable growth for card issuers in Japan
Why airport lounge access is the gateway to sustainable growth for card issuers in Japan
Why airport lounge access is the gateway to sustainable growth for card issuers in Japan
Airport lounges have become a defining feature of the modern travel experience. Once a niche perk for executives, lounge access offered as part of payment card propositions has evolved into a highly sought-after benefit among frequent and mass-affluent travellers. That includes families, couples and younger consumers who value a more elevated and comfortable airport journey.
This shift is particularly evident across Asia Pacific (APAC), where airport lounge access is no longer seen as an added extra, but a core expectation. Collinson International research shows that airport lounge access is the most valued travel benefit in the region, with a significant majority (90%) of cardholders expecting it to be included as a benefit with any payment card that carries an annual fee.
In Japan, this expectation is just as strong. Airport lounge access remains the most valued travel-related benefit, playing a critical role in how cardholders assess and engage with their cards. At the same time, loyalty is notably fragile: 96% of Japanese cardholders say they would consider switching cards if airport lounge access benefits were removed, rising to 100% among those who specifically prefer Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme, owned and operated by Collinson International. This underscores that airport lounge access is highly valued, with Priority Pass playing an equally important role in driving both cardholder acquisition and retention.
Our research also shows that these benefits rank as the most important consideration for Japanese cardholders when choosing a credit card – ahead of everyday rewards, sign-up bonuses and perceived prestige – with 87% agreeing that the availability of travel rewards and benefits encourages them to use their card more frequently for everyday spend. These insights highlight the critical importance of travel benefits in driving spending behaviour in Japan.
For card issuers in Japan and across the region, these developments present a strategic inflection point. But what does this look like in practice, and how can financial services brands in Japan reframe travel benefit programmes as value drivers in an increasingly experience-led market?
Understanding Japanese travel market shifts
As a first step to understanding the strategic value of airport lounge access, it is important to examine why this benefit holds such significance for Japanese travellers today.
In Japan and globally, airports are evolving from functional transit points into destinations in their own right, offering premium leisure and lifestyle experiences. As a result, travellers are using time in the airport more intentionally. Airport lounges play a central role in this shift – for example, by providing calm, comfortable environments where travellers can work, recharge or unwind before their flight.
Among Japanese mass affluent travellers, this reflects a broader move towards lifestyle-led travel. Recent studies show growing interest in higher-value, experience-oriented travel, even as convenience, safety and affordability remain important.
This evolution has clear implications for credit card propositions. As travellers prioritise enriched experiences, benefits such as airport lounge access are becoming important drivers of engagement and loyalty. With total outbound spend projected to grow from around US$8.5 billion in 2025 to roughly US$90 billion by 2035, there is significant opportunity for card issuers to further align rewards and travel benefits with these changing preferences.
In this context, airport lounge access has long been regarded by Japanese travellers not as an add-on, but as an integral part of a more relaxing, rewarding travel experience, with the majority of cardholders looking to their payment card issuer to actively enable these experiences.
Airport lounge usage among cardholders translates into measurable business impact
Offering airport lounge access is not just a perk – it’s a powerful way to engage cardholders. While increased usage may raise benefit costs, it reflects high engagement with a feature that strengthens loyalty and positions airport lounge access as a strategic investment.
Studies conducted by Collinson International analysing cardholder behaviour show that cardholders who use their airport lounge benefit spend twice as much as those who don’t. Examining comparable cards with similar pre-lounge visit behaviours across test and control groups of cardholders, these studies also found that payment card activation in the first six months was twice as high among cardholders who used their airport lounge benefit compared with overall industry activation rates.
Providing airport lounge access enables card issuers differentiate themselves in a competitive market while strengthening relationships with cardholders.
Importantly, this benefit should not be treated as standalone: another Collinson International study conducted by independent data analytics company, Fonto, shows that Priority Pass, in particular, attracts cardholders who translate airport lounge visits into higher engagement and loyalty compared with other airport lounge providers.
For financial services brands in Japan, the next phase of differentiation will be defined by how effectively travel benefits are leveraged to create sustained value, not just moments of convenience.
The evidence is compelling – cardholders who actively engage with travel benefits are more loyal, more engaged and deliver greater lifetime value. They are more likely to make the card their primary payment method, spend across different categories and remain with their banking partner over time.
Benefit usage is not a cost to control, but a behaviour to unlock. When cardholders engage with airport lounge access and broader travel experiences, they spend more, stay longer and generate stronger returns – making travel benefits a measurable driver of acquisition, retention and profitability.
For issuers, the opportunity is not just to offer these benefits, but to activate them with intent – designing a card value proposition where travel experiences actively shape behaviour, deepen loyalty and expand share of wallet.
In an experience-led market, the brands that win will be those that move beyond rewards and position themselves as enablers of how their customers travel, live and spend.
Collinson International, with its extensive expertise in travel engagement and customer experience, is well-positioned to assist banks and card issuers in effectively navigating these challenges. By leveraging our deep understanding of consumer preferences and behaviours, along with innovative strategies, we can support Japanese financial services organisations in crafting compelling experiences that resonate with modern cardholders.
Discover more about Collinson International's expertise in enhancing customer engagement through highly valued travel rewards and benefits. Speak with our experts to explore tailored strategies that drive satisfaction and loyalty.
Collinson International is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence.
We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We deliver market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end consumers.
Collinson International is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of over 1,800 lounges and travel experiences, including dining, retail, sleep and spa, in 841 airports in 146 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special.
Airport lounges have become a defining feature of the modern travel experience. Once a niche perk for executives, lounge access offered as part of payment card propositions has evolved into a highly sought-after benefit among frequent and mass-affluent travellers. That includes families, couples and younger consumers who value a more elevated and comfortable airport journey.
This shift is particularly evident across Asia Pacific (APAC), where airport lounge access is no longer seen as an added extra, but a core expectation. Collinson International research shows that airport lounge access is the most valued travel benefit in the region, with a significant majority (90%) of cardholders expecting it to be included as a benefit with any payment card that carries an annual fee.
In Japan, this expectation is just as strong. Airport lounge access remains the most valued travel-related benefit, playing a critical role in how cardholders assess and engage with their cards. At the same time, loyalty is notably fragile: 96% of Japanese cardholders say they would consider switching cards if airport lounge access benefits were removed, rising to 100% among those who specifically prefer Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme, owned and operated by Collinson International. This underscores that airport lounge access is highly valued, with Priority Pass playing an equally important role in driving both cardholder acquisition and retention.
Our research also shows that these benefits rank as the most important consideration for Japanese cardholders when choosing a credit card – ahead of everyday rewards, sign-up bonuses and perceived prestige – with 87% agreeing that the availability of travel rewards and benefits encourages them to use their card more frequently for everyday spend. These insights highlight the critical importance of travel benefits in driving spending behaviour in Japan.
For card issuers in Japan and across the region, these developments present a strategic inflection point. But what does this look like in practice, and how can financial services brands in Japan reframe travel benefit programmes as value drivers in an increasingly experience-led market?
Understanding Japanese travel market shifts
As a first step to understanding the strategic value of airport lounge access, it is important to examine why this benefit holds such significance for Japanese travellers today.
In Japan and globally, airports are evolving from functional transit points into destinations in their own right, offering premium leisure and lifestyle experiences. As a result, travellers are using time in the airport more intentionally. Airport lounges play a central role in this shift – for example, by providing calm, comfortable environments where travellers can work, recharge or unwind before their flight.
Among Japanese mass affluent travellers, this reflects a broader move towards lifestyle-led travel. Recent studies show growing interest in higher-value, experience-oriented travel, even as convenience, safety and affordability remain important.
This evolution has clear implications for credit card propositions. As travellers prioritise enriched experiences, benefits such as airport lounge access are becoming important drivers of engagement and loyalty. With total outbound spend projected to grow from around US$8.5 billion in 2025 to roughly US$90 billion by 2035, there is significant opportunity for card issuers to further align rewards and travel benefits with these changing preferences.
In this context, airport lounge access has long been regarded by Japanese travellers not as an add-on, but as an integral part of a more relaxing, rewarding travel experience, with the majority of cardholders looking to their payment card issuer to actively enable these experiences.
Airport lounge usage among cardholders translates into measurable business impact
Offering airport lounge access is not just a perk – it’s a powerful way to engage cardholders. While increased usage may raise benefit costs, it reflects high engagement with a feature that strengthens loyalty and positions airport lounge access as a strategic investment.
Studies conducted by Collinson International analysing cardholder behaviour show that cardholders who use their airport lounge benefit spend twice as much as those who don’t. Examining comparable cards with similar pre-lounge visit behaviours across test and control groups of cardholders, these studies also found that payment card activation in the first six months was twice as high among cardholders who used their airport lounge benefit compared with overall industry activation rates.
Providing airport lounge access enables card issuers differentiate themselves in a competitive market while strengthening relationships with cardholders.
Importantly, this benefit should not be treated as standalone: another Collinson International study conducted by independent data analytics company, Fonto, shows that Priority Pass, in particular, attracts cardholders who translate airport lounge visits into higher engagement and loyalty compared with other airport lounge providers.
For financial services brands in Japan, the next phase of differentiation will be defined by how effectively travel benefits are leveraged to create sustained value, not just moments of convenience.
The evidence is compelling – cardholders who actively engage with travel benefits are more loyal, more engaged and deliver greater lifetime value. They are more likely to make the card their primary payment method, spend across different categories and remain with their banking partner over time.
Benefit usage is not a cost to control, but a behaviour to unlock. When cardholders engage with airport lounge access and broader travel experiences, they spend more, stay longer and generate stronger returns – making travel benefits a measurable driver of acquisition, retention and profitability.
For issuers, the opportunity is not just to offer these benefits, but to activate them with intent – designing a card value proposition where travel experiences actively shape behaviour, deepen loyalty and expand share of wallet.
In an experience-led market, the brands that win will be those that move beyond rewards and position themselves as enablers of how their customers travel, live and spend.
Collinson International, with its extensive expertise in travel engagement and customer experience, is well-positioned to assist banks and card issuers in effectively navigating these challenges. By leveraging our deep understanding of consumer preferences and behaviours, along with innovative strategies, we can support Japanese financial services organisations in crafting compelling experiences that resonate with modern cardholders.
Discover more about Collinson International's expertise in enhancing customer engagement through highly valued travel rewards and benefits. Speak with our experts to explore tailored strategies that drive satisfaction and loyalty.
Collinson International is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence.
We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We deliver market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end consumers.
Collinson International is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of over 1,800 lounges and travel experiences, including dining, retail, sleep and spa, in 841 airports in 146 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special.