The BAC Credomatic VIP lounge at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica stopped being free for most of the bank’s customers on June 1, 2024, and now only those with complimentary access from BAC get in without paying. In September 2026, it cost $30 plus VAT ($33.90) with a BAC card.
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Aeris, the airport’s operator, took over direct management of the VIP lounges in November 2026 and will announce changes to the agreements later, so before you travel, confirm with BAC whether you have complimentary access.
How Much It Costs to Get Into the BAC Credomatic VIP Lounge
The price has gone up since the bank started charging. These were the rates through September 2026:
| Date | With a BAC card | With a card from another bank |
|---|---|---|
| Since June 2024 | $20 plus VAT ($22.60) | $30 plus VAT ($33.90) |
| February and September 2026 | $30 plus VAT ($33.90) | $40 plus VAT ($45.20) |
The lounge use policy that Aeris published in November 2026 sets a day pass at $40 plus tax, or $55 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and doesn’t distinguish between lounges or customers. Meanwhile, BAC says anyone without complimentary access has to pay whatever the operator sets, so it’s best to ask what rate applies with your card before you pay.
Who Still Gets Into the BAC VIP Lounge for Free
BAC explained in March 2024 that some customers would keep getting in free. It chose that group based on their level of relationship with the bank, their history, their use of the lounge, and other internal criteria, and it notified them by email. In September 2026, a group of customers still had the benefit, and the lounge also had agreements with Dragon Pass and American Express Centurion of Central America.
To validate complimentary access, BAC asks for any physical BAC credit or debit card, no digital wallets, and your boarding pass.
Why BAC Started Charging for the VIP Lounge
The move came in response to a sharp rise in passengers and the lounge’s limited capacity, as the notice to customers explained. BAC gave the numbers: in 2023, more than 197,000 people visited the lounge, which is designed to serve 10,000 a month. According to the email, the change was meant to let travelers “keep enjoying the benefits and comforts.”
It’s worth noting that in the months before the announcement, this VIP lounge had drawn a lot of complaints about poor service, from the food to the space and the perks, and BAC acknowledged “a sense of decline” in its own surveys.
The notice made no exceptions for any card. Up to that point, BAC Credomatic had 14 cards that gave its customers access, including Mastercard, Visa, and American Express in the Platinum, Black, and Infinite categories. In other words, those cards stopped granting free entry on their own, for both the cardholder and their guests, except for the selected customers.
Read also: Avianca Drops the Fare That Let You Travel With Just a Carry-On
Where the Lounge Is and What Other Options You Have
The lounge is on the upper level, above boarding gate 19; in 2024 it was at gate 17. It’s open Monday through Sunday, from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., according to the airport’s website. Its phone number is 4703-6882 and the email is infosalasvip@aeris.cr.
It serves breakfast from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and snacks from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with unlimited house beer, two glasses of house wine, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and juices, while the premium drink menu costs extra. It also has internet, a kids’ play area, spaces to work and rest, a multimedia room, and a panoramic view of the runway, and BAC also mentions a nursing room.
Some BAC cards may give you access to other lounges through their own programs. BAC says it provides access to more than 1,200 VIP lounges at airports around the world, subject to the terms of Priority Pass, the Mastercard Black app, or the bank itself, so it’s worth asking what applies to your card.
Juan Santamaría has 2 other lounges, so you can check out which Juan Santamaría VIP lounge to choose or all the cards that get you into the VIP lounges. And if you’d rather not pay for any of them, there are the restaurants at Juan Santamaría Airport.
