Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica has 3 different VIP lounges you can use before your flight, and which Juan Santamaría VIP lounge works best for you depends on your card, your airline, or the pass you buy.
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Keep in mind that the requirements and perks vary from one to the next. With a Mastercard Platinum or Black, or through a partner bank, you go to the Mastercard lounge, also called the VIP Lounge; with a Visa Platinum, Signature, or Infinite and its app, the Visa lounge, also called VIP Santamaría; and with a BAC card with complimentary access, the BAC Credomatic lounge. Without an agreement, you can use a day pass, which is cheaper outside the 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. window.
Since November 2026, Aeris, the airport’s operator, has directly managed all 3 lounges and will announce changes to the agreements later. The access listed here is what was in place before that change, so confirm with your bank or airline before you go.
This post is about which lounge to go to, while the bank and guest tables are in the cards that get you into the VIP lounges at Juan Santamaría Airport.
Which Juan Santamaría VIP Lounge Can You Enter?
| If you have | Go to | Before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Mastercard Platinum or Black credit card from a bank in Costa Rica | Mastercard lounge, above gate 19 | Bring your valid card. If it’s from another country, ask your bank |
| Visa Platinum, Signature, or Infinite credit card | Visa lounge, above gate 5 | Use the Visa Airport Companion app and check how many visits your bank gives you |
| BAC card | BAC Credomatic lounge, above gate 19 | Ask whether you have complimentary access and, if not, how much you pay. Bring the physical card |
| Priority Pass | Mastercard lounge or Visa lounge | At the BAC Credomatic lounge, BAC customers get in with a day pass, not with Priority Pass |
| Agreement with Copa Airlines or Star Alliance | Mastercard lounge, above gate 19 | Depends on your class or status |
| Business class on Aeroméxico, Air France, Iberia, British Airways, Edelweiss, or KLM | Visa lounge, above gate 5 | The airline agreement only covers that class |
| No agreement | Any lounge with space | Day pass: $40 plus tax, or $55 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
How to Choose If You Can Enter More Than One Lounge
If you have several options, start with your flight’s gate, because the lounges are in 2 areas: 2 above gate 19 and 1 above gate 5. Aeris leaves it up to each user to keep an eye on their flight time and gate, so that part is on you.
For food and drinks, all 3 offer the same thing, with unlimited house beer, two glasses of house wine, and a premium drink menu that costs extra, so the differences are in the details. The Visa and BAC Credomatic lounges have panoramic runway views, the BAC Credomatic lounge adds a multimedia room, and the Mastercard lounge has showers, subject to reservation or availability, which cost $10 in September 2026.
If you’re traveling with kids, all 3 lounges have a play area, BAC also mentions a nursing room at its lounge, and with a day pass one adult can bring up to 2 children age 7 or younger at no extra charge. And if your Copa flight is delayed, in September 2026, before the change in management, the Mastercard lounge kept serving those passengers after its usual closing time.
When a Day Pass Is Worth It
The pass only makes sense if you’ll really use the time, since the lounge use policy allows a maximum of 3 hours before your scheduled departure, and the price goes up $15 between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., right at lunchtime. Buying one doesn’t guarantee entry if the lounge is full, either.
If you’d rather spend less, look at the restaurants at Juan Santamaría Airport first. And if you have a BAC card, also see how much the BAC Credomatic VIP lounge costs and who gets in free.
Lounge Hours, If Your Flight Leaves Very Early or Very Late
All 3 lounges are open every day from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., according to the airport’s website. For a flight in the middle of the night or late in the evening, you may not be able to use any of them, and one alternative before a very early flight is to sleep at one of the hotels in Alajuela, the province where the airport is.
Keep in mind that the number of visits, guest fees, access for minors, and anything else needs to be confirmed directly with your bank or program, since Aeris makes it clear that it isn’t responsible for changes to third-party benefits.
