What Makes Airport Lounges So Unique, Exactly?
To Begin, Airport Lounges Are Fantastic For Relieving A Lot Of The Tension Associated With Flying And Making The Experience More Enjoyable Overall. That’s What You Get When You Combine First-Rate Food And Drinks With A Cozy, Opulent Setting.
One Reason Is That Most Of Them Provide More Than Just Food And Drink; They Also Provide Relaxing And/Or Productive Environments With Free Wi-Fi And Plush Seating.
Table of Contents
What Do Basic Airport Lounges Offer?
Lounges In Airports Provide Passengers With A Number Of Comforts And Conveniences That Make Them A Popular Choice. Let’s Take A Look At The Benefits Of Even The Most Basic Airline Lounge So You Can Make An Informed Decision.
Concierge Service To Help Plan Your Trip, Free Food And Drink (Including Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Options), Free Use Of Phones And Fax Machines, Free Use Of Conference Rooms With Private Bathrooms, Free Newspapers, And Free Television Are All Part Of The Package.
Premium Lounges Offer Upscale Services For People Who Demand The Best. There May Include Private Dining Rooms Or Buffets, Free Premium Liquor, Baths And Cabanas For Unwinding, Massages And Other Spa Treatments, Private Check-In And Security Lanes, Private Shuttle Services, And More.
First- And Business-Class Passengers May Have Access To Separate Areas Of Some Lounges. Passengers Seeking A More Luxurious Airport Experience May Appreciate These Supplementary Amenities.
The Abundance Of Airport Lounges Worldwide
There Are Thousands Such Lounges Around The World, And You May Gain Access To Many Of Them Without Upgrading To Business Or First Class.
Although Frequent Fliers Have Much More Access To Airport Lounges, Even The Occasional Traveller Can Take Use Of Several Of The Airport’s Sanctuaries.
To That End, We’ve Compiled Some Of Our Favorite Strategies For Getting Into The Airport Lounge Of Your Choice Without Shelling Out The Big Bucks For First-Class Tickets.
How High-End Credit Cards Grant Lounge Access
Several High-End Credit Cards Provide Lounge Access As A Perk. Free And Unlimited Use Of The Amex Centurion Lounge Network Is Included With Membership To Either The Platinum Card® Or Centurion® Card From American Express.
Keep In Mind That The Annual Fees For Both Of These Cards Are Quite High, So Think Carefully About Whether Or Not You Really Need To Use A Credit Card To Gain Lounge Access.
Access To Even More Lounges (Though Without Free Guest Privileges) Is Yours With A Priority Pass Select Card.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Is Chase’s Top-Tier Travel Rewards Card, And It Provides Access To Priority Pass Select Lounges In Exchange For A Hefty Annual Fee.
Finally, For Just $95 A Year, A Diners Club Card Grants You Entry To Hundreds Of Lounges Around The World. Keep In Mind That After A Certain Number Of Free Visits, Your Card May Start Charging You A Fee For Each Additional Visit.
Ahead Of The Line
Priority Pass Is A Private Membership Service That Provides Access To A Global Network Of More Than 600 Airport Lounges. There Are Four Different Types Of Membership Available In The Program: Standard, Standard Plus, Prestige, And Select.
All Priority Pass Lounges Are Accessible With The Standard, Standard Plus, And Prestige Cards. The Yearly Cost Of Each Membership Tier Is Determined By The Number Of Visits That Are Included:
- The Norm Is $99 A Year Plus $27 Per Visit.
- Ten Office Visits Are Included In The Annual $249 Premium Price.
- Premium: $399 A Year For Unrestricted Use.
Individuals Without A Premium Credit Card, Such As An American Express Platinum Or Centurion Card, Are Not Eligible For Select Membership Benefits. The Advantages Of Select Membership Are Very Similar To Those Of Prestige Membership.
It’s Also Worth Noting That A $27 Fee Is Charged To All Priority Pass Membership Tiers For Each Additional Guest.
The Top Tier
Many Frequent Passengers Gain Lounge Access By Attaining Elite Status With A Particular Airline.
Almost All Airlines And Alliances Have Multiple Tiers Of Elite Status, And You Often Need To Be At Or Above The Mid-Tier To Have Access To Their Lounges When Flying With Them.
For Instance, American Airlines Allows Any Customer Who Meets Certain Criteria To Qualify For One Of Four “Public Elite Statuses.”
“Gold Aadvantage”
- Oneworld Sapphire (Platinum) Aadvantage
- Oneworld Emerald (Platinum Pro) With Aadvantage
- Executive Platinum Status With Aadvantage (Oneworld Emerald Status)
You Need To Be At Least Aadvantage Platinum To Gain Entry To Admirals Clubs And Oneworld Business Class Lounges (Like The Cathay Pacific Lounge In Sfo).
To Access Aa Flagship Lounges Or Oneworld First Class Lounges (Like Cathay Pacific’s Pier First Class Lounge At Hkg), Aadvantage Executive Platinum Status Is Required.
Even For Elite Members, United Airlines And Delta Air Lines Now Need International Travel (In Certain Cases Excluding Mexico, Canada, And The Caribbean) To Get Entry To Their Premium Passenger Lounges. However, Several Of These Alliances Allow You To Bring Along A Companion At No Extra Cost.
Star Alliance Gold Members Flying Within The United States’ Contiguous Territory Have Access To Any Star Alliance Lounge In The Network (With The Exception Of United Clubs Within The United States, Membership To Which Is Required).
In Airports Like Washington Dulles, Where Both United And Turkish Airlines Have Hubs, This Is A Fantastic Perk. (United Gold, Platinum, 1k, And Global Services Members Have Star Alliance Gold Status.)
If You’re Flying On A Skyteam Airline, You’ll Have Access To Other Skyteam Lounges Across The World, But If You’re Flying Delta Within The United States, You Won’t.
Skyteam’s Elite Members Are Labeled As Skyteam Elite Plus. On Delta, This Would Apply To Those With The Gold Medallion Status As Well As Platinum And Diamond Statuses.
Securing Lounge Access With Annual Membership
For A Yearly Fee, You Can Use The Airline’s And Many Of Its Partners’ Lounges (With The Exception Of Select First-Class Lounges). This Service Is Available No Matter Which Airline You’re Flying With.
That Means If You’re Flying Southwest, You May Still Buy A United Club Membership And Use Their Lounge. The Vast Majority Of These Memberships Additionally Permit You To Bring Along Your Spouse, Domestic Partner, And/Or Dependent Children (For A Total Of 2 Visitors).
Lounge Memberships Typically Cost Between $350 And $500 A Year, But They May Quickly Pay For Themselves When Compared To The Cost Of Day Passes Or Expensive Business Or First Class Tickets.
Interestingly, American Airlines Admirals Clubs Around The World Are Open To Members Of The Alaska Club And The Qantas Club As Well.
(The Same Goes For Members Of The Admirals Club Who Want To Use The Alaska Lounges Or The Qantas Club.)
Memberships To These Lounges Can Be Paid For With Cash, Miles (Which Are Rarely Worth The Price), Or The Airline’s Business Program Money.
Better Amenities (Even For Paying Members) Await You At International Lounges. Qantas Clubs In Australia, For Instance, Have Make-Your-Own Sandwiches, A Barista, And A Selection Of Fresh Salads.
Enjoying Lounges With Day Passes
Paying At The Door Is The Most Convenient Way To Enter A Lounge. There Is No Requirement To Fly With A Certain Airline In Order To Access Many Lounges.
U.S.-Based Airlines Like Alaska Airlines (Alaska Lounge), American Airlines (Admirals Club), And United Airlines (United Club) Operate The Majority Of The Lounges That Provide Day Passes.
The Going Rate For Day Passes Is Between $29 And $75. However, If You Renew Your Airline-Branded Credit Card Annually (Such As The Unitedsm Explorer Card), You’ll Receive Two Complimentary Lounge Passes.
There Is No Need To Commit To An Annual Membership, Shell Out For Pricey First-Class Tickets, Or Log Thousands Of Miles Each Year With A Single Airline When You Purchase One Of These Passes And Use It To Gain Access To Luxurious Airport Lounges.
Access Information Can Also Be Obtained By Contacting The Individual Airline Clubs, Including The Legacy Carriers Within The United States. United And American Both Provide Day Passes To Their Lounges In The Hope That Economy And First-Class Passengers Will Use Them.
Simplifying Lounge Access With Loungebuddy
Loungebuddy Is A Program That Allows You To Reserve A Spot In Any Airport Lounge Across The World, Regardless Of Your Service Class, Lounge Membership, Or Elite Status. More Than 280 Lounges Around The World Are Currently Affiliated With Them.
The Loungebuddy App Not Only Shows You Which Lounges Are Free To Enter, But Also Allows You To Purchase Passes To Paid Lounges. If You Add An Elite Status, Loungebuddy Will Show You Which Lounges You Have Access To And How Many Free Guests You Are Allowed To Bring.
With Loungebuddy, You Can Pay A Small Charge (As Little As $20) To Gain Entry To Lounges To Which You Otherwise Would Not Have Access. When You Purchase Entry, You’ll Receive A Barcode To Scan At The Lounge’s Entrance.
The Exclusive Allure Of Private Vip Lounges
The Lufthansa First Class Terminal In Frankfurt Airport And The British Airways Concorde Room In London’s Heathrow Airport Are Two Examples Of Extremely Exclusive Lounges That Appear To Be Accessible Exclusively With A First Class Ticket.
Still, If You Belong To An Invite-Only Elite Status Category Like British Airways Executive Club Premier Or Lufthansa’s Hon Circle, You May Be Exempt.
However, If You’re Flying Internationally In First Class, Chances Are Good That You’ll Be Able To Bring Along One Visitor (Who Doesn’t Even Need A First Class Ticket) To Enjoy The Lounge With You.
In Conclusion
You Can Find A New Level Of Comfort, Elegance, And Convenience In The Midst Of The Chaos Of Airports By Exploring The Huge World Of Airport Lounge Access, Which Can Completely Transform The Way You Think About Travelling.
Getting Into The Tranquil World Of Airport Lounges Is Easier Than You May Think, Thanks To Things Like Elite Status, High-End Credit Cards, Annual Memberships, Day Tickets, And Programs Like Loungebuddy.
Airport Lounges Offer Comfortable Seating, First-Class Amenities, And Peace And Quiet, So You Can Wave Goodbye To The Long Queues And Busy Terminals. Fly Not Just To Get There, But To Enjoy Getting There As Well.