Don’t you hate arriving early at the airport, only to check-in and clear security within 20 minutes? Well, there is a way to make the most of your airport experience. To me, getting to your destination is an experience. Regardless whether you are traveling for leisure or business, airport lounges will make your airport experience a smooth and relaxing one.
The Lounge Experience: Simply put, an airport lounge offers a peaceful and quiet space, away from the airport crowds. Spacious and comfortable chairs (the size of a couch) offer you to relax comfortably while having a meal or snack with drinks. Since most travelers don’t go to the lounges, the atmosphere is much quieter than the airport even if the lounge gets busy. Lounges also offer free Wi-Fi and power outlets. So, if your camera or phone is dying, you can charge them up before the flight. And the lounge Wi-Fi is separate from the main airport Wi-Fi. So, if the airport Wi-Fi is not the best, the one in the lounge will have a much stronger signal.
Food: We all know that the food on the plane is far from the best. And many flights, depending on your destination, will not even offer food except maybe a few snacks for a fee. And most airport eateries have elevated prices for food. So in the end, if you will still eat at the airport, why not pay a few more dollars for an elevated experience? Lounges have a buffet setup, and offer a variety of food choices, along with snacks and/or desserts, at all meal periods of the day. And if that’s not enough, did I mention that even alcoholic beverages are included? It feels like an all-inclusive experience.
Categories of Airport Lounges
- Airline-Affiliated
- Alliance-Affiliated
- Credit Card-Affiliated
- Independent
Airline-Affiliated Lounges
An airline-affiliated lounge only allows travelers flying a certain airline and/or its partner airlines access the lounge. These lounges are typical in airports where a certain airline has a hub and/or lots of flights departing from. For example, the top 3 airports in Canada – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – have an Air Canada lounge, because Air Canada has hundreds of flights to/from those cities.
Most airline-affiliated lounges accept Business Class travelers, as well as travelers who have a high status (such as Platinum) with the airline reward program. Some of them, however, will allow Economy Class travelers to use the lounge for a fee. Check with your airline to see what the rules for their lounge are, and when it must be paid. Sometimes you can pay at the lounge, other times it must be pre-booked with your ticket. If you’re flying Economy and the airline doesn’t allow you to use their lounge, no worries. You can visit an Independent Lounge.
Alliance-Affiliated Lounges
An alliance-affiliated lounge is similar to an airline lounge. The difference is, it allows all travelers who are flying an airline that is affiliated with one of the top 3 world airline alliances – Star Alliance, SkyTeam and OneWorld. These lounges are common in airports (or terminals) where there are many airlines/flights of a certain alliance flying into. The rules for alliance-affiliated lounges are similar to those for airline lounges, so simply ask a representative from your airline if there is a way you can use the lounge if you’re not flying business class.
Credit Card-Affiliated Lounges
These lounges are exclusive to travelers who have a certain status with a credit card company. The most popular ones are American Express Centurion Lounges, exclusive to Centurion members who pay a very high annual fee. At other times, a certain credit card may get you into a public airport lounge at no fee. Check with your credit card company if they have any credit cards which allow lounge access.
Independent Lounges
Other than the lounges mentioned above, almost all airports around the world have at least one Independent lounge. These lounges are easily accessible to all travelers for a fee of around $50 (varies by airport) regardless of what class they’re flying. So, if you don’t qualify to use any other lounges, then you can certainly use an independent lounge.
The top lounge company around the world is Plaza Premium Lounge. You will find one at almost all top airports around the world. If you’re flying into a busy airport, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy a meal and drinks in the lounge prior to your flight. Or, if you have a connecting flight, your connection time is 3 hours or more and all your flights are on time, you can also enjoy the lounge at your connecting airport. After all, Economy seats on planes have very minimal legroom nowadays. So after finally disembarking and stretching your legs, the Plaza Premium Lounge will allow you and enjoy a meal with drinks in luxury, rather than looking for a seat in the crowded airport.
If you are traveling to a smaller airport, chances are there will not be a Plaza Premium Lounge. However, many airports have their own independent lounges, all with different names. Examples include airports in the Caribbean or the French Polynesia, among other airports on all continents where not many airlines fly. At those airports, chances are the lounge will be much smaller and offer less food variety than what the Plaza Premium Lounge offers. But in the end it’s still much better than waiting in the main airport building, and the Wi-Fi will certainly make a difference. A couple of examples include:
- Airlines Executive Lounge at Barbados International Airport: costs USD 36
- VIP Lounge at Holguin, Cuba International Airport: costs USD 20
How to Book a Visit to an Airport Lounge
- Airline-Affiliated and Alliance-Affiliated Lounges: check with your airline.
- Credit Card Affiliated Lounges: check with your credit card.
- Plaza Premium Lounge: you can book that through their website. You can save 20% on some of the lounges when booking ahead rather than paying at the door.
- Other Independent Lounges: if you’re not a frequent traveler, just search the airport lounge and check what their policies are. If you are a frequent traveler, use Priority Pass and sign up for an annual membership. It’s well worth it! Only 3 lounge visits, and the rest are free when you add up all costs!