I love a good airport lounge. They offer calm, comfort, and a free cocktail amid the hustle and bustle of a busy airport. It’s common to assume these are just for business people traveling on a first-class ticket. But, thanks to credit cards, these lounges are now accessible to all travelers, including families. Let’s discuss the benefits and perks of airport lounges and the key to unlocking airport lounge access; first-class tickets are not required!
The Perks of Airport Lounges
- Quiet: Lounges offer a break from the noise and crowds of the airport. This isn’t to say that lounges can’t also become quite crowded (especially during peak travel time!), but the space generally seems quieter and more relaxed.
- Comfortable seating: Lounge areas usually offer comfortable seating arrangements, including armchairs, sofas, and sometimes private resting areas.
- Complimentary food and beverages: Many lounges offer complimentary snacks, light meals, and drinks. This is always GREAT for my family. The kids will snack on some treats while I usually have cheese, crackers, and wine. It is an awesome way to start the trip off right!
- Workspaces: Lounges often provide work-friendly environments with desks (lots of power outlets for those iPads!) and free Wi-Fi.
- Entertainment: Lounges may provide amenities like TVs, newspapers, magazines, and sometimes even gaming consoles or quiet rooms for meditation or relaxation. Some lounges (especially in Europe) will offer kid rooms with toys and crafts.
- Showers: Some lounges offer shower facilities which is a great way to freshen up between long flights.
- Priority services: Some lounges offer priority check-in and ticket help. One trip that always sticks out is when my family was in London Heathrow, and many flights (including ours) were canceled due to weather. The lines to speak to a ticketing agent were wrapped around the terminal. Thanks to our Priority Pass membership, we could access one of the premium lounges, which had its dedicated ticketing agent to assist us in our rebooking.
How to Access these Lounges
Some premium travel cards offer airport lounge access as one of their many perks. I value these highly and always include them when calculating whether to keep or cancel a card. Here’s a quick overview of some cards that can open these doors for you:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: This card includes Priority Pass Select membership, which provides access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. They’ve also started rolling out “The Sapphire Lounge” with locations in Boston, New York and Hong Kong and more opening soon.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Cardholders receive access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Delta Sky Club lounges (when flying Delta).
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: This premium travel card offers Priority Pass Select membership, providing access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. They’ve also just opened a few Capital One Venture X lounges – in Dallas, Denver, and Dulles.
- Citi Prestige® Card: This card offers Priority Pass Select membership.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Cardholders receive Priority Pass Select membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Cardholders receive Priority Pass Select membership.
Conclusion
Airport lounges represent more than mere comfort during layovers; they’re a gateway to a world of luxury travel. Whether you pop in for a quiet place to make a work call or go early to enjoy a glass of wine before a long flight, having access to an airport lounge is a travel day game-changer!
