Why the allure to Lounges?
#16
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
Agree wholeheartedly with eigenvector's statement about mediocre lounges in less-developed countries. The ET lounge in ADD was a very welcome respite, as was the TG lounge in KTM last week. I avoid the three MLL lounges in YVR as they're each downgrades from the public portions of the terminal, bathrooms included.
C'mon Frankfurt...really? Free potable water is a late-2017 innovation?
C'mon Frankfurt...really? Free potable water is a late-2017 innovation?
#18
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
The YYC airport is the one major airport in Canada that had some strange problem with installing those bottled water filling stations. Did not quite understood why.
Lounges these days (across multiple operators) have this thing about flavored water. Basically a big fancy looking glass/plastic pot with water containing ice cubes and some vegetable or fruit floating in the water. It looks nice, and is usually cold. Only available in the lounges. Does anyone know if that is normally made with tap water or bottled water?
#19
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,440
That was my understanding. I am still alive, so clearly that assumption was correct.
The YYC airport is the one major airport in Canada that had some strange problem with installing those bottled water filling stations. Did not quite understood why.
Lounges these days (across multiple operators) have this thing about flavored water. Basically a big fancy looking glass/plastic pot with water containing ice cubes and some vegetable or fruit floating in the water. It looks nice, and is usually cold. Only available in the lounges. Does anyone know if that is normally made with tap water or bottled water?
The YYC airport is the one major airport in Canada that had some strange problem with installing those bottled water filling stations. Did not quite understood why.
Lounges these days (across multiple operators) have this thing about flavored water. Basically a big fancy looking glass/plastic pot with water containing ice cubes and some vegetable or fruit floating in the water. It looks nice, and is usually cold. Only available in the lounges. Does anyone know if that is normally made with tap water or bottled water?
#20
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 376
That was my understanding. I am still alive, so clearly that assumption was correct.
The YYC airport is the one major airport in Canada that had some strange problem with installing those bottled water filling stations. Did not quite understood why.
Lounges these days (across multiple operators) have this thing about flavored water. Basically a big fancy looking glass/plastic pot with water containing ice cubes and some vegetable or fruit floating in the water. It looks nice, and is usually cold. Only available in the lounges. Does anyone know if that is normally made with tap water or bottled water?
The YYC airport is the one major airport in Canada that had some strange problem with installing those bottled water filling stations. Did not quite understood why.
Lounges these days (across multiple operators) have this thing about flavored water. Basically a big fancy looking glass/plastic pot with water containing ice cubes and some vegetable or fruit floating in the water. It looks nice, and is usually cold. Only available in the lounges. Does anyone know if that is normally made with tap water or bottled water?
#21
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,527
#22
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 209
Place to sit and do some light work.
And (maybe counter-intuitive to some), access to _small_ bits of food. When I travel, I rarely feel like having the kind of large, greasy meal you often get at airport restaurants. A small bowl of spicy soup, a piece of fresh fruit*, some veggies, an espresso or two, all in one place ... that can be worth a lot. Sure, I can get all that in the terminal, but it's a hassle.
It should be obvious that I'm writing this from a U.S. perspective. In countries with more developed infrastructure, many of these lounge benefits fall away.
[* Honestly, fresh fruit by itself almost makes whatever access price worth it. After a long flight, on a long layover, facing another flight, it's a small reminder that there's an outside to all these sterile spaces.]
And (maybe counter-intuitive to some), access to _small_ bits of food. When I travel, I rarely feel like having the kind of large, greasy meal you often get at airport restaurants. A small bowl of spicy soup, a piece of fresh fruit*, some veggies, an espresso or two, all in one place ... that can be worth a lot. Sure, I can get all that in the terminal, but it's a hassle.
It should be obvious that I'm writing this from a U.S. perspective. In countries with more developed infrastructure, many of these lounge benefits fall away.
[* Honestly, fresh fruit by itself almost makes whatever access price worth it. After a long flight, on a long layover, facing another flight, it's a small reminder that there's an outside to all these sterile spaces.]
#24
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,840
Lounge access isn't particularly high on my list of priorities, but I like certain amenities, like Wi-Fi (the public wi-fi at some airports sucks or is even non-existent), printers, showers (not at United Clubs ), and available seats/power (in theory, at least). The agents can be handy during IRROPs, too. I could live without the food, and I only occasionally drink the bad-to-mediocre booze.
#26
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,690
#27
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYC / random hotel in YYZ
Programs: Back of the bus
Posts: 922
The lounges have turned into zoos that are often busier than the general airport terminals. The 'allure' is basically the nicer chairs, the all-you-can drink alcohol and the food.
I think some lounge patrons are also in denial of their alcohol abuse habits. I've seen people who have downed a bottle of Crown Royal in their lounge session, and certainly could afford to pay for the drinks at a normal airport bar, but having a $200 bar bill on their credit card that gets seen by their wife would be quite unacceptable. So they booze it up in the lounge where there is no monitoring of portions or of amounts consumed. In the lounge they can drink themselves silly discretely, while a person who drinks $200 worth of liquor at an airport bar "with service" alone might be viewed as a bit of a weirdo.
I think some lounge patrons are also in denial of their alcohol abuse habits. I've seen people who have downed a bottle of Crown Royal in their lounge session, and certainly could afford to pay for the drinks at a normal airport bar, but having a $200 bar bill on their credit card that gets seen by their wife would be quite unacceptable. So they booze it up in the lounge where there is no monitoring of portions or of amounts consumed. In the lounge they can drink themselves silly discretely, while a person who drinks $200 worth of liquor at an airport bar "with service" alone might be viewed as a bit of a weirdo.
Besides, if you can have AC pay for all of your alcohol instead of having to pay for it yourself why wouldn't you let Calin be on the hook?
#28
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 209
That's a great point, and one reason I buy an annual lounge pass for years where I often connect through high-IRROPs airports (ORD, DEN, for example). Lines are _much_ shorter, agents are less overworked, and if things go south, at least I have a nice space to hang out in for a few hours.
#29
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: Bottom feeder Star Gold
Posts: 2,652
Lounges these days (across multiple operators) have this thing about flavored water. Basically a big fancy looking glass/plastic pot with water containing ice cubes and some vegetable or fruit floating in the water. It looks nice, and is usually cold. Only available in the lounges. Does anyone know if that is normally made with tap water or bottled water?
#30
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
I am operating under the assumption most FTers are paid corporate flying, and also have a per diem to spend on meals per day.
.... the food is so bad (unhealthy), you couldn't pay me to eat it. Additionally, the alcohol while might be free, is also very poor quality (you couldn't pay me to drink some of their wines). The economic value I place on these lounges ...maybe $100 for a nice shower at an Asian lounge. But for a Maple Leaf lounge, I definitely wouldn't pay more than $5. Your thoughts!?
.... the food is so bad (unhealthy), you couldn't pay me to eat it. Additionally, the alcohol while might be free, is also very poor quality (you couldn't pay me to drink some of their wines). The economic value I place on these lounges ...maybe $100 for a nice shower at an Asian lounge. But for a Maple Leaf lounge, I definitely wouldn't pay more than $5. Your thoughts!?
If you don't see value (for a free/included facility) then don't go in, solving the problem and leaving others to experience one less Negative Nancy who can sit outside and buy a Subway sanny.
How does the type of traveler (corporate or not, without evidence if it is true or not) and per diem apply in this argument since the per diem is not used in the lounge?