radtechtraveler

My wife and I used the escape lounge at MSP yesterday, and after 1 hr we ended up walking out without having any food or beverage served to us. It was a sunday so the lounge was fairly busy. There is no self serve and no service at the bar unless you are sitting there. We sat down scanned the QR code and waited...and waited for about 20 minutes until our server finally stopped by (she was frantically trying to do her job) turns out the entire lounge only had 2 people serving everyone and cleaning. There were about 10 tables without people in the entire lounge and all those empty tables were full of dirty dishes. After we ordered we probably ended up waiting 20 minutes without seeing our server again. I ended up walking over to the PGA shop and sitting down ordered a drink and food to go (as a backup plan), had my beverage, got my to go order and made it back to the escape lounge and still without anything. 40 minutes after we ordered 2 cocktails, 2 salmon and a cookie and a total of 1 hr since we got there we walked out. This was pathetic and i felt so bad for the 2 servers trying to survive. Escape lounge needs to do better, either hire more staff or limit the number of people who can enter

GUWonder

If the Escape lounge at MSP hadn't been shut down for so long, perhaps they would have been in a better staffing position than they are in now. PGA has been opened more/longer during this pandemic than this Escape lounge.

Food and beverage outlets are facing a serious labor crunch/shortage even beyond airports. But airport retailers are even more problematic with regard to staffing since they tend to be even more distant from residential areas; and fast/frequent public transportation for employees (and/or cheap parking) can be an issue too. MSP's light-rail service helps in that regard, but not enough to eliminate the issue of distance/convenience from residence even for MSP airport retailers.

Add in that the airside retail/commercial outlet employees also need to undergo FBI fingerprint-based background checks and TSA threat assessments prior to being on the job, and that too slows things down. And even after being hired, the workers must pass through TSA security each working day. And given the TSA screening is notorious for being time-consuming and intrusive at times, there's even more of a recruitment/retention challenge. It also doesn't help with staffing needs when the lounge was closed longer than the other airside retailers/commercial service providers -- many of which are literally poaching employees from other retail/commercial service at the airport since it means they can get a new hire boarded more quickly for delivering service to travelers at the airport. Not unique to MSP, but it is a factor at MSP and the airside retailers/commercial service providers.

dhuey

Sad to see this report. The MSP Escape Lounge was one of my favorites, pre-pandemic. I was there are few weeks ago and I had prompt service, albeit only for a soft drink.

I don't know if their distancing and server-delivered food only setup is by choice, or dictated by airport/governmental authorities. It would be a lot better when the lounge is near capacity if they would simply return to the old buffet and walk-up bar approach. I don't think that presents a significantly different Covid risk than what they have now.

MSPeconomist

Unless something has changed in the last month or two (which seems unlikely) the main (F/G) DL SC lounge at MSP has been doing buffet (hot and cold, self serve with utensils, although silverware is either wrapped or dispensed individually rather than having people take it from a small bin) food, water, and coffee/tea, with a bartender for other beverages (ordered at the bar and not served to tables). The C SC has a self serve selection of packaged cold food items, and also a bartender. Some hotels in the area seem to be doing modified buffet breakfasts.

Boraxo

The pandemic service leaves a lot to be desired in both lounges and restaurants.

Personally I have never been impressed with the Escape Lounges in OAK or RNO. Thankfully OAK has shown recent improvement and is back to buffet ordering, though I hate having to wait for drinks. To be fair the drink line is sometimes 10 deep at the United Clubs (if you want to pound drinks it seems Amex is the place to go).

QT31415

At least it’s open. The Escapr lounge in T2 Ontario has boasted “now open” for months on its website but has yet to open at all. In Ontario, the food options are the Hudson or a bar with soggy fries and mediocre beer on tap.