This is how y'all live /Airport lounge
Hello...I recently traveled with a colleague and our flight was delayed so she invited me to hang out at an airport lounge . THIS IS HOW Y'ALL LIVE !!!! Unlimited food and drinks, bathrooms to shower, comfy chairs etc !! I'm trying to get on this gig. Just kidding but not really. I believe she used AMEX so my question is what is the best way to access Airport lounges i.e. Credit card (?)/other avenues ??
Sorry I'm sure this has been asked already but I'm new to this forum. Thank you |
Originally Posted by fhbrooklyn
(Post 34640301)
Hello...I recently traveled with a colleague and our flight was delayed so she invited me to hang out at an airport lounge . THIS IS HOW Y'ALL LIVE !!!! Unlimited food and drinks, bathrooms to shower, comfy chairs etc !! I'm trying to get on this gig. Just kidding but not really. I believe she used AMEX so my question is what is the best way to access Airport lounges i.e. Credit card (?)/other avenues ??
Sorry I'm sure this has been asked already but I'm new to this forum. Thank you First visits to lounges can be quite eye-opening. Glad you enjoyed it. As usual, it will be a complicated answer. The best way to access lounges will be based on your travel patterns and frequency. And note that not all lounges are equal. Some are much better than others. If you travel often and mostly with the same airline, a membership to their club/lounge can be purchased. Usually in the $600 yearly price range. You will need to figure out if that works out to an acceptable per-visit cost based on your expected travel patterns. It helps if your home airport has a lounge that you can use each time you travel. (Some of us at more remote outstations don't have that luxury :)) There are also credit cards that offer lounge access as part of their benefits, but annual fees for these cards are pretty high. 2 major programs here. * American Express Platinum cardholders can access Centurion lounges, which are regarded pretty highly, though often crowded. You should look into their locations to see if this option makes sense based on your travels. * Other travel-focused cards offer membership into Priority Club, which has a much more extensive collection of lounges, as well as an occasional meal benefit at airport concessions. The quality of these lounges tend to be much more variable, and again, not always an option at all airports. Note that if you travel long-haul internationally, most business class or higher tickets offer lounge access as part of the ticket. Also, if you travel enough to obtain status with an airline alliance, that can also confer some lounge access benefit. You will have to do some research to see if any of these options make sense for you. Or you could just continue to travel with a companion that can guest you inside, which solves it neatly. Haha. Let us know if you have any specific questions. |
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and providing me with such a detailed answer !! I truly appreciate it. Yes some homework is definitely due on my end !!! Was a nice experience though. maybe I need to travel with the friend more often 🤔
|
Originally Posted by goodeats21
(Post 34640364)
Welcome to FlyerTalk, fhbrooklyn !!
First visits to lounges can be quite eye-opening. Glad you enjoyed it. As usual, it will be a complicated answer. The best way to access lounges will be based on your travel patterns and frequency. And note that not all lounges are equal. Some are much better than others. If you travel often and mostly with the same airline, a membership to their club/lounge can be purchased. Usually in the $600 yearly price range. You will need to figure out if that works out to an acceptable per-visit cost based on your expected travel patterns. It helps if your home airport has a lounge that you can use each time you travel. (Some of us at more remote outstations don't have that luxury :)) There are also credit cards that offer lounge access as part of their benefits, but annual fees for these cards are pretty high. 2 major programs here. * American Express Platinum cardholders can access Centurion lounges, which are regarded pretty highly, though often crowded. You should look into their locations to see if this option makes sense based on your travels. * Other travel-focused cards offer membership into Priority Club, which has a much more extensive collection of lounges, as well as an occasional meal benefit at airport concessions. The quality of these lounges tend to be much more variable, and again, not always an option at all airports. Note that if you travel long-haul internationally, most business class or higher tickets offer lounge access as part of the ticket. Also, if you travel enough to obtain status with an airline alliance, that can also confer some lounge access benefit. You will have to do some research to see if any of these options make sense for you. Or you could just continue to travel with a companion that can guest you inside, which solves it neatly. Haha. Let us know if you have any specific questions. Note that most access due to status in a FF program requires that you be flying on an international itinerary using that alliance, although there are exceptions. |
Originally Posted by goodeats21
(Post 34640364)
* American Express Platinum cardholders can access Centurion lounges, which are regarded pretty highly, though often crowded. You should look into their locations to see if this option makes sense based on your travels.
https://www.americanexpress.com/idc/...ollection.html While the coverage is extensive, it does NOT include any American Airlines or United Airlines operated lounges, nor does it include Restaurants which accept Priority Pass. |
Originally Posted by fhbrooklyn
(Post 34640301)
Hello...I recently traveled with a colleague and our flight was delayed so she invited me to hang out at an airport lounge . THIS IS HOW Y'ALL LIVE !!!! Unlimited food and drinks, bathrooms to shower, comfy chairs etc !! I'm trying to get on this gig. Just kidding but not really.
While I suspect many FT'ers have become so accustomed to the lounge experience to find them utterly ordinary and something to be tolerated, I still like them and always look forward to spending time in them. Loved it when I was a kid, like them even more now, and always will. Now, if we can pare down the crowding, it'd be an even better experience. Have fun! PS - As alluded to, CCs & elite status (matches and/or promos if you can swing it) are the way to go. |
Originally Posted by fhbrooklyn
(Post 34640472)
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and providing me with such a detailed answer !! I truly appreciate it. Yes some homework is definitely due on my end !!! Was a nice experience though. maybe I need to travel with the friend more often 🤔
I caught the travel bug about 12 years ago and FlyerTalk has been an amazing place to learn and share. Happy travels! |
Originally Posted by fhbrooklyn
(Post 34640472)
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and providing me with such a detailed answer !! I truly appreciate it. Yes some homework is definitely due on my end !!! Was a nice experience though. maybe I need to travel with the friend more often 🤔
|
Capital One Venture X
I compared AMex with CapOne Ven X and got the venture x card for the lounges. It's nearly $300 less expensive than amex at $395/yr and allows you and 2 guests into the cap one lounge (currently at DFW and more planned) or the priority pass lounges mentioned in another post (unlimited times/yr). The $395 costs disappear quickly with the other credits cap one offers like $300 travel credit by booking through cap one travel, $100/10000 mi travel annual credit toward travel, and $100 credit towards tsa pre check and global entry costs. There seems to be a generous bonus on stuff booked through their travel center but I have yet to try that. It's still a new card for me. Dig a bit into this card. Make sure to look at the VENTURE X card.
|
It's often possible to purchase a day pass to an airline lounge as long as you're flying that airline that day. Price is about $59. I sometimes think it's worth it if I have a layover of 2 hours or more, not only for food and drink but for the quiet and the comfy chairs.
|
Originally Posted by NotSoFrequentColorado
(Post 34673479)
It's often possible to purchase a day pass to an airline lounge as long as you're flying that airline that day. Price is about $59. I sometimes think it's worth it if I have a layover of 2 hours or more, not only for food and drink but for the quiet and the comfy chairs.
|
Originally Posted by fhbrooklyn
(Post 34640301)
THIS IS HOW Y'ALL LIVE !!!!
Thank you |
Originally Posted by NotSoFrequentColorado
(Post 34673479)
It's often possible to purchase a day pass to an airline lounge as long as you're flying that airline that day. Price is about $59. I sometimes think it's worth it if I have a layover of 2 hours or more, not only for food and drink but for the quiet and the comfy chairs.
|
Originally Posted by skywatcher
(Post 34673379)
I compared AMex with CapOne Ven X and got the venture x card for the lounges. It's nearly $300 less expensive than amex at $395/yr and allows you and 2 guests into the cap one lounge (currently at DFW and more planned) or the priority pass lounges mentioned in another post (unlimited times/yr). The $395 costs disappear quickly with the other credits cap one offers like $300 travel credit by booking through cap one travel, $100/10000 mi travel annual credit toward travel, and $100 credit towards tsa pre check and global entry costs. There seems to be a generous bonus on stuff booked through their travel center but I have yet to try that. It's still a new card for me. Dig a bit into this card. Make sure to look at the VENTURE X card.
One thing to note: the Amex comes with a Priority Pass card that does not include restaurants, and the Venture X (along with Chase Sapphire) include restaurants. Also of interest: the X also provides access to different Plaza Premium lounges than the Amex Plat. |
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 5:48 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.