All About Airport Lounges

In the last post, we talked about how TSA Pre-Check, Global Entry, and Clear Plus can help you bypass the long lines at the airport, so this email is all about where to go after you breeze right through security… let’s talk airport lounges!

Airport lounges are a great place to remove some of the stress that comes with air travel. These lounges typically offer complimentary food and drinks (alcoholic beverages included), free wi-fi, charging ports, comfortable seating, and access to conference areas among other amenities. Some lounges even have dedicated napping areas, showers, and spa services!

I snapped this photo at the Punta Cana VIP airport lounge as we waited for our flight home. It’s not everyday you get to swim with the aircraft before you board it!

Types Of Airport Lounges

Most airport lounges fall into these 4 main categories:

Airline-affiliated lounges such as American Airlines’ Admirals Club, Delta SkyClubs, or United Clubs.
Credit card-affiliated lounges such as American Express’s Centurion Lounges or Capital One Lounges.
Independent lounge networks such as Priority Pass or Plaza Premium lounges.
Alliance-affiliated lounges such as Star Alliance lounges

How To Gain Access To Airport Lounges

There are many airline-affiliated lounges and access depends on each airline’s guidelines. Here are links to “the big 3” airlines’ lounge policies and the credit cards that will give you access:

American Express Lounges: The Centurion® Network includes The Centurion Lounge and Escape Lounges. There are currently over 40 locations worldwide. The Platinum Card® from American Expressincludes lounge access.

Capital One Lounge: there is currently only 1 Capital One Lounge open in the US (DFW), but 2 more are coming soon (DEN, IAD). The Capital One Venture X credit card is the easiest way to gain access.

Priority Pass™ Lounges: there are over 1,300 lounges worldwide. You can either purchase an annual Priority Pass membership directly or hold the following credit cards, which include membership:

I’m especially excited about visiting the Emirates Lounge before our flight to Italy. Their First and Business Class lounge experiences look amazing and some include complimentary spa services! You can even board the aircraft directly from the lounge at several locations.

So tell me, are you more excited about the going to the airport now?!