Airport Lounges – Calm in the Midst of Chaos

You are an hour into a three-hour airport layover. You balance your laptop on your knees, working feverishly on that last-minute presentation. The mother sitting across from you tries in vain to comfort the crying infant in her arms and corral the wired four-year old that is running in circles. The constant blare of flight announcements and the beeping of the motorized carts add more distraction, and now the slouching teenager with the booming bass in his headphones is practically sleeping on your shoulder. How will you ever perfect your presentation by the time you get to your destination?

Airport lounges can provide calm in the midst of typical airport chaos. For the cost of a yearly, monthly or even daily membership, many major airports have independent lounges that offer comfortable seating and work desks, Wi-Fi service, complimentary refreshments and bag storage. Some even have shower facilities for freshening up.

These independent lounges are emerging where airport expansions have created additional space or to replace individual airlines’ clubs that have been shuttered due to cost cutting measures. Independently managed lounges are currently operating in New York, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Manchester, New Hampshire, and Savannah, Georgia, as well as hundreds of international airports.

The largest independent lounge program is Priority Pass. Their three membership levels, starting at $79 per year and $27 per person, per visit allow access to over 600 airport lounges worldwide. American Express and Diners Club also offer free lounge access to some clubs for elite card holders.

Next time you are facing a long layover, find calm in the chaos and check into one of these lounges. Relax, grab a bite to eat and finish your presentation on time so you arrive fresh and ready to do business.

Source: The Wall Street Journal