You are at the airport patiently waiting for boarding, but the noises around you, that annoying neck tension and a slight peckishness are increasing your cortisol levels, making waiting a little stressful. So get up and enter the airport lounge, an area that offers special services that will add a touch of lightness to your stay at the airport. Let’s try to better understand what it is, what services it offers and how to access it.
ARE AIRPORT LOUNGES ALL THE SAME?
The answer is no: usually located in major airports, airport lounges can be of two types:
- owned by a specific airline: access is possible for passengers traveling with that specific airline or, in any case, with one of the companies belonging to the same alliance; be careful though, because there are access requirements, which we will see later
- belonging to private companies, offer pay-per-use access: anyone can access by purchasing a ticket for single use or subscribing to a membership.
AIRPORT LOUNGES: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHAT DO THEY OFFER?
Airport lounges are oases of peace where passengers can relax during their stay at the airport.
Within these areas, various types of comfort are offered, from the most common to the most sophisticated.
It ranges from comfortable armchairs or chaise-longues to take a nap or read a newspaper or magazine – always available in the VIP room – to technological equipment such as free wi-fi and televisions.
Spotless bathrooms are also offered, sometimes complete with showers, and there’s no shortage of laundry facilities!
For workers, then, some airport lounges provide desks and printers, while for those with an appetite, there is no lack of bars and restaurants, sometimes even of a high level.
As the icing on the cake, the most exclusive VIP lounges offer fitness centers to keep fit while waiting, or pamper their customers with massages, beauty treatments and other spa services, capable of satisfying even the most stressed and demanding passengers!
Interesting, isn’t it? Let’s see what the access requirements are.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
The airport lounge access is possible through several ways that make its amenities available to almost anyone. Would you like to try this experience? Choose one of the following options!
Travel in business class or first class
The first way to access these special waiting rooms is to travel in first class or business class. In this case, just show your boarding pass at the entrance to the airport lounge of your company or one belonging to the same alliance. The main ones are OneWorld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance.
Be frequent flyers
One way to enter, even if you are traveling in economy class, is to enroll in a program for frequent flyers and apply for the card, which allows free access to the area once the necessary status is reached.
Purchase single entry or sign up for a membership, like the Priority Pass membership
If you are not traveling in business or first class and have not accumulated enough miles, another solution is to purchase a single entry ticket directly at the desk for private lounges, or sign up for a membership if you travel frequently enough.
One of the best known programs is the Priority Pass, which allows you to enter more than 1200 VIP lounges around the world.
Join credit card programs or be a customer of a bank
Some credit cards give holders a pass to the airport lounges: among the circuits participating in the program, American Express, Mastercard and Visa.
In addition, Revolut – a digital bank, very suitable for travelers – allows holders of Premium and Metal accounts to buy single passes to access one of the 1000 VIP lounges included in the LoungeKey program at a flat rate.
Download an app
The last method we will talk about is the use of an app that grants users to purchase a single pass for VIP lounges, without having to meet other requirements. Among them are LoungeBuddy for iOS and Flio for iOS and Android.
…and prices?
We can say that, depending on the solution you choose, the price range is very wide, ranging from about $20 up to $200.
CONCLUSION
As we’ve seen, whatever type of traveler you are, airport lounges are close at hand! So why don’t you enjoy the incomparable services they offer on your next trip? The stress of leaving will be just a memory!
