SubscribeWed 5 Sep 2007
The other day I wrote about how I was thinking about getting an American Express Platinum Card. I haven’t, but thought about applying again as I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about 1st class lounges the other day. I used to travel for business, and much of it was international. As a result I would often fly business class and have access to these lounges. On long international trips with any kind of layover, these lounges were a godsend. After flying 8 hours and having to wait another 3 hours for a connection in a crowded waiting area can be very much a personal hell.
While every lounge from every airline from every airport is different, they typically offer:
- Free Drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic)
- Free Snacks (bagels, muffins, sandwiches)
- Free WiFi
- Comfortable chairs
- Desks with easy access to power
- Clean comfortable bathrooms
Some lounges I know also offer:
- Showers
- Hot food
- Massages
Forbe’s has top 10 list of 1st class and business class Airport Lounges. The lounges overseas are much better. International travelers in general demand more luxuries.
You might be asking how airport lounges has anything do with personal finances. When being mindful of personal finance, there is a constant struggle between frugality on one side, and convenience and luxury on the other. Airport lounges definitely fall on the side of luxury and convenience. While we should all make an effort to be frugal, certain luxuries and conveniences are worth it. Airport lounges are probably not worth it for me right now (and certainly not though a 1st class or business class ticket), but this is not to say they are not worth it. If the cost of admission of $495 annually for Access to 4 different lounges (Delta, Continental, Northwest, and American), and I flew 20 times a year on those airlines, the cost of around $25 per trip might not seem so bad. As is, I often will shell out $6-$10 for WiFi access. Being able to do work or read in a more comfortable environment is definitely worth something. Again, I don’t think it makes sense for me to shell our the dollars for lounge access, but for someone else it might. Sometimes luxuries can be a frugally minded decision.
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September 6th, 2007 at 7:49 am
When my company decided to upgrade to a platinum card (it’s cheaper if you get them as a group — annual fee is 250 per card) I thought it was a waste of money.
Then I started spending my layovers in the lounges. While Dong makes a good point about luxury vs necessity, as a frequent flier (>35 round trips a year) I have started looking at these lounges as a necessity.
A couple perks Dong did not mention: They have their own re-booking desk, so if the airline or weather wreaks havoc with your flight plans, you can bypass the long lines at the “service center” and head right to the lounge.
Another perk is that they will keep you updated on your delayed flight — they have monitors in the lounge, but will announce all changes to scheduled times (and once, after a 6 AM flight was delayed until past 8 AM, they came by and tapped me on my shoulder to make sure I did not sleep through the new departure).
Quick tips: most lounges have free wi-fi that is non-encrypted. If you are not lucky enough to be able to get in, you can park yourself right outside and still pick up the free signal…I know this is a big issue right now between logan airport — who wants you to pay — and continental (who wants to offer free wifi in their lounge).
Another tip: Most lounges offer day-passes for a charge, so if you are having one of those “trips from hell” with delays, cancellations etc, you can always buy your way in for the day, but we ready for a crowd (you won’t be the only one with this idea) and the crowds do marginalize the experience.
Just being able to go to the bathroom without asking someone to watch your bag is almost worth it enough!
September 6th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I agree with JF’s comment about lounges not being a luxury when you’re travelling often. At one point I was flying once a week, and access to the lounge became a sanity-saving measure. It was all part of a routine I got into (park car, head to lounge, check in there, eat breakfast etc), and the quiet of the lounge in the early morning was just what I needed to start the day.
People tend to think the lounges are for the idle rich, but in fact regular air travel is no more exotic than catching a bus, and anything you can do to make it as hassle-free as you can is worth it when you’re doing it a lot.