|
 She used to have free access to co-owned American Airlines and US
Airways lounges through her American Express card, but with that
program over, she now pays $500 a year to be a member of American
Airlines' Admirals Club, which gets her access to private airport
lounges around the world through the oneworld alliance. "It was
worth it for me to pay for it," says Truman, 39, a New Jersey-based
travel marketing executive.
Travelers have a wide range of options when it comes to the airport
clubs, whose lounges can offer some peace from often chaotic,
warehouse-like airport terminals. Snacks and drinks are available
for the taking, seating tends to be more comfortable and there's
free Wi-Fi and lots of power outlets.
But whether it is worth it for the cost depends on how you are
getting access and whether you are paying extra for it. Airport
lounges are run by either airlines or a handful of private
operators. While some are restricted to top-tier flyers, most allow
travelers a variety of ways to get in.
* Membership through airlines or airline alliances: For instance, if
you achieve gold status in the Star Alliance, (which includes United
Airlines , Air Canada and Lufthansa) you are permitted access to
more than 1,000 lounges worldwide as long as you fly on a member
airline. Otherwise, you will pay about $300 to $700 a year, plus
initiation fees (air miles can be used).
* A day pass: Prices are typically about $50, but advance-purchase
deals for some can cut that in half.
* Route-specific: Some travelers are given entry to an airline's
lounges along the route they are flying if they fly internationally
on a first-class or business-class airline ticket or on certain
transcontinental flights.
* Membership through cards: Fewer credit cards offer the perk now.
Among those that still do: the American Express Platinum Card,
through which you receive a complimentary membership to Delta's Sky
Club network when flying on that airline, and you can apply for a
free membership in the independent Priority Pass lounge network
(worth $399) as part of the card's $450 annual fee. Also, Citi
Executive/AAdvantage card holders get a membership worth $500 in
American's Admirals Club included as part of their $450 annual fee.
WHAT YOU GET
At the estimated 2,000 lounges worldwide at more than 500 airports,
services and amenities vary. One way to keep track is with a free
app like LoungeBuddy, available for iPhone and Android, with data on
nearly 1,800 lounges. Users can input their travel information and
get ratings, lists of amenities and photos for the lounges they can
access.
For food, U.S. clubs will typically offer basic snacks like carrots,
pretzels and apples, with a bit more in the mornings like pastries
and yogurt, according to Tyler Dikman, founder of LoungeBuddy, who
says he has personally visited 600 to 800 lounges. Beer and wine
will be free, but travelers usually have to pay extra for top-shelf
liquor domestically. Nearly half of lounges will have showers, he
adds.
In smaller airports, marketing executive Ribeiro Truman says she
finds that many lounges resemble hotel bars - not much more than a
separate seating area with some snacks.
[to top of second column] |
But in larger airports, expect to find more, especially overseas.
At Cathay Pacific Airlines' The Bridge Lounge in Hong Kong, for
example, there is an enormous, elegantly decorated space divided
into two wings, and spacious shower suites. Food includes
fresh-baked bread, pizza, soups and sandwiches on one side and a
range of high-end hot and cold food for self-service on the other.
Access to that lounge is available to Emerald- and Sapphire-level
members of the oneworld alliance, which includes American Airlines.
Private shower rooms, in particular, win wide praise from those who
have used them.
"It's something you'll find in a nice hotel," Dikman says, who has
enjoyed plush towels and fancy toiletries.
For the infrequent traveler or someone stuck waiting a long time for
a connection, buying a day pass to a lounge could be a big benefit,
particularly if you have work to do. Road warriors report that
paying about $500 a year is money well spent to regroup when it is
inconvenient to check into a hotel.
Sonita Lontoh, a Silicon Valley technology executive who flies
regularly to Asia and Australia, prizes her lounge access. She says
after being on a plane for 15 hours, having a place to decompress
and take a shower is a real benefit.
On the other hand, Becky Pokora, 28, the Richmond, Virginia-based
writer of The Girl and Globe blog (http://thegirlandglobe.com), says
her credit card just discontinued free access to lounges and her 15
round trips a year do not warrant paying extra.
"The value proposition was different when there were lounges in
nearly every U.S. airport participating in their program, but now I
doubt I'll be renewing the card when next year's annual fee comes
due," she says.
(Follow us @ReutersMoney or at http://www.reuters.com/finance/personal-finance;
Editing by Beth Pinsker and Jonathan Oais)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright
2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
