I’m sorry, I just can’t. Malcolm Gladwell would call it the tipping point, but I’ll just call the current state of the airport lounge what it is – insanity. Mass transit masquerading as luxury.
What were once refined spaces and places for road warriors and those who pay for the best when they fly are now basically hospital waiting rooms at a push, with very slightly upgraded snacks and queues that rival a Taylor Swift merch booth just to get in.
And to be clear, unlike the hospital waiting room which usually has enough chairs upon entry, these spaces no longer do, so on behalf of the airline or credit card, please take your “free” snacks and bounce.
A time may be on the horizon where it actually makes sense to stop offering lounge access to some elite statuses and reimagining day of travel benefits that people can enjoy. There’s just not a lot of joy in lounges right now.
Valuable Airport Real Estate
Airport lounges are so crowded now that lines form to get in them. Some airlines even have two lanes to try to fast track more valuable customers.
Modest food offerings from the lounge are now often placed at the entry door as “grab n go” designed to turn people around when they do reach the door. Wait, what?
I’ve long said if everyone is “VIP”, no one is. That couldn’t be more true here.
This was always a problem for the flawed business model of pay as you go lounges, where the business goals run counter to the customer goals — aka the more heads through the door the better, versus the customer side of the more exclusivity and peace the better.
Now it’s hit breaking point with all lounges. The people having a coffee in the terminal did not have to wait in line to get there. They simply sat down and are even treated to tarmac or airplane views upon their seating.
Counter that with people who have paid more for their ticket, for their credit card, or have pledged allegiance to an airline, all waiting in line for the pleasure of entering a lounge space so crowded that there aren’t even seats. If there were, there wouldn’t be a f**king line.
This also makes me question the intelligence of everyone who willingly waits in said lines, because honestly, what do you expect to find at the end of the line? The reality is grim and the ways out of this mess are not short term.
I applaud the airlines and card issuers for their various efforts to upend the problem, but its bandaids for bullet wounds, or however that saying goes right now.
It sounds like a story from The Onion, but many airlines now have “grab and go” facilities designed to keep all who have access from actually coming in. Grab and go is a lovely concept when paired with a half empty space as the perfect accompaniment to lounge access for those hustling in transit, but not as a replacement for refinement and comfort.
My Historical Take On “The Problem”
There’s real business to be had from airport spaces. Lounges can be one of the better ones too. The problem is that airline bean counters don’t like how opaque the value and profit of running these spaces appeared on profit and loss sheets. The business case isn’t as simple as we sold X and got Y.
How do we know that paying all this money for wine, food and space is actually a good investment if everyone is getting in “for free” for being loyal? These people love a clean transactional trail and many facets of loyalty require a deeper dive than a single excel file. The justifications are 100% there, they just require more forensic accounting.
“So big time CFO Jimbo, that person using the lounge “for free” chooses to spend $2,000 a week with us, rather than with other airlines because we have this space and because it’s nice. If we start ramming it with people who just want to be that person giving us $2,000 a week that one time a year they fly, that $2,000 a week person might scram”.
Some airlines punch well above their boutique weight by offering amazing lounge and ground experiences. It’s hard to precisely measure how someone values that lounge experience in the P&L sheet, but it’s incredibly real.
Because everyone in corporate America likes ticking boxes and reporting up that they’re doing a job deserving of a salary and “maximizing” something for their boss, the notion of selling access to these spaces became too much to pass up for many airlines and credit card companies.
The 2008 global financial crisis was an additional catalyst as weakened airlines looked to pull money from thin air and absolutely managed to. At a cost, of course.
Credit card companies have always been eager to secure new and exciting perks for customers and that’s great! It created the perfect transaction. Airlines were happy to sell access and make money every time an eligible credit card customer swiped in and for the card companies it was an instant “no lift” way to offer more value.
The thing is, airport lounges historically have been small spaces for a select few — not spaces for everyone with plastic in their pocket.
Though no one will tell you outright, because so much money has been made, even those early airline and credit card partnerships somewhat went south quickly, with the guest expectation of premium credit card holders rarely being met by the dwindling airport lounge standards.
More people through the door was met with decreasing offerings to control costs of the access. Airlines were only happy to have these people pop in if they were profiting on the transaction — not if they drank them dry.
What were once a la carte “full meal” buffets became stale chips and dips, with some pretzels if you were lucky. What was once palatable $15-$20 wines became true super market bottom shelf which liquor that may well double as varnish for the spaces.
Cutting Out The Middle Men
So then credit card companies cut out the middlemen, the airlines, and opened their own spaces… only to create the same problem. You build it and they will come — and stay super long because they love getting value from their cards! Rightfully so, right?
When you sell airport happiness as a card perk, everyone wants that perk because everyone hates the airport. Plus, no one wants to feel like they’re losing on their big annual fee, which these days is increasingly… big. It might need to get bigger.
Airports are where airlines operate, sure, but the spaces are open for anyone to bid and contract on. It’s created a fever pitched competition to acquire spaces, and with such limited real estate, getting enough space to make the space worthwhile is truly difficult.
The Way Forward: Old Becomes New Again, New Becomes Better
There are ways to make every airport experience better and I genuinely believe many are happening. Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) is trialling putting truly local, unique and independent stores in place of chains like Starbucks to create an exciting environment for guests, which make people without lounge access really happy.
Generally, I’d say terminals are getting better. I often opt to pay $20 for a single nice glass of wine at a wine bar or steak house rather than waiting in line to have swill in a lounge. It’s often equally tranquil and there’s more selection.
Many airports are investing in food delivery within the terminal, with robots or people hustling to go fetch you something and bring it to your perfectly adequate seat in the terminal. With advancements like these, I don’t always bother with lounges.
If I so much as see a five person line, I immediately beeline my way towards an empty gate area where a flight has just departed and set up camp. If a lounge isn’t truly a haven, it does not have a place in my world. And havens in crowded places are valuable!
What Airlines Must Do: Hard Pill
Airlines and credit card companies need to stop trying to please everyone and start delivering on the marketing claims they make for the people who drive revenue and value for them.
If they get more exclusive with which credit cards gain access and which elite statuses are eligible for the richest airport perks, they can go back to driving value to their good old flying products.
Many airlines have, or are tinkering with “cabin only” lounges, where you can only enter if you’re actually flying in a premium cabin like business or first. There should be no exclusion as to using miles or paying cash for these experiences and offering these will allow precise control over passenger numbers.
You know how many seats you have in these cabins out of any market and that’s the number of people you’ll get.
A time will come when it might make serious sense to cut lounge access for lower their elite statuses and instead focus on just calling a spade a spade, and setting up a grab and go area, or enhanced terminal wifi proposition for people with low status. It might actually be a lot better than delivering sub-bar experiences.
There’s so much open ground to play with in an airport that isn’t a stuffy room. A passenger could really benefit from a credit to use at independent airport vendors, or lightning fast wifi they can bank on for free.
One thing is for sure, the present is not aspirational.
Bonus Content: Hierarchy Of Lounge Guest Hell
A funny truth about these airport lounges is that most of the people in them hold a grudge against each other, feeling others are unworthy.
Those who earn lounge access as a perk of “butt in seat” flying feel that their loyalty is certainly more valuable than anyone who spends a lot on a credit card annual fee.
Many paying the highest credit card annual fees don’t like mixing with middle manager road warriors, and last but not least, those who may fly infrequently but pay top dollar for the best experiences when they do are mad at both of the above for getting in for any way that isn’t cold hard cash on the specific transaction – aka flight.
Very well written article. This is the true state of airline lounges right now. Chaotic disasters.
You’ve nailed it pretty well. The only lounge I like anymore is the Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow. That feels like a special experience. The Pier in Hong Kong is not bad either. Recently I was at an airport in Europe, which shall remain nameless, and there was only a Priority Pass lounge. I went there and the food looked so bad I left and went to get a Whopper at Burger King. The furniture looked like some stuff I threw out of my old Manhattan studio apartment 20 years ago. And people were fighting to recharge their phones. I’m just as happy now sitting at the gate.
I’m UK based and lounges aren’t quite as horrific either here or in Europe as they are in the States and I find myself agreeing on the most part. Flying with BA/ OW most the time I have at least appreciated the steps taken at outstation/ 3rd party lounges where you may be fighting for entry against 150 PP card holders. When travel started picking up again BA got quite aggressive with 3rd party providers pointing out the ‘ guaranteed access and full service’ provisions they had in their contracts. Making clear that the threshold of pax reporting denied entry or requests for additional payment for XYZ F&B was going to be very low. They’d break contract on that basis & they knew very well another provider would be more than happy to take the contract. This resulted in us often turning up to lounges with 50 person wait lines and more sat about then seeing signage saying if we were Flying with BA ( and other carriers) to just walk up to the desk.
We maintain BA Silver/.OW Sapphire and did so throughout lockdowns even if any extensions hadn’t been granted. We self fund and it’s all leisure travel in J or F and have Amex BA cards. They don’t grant entry to lounges though unlike for you in the States. Which is where I think a lot of the problems exist for y’all. There are just so many cards that offer it that the pool is just growing exponentially and in an unsustainable rate which in itself creates a catch22. If those cards don’t keep increasing in membership numbers ( see: profit) for issuers then they’ll be revoked quicker than any would like to imagine. The lounge isn’t getting any bigger so the losers increase day by day. As alluded to in the article I think this is why card companies are, in part at least, opening their own spaces but I imagine are doing so while not seeing that it’s them who create a large part of the problem.
Of course how you solve that is a whole nother conversation
The BA lounges in Heathrow to be the most crowded lounge I’ve ever seen on every trip to the UK in the last year, far more than any lounge in the US. The Qatar lounges in Doha are nice but of late have been overcrowded. Nicest one I’ve been in lately is the American lounge in Santiago, Chile.
It was disappointing when BA closed my local airport lounge. They have contracted with a third party which seems to have guaranteed access but I think it’s a backwards step for BA. I could just fly just fly with a LCC and use my LoungeKey card (though there’s a risk of being knocked back at the lounge) and get a similar experience.
I think the undermining of the experience of first class or business class travel needs to be reverse or people will decide that the small thrills aren’t worth it (except for long haul were I book business or first class for the on plane on hard product).
Terminal design drives this issue. Major US airports are shopping malls, with space prioritized for stores not related to the travel experience. When gates have 40 seats for 350 person flights, of course people shell out for the lounge, and of course the 150 seat lounge serving 30 gates is full. It’s not an accident that overcrowding is vastly worse in the US. There’s a whole different set of incentives for airport designers/managers.
Lounges in Asia & the Middle East I’ve found to be manageable even after the pandemic, and in Asia in particular it seems lounge shower use has gone way down, I would expect 1-2 hour waits before and have gotten one instantly since then
Between Oneworld Emerald and *A Gold, I can usually get into a lounge that’s not eligible for credit card holders and I find those to be at least bearable!
BA gave “free” lounge access as part of their package holidays after Covid so the amount of screaming kids with their drunken parents skyrocketed… Other package holiday companies have been doing the same and usually in the smaller airports there’s only one or two lounges shared.
The Delta lounges are great and I enjoy them. I have not had to wait in line anywhere and I travel often. This article is just a load of class warfare nonsense.
Your tone comes across as extremely elitist and quite obnoxious in this article. You may have a valid point regarding overcrowding and undeserving but it’s been diluted with the snobbery, unfortunately.
I’m sorry if that’s true. I think it’s very difficult to not have “elitest” views when talking about spaces which were designed to be elite in some form. That doesn’t mean they were only for the “elite” whatever that means, but for people who either spend a lot or fly a lot. These spaces were never designed to be things of the people, by the people, for the people.
Could’nt agree more! My recent experience at LGW, the ‘free’ orange juice at the breakfast buffet was dyed yellow water – it had never seen an orange. My workaround was: I went to the bar, smiled politely and ordered Buck’s Fizz, but hold the Prosecco . The bar staff “I shouldn’t really do this…” but accommodated. So I got good fresh OJ, as I wanted.
Superb article and much enjoyed. Recently enjoyed the new Qatar lounge in Doha and it took my breath away. I think back to the worst I’ve ever experienced, Manchester (UK ) T1 in the middle of July…. doesn’t get continually voted worst airport in the UK for nothing.
Absolutely not a snobery article, remember you can’t please everyone!
To be fair (probably too fair) to Manchester was wholly owned by the councils of Greater Manchester who wouldn’t allow any substantial capital investment. It’s now part owned by a private company (the rest is still with the councils), and seems to be getting (some) investment (T2). However, until T1 and T3 are piles of rubble I personally don’t think they’ll lose the well deserved reputation for crapness.
I think this is on the money, especially in the US and lately the UK. Less so in Asia and Australia (although Qantas Clubs are a nightmare at some airports, domestic Business lounges and International First lounges are good).
Singapore is a good example of where it can work out, QF’s F Lounge is a decent size for OWE/First pax, QR’s lounge is J/F cabin only, SQ separate SilverKris (J/F Pax) and Krisflyer Gold (Y pax with status). The BA lounge at SIN I hate, other than the Concorde Bar.
I’m Oneworld Emerald (via Qantas), but usually fly J (rather than F), so access to F lounges via status is something I value highly, and I doubt I’d bother pushing for it over Sapphire without that benefit.
Hi, The main issue is that “deregulation” of airlines has led to pushing the hub-and-spoke logistics model beyond efficiency. All would be fine if there were “slack resources” (i.e., reserve aircraft, staff and airport “slots”), but yield management has been taken to the extreme of almost zero slack resources. Those have led to the current frustrations: A) This “lean model” approach now has come to mean a non-redundant, fragile air transport system. If there is a problem at any point the the national network, the delays leads to a cascading collapse of the fine-tuned orchestration at hubs. B) The hubs are now so big that the flows of people, cargo and aircraft can be highly inefficient. The current system obliges passengers to and from smaller airports with smaller markets and runways to pass through a hub; that makes sense if there is a real net lower cost for the airlines (less fuel, fewer staff, fewer aircraft, and a mix of aircraft so that the load factor on each leg is profitable). Now, one dreads making a connection. It’s even worse for international incoming flights as one is obliged to process border control and customs physically, then, for lack of specifically designed “secure space” airport pathways, once again go though security at the domestic terminal. B) Chasing the marginal penny on profits. Between the increasing cost of logistic inefficiency, fuel, staff, aircraft and hub operations, AND, outdated airport designs, the reaction of airline bean-counters is to “de-bundle” into a litany of fees. It is deliberate approach to hamper price comparison, and anti-competitive.
For a weary passenger like me, I basically avoid air-travel in favor of virtual presence. If I have to travel far, I give myself extra time for unfamiliar airports, and choose less crowded timetables. I even prefer to an overnight hotel if there is a very long trip such as ATL-DUB//DUB-PER (Atlanta to Perth via DUB).
The passenger space is now unacceptable for most adult males who are not obese. Airlines have skirted the effect on health and on inability to evaculate passengers quickly by using only fit volunteers with no baggage to rehearse over and over to keep within the 90 second evacuation rule. Yet, 60%+ of US passengers are overweight, 30%+ are clinically obese, and many have mobility issues; in a real-world crisis, it would take many more minutes to evacuate.
The only hope on the horizon has been started by David Neeleman, the Brazilo-American co-founder of several upstart airlines (WestJet, JetBlue, Azul), and who launched a new airline, Breeze Airways, during the pandemic with a deliberate model of point-to-point medium city airports, using the most efficient aircraft of “regional jets”, i.e., the A220. The A220 not only has shorter runway needs, and fuel efficiency unrivalled in its sector, but it also has the WIDEST economy seat design in the world with its 3×2 seating configuration.