Ever heard of airport lounges? Sure, us, too. Ever been to one? No? Same. Well, until recently.
We’ve talked before about the different credit cards we routinely use and why. We’ve also talked about some of the benefits that come with those cards, particularly the Chase Sapphire Preferred and, even more, the Platinum Card from American Express. And while there’s loads of benefits and perks that come with these cards (many of which help to offset the sometimes eye-watering annual fees), there is one that seems to stand out among the crowd: access to airport lounges.
Okay, we know how extra this sounds: Oh, just heading to the airport lounge, nbd. As if this is something everyone does on a regular basis. When we first heard of these, we assumed they were yet another thing reserved for…well…folks in a higher tax bracket than ourselves. Fortunately, we were wrong and have since come to appreciate these hidden gems. Interested? Great; keep reading for more nuggets of wisdom.
There are multiple ways you can gain access to airport lounges, or at least some of them. We have access to two different kinds of lounges. Our AMEX card gets us into the Centurion Lounge collection from AMEX. These are only at certain airports though, and so to get to them we sometimes have to take different routes – and longer layovers – when we fly, but it’s totally worth it. To get in, we need the AMEX card, a photo ID, and a boarding pass for a flight no more than 3 hours from the time we enter the lounge. We should also note that not all AMEX cards will get you into these lounges; as of the writing of this post, only the Platinum and Centurion (otherwise known as the Black card) cards will get you in. Yes, those have higher Annual Fees (AFs) as well.
Once you’re in, the lounge is a hidden oasis among the chaos of today’s airports. Hungry? There’s always food available, and we mean full meals, not just snacks. The hot food buffets are always stocked with locally inspired dishes, and we were surprised at how many are compliant with our eating habits (i.e., fresh-made, no preservatives or other stuff we can’t pronounce, and so on). Thirsty? Head on over to the bar for whatever you like (wine, beer, cocktails, etc.) from one of the friendly barkeeps. Need to see what’s going on in the world? Coincidentally there’s free Wi-Fi. Of course, there’s plenty of seating, coffee flowing non-stop, and some even have showers you can use. And best of all, everything is already included in the AF you pay for your credit card; other than tipping the bar folks, you don’t need to pay for anything (except some of the premium cocktails). You’re allowed to hang out in the lounge for up to 3 hours before heading out to your gate to catch your next flight. Oh, the peace and comfort!
Our AMEX and Chase cards also give us access to the Priority Pass collection of lounges, too. These are often affiliated with specific airlines (not their first-class lounges) and are pretty common in both domestic and international airports. However, thus far we haven’t needed to use them because we’ve been going to the Centurion Lounges. That said, these look to also have snacks (not full buffets) and (more limited) bars, along with seating and Wi-Fi. Our understanding is most of these also have 3-hour limits. And, while they might not be as fancy as the Centurion Lounges, you can also get a membership to Priority Pass directly. That means a larger number of people can access them, but it also means they’re likely to be a bit more crowded, so best to plan accordingly if you want to use them so you don’t miss your flight.
Our newest card, the United Club Infinite Visa Card, gives us access to the United Club lounges (not Polaris), which is helpful to us because we spend most of our time in United terminals. We hope to take full advantage of these whenever we fly United but pass through airports that either do not have a Centurion Lounge (our #1 choice), or Centurion and Priority lounges are full or too far away. We’ll report back at the end of the summer once we’ve had a chance to use them.
And there you have it. Lounges are among our favorite parts of air travel these days. It isn’t so much the lounge itself (which is pretty neat, tbh), but rather a chance to catch our breath, grab an included bite to eat (airport food is SO expensive these days), and relax during what could otherwise be a stressful experience (especially if you’re Tasha and hate to fly). And if you’re already paying for it, or could be, as one of the perks with your credit card, why not?
Have you been to airport lounges? Are there any you like in particular? Drop us a comment or, even better, a picture or two, to let us know.
Happy travels!
