Are airport lounge worth the cost?

[Rumpltzer]

I've had access to the international lounge at LAX, in KHH, and in TPE for a few years, It wouldn't be worth it to me if they asked me to pay for it. The lounge access that I've had is for the business class, and in two of those airports there's a separate lounge for first class... maybe there's something better in those.

As far as international business class (or better, I suppose) flying, that is something special... but I'd likely only pay up to a 40% premium if it were coming out of my pocket.

 

[evident]

standard lounges, no

first class lounges on the other hand are nice, but you cant get into those unless you're flying international first class

 

[Rakehellion]

Nothing at the airport is worth the cost.

 

[Michael]

I am Global Services level on UA. Pretty much any gold level status on any airline lets you use the lounge for international travel regardless of the class of service you are flying (I am in business class on international flights so that never matters for me). Within the USA, most want something extra. Even with Global Services level they don't let my use lounges for free on domestic flights if I fly in economy class.

Michael

 

[alkemyst]

ive yet to be in an airport that does not have free wifi

You probably haven't traveled much.

OP, for free the lounges are good if the hubs you are going to have them and they are proximal to where you depart.

For the most part, the hubs I hit have decent restaurant/bars.

I don't travel as heavy as the past, but most lounges open up with different mileage tiers. So if you are a heavy traveller you may have access already as long as you joined their frequent flyer clubs.

There is also sometimes benefits for those that still smoke in certain lounges if that is a factor for you.

 

[Black Octagon]

I am Global Services level on UA. Pretty much any gold level status on any airline lets you use the lounge for international travel regardless of the class of service you are flying (I am in business class on international flights so that never matters for me). Within the USA, most want something extra. Even with Global Services level they don't let my use lounges for free on domestic flights if I fly in economy class.



Michael

I'm far from Gold Level (Miles&More Frequent Traveler = Silver, I think) and I get lounge access in Economy provided that my flight is with a Lufthansa Group and leaving from an airport that had a Lufthansa lounge. In practice that means I always have lounge access when leaving home but when returning home only sometimes have access (depends on the airport)

P.S., United is a shameful airline

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've gotten a few free passes out of Delta when I got stuck in ATL. I just picked up one of the "Help" phones and asked them nicely for a pass or two when travelling with my wife.

I wouldn't pay for it, but the times I used it, they had beer + cheap wine and snacks. If you don't travel frequently enough, just pay for a day pass when you have extended layovers. It's $50. If I'm only looking at an hour layover, it usually takes me 20-30 minutes to get off one plane and walk the concourse to the next gate....it's rare that I'd build in more than a 2 hour layover and be able to feel like it was worth $50 to me.

These days, I just tether wifi from my phone and charge my laptop at a charging station.....not too bad.

I like snacks on the plane too:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/scarpozzi/planesnacks.jpg

 

[GTaudiophile]

I'm far from Gold Level (Miles&More Frequent Traveler = Silver, I think) and I get lounge access in Economy provided that my flight is with a Lufthansa Group and leaving from an airport that had a Lufthansa lounge. In practice that means I always have lounge access when leaving home but when returning home only sometimes have access (depends on the airport)

P.S., United is a shameful airline

UAL is indeed crap.

 

[MarkXIX]

The Chicago USO is terrible and smells of feet. Dallas is pretty good. Denver has the best USO I've been in of any airport. That is all.

 

[shortylickens]

The Chicago USO is terrible and smells of feet. Dallas is pretty good. Denver has the best USO I've been in of any airport. That is all.

Thats because the only Naval boot camp left is in Great Lakes. Hundred of thousands of dirty civilians tromp thru there every year. And eventually when they get done with their training they fly out from Chicago to their duty station. ALL of them. Its a crapload of bodies.

 

[GTaudiophile]

I've gotten a few free passes out of Delta when I got stuck in ATL. I just picked up one of the "Help" phones and asked them nicely for a pass or two when travelling with my wife.

I wouldn't pay for it, but the times I used it, they had beer + cheap wine and snacks. If you don't travel frequently enough, just pay for a day pass when you have extended layovers. It's $50. If I'm only looking at an hour layover, it usually takes me 20-30 minutes to get off one plane and walk the concourse to the next gate....it's rare that I'd build in more than a 2 hour layover and be able to feel like it was worth $50 to me.

These days, I just tether wifi from my phone and charge my laptop at a charging station.....not too bad.

I like snacks on the plane too:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/scarpozzi/planesnacks.jpg

The new lounge on F is fairly nice. Great outdoor porch with plane views

 

[GTaudiophile]

The new DLH lounges on Z at FRA are also nice, albeit on the busy side.

 

[Ns1]

New United lounge in LAX is also pretty nice, but the emirates lounge in Dubai will probably be the best ever.

 

[Midwayman]

One thing to keep in mind if you travel out of the US, the credit card lounge memberships often won't get you into partner lounges. Only those run directly by the airline. We had a 8 hour layover in Rome and couldn't get in the lounge.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

"The airport doesn't have free wi-fi" is my new favorite first world problem.

 

[Jeff7]

"The airport doesn't have free wi-fi" is my new favorite first world problem.

Or "the airport doesn't have plentiful 120V outlets and free USB charging stations."


I think it was Houston's airport where each of the small tables at the gates had outlets available. I don't remember if there were USB ports or not.



Most airports have pay-for USB charging stations. Buy electricity at a markup that would make bottled water feel right at home.
Or people are clustered around the few available outlets in the building.

That was once nice thing about getting a nighttime flight: I could have an entire gate to myself, off in some mostly-empty section. One outlet, and it was all mine.
The plane ride was fairly quiet, too.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

ive yet to be in an airport that does not have free wifi

JFK, CDG, Heathrow, Fiumicino, and LAX all had pay as you go wifi with like a 30 minute trial.

I think Dublin was the only airport that had free wifi when I was traveling. Hell almost the entire city of Dublin had free wifi.

 

[Black Octagon]

Most airports have pay-for USB charging stations.

...

America is a fantastic country but please try to remember that the internet transcends national borders.

Translation = when posting on an Internet forum, think before posting such things. "Most airports" in the US may have pay-for charging but in most other countries this is not the case.

I know Anandtech is an arguably American site, but still...

 

[Jeff7]

...

America is a fantastic country but please try to remember that the internet transcends national borders.

Translation = when posting on an Internet forum, think before posting such things. "Most airports" in the US may have pay-for charging but in most other countries this is not the case.

I know Anandtech is an arguably American site, but still...

Most of the world doesn't speak English either...yet here we are, not offering multilingual translations of what's posted here. Geeeez.



"Most airports I have been in only have pay-for USB charging stations."

 

[Black Octagon]

And yet English is widely understood if not an official language in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, the UK, pretty much any Nordic country or Middle Eastern capital city...

(And for what it's worth, I was trying REALLLLLY hard to stay polite in my last post).