Miami International Airport Named the Best for Lounges in the U.S.

Travel reward website Upgraded Points has revealed the best airports in the U.S. for lounge facilities and amenities, with Miami International Airport (MIA) coming out on top.

While airport lounges were once seen as exclusive havens for frequent flyers and premium-class travelers, more and more people are now using their services. As a result, an ever-growing number of airport clubs are popping up around the country.

Upgraded Points analyzed data from 225 airport lounges across fifty of the country’s largest airports and ranked them based on 15 factors. These include the number of lounges per square mile in each airport, the amenities and dining options provided at each lounge, operating hours, and customer reviews. The company looked at data from airports with at least five lounges.

Photo: Courtesy of Miami International Airport

“Airport lounges used to be thought of as exclusive places for elite flyers,” said Alex Miller, founder of Upgraded Points. “But over the last several years these lounges have become a popular attraction for all types of travelers, particularly those dealing with layovers and flight cancellations.”

Miami International Airport was revealed to have the best lounges in the country overall, achieving an average score of 81.09 points out of 100 across the 15 categories. This was despite it not being in the top 10 airports with the most lounges per mile.

To compensate for its relative lack of lounge saturation, its lounges were praised for having the most extended opening hours of any lounge in the country, at an average of 16 hours and 54 minutes per day. Most clubs at MIA also offer premium food and drink options, while they all have shower amenities – perfect for travelers on layovers between long flights.

In second place was New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which scored an average of 76.4 points. LaGuardia was also revealed as the airport with the most lounges per square mile, at 5.21. In addition, LGA’s luxury lounges were ranked as the best of any airport analyzed in the study.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was ranked in third place with an average score of 74.89, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) with a score of 65.71, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in fifth place with a score of 64.7

The ten airports with the best lounges are as follows:

Upgraded Points also compiled a separate list ranking the best airport lounge operators in the U.S. Surprisingly, none of the top three operators were airlines. Instead, American Express was named the best airport lounge provider in the country, with an overall score of 91.89 out of 100. This was followed by Plaza Premium Lounge in second place and Airport Dimensions in third.

Here are the top 10 airport lounge operators in the U.S. according to Upgraded Points: