How Does Airport Lounge Competition Benefit Travelers?

Never has an early airport arrival seemed so attractive. New airport lounges (and a growing number of ways to access them) have made traveling much more pleasurable—especially before takeoff. And competition between airlines and credit card brands means that the stakes are higher in the effort to entertain travelers with over-the-top amenities. Free spa services, restaurant dining and shower suites are no longer unusual. These days, it takes a lot more to impress travelers.

Airlines Up Their Lounge Game

After many years of hinting about lounges reserved for its top cabin, Delta One, the airline has finally opened its first at New York-JFK. The new lounge, accessible to premium cabin customers, offers everything from massage treatments and showers to a 140-seat brasserie serving chef-prepared meals, allowing passengers to maximize rest onboard (or satisfy their appetite twice, should they wish).

Sapphire cocktail at the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at New York-LaGuardia / Photo: Courtesy of Chase Sapphire

Thirsty travelers need not wander far for a drink, since roving bar carts make their way around the lounge. Larger than any Delta Sky Club and designed to provide an elevated experience over Delta’s standard lounge network, the Delta One Lounge shares characteristics with some Sky Clubs, like an outdoor seating area with retractable roof, but as Claude Roussel, Vice President of Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience, says: “It’s a new era for Delta. This lounge is raising the bar across the board, from the amenities to the food and beverage offerings to the level of personalized service.” A memorable beginning to a long-haul journey is a great opportunity for airlines to woo travelers, which is another reason they often invest in lounges outside their home country.

Meanwhile, Delta’s SkyTeam partner Air France has cut the ribbon on its newest lounge in Los Angeles, citing the busy operation both Air France and partner KLM have at LAX. “The reason for opening a lounge at LAX was very simple,” says Zoran Jelkic, senior vice president for Air France-KLM long-haul operations. “Together with KLM, Air France has seven flights per day out of LAX. It is second to JFK in terms of our North America operation.”

The Air France lounge at Los Angeles International Airport / Photo: Courtesy of Virginie Valdois

The work of famous French designers informs the chic new space, which includes furnishings such as Ester chairs by Patrick Jouin, Ribbon armchairs by Pierre Paulin, a coffee table by Charlotte Perriand, and lighting creations by Margaux Keller.

The dining area, designed to look like a French brasserie, serves traditional dishes like beef bourguignon and cassoulet with duck confit from an open kitchen. A complimentary Clarins spa with 20-minute treatments rounds out the preflight pampering.

In Europe, TAP Air Portugal unveiled its newest lounge at Lisbon Airport. For years, travelers flying beyond the European Union had to leave the attractive premium lounge earlier than desired because it was outside passport control. The stress of missing your flight is no longer an issue now that the Star Alliance member has opened a new lounge for long-haul flights in the airport’s international area.

Sofia Lufinha, TAP’s chief customer officer, reaffirms the need for this latest airport amenity. “TAP has a very strong presence in markets such as Brazil, the United States and Africa, and now we can provide a more comfortable experience for passengers on non-Schengen flights.”

Alma Design oversaw the project using local materials such as ceramics and cork. Hub-and-spoke airlines like TAP often carry passengers who may not stay in Portugal, which is why cuisine and design touches add so much character for people who may not get to know the destination otherwise. This facility also features exhibition space for local artists to display their work.

TAP Premium Lounge Atlântico at Lisbon Airport / Photo: Courtesy of TAP Air Portugal

And the Oneworld alliance has launched its second branded lounge for member airline passengers. The first opened earlier this year in Seoul’s Incheon, and the latest facility was unveiled in Amsterdam. At the latter, look for local design details such as the city’s birds characterized in silhouette above the bar and strings of lights similar to what illuminates the many canal bridges.

Credit Cards Compete on Airport Lounges

While American Express started the card-branded lounge concept, most major credit card providers have followed suit. Among the newest options are the Centurion Lounge at Washington-Reagan, which features art from D.C.-based talent as well as a trio of celeb chefs overseeing the menu.

Last year, Capital One expanded its airport lounge network with new Denver and Washington-Dulles locations. Coming soon are new lounges in Las Vegas and JFK’s Terminal 4 that will feature unique amenities like an in-lounge bodega with New York-style bagels and coffee and a cheesemonger who will help source cheeses to be served in the lounge.

Capital One Lounges share other offerings such as grab-and-go snacks and the “perfect airport beer.” Capital One challenges local breweries to come up with the ideal beer for each airport location. “Grabbing a beer before a flight is a ritual for many travelers, and it’s been a pleasure to see how each of our brewery partners in Dallas, Dulles and Denver have developed takes on what makes the perfect airport beer for that special moment before takeoff,” says Jenn Scheurich, managing vice president of Capital One Travel, Lounge & Retail Experience.

Later this year, Capital One will open a new concept, Capital One Landing, in Washington-Reagan and New York-LaGuardia, in partnership with the José Andrés Group. These venues will have a strong culinary focus. Access details are still being finalized. And the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club opened at LGA earlier this year before the summer launch of The Club at SFO in Harvey Milk Terminal 1.

Market at the Delta One Lounge at New York-JFK / Photo: Courtesy of Jason Dewey

If Everyone Is Elite, No One Is Elite

This saying was created by Delta years ago as part of the carrier’s plan to elevate the requirements and perks of elite status. Now, with the popularity of credit cards providing lounge access and savvier travelers using their status to access them, crowds have become a problem in many airport lounges.

As a result, lounges have cut back on who can enter these holy grails of airport comfort. Delta slashed access for many cardholders and even restricted its members from entering until three hours before their flight. American Express has a similar policy. Chase Sapphire Reserve, The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card and J.P. Morgan Reserve Card, which come with Priority Pass membership, are abandoning the perk of members swiping their card at airport restaurants in exchange for a dining credit—a disappointing change for travelers who prefer to have a proper meal rather than graze on lounge snacks.

With so many travelers vying for the same lounge access in various forms, brands are getting creative in looking for ways to solve possible friction. Instead of members showing up and hoping for access, some lounges are taking advance reservations for visits. But these aren’t your average airport lounges.

Hawaiian Airlines made a splash when it launched a VIP lounge called Apt. 1929 at Honolulu International Airport. This discreetly located space is behind a locked door with a starting fee of $500 for two people. While that price seems hefty, the airline says the lounge has proven quite popular. Upon arrival, guests are met with a lei and escorted through baggage claim to any waiting car. Upon departure, passengers are met at their car and escorted through check-in and security to a private space where a prearranged three-course meal awaits. An open bar including a liquor menu by James Beard Award-winning Bar Leather Apron and an alfresco patio offer additional pleasures.

PS, which stands for Private Suite, is another service that provides exclusivity for travelers who wish to avoid the main airport terminal. Instead, they undergo security procedures in a private area where they can dine and drink from a chef-curated menu. Once the flight begins boarding, travelers are driven in a private car directly to the plane. The first PS lounge opened in Los Angeles, with a second now in Atlanta. Next year, the brand expects to open in Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.

The popularity of lounge access before or between flights has led to innovation and creativity, with airlines and credit card companies on a never-ending quest to outdo each other. And the traveling public reaps the benefits.