Airline Lounges

You have arrived at the airport, and you find you are way too early and you have hours to wait for your flight. Or, you allowed just enough time to get to your gate with time to spare, but your flight is suddenly delayed by hours.

You can do some duty-free shopping (and buy a few things you probably don't need), sit in a bar and pay ridiculous sums of money for cocktails you don't necessarily want, or go to an airline lounge. But how do you get access to one?

Obviously, if you're an airline club member, you can get free access for you and a guest at that airline's lounges, wherever they are in the world. But if you don't travel enough and don't want to part with the hundreds of dollars a year these lounge memberships cost, there are other ways.

Many credit cards offer as a benefit airline lounge access with two to four free passes a year. This will be in the form of access to a specific lounge type (such as the Amex Lounge or the Qantas Lounge), or it may be in the form of a pass, such as the Priority Pass, which allows you access to many different types of lounges, depending upon which airport you are in. Passes like these have arrangements with varying brands of airport lounges, so the one you visit may be different at each airport. Check your card provider to see if you are eligible for this benefit.

If you are travelling business class, even if you've used points to do so, you may also qualify to enter that airline's lounge. This is often not mentioned on check-in, so be sure to ask when you check in.

But, if you have planned to get to the airport early and have a meal and a few drinks, then it might be more economical to pay the $40-$50 to enter one of the many lounges in most larger airports. Once inside, you get free food (often full meals, snacks, desserts and coffees) and free drinks too, as well as comfy seating, internet and television. The cost of these things in an airport can be astronomical, making the value of this entry fee well worthwhile, especially if you end up with a delayed flight!

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