"For every passenger trying to decide if a $17 slimy ham and cheese croissant and their phone's 34% remaining battery will sustain them for a four-hour layover, there's someone smugly sipping a complimentary gin and tonic in a secret luxury lounge. Once a refuge for frequent business travelers, airport lounges are increasingly becoming more popular (and crowded) with casual travelers, encouraging some companies to create even more exclusive spaces-or raise the barrier to entry:"
"The increase in global airport lounge visits in 2024 (31%) has outpaced growth in air traffic overall (10.4%) compared to the previous year. And access isn't cheap. United charges $750 annually for individual access to its airport lounge network. Amex recently announced that the annual fee for its Platinum card-which includes the perk of lounge access-is increasing from $695 to $895. And one of the most popular travel perk cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, just ratcheted up its annual fee from $550 to $795."
Airport lounges have shifted from refuges for frequent business travelers to increasingly popular and crowded spaces for casual travelers, driving companies to create more exclusive areas or raise access barriers. Capital One opened a 13,500-square-foot lounge at JFK featuring Ess-a-Bagels, a designated cheesemonger, shower suites, and a cocktail bar. Over half of Terminal 4's lounge space at JFK was added in the last two years. Global airport lounge visits rose 31% in 2024, outpacing overall air traffic growth of 10.4%. Annual fees for lounge access are rising, with United charging $750 and major cards increasing their fees.
Read at Fortune
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