"The mostly low- and mid-tier lounge network Priority Pass saw a 31% increase in usage last year, including me: my credit card came with this seemingly seductive perk. I was thrilled to join the global elite in what I imagined would be a cashmere and champagne cocoon, saved from the usual three hours (my husband is one of those travellers) crouched by a bin in the purgatorial wasteland of Manchester Terminal 3, nursing a half-frozen Boots falafel wrap."
"In fact, vintage Veuve Clicquot, caviar carts and Porsche rides planeside (all real lounge perks in the article) are conspicuously absent. At best, you perch on a pleather chair full of other people's crumbs in a harshly lit room with conference centre energy, nursing a tiny can of pop and a plateful of dregs from the picked-over buffet (stale mini-muffins, an antediluvian orange, four olives)."
Airport lounges number over 3,500 globally, with concentrated clusters such as 37 at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi. Originating with American Airlines' 1939 VIP “admirals,” lounge culture expanded into a tiered ecosystem including Priority Pass, which saw 31% usage growth last year. Marketing and credit-card perks entice travelers with promises of comfort and exclusivity, yet actual experiences often include harsh lighting, crowded pleather seating, picked-over buffets, and closed doors when capacity limits are reached. Luxurious perks like vintage champagne, caviar carts, and planeside Porsche transfers remain rare. The lounge system capitalizes on the human desire to feel special despite shared, environmentally costly air travel.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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