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Have you ever used one of the private lounges at an airport? Years ago, when my sister and I were traveling with her (then) 3 year old twins, my brother loaned us his Delta Crown Room card. My sister and I didn't get to enjoy much of that treat because we were too busy changing diapers and hosing down the kids - who got all kinds of stomach-sick the minute we got to the airport. I remember that it was nice to have hot, fresh coffee, pastries and private changing/dressing rooms to use. Very nice.
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| Beats sitting in the main gate areas, yes? |
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| I stayed away from the bar... |
On to the review:
One might think that these private lounges are only for business travelers. That was the type I saw most of, but I also noticed that there were parents with children; Coach-class-looking men and women; and a lot of young techy-type folk. (One of the most interesting fellows I noticed was the one who paced around, talking on his phone to someone about a "late supply order." He switched between English, Spanish and Chinese. A real workaholic type, no more than 25 years old.) I also ran into a really pleasand woman in the ladies washroom. She was from Australia. She gave me tips on how to fight my fear of flying: "Just pretend that the floor of the plane is terra firma. Don't think about being up in the air."
What's so great about the private lounge? Well, if you want free food and drink (everything from pastries and cookies to all kinds of beer, wine and spirits), the lounge is perfect. I didn't drink because... Well, we all know I don't handle my liquor well - even if it's free. I did drink plenty of coffee. If I had gotten tired of plain brew, I could have tried the mocha, latte, espresso, etc. Nice.
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| Snacks, coffee, pastries |
I spent most of my time in the part of the lounge that was set up for passengers using their computers. Plenty of charging stations and regular outlets, comfy chairs of all kinds - from loungers to straight-backs arranged around worktables.
Of course, I called and checked in with my family about a million times. When I told my niece about how nice the ladies washroom was (and it was nice), she was impressed. When I told her that their were other washrooms complete with showers, she wasn't as thrilled. She has a thing about showers in gyms, lounges and other shared spaces. I still thought about exploring the showers because I was told they were stocked with premium soaps and shampoos and such.
Nice, right?
Since I just wanted to relax for the 9 hour layover, I parked myself in a spot where I could charge my phone and computer and play Farmville. I did read about all the other amenities: meeting and conference rooms, a gym, etc. For the travelers who smoke, there was even a place for them. It was pretty packed.
Here are some more photos from American Airlines (and, yes, the lounge actually looks like this!)
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| Get some work done... |
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| ...Or just get some drinking done. It's complimentary. |
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| Nice, huh? |
My basic suggestions for anyone wanting to try out one of the lounges on a day pass:
- Don't worry about not being dressed right. I was worried that I'd look out of place in my jeans and "Alaska Grown" hoodie. I saw people dressed in shorts, ripped jeans, beautiful suits and wrinkled dresses. I understand that other lounges have a stricter dress code.
- Do try everything. Explore all the different parts of the lounge, from the gym to the showers.
- Sample as much of the free food and drink as possible. The food served on board the planes is over-priced and underwhelming. Go ahead and grab a pastry or two to take on board.
- Because the lounge in in the secure part of the airport, you don't have to worry about enduring the TSA screening when your journey continues.
- $50 sounds like a lot of money, and it is, for most of us. On the other hand, your being fed and hydrated and kept nice and cool while other travelers are 5- and 10-dollaring themselves to death at the various food courts. The day I was at DFW, the temp was somewhere around 87-90 degrees. The temp in the lounge was a nice steady 70 degrees or cooler.
My one-day pass was worth every nickel that my family paid for me to enjoy my travel. If you are a more frequent fliers, you can get a 30-day membership for $99/per visitor. Annual membership prices vary. I have to tell you: though I was on a day pass, every member of the staff treated me the same as everyone else. The service was courteous and I was made to feel as much a valued customer as the business travelers. Super.
Peace
--Free
