Airport Lounges- Worth it or Not?
Reviews for several popular airport lounges
I consider myself to be a pretty low key traveler. I wouldn’t say I’m bougie or high maintenance at all! I travel often so it has to be economical but I look for the best my money can get me (more on how I do that later). I don’t usually upgrade my seats, fly business/first class or pay for additional baggage. So up until 2 months ago I had never been in an airport lounge. I never saw the value in them, especially if I had to pay for it. LOL. I thought to myself, I could just as easily sit in a seat by the gate and eat the snacks I brought and entertain myself with the movies I downloaded or my books.
So why did I start using lounges?
I recently got a Capital One Venture X card. (Trying to take advantage of the points game). The Venture X card has so many benefits that I love and totally makes the annual fee card worth it but today I’m here to share with you about the Priority Lounge Pass. (Note: There are 3 capital one lounges in the US that you also have access to with this credit card, but I’m focusing on the benefit of priority pass membership).
Once you get approved for the card you can sign up for the priority lounge pass membership, which is included in your benefits. After signing up you will get a digital card with your membership number on it. Make sure to add this to your phone’s wallet for easy access when you are traveling. You should also download the Priority Pass App (which is a must so you can easily find lounges near you when traveling). They will also mail you a physical card but you shouldn’t need it with all the digital access (unless you are traveling somewhere where you won’t have wifi or digital access, then you should bring your card). Now this benefit only gives you access to lounges that are in the priority lounge network. Airports have many lounges that are not included in the priority membership. For example, You can’t get into lounges that are specific to say American Express holders. However, there are still plenty of lounges to pick from.
What’s the Experience Like?
When you arrive at the lounge they will scan your membership card and your passport. And get this……you can bring as many guests as you want. I feel like I shouldn’t even say that too loud because I don’t want them to take this benefit away. Some other credit cards offer Priority Pass membership but limit the number of guests you can bring and even how many visits you get per year. But Not Capital One!
The lounges are all a little different in what they offer but they generally offer some sort of free food and beverages (some include alcohol), seating (some comfier than others), bathrooms (some with showers), outlets for charging, wifi and have gate information posted so you don’t miss your flight. Of course I’m still exploring since I just got the benefit less than 2 months ago but I have gone to 4 lounges and I’ll talk a little about each of them, and give you some pros/cons so you can get a sense of what to expect.
I will be reviewing 4 lounges:
The Club CLT in Charlotte NC
The Club LAS in Las Vegas
Turkish Airlines Lounge in Miami
Sala Ambar in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic
The Club CLT
The Club CLT at Charlotte North Carolina Douglas International Airport is located in Concourse A by Gates A22 and A21. Hours are 5:00am-21:30 daily. Amenities include air conditioning, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, disabled access, flight info, showers, bathrooms, small conference rooms, tvs and wifi. This was my favorite lounge out of the 4 reviewed today. Let me tell you why....
First off, it's relatively new (opened less than 2 years ago) and the ascetics are very nice, sleek, and clean looking. They have great mix of space and seating available with everything from flat table top style couch seating, hammock style chairs, tables and beds. It's also great for business travelers as they have a small separate room with a door, several desks, and cube style nooks. There are also a lot of outlets everywhere for charing and laptops.
As you can see from the pictures below there is a full bar and food was both buffet style and served. And let me say it again for the people in the back. Food and drinks (including alcohol was free)!
The served food in particular was very good and we made great use out of our long layover by trying everything (OK...Maybe we tried some things twice just to make sure we liked it! lol). I am also posting a picture of the menu from the day I was there (I'm guessing it changes daily). The macaroni and cheese, pulled pork over rice and beans and hero sliders were all pretty good.
Buffet included vegetables, fruit, snacks, self grab soft drinks, coffee/tea/hot cocoa, etc..
Service was really good and staff were super attentive. They came around often to clean up the dirty plates and the staff serving the food was friendly and always smiling. We were there during closing and they came around and sanitized all the seating and dining areas so we can attest to the cleanliness as well.
Current Bonus is at 75,000 miles!
In conclusion:
Lounges are a great way to save money and make layovers suck a little less. LOL. You can save loads of money by getting your water, alcohol, a meal, and snacks in the lounge versus having to buy it in the airport - since we all know how much that adds up! Also, being in a comfy chair and relaxing in the lounge helps time go by quicker whether you are on a layover or waiting for your departure. I never thought they would be worth it but since I have it included as part of my card benefits, I now see the value in them! Uggg....I think I'm ruined now and will probably always want to have lounge access.
If you are interested in signing up for a Capital one Venture X card to get this lounge benefit, you can use my link. There is a $395 annual fee but it more than pays itself off since you get a $300 travel credit every year, a 10,000 point anniversary bonus (worth $100 minimum and up depending on if you transfer it to airline/hotel), a $100 TSA/Global Entry credit, the Priority Lounge Pass, and more! Plus you earn 2x cash back on all purchases.
Sala Ambar
Sala Ambar located at the departure Lounge of the Puerto Plata International Airport in Dominican Republic on Level 1. This lounge is only open during times according to flight schedules. Amenities include air conditioning, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and disabled access (elevator). This was my least favorite lounge and the only one we choose to leave and go sit by the gate.
On a positive note, they had a full service bar. The rest was downhill. They had a few "hot" (if you wanted to call it that) appetizers but they didn't taste good. There was some lunch meat and other stuff that looked like it would make you sick if you ate it and some snacks. I don't know how well the hot or cold food was kept and I would just avoiding eating anything but snacks here. They did have a menu that you could order from but there was a cost. The chairs were worn and ripped with some stains and the floors were dirty. I didn't see anyone come around to clean up the dishes. It is really the only lounge I visited that was not kept clean.
Turkish Airlines Lounge- Miami
Turkish Airlines Lounge at Miami International Airport is located in the South terminal, Concourse H and J and is open 24 hours a day and can be pre-booked. Amenities include air conditioning, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, conference space, disabled access, flight information, showers, bathrooms, tvs and wifi. Complimentary luggage storage and use of day bed available.
This lounge was nice but mostly for getting some food and leaving as the chairs were not that comfortable and more just tables and chairs. They had beer, champagne, wine, a bottle of vodka, and nonalcoholic beverages (sodas, water, coffee, tea) but I didn't see a full bar. The buffet was pretty big with quite a few choices but nothing that substantial. Secret tip, you can order off the menu by scanning the QR code at your table, which had just a couple of items (for breakfast- waffles, eggs and home fries). All included with your pass membership.
Service was just ok. They weren't overly friendly but kept up pretty good with the dishes and cleaning and it was very busy while we were there. The view was one of the nicest out of the 4 I’ve been to as you could see the planes taking off. I would rate this #3 out of these 4 lounges mainly because of the lack of comfortable lounge seating.
The Club LAS
The Club LAS is located in Terminal 1 of the Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport. Hours are 5:00am-23:30 daily. Amenities include air conditioning, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, disabled access, flight information, showers, bathrooms, tvs and wifi. This was the first lounge I went to so I had no expectations or comparisons. In retrospect, what I liked most was the comfy seats with footrest. I didn’t find these anywhere else. I was able to get some journaling and reviews done while waiting for my plane.
We were there in between the breakfast and lunch timeframe so got to see both food options. Food is set up buffet style. Breakfast had some basic hot food like potatoes and eggs and continental type of items (fruit, yogurt, muffins) and lunch had a few hot dishes like sliders and rice and salads. The food was ok, nothing great, but did the trick. There was also an area where you could get water and snacks and fruit. Staff was attentive and was quick to pick up dirty cups/dishes, etc...Full service bar is also included. I rate this #2 out of these 4 lounges mainly because of the awesome seating and use of space.