Airport Clubs - Revisited Four Years Later

David J. Danto

Travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on

Airport Clubs Revisited, Again – November 2024

A colleague reached out this week, frustrated by the diminishing value of airline and airport club lounges. “They’ve lost their charm” he said, and frankly, I couldn’t agree more. As a matter of fact, I wrote a blog about that exact topic four years ago, and the points I made then still feel as relevant today as they did back in 2020. You can read the original post here, but let me recap the key points I made and how things have evolved (or not) since then.

Looking Back: The Decline of Airport Lounges

In my prior blog I highlighted how airport clubs had already strayed far from their original purpose. What used to be a sanctuary for frequent travelers – a quiet retreat with personalized service – had turned into something much less impressive. Here were the main points I made at the time:

· Preferential Treatment Was Dwindling
Lounges were once designed to give frequent travelers, often referred to as "road warriors," a sense of recognition and support. Back then, club members could expect personalized assistance with rebookings and other travel disruptions. Back then this was already vanishing.

· Impersonal Atmosphere
The intimate, exclusive feel of lounges was fading fast. They had started to resemble upscale airport restaurants, prioritizing volume and revenue over tailored experiences.

· Diminished Value
Club access wasn’t cheap, but at one time, the cost was justified by the unique benefits it offered: a quiet refuge from the terminal chaos, fast and effective help from knowledgeable agents, and amenities geared toward frequent travelers. By 2019 those benefits were eroding.

· Pre-Paid Snack Bar Vibes
Many lounges had devolved into a slightly fancier pre-paid snack bar. The quality of food and drinks was hit-or-miss, and the idea of pre-paying for access often felt like paying for something you might not fully use.

Even four years ago, the writing was on the wall: the golden age of airport clubs was coming to an end.

What’s Changed Since Then? Not Much.

Since that blog, some of the long-delayed club renovations and expansions have finally been completed, but they haven’t brought back the magic. If anything, the experience has become even more impersonal. (You don’t even speak with an agent to get in in most cases. You scan your boarding pass at a turnstile that opens if you’re entitled to enter.) Today’s lounges are designed less for loyal frequent travelers and more for anyone who’s willing to pay or use points for access.

The clubs that were once a sanctuary for frequent travelers now feel like a marginally more exclusive airport restaurant. Yes, there’s still some convenience to having a designated space with food and beverages, but the sense of refuge is gone. The clubs are now often more crowded than the terminal. Worse yet, the once-reliable assistance from knowledgeable agents – a lifeline when things went wrong – has largely disappeared. You’re on your own now, even if you’re inside the club.

Are Clubs Worth It Today?

If you like the idea of pre-paying for your food and some drinks before you even know if you’ll want or need them, then sure, clubs might still hold some value for you. But if you’re expecting the preferential treatment and respite that clubs once promised, you’re likely to find the current experience underwhelming.

I personally gave up my club access card during the pandemic because it wasn’t worth the cost anymore. At the time, I figured it was temporary, but looking at the state of lounges today, I see no compelling reason to return. The clubs have lost their identity as sanctuaries for loyal, frequent travelers, and they’re unlikely to regain it anytime soon.

Share Your Experience

What about you? Are you still “clubbing” at airports, or have you moved on? Have you found lounges where the experience is still worth it, or do you agree that the golden age of airport clubs is over? Send me a note to let me know and I’ll share your thoughts in a future blog.

Also, p

The only time I use clubs anymore is when I fly internationally. That is one of the few remaining perks I get as a lifetime Gold / Million Miler. They just haven’t gotten around to removing the benefit yet. I’m sure they will.

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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As always, feel free to write and comment, question or disagree. Hearing from the traveling community is always a highlight for me. Thanks!