Airport lounges often get a lot of hype across travel blogs and in the press, as “mysteriously inaccessible”. Many travellers stroll casually past those doors with discreet plaques (that say “Sky Club” or “travel Club Lounge”), instead of having (or using) access to get through the doors.
Unless you have been inside one, however, you would only wonder what all goes inside an airport lounge. The answer: these lounges are an oasis of comfort and support that most frequent fliers use to get away from the otherwise-bustling environment of the airports.
Some people believe that getting in can be expensive, especially if you travel only a few times a year. That’s where credit cards with complimentary lounge access come into the picture. These cards can get you exclusive access to some of the most luxurious lounges across major airports of the world.
If you are wondering what’s all the fuss about airport lounges anyway, here’s a glimpse of what you might have been missing out all these years, by not being inside one.
1. Peace at its Best
If nothing else, airport lounges offer plenty of seating space, complete with large, comfortable recliners and chairs, to help you stretch out and relax—or work, whatever suits your style.
Several large-screen TVs let you keep tabs on departing flights and also switch to your favourite cable network.
Moreover, cell-phone reception is good inside these areas, and if you're a person who's dedicated to the last-century reading pleasures, you can browse through the available stack of newspapers and magazines, both local and national.
2. Personal Assistance
Airline-affiliated lounges are generally staffed with airline executives, who have full access to the flight details and line’s reservation systems. Thus, you can take their help to do just about anything: checking on upgrades, tracing wayward baggage, verifying connections, changing seat assignments and reservations.
With some complimentary airport lounge memberships, you can also receive other flight-related advantages such as fast-track check-ins and no-charge baggage checks.
And unlike those people who flock in queues at the busy "customer-service" counters, you can get prompt assistance as the airline executives at the lounges are much more readily available.
3. Grubs and Booze
A significant attraction across many airport lounges is the sumptuous spread of snacks appropriate to the time of day. Typically, the noshes around these places include a generous supply of crackers, nuts, pretzels, and croissants.
Moreover, you have access to an open bar with soft drinks, beers, popular liquors and wines. Thus, you can enjoy a customised plate of edibles and sip on your favourite cocktails—and nobody's counting.
Given the fact that you would have to pay a hefty amount to get drinks at regular airport bars, it would probably be a better idea to explore the spread inside an airport lounge.
4. Arrival Recovery
Many airport lounges provide special facilities for arriving passengers. As soon as you land at an airport, you can go off to an airport lounge, where you are treated to opulent shower facilities, juice bars, clothes-pressing services and much more. You would appreciate these services, especially right after a long red-eye flight.
5. Get Down to Work
Airport Lounges are perfect when it comes to getting some work done or even going online to check your emails or Instagram.
Most lounges provide desks with power sources and Wi-Fi, where you can use your notebook or laptop. You can also find lounge computers with good Internet speed at these lounges.
Credit Cards Can Give You Access to The Best Airport Lounges
You can get into an airport lounge program without ever directly buying a premium-class flight ticket or even paying for a membership. Major banks and financial institutions in India including SBI Card offer a range of credit cards including one of the best credit cards in India for lounge access.
These cards accrue an annual fee or cash-in your flier points in exchange for the complimentary lounge access and several other benefits including reward points on usage, milestone benefits, and privilege memberships to premium hotels and airlines, both domestic and international.
Therefore, you don’t need a first-class ticket to get a first-class lounge experience. While this may be true for some airlines, which operate first-class lounges, most airlines allow their top frequent-fliers into these regular lounges complimentary. You can also experience the luxury of an airport lounge through any one of the best credit cards in India for lounge access. So, what are you waiting for? Be sure to check out that elusive airport lounge, the next time you take off on a flight!
