Category Archives for Lounges.
In the face of overcrowding of Delta’s Sky Club lounges, last year the airline limited lounge access to within 3 hours of departure. Then they made several more changes. But These measures haven’t been enough.
Capital One currently has just one airport lounge that’s open, at Dallas – Fort Worth. However we know several additional projects in the pipeline. Both the Washington Dulles and Denver lounges are expected to open in September.
The new Chase Sapphire Lounge Boston Logan airport is better than expected. I visited just before noon on a Friday and it was busy but not overcrowded. The food and drink options were good. There was too long of a wait for a shower and a ‘wellness room’ but otherwise the first U.S. Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club is an absolutely great addition to the pantheon.
Like American Express, Capital One is building out its own network of lounges. Chase has their lounges in partnership with Collinson Group, which owns The Club and Priority Pass. So far, though, there’s only one Capital One lounge – at Dallas – Fort Worth airport. That opened about a year and a half ago.
Fortunately we’re getting a better sense of what’s happening with future projects.
Earlier I wrote about upcoming changes to the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, the premium co-brand card that comes with American Airlines Admirals Club membership. There’s going to be a big new card bonus offer, and changes to American Airlines clubs as well.
Bethenny Frankel is best known as one of the Real Housewives of New York but is also host of Money Court and a former Shark Tank shark. She also has opinions on travel, and in particular the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Newark. Her verdict: garbouj. Based on this video, she isn’t wrong.
A premium offering in Admirals Clubs or several years has been guacamole and chips, but that’s available not because American is willing to make that (very modest) investment but because the credit card that offers club membership is a Mastercard and Mastercard pays for the avocados.
If you want chicken nuggets inside an Admirals Club, they have those! But they’ll charge you for it. Indeed, they’ll overcharge you for it.
You used to be able to access Plaza Premium’s own lounges via Priority Pass, but that partnership ended two years ago. But now it’s back.
Readers have shared a frustration by e-mail and in the comments to various posts about access to Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses in the U.S. using their credit cards which are supposed to provide them entry.
Access rules can be complicated, but it appears that especially for the San Francisco lounge, a manager there has instructed staff to in essence violate their contract and deny access out of an antipathy for credit card guests.
Chase’s first U.S. airport lounge, announced nearly two years ago, is about to open in Boston. Opening day for the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club in Boston Logan’s Terminal B-C connector between gates B40 and B39 will be May 16.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
