Category Archives for Lounges.
Starting on Monday American is dropping buffets from its lounges. This will be replaced with “individually portioned, covered food items and will shift most self-service beverages to individual portions such as milk cartons or bartender/wait staff service.
There will also be changes to how drinks are service on board.
The American Express Centurion Lounge LAX opens Monday in the Tom Bradley International Terminal and features a spa, celebrity chef meals, and more.
The Austin airport was supposed to be getting a new lounge accessible by American Express Platinum cardmembers. The airport solicited bids to run a new independent lounge, and selected MAG (“Manchester Airport Group”) USA which runs Escape lounges. A rendering of the lounge even suggested it might be a dual Escape Lounge-Centurion lounge which is the setup in Phoenix. However the Austin City Council balked in a dispute over minority contracting rules.
The 13,295 square foot lounge is located between the D and E concourses on the top level (you take an elevator upstairs). It features a bar, showers, family rooms, and great views of downtown and of airport operations.
Yesterday I covered news that Capital One will open a lounge at Washington Dulles airport. Details of that lounge – location, size, amenities, etc. – available.
In a new statement Capital One is offering a bit more information about access and timeframe for the lounge’s opening.
The LAX Centurion lounge is close to completion. And, it seems, the Charlotte lounge looks close to ready as well.
Not all the letters are up on the sign above the elevator to the lounge – but this is something that would generally come last as they complete the lounge and prepare for inspections.
Most people think the United club exclusion means United Gold elites don’t get lounge access on domestic trips (unless they’re a United Club member). But that’s wrong. I don’t believe I’ve written about this in two years so it seems worth sharing.
The trick – that the initiated know but most do not – is that any Star Gold member can access any Star Alliance lounge in the U.S. other than United’s clubs provided they are flying on Star Alliance airlines out of that airport that day and can physically access the terminal where the lounge is located.
The Austin airport has been working to add an independent lounge apart from the American, United, and Delta clubs that are already open there. They solicited a bid for the space back in the early spring, and the airport selected MAG (“Manchester Airport Group”) USA which runs Escape lounges. These are pay per use and accessible free to American Express Platinum cardmembers.
The old “The Club” lounge space at the Phoenix airport has been renovated and enlarged and is now two separate lounges with a shared entrance and separate reception spaces. It is an American Express Centurion Lounge and also an Escape Lounge. And they’re both now open.
Air France offers space available upgrades from business class to first class at check-in. This is true even for customers flying business class on an award ticket.
A reader shares that he bought up from a business class award ticket to first class flying Washington Dulles – Paris. He detailed the first class experience on the ground at Dulles airport.
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 »
