Nestled upstairs, downstairs, or around corners in many
airports across the globe are its lounges. The word, “lounge” says it all. From
comfortable couches (sometimes even beds), to delicious foods, access to
showers, and endless possibilities of drinks to take the edge off from your stressful
and chaotic travel itinerary, these lounges have just the environment and
services to help you wind down and turn your layover time into an enjoyable
experience. Face it. We’ve all been there. That dreadful layover where you just
want to be at your final destination already, yet you are stuck in the middle
of a nasty layover with nothing to do. Not to mention the amount of money you
have to spend on highly overpriced airport food, drinks, and other
miscellaneous items. Spending time in one of these lounges during your layover
will make time pass quickly AND painlessly. Here are 4 reasons why you should
be spending your layover time in the airport’s lounge:
1) Delicious Foods- From my experience, every lounge
always have an amazing selection of foods. Many of them serve buffet-style
and/or cooked-on-the-spot meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The variety
of foods will satisfy every craving you may have. I’ve had gourmet meals in
many lounges including Boston’s local clam chowder, Toronto’s rice and chicken
with curry sauce, and Oslo’s Norwegian potato dumplings (just to name a few). Other
snacks, desserts, and finger foods are always at hand also. Lest we forget the foods
and snacks that can be taken to-go. Pre-wrapped sandwiches, muffins, cookies,
etc., along with chips, bottled water, and soda are some items you can snag and
take onto the plane. Stop…think about the money you could save on meals and
snacks during your travels!
Helpful Tip #1: Always carry spare Ziploc bags in your
carry-on. These will come in handy when you want to take some of the
non-packaged or pre-wrapped foods/snacks to go.
Helpful Tip #2: If you have free access to a lounge and your
layover is a short one with only five to 10 minutes to stop in, go ahead and go
in and grab a quick bite and drink. Don’t forget to grab those to-go snacks to
bring with you on the plane. Your plane ride just got a little more enjoyable
AND a little less expensive!
2) The Best Kind of Drinks- Bottled water, soda,
juice, etc. is great and all, but how about some free alcohol? Yes, please! Beer, hard liquor, and wine are always an
option (I even noticed that Gammel Dansk and champagne was served at 7am in
Denmark. My husband was sure to take advantage of these early morning “refreshments”).
Many times, a bartender will be present and serving whatever your heart
desires. Now’s the time to try that wine you’ve always been curious about…or maybe
even that drink you would never buy at home because it’s too darn expensive. I
felt like a VIP in Las Vegas’s lounge. They had the fullest bar I had ever seen
in my life (no surprise there!). There is always so much drink variety at the
tip of my fingers in these lounges…for free! Be careful that you don’t go too
crazy, though! You have a plane to catch! Oh, and I better let you know that
you can’t take alcohol to-go like you can with snacks. That’s a no-no. Nice try,
though.
3) Convenient Amenities- Many lounges have
comfortable and quiet, secluded areas where you can relax, take a nap, read, write,
or get some work done. They also provide showers if you feel the need to rinse
off that icky-ness you get from all of your travels. Convenient technology amenities
such as Wi-Fi, mobile device charging stations, and TV are also available.
Similar to a bar, many times you can request to change the TV to a certain
channel. Don’t be afraid to ask! We were able to watch a Green Bay Packer game
in Toronto (yes, Toronto) just because we took a chance and asked. How lucky
were we?
4) Incredible Airport Views- Yes, you can still get
a cool view of outside even just sitting in a typical terminal at the airport.
However, it’s far more enjoyable when you’re looking outside at the city while
sitting in a lounge. It makes sense that you can take more in and relish a
scenic view when you are more relaxed and comfortable. It feels great to be in
a lounge where you can take a moment out of your stressful travels and reflect
on your trip while taking in one last close up view of the city you explored,
or even review your travel plans one last time before you land in your
destination.
Keep in mind that airports have many different types of
lounges you can access. I prefer the
Priority Pass Lounges and British Airway Lounges. However, make sure you do a
bit of research before you begin your trip and plan to access these lounges.
Many of the prices of the lounges can range dramatically: from free (if you have
the Priority Pass) to way-to-much for me (around $75 a person for the average
entry fee).
Safe Travels,
Veronica
How I Have Access to Airport Lounges: As mentioned in
some of my previous blog posts, the Chase Sapphire Card itself has so many
perks…access to most airport lounges around the world, through the Free
Priority Pass is just one of them. It’s worth it. Trust me.
