First class business class travel tips

Airport lounge memberships – Should you join them on those lower class airfares tickets?

If you are travelling on those premium first class business class travel or first class business class airfares, airport lounges certainly can be a haven or even privilege for tired travellers away from the noise and hassle of an airport. However, you don’t really have to have those first class airline flight ticket or fly those first class first class airfare only to enjoy the benefit of airport lounges. However, airlines certainly reserve or gives those free airport lounge privileges to only those travellers who hold a first class travel airfare ticket or fly first class airfares/first class airfare.

What you can get as a member of these lounges if you are travelling on those premium first class business class travel or first class business class airfares or if you gained access through other means like paying for it, include complimentary drinks and snacks, usage of business facilities like fax, copiers and Internet access, and of course even hair cuts, personal grooming and massage at the more prestigious lounges.

Airport lounges are traditionally seen as airline privileges to those travellers who hold a first class travel airfare ticket or fly first class airfares/first class airfare.

However, nowadays, without those premium first class airline flight ticket or flying on these first class first class airfare, you can nowadays pay for a lounge membership.

Still, note that not all lounges are equal and indeed, some airport lounges have fallen to mediocre grade, suffering from overcrowding, not so great food and beverages, and of course just mediocre services.

No wonder those premium first class business class travel or first class business class airfares travellers also complain about the state of some airport lounges nowadays.

As such, you need to choose carefully the lounges that you are a member of and it all depends on your own personal needs and the frequency and places of your travels.

As a rule of thumb, if you don’t get complimentary or free access like those who hold a first class travel airfare ticket or fly first class airfares/first class airfare, there is not much of a savings being a member of just one airline lounge and joining several ones separately may be expensive and not cost efficient.

Of course, if you really want a free access, you can always buy those premium first class airline flight ticket or fly on those first class first class airfare.

Well, not everybody wants to fly on expensive premium first class business class travel or first class business class airfares right, just to enjoy free airport lounges facilities?

So, if you have to pay for access, you have to strategise and see whether access or membership is worth it.

If you travel often (and not on those premium first class travel airfare or  first class airfares/first class airfare tickets) and needs to work at the airport or you want some peace or quiet before that next important meeting, or you are a frequent leisure traveller who wants a place to relax at the airport for the whole family while awaiting that flight to your holiday destinations and not wanting to spoil the mood of crowding around with other airport travellers, then membership may be a worthwhile expenditure.

Note that each airline has their own lounge membership program, which costs around US$500 a year. Discounts are normally given to their elite flyers, which typically gets around a 20%-50% discount.

However, you need to assess yourself whether the airport lounge is worth your membership fee. For example, if you travel 30 times a year on a lounge annual fee of US$500, then each visit each time you fly is worth around US$15.

If your ticket costs around US$500-US$1000, then it’s probably only a small portion of your air travel cost and may be worth the comfort it gives you.

However, note that if your ticket price is typically low, then it may cost a lot more as a percentage of your cheap tickets obtained.

Further, as mentioned earlier, if you fly frequently on a number of different airlines, which you are most likely to be, then there is not much of a savings being a member of just one airline lounge and joining several ones separately may be expensive and not cost efficient.

Of course again, you can always buy those premium first class airline flight ticket or fly on those first class first class airfare to enjoy complementary free access.

Luckily, there are other ways you can gain access to airport lounges, and they do not always require the forking out of the membership fees.

For one, all major US airlines offer memberships in exchange for miles (which can get you those free first class business class travel or first class business class airfares.

The higher your status in the their frequent flyer programs, the less mile that you will need in exchange for those premium first class airline flight ticket or fly free on those first class first class airfare tickets.

Remember that travellers who are flying on paid or free award international first class travel airfare or first class airfares/first class airfare tickets or business class ticket are typically given complimentary excess to airline lounges, with the privileges extended to affiliated airlines.

A number of premium credit or charge cards also allow for the free usage of airport lounges such as American Express Platinum or Diners Club. The former gives the most choices for those who are travelling within US while the latter offers much better choices for travellers going overseas.  

Remember that if you volunteered to be bumped for a free ticket or other compensation, you should also request for complimentary access to the airport lounge for the inconvenience of waiting out the next flight.

Most airlines will normally oblige with the requests.

As such, you can still enjoy those airport lounges without having those first class business class travel or first class business class airfares.

However, if you are not a premium credit/charge card holder and not travelling on those premium first class travel airfare or first class airfares/first class airfare tickets, then the likely way to enjoy the facilities is through membership subscription.

The good thing is that it’s actually not that expensive and beats having to pay for those premium first class airline flight ticket or fly on those first class first class airfare just to ensure access.

If you are a frequent international traveller, then probably the best membership program that you should have is Priority Pass.

Priority Pass was launched in 1992 with the objective of providing frequent travelers with airport lounge access, irrespective of their class of travel, airline flown or existing membership in an airline loyalty program.

In just 14 years, it has become the world's largest independent airport lounge access program. In 1992, it started with just 55 lounges in only 49 airports. In 2006, its membership already allows travellers access to over 450 lounges in 245 cities, covering 80 countries in every continent of the world.

Its fees till today remain very much reasonable. Members are allowed to choose from three categories of memberships i.e.:

Standard Membership  

This low cost plan is for traveller who wants the security of access when needed with a low annual fee of just US$99. After a visit to a participating lounge, a fee of just US$24 per person per visit is charged to the member’s designated payment card.

Standard Plus Membership  

This plan incorporates Standard Membership with 10 member lounge visits included - for an annual fee of just US$249. After the free visits have been used, each visit is charged at US$24 per visit to the member's designated payment card.

Prestige Membership  

This is for the frequent traveler who would prefer to make a one-off payment to gain access to lounges. It costs from US$399 for free access to all the participating lounges in the program and is available as often as required.

Again, calculate the worth of your membership by dividing the membership fees over the likely number of visits you are going to be doing a year.

You can then decide which category of membership will be more beneficial to you. Priority Pass is certainly the best lounge membership scheme to be in if you ever decide its for you.