Maximizing benefits at airport lounges

Mogul of Pineapples · 03:05 PM

The Amex Platinum and a few other cards like Diners Club and B of A Accolades give free Priority Pass at airport lounges - those private areas that normally only first class ticket holders have access too. I'm going to make a list here of things to do to maximize the value of your airport lounge visit, feel free to add any else you know of:

Drinks - nearly all the lounges have beer, wine, champagne, and some of them have mini-bars with liquor. Then there's always soft drinks, juices, coffee, and water. It's all free so drink up as much as you can before your flight. Maybe if you're drunk enough the flight will be bearable. Plus it beats paying for drinks at the airport bars. Something else you can do (that isn't exactly allowed but I usually do it) is put a few bottles of beer into my carry-on and take them on the plane. SSHHH don't tell anyone I gave you that tip!
Internet - It's pretty obvious the benefit of this.
Shower - I've never used this but if you're traveling all day for long periods of time I would consider using them.
Food/Snacks - Besides Chex-Mix, crackers, pretzels, and gold fish, sometimes they have mini-sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres. Again, this is free food, SO EAT UP! Much cheaper than buying food at the airport.

Those are the benefits I know of. Any others you can think of add them to the list...

010101 · 12:09 AM

not all of the lounges have drinks though i know some have cut them out all together. the one time i did go to a lounge at a northwest terminal they did have drinks including a self-serve bar and beer/wine which was good. i dont travel enough for any of the cards that offer this to be worth it for me but if you did travel frequently i could see how that would pay for itself fast.

Floppster · 08:05 AM

I just recently went to JFK and they Delta lounge was perfect. We got all the drinks and the food. The drinks where super strong since I tipped them pretty good. So all in all it was great and I was happy

Mogul of Pineapples · 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floppster

I just recently went to JFK and they Delta lounge was perfect.

Did you have a ticket that gained admittance or was it using your credit card?

Floppster · 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mogul of Pineapples

Did you have a ticket that gained admittance or was it using your credit card?

No I got the tickets with miles but it was not 1st which is why I didn't get the Lounge with it. I used the Plat and there where no questions asked.

fffresh · 05:46 PM

From my knowledge the American Express Platinum card offers unlimited access to airport lounges or has that changed? The Citi version of the American Express only offers four complimentary visits from what I remember when I read a review on that card.

Multi-Purpose · 10:43 AM

The Diners Club Carte Blanche is another one of the credit cards that offer free access to airport lounges but this card has a hefty $300 annual fee.

Cucumber · 02:12 AM

I've noticed some of the credit cards with free airport lounge access have gotten really cheap and now only let you use it for free admissions 4x a year. Then some are even cheaper where there aren't as many airlines they participate with.

Do they scan your actual credit card to see if its valid or if you walked in with say an Amex Platinum and flashed it is that all you need to do? If so I might need to be buying an old card on Ebay

KC95 · 01:37 AM

they scan your card at airport lounges. i don't think they scan it though to find out what card it is though because once i got in with the wrong card that is definitely NOT included in free airport access. the receptionist mistook my AMEX platinum credit card for a platinum charge card. she swiped it to see if the card was active and then i got in.

1bootcamp · 12:43 PM

Try to pull a fast one there huh?

What they do is first identify the card by the design. i.e. is it an American Express Platinum, an American Express Delta Skymiles Reserve, a Citi Chairman card, or any of the other credit cards with free airport club access as a benefit.

Next if the card looks like one of the cards they scan it to see if it is an active and valid credit card. Now as far as I know that means (besides the appearances) a Blue card scanned a Platinum card signed would both work if they both looked like a Platinum on the outside.

But I'm not advocating anyone doing anything like this and trying to pass off one card for another. It's stealing. The credit card does have to pay for you to use the lounge.

03:05 PM	#1
Mogul of Pineapples Centurion Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Where the smog from the 101 freeway coats my home's windows... Posts: 634	Maximizing benefits at airport lounges The Amex Platinum and a few other cards like Diners Club and B of A Accolades give free Priority Pass at airport lounges - those private areas that normally only first class ticket holders have access too. I'm going to make a list here of things to do to maximize the value of your airport lounge visit, feel free to add any else you know of: Drinks - nearly all the lounges have beer, wine, champagne, and some of them have mini-bars with liquor. Then there's always soft drinks, juices, coffee, and water. It's all free so drink up as much as you can before your flight. Maybe if you're drunk enough the flight will be bearable. Plus it beats paying for drinks at the airport bars. Something else you can do (that isn't exactly allowed but I usually do it) is put a few bottles of beer into my carry-on and take them on the plane. SSHHH don't tell anyone I gave you that tip! Internet - It's pretty obvious the benefit of this. Shower - I've never used this but if you're traveling all day for long periods of time I would consider using them. Food/Snacks - Besides Chex-Mix, crackers, pretzels, and gold fish, sometimes they have mini-sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres. Again, this is free food, SO EAT UP! Much cheaper than buying food at the airport. Those are the benefits I know of. Any others you can think of add them to the list... __________________ “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” -Warren Buffett Current Cards: American Express: Blue Cash, Simply Cash Bank of America: Visa Financial Rewards Platinum Plus Chase: Rewards Visa, Amazon Visa Discover: More Current Everyday Card: American Express Blue Cash

08:05 AM	#3
Floppster Centurion Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: US Posts: 189	I just recently went to JFK and they Delta lounge was perfect. We got all the drinks and the food. The drinks where super strong since I tipped them pretty good. So all in all it was great and I was happy __________________ Intellectuals solve problems. Geniuses prevent them. - Albert Einstein 1879-1955

10:43 AM	#7
Multi-Purpose Centurion Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Somewhere in So Cal Posts: 106	The Diners Club Carte Blanche is another one of the credit cards that offer free access to airport lounges but this card has a hefty $300 annual fee. __________________ Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. -Barack Obama

02:12 AM	#8
Cucumber Centurion Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Zuma Posts: 453	I've noticed some of the credit cards with free airport lounge access have gotten really cheap and now only let you use it for free admissions 4x a year. Then some are even cheaper where there aren't as many airlines they participate with. Do they scan your actual credit card to see if its valid or if you walked in with say an Amex Platinum and flashed it is that all you need to do? If so I might need to be buying an old card on Ebay __________________ OBAMA Stop talking crap about him and give him a chance!

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12:09 AM	#2
010101 Green Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: a cubicle Posts: 17	not all of the lounges have drinks though i know some have cut them out all together. the one time i did go to a lounge at a northwest terminal they did have drinks including a self-serve bar and beer/wine which was good. i dont travel enough for any of the cards that offer this to be worth it for me but if you did travel frequently i could see how that would pay for itself fast.

05:46 PM	#6
fffresh Centurion Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: the edge of the world Posts: 412	From my knowledge the American Express Platinum card offers unlimited access to airport lounges or has that changed? The Citi version of the American Express only offers four complimentary visits from what I remember when I read a review on that card.

01:37 AM	#9
KC95 Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: cc Posts: 80	they scan your card at airport lounges. i don't think they scan it though to find out what card it is though because once i got in with the wrong card that is definitely NOT included in free airport access. the receptionist mistook my AMEX platinum credit card for a platinum charge card. she swiped it to see if the card was active and then i got in.

12:43 PM	#10
1bootcamp Centurion Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Big Island, Hawaii Posts: 110	Try to pull a fast one there huh? What they do is first identify the card by the design. i.e. is it an American Express Platinum, an American Express Delta Skymiles Reserve, a Citi Chairman card, or any of the other credit cards with free airport club access as a benefit. Next if the card looks like one of the cards they scan it to see if it is an active and valid credit card. Now as far as I know that means (besides the appearances) a Blue card scanned a Platinum card signed would both work if they both looked like a Platinum on the outside. But I'm not advocating anyone doing anything like this and trying to pass off one card for another. It's stealing. The credit card does have to pay for you to use the lounge.