topic Credit Cards for Airport Lounges. in Credit Cards

Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

ThomasJNewton — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 20:18:08 GMT

AmEx has their Centurion Lounges, Capital One has their new lounges (one in Dulles, two more to open next year), and Chase has their Saphire Lounges. In additon to Priority Pass (offered by many cards), it seems that airport lounge access is the next area of competition in the travel space.

As a lifetime United 1K and also, a lifetime United Club member, I am glad to see more lounges open to possibly reduce over crowding. I am curious if anyone has visited the new Capital One lounge yet, and what did they think of it? So far Las Vegas is the only city to which I travel frequently that has one of these lounges open (Centurion) and one planned (Chase), but I have hopes (Chicago, LAX, Orlando and San Francisco would be great).

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

OrangeRange — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 21:01:47 GMT

I have Amex Platinum and so far have only been to Centurion in LGA. I mostly fly Delta so I spend most of my time in Sky Clubs (ATL, DTW, BNA, and LGA primarily) followed by Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges at secondary airports. I've flown American occasionally through Philly & Charlotte but never had time in-between connections to check out their respective Centurion Lounges.

Never been to a United Club yet or to the Capital One lounge yet. I'm looking forward to Chase's Sapphire lounges too. Hopefully, they let CSP cardholders in for a fee. It'd be a shame if they didn't but PP cardholders from competitors have access.

The airport lounges scene is going to be bustling over the next 5-10 years. New Centurions at Newark, Atlanta, & Reagan National in DC and expanded Seatac. Capital One and Chase building out their networks, and the airlines (at least Delta and American) renovating and expanding their footprints. Sadly, not sure how much it'll reduce crowding without restrictions eventually. Travel is only going up and more people are getting privy to lounge access via credit cards. United seems to have the strictest entry requirements for its lounges (American after) so maybe their spaces won't be as packed as Delta, Capital One, Amex and Chase's.

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

wasCB14 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 05:14:27 GMT

I wonder if some winter megastorm combined with holiday traffic will make people reassess the value proposition of some of these new "lounges". A lounge without airline employees is just a snack bar operating on a prepaid membership basis.

For me, the value is in peace of mind. A non-elite with Sky Club access can get VIP treatment (compared to most people in the terminal) when a flight gets cancelled.

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

ThomasJNewton — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:52:21 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
I wonder if some winter megastorm combined with holiday traffic will make people reassess the value proposition of some of these new "lounges". A lounge without airline employees is just a snack bar operating on a prepaid membership basis.

I think your comparison is both inaccurate and unfair. Inaccurate because, even during a storm, having a place that is quieter than the terminal, with somewhat limited access is much better than "a snack bar operating on a prepaid membership basis". Unfair because the only airline club that allows non-branded credit card holders access is the Sky Club, and then only when one is flying Delta (or Sky Team).

For me, the value is in peace of mind. A non-elite with Sky Club access can get VIP treatment (compared to most people in the terminal) when a flight gets cancelled.

That is true, but neither American nor United offer access to their lounges to people who have not paid for it with one of their co-branded cards, and all three now require that one be flying an alliance flight. To me, one of the wins of these other lounges is that I can use them even when I am not flying United (my default carrier), and nicer, if you and I were flying on the same day, but you were on Delta and I was on United, we could still go to the Cap One or Chase lounge and spend our time together until we had to leave. I am not sure I have ever been into a Sky Club (when it was a Sky Club - some were or became United Clubs or Admiral's Clubs as terminals got shifted), but for both American and United, when things are busy, they deny access even to people with one day passes from their credit cards. That means that the only way to guarantee access is to have an actual membership (either paid directly or obtained via their club card).

AmEx's partnership with Delta does put them at an advantage for non-status travelers flying Delta, in that one gets access to the Sky Club without paying for it directly. That would make the Platinum card more interesting to me, if I ever flew Delta (and I do mean ever - I cannot tell you the last time I flew them). It is not that I have anything against them, it is just that from Chicago, DC (both Regan and Dulles), Denver, LA, Orlando and San Francisco, going to most any domestic or international destination, United has better (or at least acceptable) coverage.

I am more likely to fly Alaska, Southwest or one of the super discounters like Alligent. Priority Pass used to get me into the Alaska lounge and neither Southwest nor any of the super discounters have lounges, which brings me back to the CapOne and Chase lounges.... :-D

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

wasCB14 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 20:47:13 GMT

@ThomasJNewton

I should mention I mostly fly Delta out of LAX (where Delta has been expanding to become the biggest operator), and that Business Platinum is a card I'd have anyway (and probably Schwab Platinum, too). So I'm fortunate that I don't need a separate card or membership for Sky Club access.

I did exaggerate a little for dramatic purposes. A non-airline lounge has more than food. It may have nicer seating, be quieter than the terminal, have showers, plentiful electrical outlets, etc. These things are nice at any time. The main point was just that they can't give a non-elite quick access to excellent airline customer service.

I know the Chase United Explorer gives United Club passes, but what card gives Admirals Club passes?

I also fly United out of ONT sometimes, so the Escape-turned-Aspire lounge is nice. Surprisingly, it's not gotten much busier since it started accepting PP. But then again United doesn't have a big presence there outside of flights to SFO.

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

ThomasJNewton — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 23:31:04 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
@ThomasJNewton

I should mention I mostly fly Delta out of LAX (where Delta has been expanding to become the biggest operator), and that Business Platinum is a card I'd have anyway (and probably Schwab Platinum, too). So I'm fortunate that I don't need a separate card or membership for Sky Club access.

Yes, as I said, AmEx's Delta partnership is an advantage for it. No other airline has the same offering. However, that does not provide you access when you are not flying Delta. I am curious where you saw that Delta is the biggest carrier out of LAX. United has 68 destinations vs. 53 for Delta and last I saw, more daily flights/passengers. I know that Delta has been expanding, but I had not seen anything that said they had overtaken United.

I did exaggerate a little for dramatic purposes. A non-airline lounge has more than food. It may have nicer seating, be quieter than the terminal, have showers, plentiful electrical outlets, etc. These things are nice at any time. The main point was just that they can't give a non-elite quick access to excellent airline customer service.

I used to fly a lot (150,000 - 200,000 a year, that is what got me 3,000,000 butt-in-seat miles on United and 1K for life). You are correct that one gets a chance to talk to an agent during IROPS in an airline club, but that is still less common than regular operations. The rest of the time, all the benefits of one of these other clubs will be much more important. :-)

I know the Chase United Explorer gives United Club passes, but what card gives Admirals Club passes?

I thought that the AAdvantage card used to offer two a year, but either it stopped or I was wrong. :-)

I also fly United out of ONT sometimes, so the Escape-turned-Aspire lounge is nice. Surprisingly, it's not gotten much busier since it started accepting PP. But then again United doesn't have a big presence there outside of flights to SFO.

United flies from there to Denver, Houston, and San Francisco. Sometimes they also have flights to Chicago and less often, they have flights to Dulles. Like many of the secondary airports, these other cities seem to come and go based on (I am guessing) what drugs the route planning and marketing people are taking at the moment (there may be another explanation for their choices, but I have not found it.).

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

wasCB14 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 23:54:00 GMT

Delta traffic at LAX:

https://www.lawa.org/-/media/lawa-web/statistics/market-share-statistics/aircarrier-2022.ashx

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

ThomasJNewton — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:30:44 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
Delta traffic at LAX:
https://www.lawa.org/-/media/lawa-web/statistics/market-share-statistics/aircarrier-2022.ashx

I was trying to find that. Thanks! Has Delta finished its rebuild of Terminals 2/3? Interesting that United is now number 3 here. I wonder if United is still going to own Terminal 9.

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

wasCB14 — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:46:16 GMT

@ThomasJNewton wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
Delta traffic at LAX:
https://www.lawa.org/-/media/lawa-web/statistics/market-share-statistics/aircarrier-2022.ashx
I was trying to find that. Thanks! Has Delta finished its rebuild of Terminals 2/3? Interesting that United is now number 3 here. I wonder if United is still going to own Terminal 9.

Not sure about T9. T3 has added gates but the rebuild isn't finished. For one thing, they're adding a Business Class lounge that might take two years to open. It's really a massive overhaul.

Re: Credit Cards for Airport Lounges.

ThomasJNewton — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:13:47 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:

Not sure about T9. T3 has added gates but the rebuild isn't finished. For one thing, they're adding a Business Class lounge that might take two years to open. It's really a massive overhaul.

From what I can find, the T2/T3 still has about two years to go (which in LAX time is 3-4 years). T9 seems to have been approved about a year ago and is still on track to be for United and Star Alliance carriers. It should add 12 new gates and additional customs facilities. The theory would be that United and its Star Alliance partners would take over all of T7, T8 and T9, as well as part of T6. It is supposed to be finished by 2028 for the Olympics. Between this, the new Terminal 2 at O'Hare, the expansion at Dulles and in Orlando, things might actually get better for where I fly. :-D