• 9 months ago
Airport lounges can be one of the most complex, mysterious parts of the airport experience. Aside from buying a business or first class ticket, how do you access them? Is it worth buying a day pass? Is it worth it to try at all? In this week’s episode of Unpacked, AFAR points and miles expert Paul Rubio shares the secret to gaining airport access—and the best ones around the world.

Read the transcript here: https://rebrand.ly/djdmvd9


Discover more episodes of the podcast here: https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked

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Transcript
00:00 I'm Aislinn Green and this is Unpacked, the podcast that unpacks one tricky topic in travel
00:09 each week.
00:10 And this week we're exploring the sought-after, often confusing, and sometimes totally overwhelming
00:16 world of airport lounge access.
00:18 First, a quick story.
00:20 A couple of years ago, I was traveling home from Southeast Asia.
00:23 I'd already taken one very long flight and I was gearing up for another, but I had a
00:28 longish layover, more than two hours, and I was feeling strongly in need of a shower.
00:34 You know that feeling, right?
00:36 So through my credit card, I was actually able to access a lounge in Kuala Lumpur that
00:40 had showers, great food, quiet spaces.
00:44 I mean, it was heaven.
00:46 And I swear to God, at that moment, even if there had never been any other benefit tied
00:50 to my card, and there are, it was worth every last penny I had spent on the annual fee just
00:55 to have that shower.
00:57 I've also had mediocre lounge experiences.
01:00 I've been turned away, or I've been so frustrated and confused by the whole process, I didn't
01:05 even try.
01:06 So to demystify the whole shebang, I spoke with travel writer and photographer, Paul
01:12 Rubio.
01:14 Paul is a far as points and miles guy, and he writes about lounges as part of that beat.
01:19 He's also a big traveler.
01:21 He's visited 134 countries and counting.
01:24 And as you'll soon hear, airport lounges aren't just a job for him.
01:28 He lives and breathes this stuff, truly.
01:31 We cover a lot of ground in this chat.
01:34 So if you're at all overwhelmed, don't worry.
01:36 At the end of the episode, I recap some of the main takeaways and we'll link to Paul's
01:41 airport lounge stories on afar.com in our show notes.
01:45 Let's get those secrets.
01:48 Paul, welcome to Unpacked.
01:53 Thanks so much for being here today.
01:54 Thank you for having me.
01:55 Yeah, we are here to talk about, I don't know, everyone's favorite subject or the, you know,
02:01 most confusing subject for some people, airport lounges.
02:04 Yes, and there's a lot of information to cover.
02:08 Yes, there certainly is.
02:10 And you have been covering airport lounges quite a bit for several years, haven't you?
02:15 Yeah, I mean, it started, I think, as a hobby, and then became a career.
02:20 So now as the head of points and loyalty for afar, I get to kind of look at the lounge
02:29 world through a different lens.
02:31 And I am officially can be a bit more critical and a bit more of a Karen when it comes to
02:35 my lounge critiquing.
02:36 So it started as a hobby, like, what do you mean?
02:40 You just were trying to get airport lounge access every time you flew?
02:44 Or what was the?
02:45 You know, I've always been a points and miles nerd.
02:48 So I just would get like a natural high from getting free airline tickets and having that
02:55 whole glamorous experience of using it for business in first class, which typically comes
03:00 with lounge access.
03:02 So for me, that was something that I enjoyed.
03:07 And I collected credit cards, as a points and miles nerd does for a while and figured
03:13 out every trick in the book before the blogs made them popular on how to get into the lounges.
03:18 And how to fly for free using miles.
03:22 And then yeah, that transitioned into a part of my career.
03:26 I mean, I was already doing travel writing.
03:28 So it kind of went together that I would go places with my points and miles use the lounges
03:33 then write about the travel, but now I read about all of it.
03:36 So you're the true expert here.
03:38 In that expert opinion.
03:40 Why do you think it's worth pursuing lounge access for people who might not be so interested
03:46 or maybe have never tried it before?
03:48 Okay, I mean, first things first, like the airport lounge experience is not necessarily
03:55 as glamorous as it used to be.
03:58 That said, it's still worth pursuing.
04:01 Now like we go to the airport, and it's crowded, it's packed, like we have lines for everything
04:08 these days, right?
04:09 So whether you're going to check in security, the boarding area, and then you're also in
04:17 incredible lines to pay for grossly overpriced snacks and adult beverages to get through
04:21 the chaos.
04:23 So given that like, it's going to be a cluster to go to the airport, why not have the option
04:30 of maybe finding a bit of a respite from it all, where you get free food, free drinks,
04:39 reliable Wi Fi, and maybe in some cases, a mini massage or just a chance to unwind.
04:47 So getting airport lounge access is completely worth it.
04:51 You just have to set your expectations to where the travel world is today.
04:56 And it's summer so like you're not necessarily going to have the lounge all to yourself when
05:01 you go.
05:02 But in the worst case scenario, you go to the lounge, and you grab a snack and you leave
05:08 and you didn't pay $45 for it at a fast food counter.
05:13 That's a really good point.
05:15 Even if you don't use the lounge, you could still take advantage of one or some of the
05:18 amenities, right?
05:20 Even just a bathroom in the lounge.
05:21 Yes.
05:22 And in the best case scenario, if the lounge is not crowded, you can drink the house down,
05:28 you can eat the house down, you can get some work done.
05:32 And typically, some of the newer lounges happen to be in better parts of the airport that
05:37 have great views.
05:40 There's a bit of serenity that comes along with it.
05:43 So it's a winning situation to actually go to an airport lounge.
05:47 The other thing that I think is so important for pursuing lounge access is flight delays.
05:55 I cannot tell you how many times this year I have had a flight delay and a lounge has
06:01 just saved my life.
06:03 Because I have three hours.
06:05 What am I going to do?
06:06 Oh, you know what, I'll just go to the lounge.
06:09 And then it's just kind of like relaxing, having a nice time.
06:12 And it just takes away like that extra stress that my flight was delayed.
06:16 And I come back a better person.
06:18 Wow, we went all the way from airport lounges to becoming a better person.
06:23 I love it.
06:24 Yes, that's what that's what a few old fashions.
06:28 You mentioned that it's not maybe as glamorous as it once was in this recent story about
06:33 airport lounges that you wrote for afar.com, which we'll link to in our show notes.
06:38 You explained that it's getting harder to access lounges these days.
06:41 Can you explain why and what that means?
06:44 So it's getting harder to access some lounges.
06:48 For years now, the Centurion lounges by American Express have basically been the gold standard
06:53 of airport lounges.
06:55 And the Centurion lounges are the Amex branded lounges, exclusive to Amex Platinum, Business
07:02 Platinum and Centurion cardholders.
07:06 Until February 1 of this year, Amex Platinum cardholders were able to enter the lounge
07:12 with two guests.
07:15 And so that guest policy ended months ago.
07:19 And so now it's $50 per guest.
07:22 So that was a huge perk of the Amex card was like, wow, those lounges have artisan cocktails.
07:31 They not necessarily like top shelf wine, but like not the kind that you're going to
07:36 get on board that you're going to want to spit out.
07:39 Definitely decent food presentations by local chefs.
07:43 And they are the places like that you want to linger and enjoy before your flight.
07:51 So a lot of cardholders were upset about that.
07:54 The other big news of it becoming harder to get into lounges or to access lounges was
07:59 from Delta because they're also dealing with an overcrowding issue as everybody is.
08:05 And so they have made it very complicated.
08:10 There are a lot of people who have access to Delta lounges because you get access to
08:15 the Sky Club lounges just for being an Amex Platinum holder.
08:18 Then you get access to Sky Club lounges for having elite status with Delta.
08:23 Then sometimes you have Sky Team partner airlines that allow access.
08:28 So what's happened at the Delta lounges is somewhat similar to the chaotic boarding process
08:36 that you see from legacy airlines where there's like nine groups and you're like, oh wait,
08:40 am I that group?
08:41 Am I that group?
08:42 Like why are they boarding first?
08:43 They have created this tiered structure of who gets in first because there tends to be
08:48 a waiting list every time you go to a Delta lounge.
08:51 So they have created something on their app where it shows how busy the lounge is and
08:57 like the likelihood of whether you'll get in.
09:01 I just kind of avoid Delta lounges now in general because it's a little bit more than
09:06 I want to handle or deal with.
09:08 Yeah, that makes sense.
09:09 Now on the flip side of lounge access getting harder, since I penned that article, which
09:15 was at the end of last year, there have been some changes in the world of airport lounges.
09:22 So Capital One is expanding its own branded lounges to compete with Amex and Chase is
09:29 doing the same.
09:30 Okay, that's great.
09:31 And when you say Chase, that's the Chase Sapphire or the Chase Preferred?
09:36 Yes.
09:37 So the Chase Club lounges are for Chase Sapphire reserve cardholders.
09:44 The first one in the US just opened up in Boston.
09:46 We have an article about that because we got a first look.
09:50 That was a month ago.
09:52 The first international one opened in Hong Kong.
09:55 And the interesting thing about the Chase airport lounges is that it accepts the priority
10:02 pass card, which I guess we'll get into later.
10:05 But there are limitations for regular priority pass cardholders that don't also have the
10:10 Chase Sapphire reserve.
10:11 But yes, Chase is expanding its lounge network.
10:14 They have six in the pipeline and Capital One as a lounge in Dallas.
10:20 And they have several more in the pipeline, one in Denver, one in Dulles.
10:24 And then they are also doing these smaller concepts called landings, which are not full
10:31 scale lounges, but smaller spaces for people who have like tight connections or are just
10:38 looking for like a grab and go type of experience.
10:41 Okay.
10:42 And then with Centurion, are they also expanding their lounge network?
10:46 So what they have been doing is actually increasing the size of existing lounges.
10:51 They expanded a lot.
10:53 Last year, they opened up a new lounge in London, also JFK, LA.
11:00 And what they've been doing is like the Seattle one just reopened this year, and it's three
11:04 times the size that it used to be.
11:06 The Miami one reopened, I think like a year and a half, two years ago, and it's much bigger
11:12 than it used to be.
11:14 But as someone who uses Miami as a home base, I will tell you it's still crowded.
11:18 But because of that, I arrive early enough that I can find a seat.
11:25 And also at some of the Centurion lounges, they offer complimentary 10 minute neck and
11:31 shoulder massages.
11:32 So I will arrive an hour extra early so I can put my name down on the list for a massage.
11:38 And I have successfully received a massage every time I've gone this year.
11:42 That is a positive sign.
11:43 I wanted to get into like your broader suggestions for how to gain airport lounge access.
11:50 It sounds like credit cards are really the way to go.
11:52 Would you say that's the primary way to get into these lounge networks?
11:57 Yes.
11:58 I mean, in my opinion, the only way to access airport lounges is through a credit card.
12:04 I'll tell you why.
12:06 So most top credit cards come with lounge access to multiple different lounges.
12:14 So the American Express Platinum, for example, you will have access to the Centurion lounge.
12:20 However, you can also access the Delta Sky lounges if you'd like, if you're flying on
12:25 Delta.
12:26 You can access the Priority Pass lounges if you're in an airport that doesn't have a Centurion
12:31 lounge or a Delta Sky lounge and you're not flying Delta.
12:34 Similarly, as I said, Capital One and Chase, they're expanding with their own branded lounges,
12:39 but they also offer Priority Pass access.
12:42 Now if you just bought the Priority Pass package that they offer on its own, it would be more
12:50 money than your annual fee of your credit card.
12:53 So you're always saving money by getting a credit card that comes with membership.
12:58 And then let's say you happen to be a United loyalist and you want to be able to access
13:03 United lounges because you're always going to fly them and you always think you'll be
13:06 somewhere where there's a United lounge.
13:09 The fee is around $700 for the membership to the United clubs, but you can get their
13:16 top tier credit card, which has an annual fee that's lower than that $700 and it comes
13:24 with the membership to the lounge.
13:26 So it's never a financially wise decision to buy lounge membership.
13:32 You always want to get it through a credit card.
13:34 And in some instances you're getting amazing value.
13:38 So back to the Capital One example, their top tier card, which is the Capital One Venture
13:43 X, it's like one of my favorite, if not my favorite travel credit cards.
13:48 The annual fee is $395.
13:51 You get a $300 travel credit annually when you book anything through Capital One Travel.
13:57 That's airfare, hotels, rental cars.
14:00 So right there, we're down to $95 annual fee.
14:04 Then you get 10,000 miles every year on your anniversary and those 10,000 miles are worth
14:09 like at least $100.
14:11 So you're basically paying nothing, but the card also comes with access to their lounges
14:17 and the Priority Pass Network.
14:19 So the Priority Pass Network package is worth, let's say $500.
14:24 You're already making $500 by getting that credit card.
14:27 Those are just some of the perks.
14:29 So when you say the Capital One lounges, which ones are those again?
14:33 So they are called Capital One lounges.
14:36 So there's a Capital One lounge at Dallas Fort Worth, and then there's one opening in
14:39 Denver.
14:40 There's one opening in Dulles.
14:42 And then they have the landings, which are the smaller versions that are opening one
14:46 in LaGuardia and I think the other one in DCA.
14:49 Okay, great.
14:51 And so that's your favorite card.
14:54 And then there's the Chase.
14:55 That's my favorite card for value, like for getting value out of your lounges.
14:59 The best credit card for airport lounge access overall is the American Express Platinum,
15:05 because there you're getting Centurion, Priority Pass, and you're getting Delta Sky Club and
15:13 Plaza Premium lounges.
15:15 So it's a huge network.
15:17 We have an article about that as well.
15:19 We have an article on every single thing I'm talking about.
15:21 So you can really go deep.
15:22 We're going to link to all of this in our show notes.
15:26 So yes, there will be resources.
15:29 But first, I was wondering if you could explain a little bit more about Priority Pass and
15:33 what those lounges are like.
15:35 It's the world's largest airport lounge network.
15:37 So it's like about 1,300 plus lounges across the world and I think 140-ish territories
15:47 and countries.
15:49 And so by having the Priority Pass, you definitely have the most widespread access to airport
15:55 lounges.
15:56 And you get the Priority Pass by either signing up for membership outright, which nobody should
16:01 do, or getting it through a credit card, whether you're paying for a high fee credit card or
16:07 a low fee credit card.
16:09 But because they are independent lounges, not all are created equal.
16:14 So like the one in Quito is incredible, but I have been to many Priority Pass lounges
16:18 where I've sat on a leather couch with cracks in it that are so old that when I sat on it,
16:24 dust came out of the cracks and I felt like I was in a cloud of smoke.
16:30 However, that same lounge had cold beer and there was barely electricity in this particular
16:36 airport.
16:37 So it's like, okay, a cold beer is such a luxury right now.
16:42 I mean, there's no AC in the airport, but I have a cold beer.
16:45 So I will sit on the couch and I will enjoy this.
16:48 And so I kind of saw the positive in it.
16:52 And so yeah, the Priority Pass got me that cold beer.
16:55 So it's going to be a different scenario depending on where you travel from, but you know, you
17:00 don't have to go in the lounge, like the worst case scenario, you go in, you check it out
17:04 and you don't like it and you leave and maybe with a beer or without.
17:08 Yeah.
17:09 Wonderful.
17:10 Okay.
17:11 What about so you know, I have one of the Chase cards and so I have Priority Pass and
17:17 I have noticed that at a lot of places, I see that some particular Priority Pass card
17:24 holders aren't accepted at that location.
17:27 Do you know much about the nuances of that?
17:30 Yeah.
17:31 So, you know, Priority Pass network is basically just a collection of independent lounges.
17:38 And so I wouldn't say there's no quality control, but they can kind of make their own rules
17:45 up and that comes to design, to food presentations, to policies.
17:51 And so sometimes to deal with overcrowding, if these lounges already, let's say have a
17:56 contract with some airlines to let first and business class passengers in, those will get
18:02 priority.
18:03 So they will say Priority Pass members cannot enter during specific times.
18:09 So that can be frustrating.
18:11 So my recommendation for that is download the Priority Pass app and looks at the terms
18:17 and conditions to see if there are certain times that you are allowed or not allowed
18:22 to enter the lounge.
18:24 Now the other thing with the Chase Sapphire Reserve is that it's the one premium travel
18:31 credit card that allows as cardholders to get a credit at Priority Pass alternatives.
18:38 So this is a network of restaurants and lounges that Priority Pass has worked with to help
18:45 deal with the overcrowding issue.
18:47 There's a full list of that.
18:49 We have that in another article.
18:50 There's like about 30 of them around the country, but let's say in Boston, for example, you
18:57 can't get into the Priority Pass lounge.
18:59 Well, there are two restaurants that you can go to if you have the Priority Pass through
19:04 Chase Sapphire Reserve.
19:05 So the Priority Pass through other cardholders does not work.
19:08 This is specifically for Chase Sapphire Reserve.
19:11 You can get $28 to $32 per person off the bill for two people.
19:16 So if you just want to say like get two margaritas and chips and guac, it's going to be less
19:21 than 56 bucks and your Priority Pass is going to take care of it.
19:24 Yeah, we've used that in our home airport is SFO and we've used that at one of the restaurants
19:30 there.
19:31 It's great because there isn't a lounge that we can access, at least in our terminal that
19:34 we usually fly from.
19:35 For those who might not want to go the credit card route, are there any options for lounge
19:53 access outside of buying a first or business class ticket?
19:57 There are some lounges that allow day use and you can pay a fee for that.
20:02 Sometimes that's controlled by how crowded the lounges are, but you can for a lot of
20:06 the airline branded lounges, let's say like American Airlines, you can buy a one day pass
20:12 for $59 or 5,900 miles to get into the Admiral's Club.
20:19 So and that's just for one person.
20:21 If you think about, we were talking initially how the Centurion lounges don't allow guests
20:26 anymore.
20:27 Priority Pass cardholders are allowed to bring two guests.
20:31 So that's always really nice because typically if you're traveling with people, you want
20:36 to bring them in.
20:37 And the same thing with the Chase Clubs and the Capital One Clubs, you can bring guests.
20:42 So you can get a day fee at some of the legacy carriers, branded lounges.
20:47 Then you can also download Lounge Buddy, which will tell you which airport lounges are available
20:55 for a fee for the day.
20:57 And you can just pay directly through the app.
20:59 Typically though, those are Priority Pass lounges and it sometimes may be controlled
21:06 by how busy it is.
21:08 But typically if you're paying, they will let you in.
21:10 It's just sometimes I wouldn't necessarily think it's maybe worth 50 or $55 to get into
21:17 some of the Priority Pass lounges.
21:20 Some are worth it for sure, but some are not.
21:23 But those options do exist.
21:26 Another interesting thing, I know we were saying to go the non-credit card route, but
21:31 if you don't feel like getting a premium credit card and you want to get a low annual fee
21:35 credit card, the American Express Green Card offers $100 credit towards Lounge Buddy per
21:42 year.
21:43 So you can at least have two lounge hurrahs on your credit card throughout the year.
21:50 But then again, at that point, I think you should just invest in a little bit of a better
21:55 credit card and have more options for lounge access.
21:59 Yeah, that's a good point.
22:01 Are there particular airlines, so for people who might want to go the day use fee, maybe
22:05 they don't travel as often, are there particular carriers that you think have lounges that
22:11 are worth that fee?
22:13 Honestly, no.
22:16 In general, the legacy carrier lounges are going to, like the best you're going to get
22:21 is hummus in a squirt tube and really bad Prosecco in a plastic cup, not even glass.
22:29 And then those canisters with the wheels when you never know how long some of those pretzels
22:34 have been sitting there.
22:35 And that M&M is actually walking along the wall of the canister.
22:42 So that's a no.
22:44 For me, it's a firm no.
22:47 But if your goal is to, let's say, have three gin and tonics, which will cost you more money
22:53 outside the airport lounge, then go for it.
22:56 Again, it's like a cost benefit analysis.
22:59 Yeah, exactly.
23:00 And just to clarify, you can't buy day use passes to the credit card lounges for the
23:06 most part outside of that priority pass.
23:08 So for Capital One, if you have a lower tier card, you can buy, but you have to have a
23:13 Capital One card.
23:15 But the Chase Sapphire Reserve, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you cannot buy
23:20 access to the Chase lounge.
23:22 Okay, I see.
23:24 I know it's very complicated.
23:26 It's like there are so many rules and restrictions.
23:30 I think that's part of what can feel intimidating sometimes.
23:34 Do you have a way that you cope with that?
23:36 Or are you just an encyclopedia at this point?
23:39 Do you have all those rules and regulations?
23:41 Honestly, I'm an encyclopedia, and I have every credit card.
23:45 So there has to be a way for me to get into every single thing.
23:49 So I think.
23:50 I recently had a situation where I was so confident that I was going to get into this
23:55 lounge.
23:56 I was flying back from Tahiti through LA to Miami, and I used miles to get a business
24:03 class ticket.
24:05 And so in the terminal, there was an Admirals Club lounge.
24:08 So I went to get in, and they're like, "No, you can't get in."
24:11 And I was like, "Of course I can.
24:12 This is a business class ticket, which regardless of what credit cards I have, the international
24:18 business class ticket is supposed to get me into the lounge."
24:22 And then they went through their list.
24:25 There are specific routes that they're no longer allowing entry to the lounge for, including
24:31 the route from Tahiti to LA.
24:34 And I was kind of floored because I don't usually make mistakes like that.
24:38 But sure enough, I was not allowed in.
24:41 You know, you get for qualifying international business or first class, you get lounge access,
24:48 but qualifying has the asterisk next to it.
24:51 So that doesn't count for Central America, most of South America, Caribbean, and then
24:57 somehow some of the Pacific Islands kind of got thrown into that mix of no-go.
25:02 Wow, interesting.
25:03 I had no idea.
25:04 Yes, I was not happy.
25:07 So it sounds like the best way to follow some of those changes is basically to follow your
25:11 buy line on afar.com.
25:12 Yes, yes, yes, for sure.
25:13 Because you're tracking this.
25:14 Try to digest as much as possible because I'm sure most people listening are already
25:19 overwhelmed by the options out there.
25:23 Yes.
25:24 Well, you've hinted at this, so I think we already have a good sense of your answer.
25:27 But like, what are your favorite lounges?
25:29 What are the ones that you just really try to take advantage of?
25:34 So the Al Morjan Business Lounge in Doha is phenomenal.
25:40 I will gladly take a six to eight hour layover in Doha just to luxuriate, and I mean luxuriate
25:50 in this lounge.
25:51 It is stunning.
25:55 It is absolutely enormous.
25:56 You have gorgeous spiral staircases, water features, different personality-driven nooks,
26:03 tons of food presentations, hot and cold.
26:07 You can scan the menu and then have food brought to your table if you're sitting in a table
26:11 area as opposed to the coffee area or the quiet lounge or the relaxation lounge.
26:17 Then they do serve top shelf.
26:19 So it's an endless pour of, let's say, Laurent Perrier Rose, which is like $90 a bottle.
26:28 And you can just get an endless pour of it.
26:30 There's also showers close by, which is not part of the lounge, but there is a gym and
26:36 spa so I will just kind of leave the lounge for a little bit, go have a workout, get a
26:42 spa treatment, and then come back to the lounge and then relax some more.
26:46 So that is, I mean, Qatar Airways, their lounge in Doha, they even have a new one, which I
26:53 haven't seen yet, that just opened this summer that's supposed to be even better.
26:57 I cannot imagine how it could be better.
27:00 So that's my top lounge overall.
27:04 And for Priority Pass, I love the Sala VIP Internacional Quito.
27:10 So in Quito, Ecuador, this Priority Pass lounge previously won an award as the best Priority
27:17 Pass lounge within the network when they used to hold awards.
27:20 This was pre-COVID.
27:21 But I was just there and it's still incredible.
27:24 They have really amazing local cuisine, like fresh fish sushi, ceviches, fried rice with
27:34 seafood, so many different incredible foods.
27:37 Then they have full cocktail bar.
27:38 You only get two drinks, unfortunately, but they're well-made and it's like a true bar
27:44 experience.
27:47 Then they have a rooftop lounge.
27:48 So you can eat inside where they have gorgeous chandeliers and really cute chairs, but then
27:52 they have two lounges outside where you can just watch the planes go by.
27:56 And it's like being on a rooftop bar.
27:58 It's amazing.
27:59 So that is definitely one not to miss, especially if you're going to the Galapagos and you have
28:08 a layover in Quito, just be excited that you're going to have a fabulous experience.
28:13 Yeah, that's delightful.
28:16 I mean, sushi in airports is something I generally avoid.
28:19 Yes, no, this is fine.
28:21 I mean, I can't guarantee it, but it was delicious and fresh.
28:26 I would typically avoid it as well, but this one is good.
28:31 Are there any domestic lounges that you really love or North American?
28:35 I know I keep going back to it, but the Capital One Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth, I love it
28:40 so much because the brand is just really putting so much into making a name for itself in the
28:48 travel world.
28:49 So they've gone all in with the design, with the decor, the cocktail, they have amazing
28:57 cocktails on tap.
28:58 They have like a butterscotch old fashioned on tap, but you can make anything.
29:02 The bartenders will make anything you want and they put beautiful garnish and they muddle
29:09 and mix and it's just like, it's a real bar experience.
29:11 Then not only do you have the different food that you can go and grab and sit at the table
29:18 with, but they have an entire grab and go deli at the front.
29:21 So if you're that traveler that has a tight connection, but like you want some good food,
29:26 they have everything packaged.
29:27 It's like going to Pret a Manger, little salads, sandwiches, like 20 different kinds to choose
29:32 from juices, fresh juice, sodas, and you can just go in and grab it.
29:37 And also hot cookies.
29:38 Hello, who doesn't love cookies?
29:41 And if you have a little bit of a longer stay, they also have a wellness room where you can
29:45 do yoga, you can stretch, they even have exercise bikes and then showers.
29:49 So I mean, it's just kind of so well rounded and so well thought out that, you know, that
29:58 to me is amazing.
30:00 Now I also do love the Centurion Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth.
30:04 It's not, I will pick Capital One over Centurion, but they have great food presentations and
30:11 they do an excellent job there too.
30:13 So yeah, so Dallas tends to have the best lounges.
30:16 Good to know.
30:17 You know, and that brings up a question.
30:18 I was actually stuck overnight in Dallas because of flight delay meant I missed my connection
30:23 a couple of weeks ago.
30:25 If I had had either of those cards, could I have stayed in the lounge?
30:28 Like are they open 24/7?
30:29 Is that an option?
30:30 So they're not open 24/7.
30:33 And sometimes there are restrictions on like how long you can stay.
30:37 It depends on the lounge.
30:39 If you are going in with your ticket and you were delayed, as long as I had reissued another
30:45 ticket with a different time, they probably would have let you in.
30:48 So it just, it just, it kind of depends.
30:51 Because if let's say your flight was for, if they had already reissued you a ticket
30:55 for tomorrow and they scanned it, they probably wouldn't let you in that previous day.
31:00 I see.
31:01 You'd have to like go back early, like in the next morning before your flight.
31:04 Got it.
31:05 Okay.
31:06 So it's not an option for sleeping essentially.
31:08 No, but however, like the Almoza Business Lounge in Doha, they are used to having people
31:16 with very long layovers.
31:18 So like they do have beds.
31:20 And if you have a six hour layover there, you can, you can crash there.
31:24 That's not a problem.
31:25 Okay.
31:26 So it's just every lounge is different.
31:27 Sure.
31:28 I wanted to go back to a couple of things that you mentioned.
31:30 One is just speaking to this whole idea of overcrowding.
31:34 What do you think kind of led to that?
31:36 Was it the rise of like Parity Pass?
31:39 I think because there's just been such a big push to get new credit card holders and the
31:47 credit cards have just been competing and offering more and more benefits.
31:52 There are so many people now who do have already have lounge access.
31:57 You know, there are plenty of people who don't, but there are lots of people who do.
32:01 And even similarly, sometimes I go to the airport and I can't believe the line at TSA
32:07 PreCheck.
32:08 And I'm happy everybody has TSA PreCheck, but it's like, Oh my God.
32:11 Okay.
32:12 But most people have it now because it was a credit card benefit.
32:15 You know, you pay for it and you get a statement credit.
32:18 I also think that the overcrowding has been an issue because so many people are traveling
32:24 again.
32:25 Tons of people accrued mild and got credit cards during the pandemic because they were
32:29 bored and reading about them and spending and now they want to travel.
32:33 So like tons of people are traveling and as we know, like the airports are insane.
32:37 So I just think a lot of people are traveling this summer.
32:41 It should die down hopefully in the fall.
32:43 It typically does.
32:45 And when that happens, the lounges should be also less crowded.
32:50 And would you say that's true that summer is just the toughest season in terms of lounge
32:54 access like that?
32:55 Yes.
32:56 Fall, winter.
32:57 Especially this summer.
32:58 This summer is just, I mean, I've never seen planes so packed and like lines so long for
33:07 whether it's for immigration, for TSA PreCheck, for checking.
33:10 It's just doesn't matter what day of the week I go.
33:13 It is insane.
33:15 Travel has rebounded.
33:16 I guess it's good for our industry, but yeah, it's intense out there.
33:20 Yes, yes.
33:22 But it's still again, going back to our first point, because it is so crazy, it's still
33:26 worth that while to like try to get into a lounge and like treat yourself a little, you
33:32 know?
33:33 Yeah, a little oasis.
33:34 Is there anything else that you think people should know about say Priority Pass in particular?
33:40 I feel like we kind of talked about that in several different questions, but.
33:43 I had mentioned all these premium cards like the Capital Adventure X, the Chase Sapphire
33:48 Reserve and the Amex Platinum all come with Priority Pass membership.
33:53 So does the Hilton Surpass card.
33:57 So interestingly enough, like this is a low fee Hilton Honors co-branded credit card.
34:05 It's only $95 a year and it comes with a lower Priority Pass membership, which is not unlimited
34:12 access with two guests like the other cards, but it is 10 passes to get in.
34:18 So considering that the one-off passes, which you would pay like through Lounge Buddy or
34:24 directly at a Priority Pass lounge, if they're offering day use, will be 40 or 50 bucks,
34:29 you're getting 10 of them for $95 fee, which to me is incredible.
34:34 Plus you're like, when you sign up for the card, you're also getting like over a hundred
34:38 thousand Hilton points, which you can use for like a night at a Waldorf Astoria or a
34:43 Conrad Hotel.
34:44 So like going back to not for people who don't want to have the credit card wrap for people
34:49 who cannot handle like the idea of having a card with a super annual fee, the Amex Green
34:56 has that Lounge Buddy credit and the Amex Green is $150 a year.
35:00 Yeah, that's a really good perk.
35:02 I've actually never heard of that card.
35:05 Well looking to the future, what do you see happening in the world of airport lounges
35:10 or with airport lounge access?
35:12 Where do you think it's all going to go?
35:14 I do think that more lounges are going to be restricting guest access.
35:20 I think the problem with a lot of the overcrowding, not only are people traveling, but when you
35:26 can bring plus two, it adds up fast.
35:31 And so now that the Centurion Lounge has gone ahead and like people were moaning and groaning,
35:37 but it's done that they're charging for guest access, I wouldn't be surprised if some of
35:44 the other programs started scaling back their guest access or if priority pass membership
35:51 allows just a plus one instead of a plus two.
35:55 Now the workaround for this, just like with the Amex is make those people that you typically
36:02 travel with additional card holders.
36:04 So if you have the Amex Platinum, you can add three card holders for 175 total.
36:13 So it's less than $60 a person.
36:15 Each additional card holder will then get their own priority pass membership and their
36:21 own card.
36:22 So they have also have Centurion Lounge access.
36:25 So if there are four of you traveling together, you will still all get into the Centurion
36:29 Lounge without paying a guest fee because you each have your own Amex Platinum.
36:34 And yes, so that's a great way to work around that with my favorite card with the Capital
36:40 One Venture X reward.
36:44 The additional card holders are free.
36:46 So every additional card holder, up to four for your additional card holders, they each
36:52 get their own priority pass membership and they also get access to the Capital One Lounge
36:57 Network, which is growing.
37:00 And so that's like a great situation.
37:03 And then people think, well, do I really want to have other people on my credit card?
37:07 You can add additional card holders and then set their limit to like $100.
37:12 And so that way everyone has a membership and like I have my dad under me under my Amex
37:18 Platinum and then I have my cousin under another card.
37:21 And so everybody's enjoying lounge access courtesy of me.
37:24 But you don't have to worry about like somebody going on a shopping spree.
37:29 I don't think that they would go on a shopping spree anyway, but now I definitely don't have
37:33 to worry about it because they can't.
37:34 I love it.
37:35 It's a really good tip.
37:36 Okay.
37:37 I mean, we've covered a lot today.
37:41 Is there anything else that you think travelers should know about this very complex topic?
37:47 I think that travelers should definitely do the research on their home airports and where
37:53 they typically fly to and from to see what lounges they would frequent if they're looking
38:00 for lounge access.
38:02 And then from there, perhaps decide which credit card is best to suit their lounge needs.
38:09 I see.
38:11 Like if your sole goal of a high fee credit card is to gain Centurion lounge access and
38:18 you're based in a city that doesn't have a Centurion lounge, that doesn't make sense.
38:25 Unless you have a great priority pass lounge, which would come with it, but then you have
38:29 more choice of different credit cards to choose from.
38:31 So I would say like you got to do a little bit of homework.
38:35 We will have links to so many different topics that we went over today that it's, you know,
38:41 you can have a graduate degree in airport lounge access after you read them all.
38:46 And also just set your expectations accordingly.
38:49 Like again, I was so happy to have that cold beer and that Dyer airport.
38:54 Like that to me, that was made the priority pass worth it.
38:59 Lounges are typically going to be overcrowded.
39:02 Some are going to be better than others, but there's always going to be the opportunity
39:06 to like treat yourself, experience it and decide if you want to come back.
39:10 And definitely there are many that are worth coming back to.
39:15 So yes.
39:17 And also all these new lounges, like the remixed versions of the Centurion lounges, the newer
39:23 ones, the new Capital One lounges, the new Chase lounges.
39:26 There's a lot of investment going into these lounges.
39:29 And so they are glamorous.
39:30 They are bringing back the glamour to the lounge experience.
39:34 Thanks so much for sharing Paul.
39:40 Before we share where you can find Paul when he's not traveling or watching reruns of
39:45 Portlandia with his husband and rescue.camo, let's talk about some of the key takeaways
39:50 from today's episode.
39:52 Takeaway number one, never pay outright for a membership to a lounge, whether that's through
39:58 an airline or a company like priority pass.
40:01 The best way Paul says to access a wide variety of lounges is through a travel credit card.
40:08 And that brings us of course, to takeaway number two.
40:11 Paul's favorite card for maximizing lounge access is the Capital One Venture X.
40:16 If you want access to Amex's Centurion network of lounges, try the Amex Platinum, the Business
40:22 Platinum or the Centurion card.
40:25 The Amex Platinum card also comes with access to the priority pass network.
40:30 And finally, the Chase Sapphire Reserve also comes with priority pass access as well as
40:35 other airport perks.
40:37 And Chase is building out its own network of lounges.
40:41 For lower fee cards with good lounge access, try the Hilton Surpass card and the Amex Green
40:46 card.
40:47 Takeaway number three, before you apply for any of these cards, do your research and figure
40:52 out which lounges are available at your home airport or the one you frequent the most.
40:57 That should guide which card you go with.
41:01 Takeaway number four, if you don't want to go the credit card route, which I completely
41:04 understand, your options are a bit more limited, but it's not impossible.
41:08 You can always book a business or first class ticket, though remember that certain business
41:13 class routes have limitations on access, so do your research.
41:17 You can also use apps like Lounge Buddy, which allow you to book one-off visits.
41:22 Takeaway number five, if you have priority pass to run of your cards, check to see if
41:25 it offers benefits outside the lounges.
41:28 For example, Chase Reserve cardholders can get a credit for food and drinks at dozens
41:32 of restaurants and major airports.
41:34 So again, comes down to do your research.
41:38 And takeaway number six, have fun with it, enjoy the good experiences when they come,
41:43 and try to laugh about the ones that aren't so great.
41:46 You know, we are so lucky to travel and lounges can just add that little extra magic to our
41:50 experience.
41:51 Again, we'll link to it all in our show notes.
41:53 If you want to hear more from Paul, you can look for his byline on afar.com, visit his
41:58 website paultheprotraveler.com, or follow him on Instagram @paultheprotraveler.
42:06 Ready for more unpacking?
42:08 Visit afar.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
42:12 We're @afarmedia.
42:14 If you enjoyed today's exploration, I hope you'll come back for more great stories.
42:18 Subscribing makes this easy.
42:20 You can find Unpacked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
42:25 And be sure to rate and review the show.
42:27 It helps other travelers find it.
42:30 This season, we also want to hear from you.
42:32 Is there a travel dilemma, trend, or topic you'd like us to explore?
42:36 Email us at unpacked@afar.com.
42:40 This has been Unpacked, a production of Afar Media.
42:43 The podcast is produced by Aislinn Green and Nikki Galteland.
42:46 Music composition by Chris Collin.
42:48 And remember, the world is complicated.
42:51 We're here to help you unpack it.
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