Anyone who has traveled within the past year can tell you that the airport experience might easily be the worst part of the trip. Airports are crowded, understaffed, and overpriced, and there are never enough seats (not to mention no peace and quiet to be found).
With these factors, and the increase of credit cards with lounge access, loyalty programs, and day passes, the use of airport lounges is increasingly popular. What was once a luxury for business travelers and those with fancy credit cards is now much more accessible by the masses, and over 1/2 of travelers have reported using them during their travels.
@loulouexplores Airport lounges are only for the rich? WRONG. There so many things that normal people like us don’t think are accesible. Like how we go to an airport and drink in a bar and have food in Nando’s which could cost upwards of £50 total people are getting unlimited goods for £34 🙃🙃 🔌🔌 #airportlounge #airport #gatwickairport #airportloungeaccess #lifehack #travelhack #travelsmart #loulouexplores #femaletraveler ♬ Rich Flex – Drake & 21 Savage
Nowadays, people do more than just wait at airports, with many using the few hours before a flight to get some work done. Lounges are the perfect place to open up your laptop and log on for a while, as the charging outlets are aplenty, the wifi strong, and the noise level lower than out in the concourses.
Since airports are such a vital part of most traveling, it goes without saying that you would hope you find yourself at some of the better airports around the world. But today, even the less fancy airports have lounges, and apps such as LoungeBuddy can help you plan ahead.
Popular travel website Upgraded Points has ranked the best airports lounges in the U.S. Looking at 50 of America’s airports and over 225 lounges, the report ranks them by many different factors. It takes into account customer ratings, amenities, and the number of lounges per square mile.
So, unless you are hoping to grab an overpriced sandwich and cram in between a crowd of other people on the uncomfortable benches, read on to find which U.S. airports are your best bet for lounge access.
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Who Has The Most Lounges?
Rank #1: LaGuardia Airport (LGA- New York, NY)
The smallest of NYC’s airports, LGA ranks high because of its “lounge per mile” number. Its smaller footprint and 5 lounges make finding a seat a bit easier than other NYC airports.
Rank #2: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA- Washington, D.C.)
With 5 lounges to be found in its 1.22 sq miles means, you are likely to be able to access one most days.
Rank #3: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR- Newark, NJ)
With a whopping 12 lounges, you should be good to go in terms of finding a lounge that suits you in EWR. Just remember that the airport is huge and almost always busy, so booking early might be essential.
Rank #4: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX- Las Angeles, CA)
With a lounge per mile rating of 3.50, you might be spoiled for choice with about 8 lounge options. Just remember that this airport is massive, and you could be walking a while before you find one. (Again, this is where the apps come in handy, most have maps of the terminals with the lounge locations clearly marked)
Rank #5: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS- Boston, MA)
Coming in at number 5 on the list of most lounges per square mile, BOS has many lounges to be found. There are three Priority Pass lounges alone, plus major carrier ones such as Delta Sky Club, American Airlines Admirals Club, and Air France.
@theegoldencurl Delta Sky Club: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) #deltaskyclub #delta #deltaskylounge #deltaskymiles #americanexpressplatinum #airportlounge #airport #dca #ronaldreagan #traveltiktok #travel #travellife #blackgirltiktok #blackgirlluxury #travelperks ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) – CKay
Who Has The Best Lounges?
The study also looked at which U.S. airports had the best lounges and assigned each airport a score out of a possible 100. The rating takes into account the number of lounges per square mile, the average hours the lounges are open (is there anything more annoying than an easy or late flight and you just miss the lounge hours), ad the average customer ratings of the airports’ lounges
- Miami International Airport (MIA- Miami, Florida). With a score of 81.09 / 100, MIA scored high for having showers and long open hours.
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA- New York, NY). With an overall score of 76.40 / 100. LGA got high marks for the many lounges to choose from and high customer reviews.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX- Las Angeles, CA) Score: 74.89/100
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW- Dallas, TX) Score: 65.71 / 100
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA- Washington, D.C.) Score: 64.70 / 100
Rounding out the top 10 are: George Bush International Airport (IAH-Houston, TX), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK- New York, NY), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL- Atlanta, GA), Seattle- Tacoma International Airport (SEA- Seattle, WA), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX- Phoenix, AZ)
@insidetheupgrade Let’s explore United’s MASSIVE Newark lounge together. I always wonder whether these are worth it, and it was honestly pretty nice. If you have a few hours to kill, between the food, the coffee, and the bar, it might not be a bad idea. Share this post with anyone flying out of Newark! _______________________________________ Follow me for all things Travel, Upgrades, Miles, Points, & honestly just champagne #fyp #foryoupage #tiktoktravel #Traveltok #traveltiktok #travelhack #budget #perks #InsideTheUpgrade #miles #points #travel #travelhacks #travelsounds#milesandpoints #pointsandmiles #upgrades #upgrade #firstclass #businessclass #bizclass #vacation #wanderlust #adventure #explore #budget #champagne #tiktokviral #viraltiktok #capcut #united #unitedclublounge #unitedclub #newark ♬ Just Can’t Get Enough (Single Version) – Depeche Mode
Who Operates The Most U.S. Airport Lounges?
Rank #1: American Express – score 91.98
- Average Customer Rating 3.96
- Average Hours Open 15 hrs 15 mins
- Ranked high for: family rooms, shower facilities, and premium food options.
Rank #2: Plaza Premium Lounge – score 69.50
- Average Customer Rating 3.99
- Average Hours Open 8 hrs 21 mins
- Ranked second despite its highest customer rating score, as its average opening hours are much shorter than the others.
Rank #3: Airport Dimensions – score 68.59
- Average Customer Rating 3.00
- Average Hours Open 16 hrs 13 mins
- A favorite amongst travelers using Priority Pass and Loungkey, this operator is open long hours and has bar options such as liquor and beer and wine.
@thelittlebasketco Amex Centurion Lounge at LAX #traveltips #travelhacks #centurionlounge #lax #TeamUSATryout ♬ 春を告げる – yama
Rank #4: Delta (SkyTeam Alliance) – score 67.79
- Average Customer Rating 3.84
- Average Hours Open 16 hrs 31 mins
- Losing points for its lack of high qualify and a serious lack of showers makes Delta Sky Club lower in rank than the others.
Rank #5: British Airways (Oneworld Alliance) – score 66.30
- Average Customer Rating 3.23
- Average Hours Open 9 hrs 9 mins
- The short open hours of these lounges hurt this operator in the rankings, and with a lower average customer ranking than others that ranked lower on the list.
- Spots 6-10 were awarded to Alaska Airlines, Air France, American Airlines, United, and Lufthansa, all of which had an overall customer rating of over 3.3.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com