Airport Lounge Crowding: What’s Going On?

Airport lounge crowding has become a big problem in the US. I would like to talk about some behavior that I find to be confusing.

Many airport lounges have a crowding issue

The Turkish Airlines Lounge is located at the airport where I was flying from Miami to Panama City. Priority Pass members can use this lounge as well as all Star Alliance airlines leaving from the terminal.

Turkish Airlines is trying to squeeze every cent of revenue out of airlines and Priority Pass so rarely are capacity controls put in place People will be allowed in as quickly as possible by the agents.

I couldn't find a seat in the lounge. The lounge was too crowded for me to stay.

I came back 30 minutes later and found a group of people outside the door.

This isn't the first time. Even with a line out the door, airport lounges in the US are usually filled to the brim. The Delta Sky Clubs look similar to a New York City nightclub on a Friday night.

Why are airport lounges so crowded?

Business travel is not close to making a full recovery and so the crowding issues are caused by this. There are a few things going on.

Premium credit cards that offer lounge access are the most important factor. Baby boomers used to have premium credit cards. These cards have become more popular. Younger users maximize the perks more and are more frequent travelers.

Premium credit cards have improved in value over time. The Amex Platinum Card was the only premium card available. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X both offer priority pass memberships with a great value proposition.

There are a couple of other factors at play as well.

• While airline capacity in the United States has expanded significantly over the years, most airports haven’t really proportionally increased space allocated to lounges
• A lot of airport lounges are increasingly monetizing access, with less regard for the passenger experience, and more regard for the bottom line (which, I guess, fair enough…)

Some will say that the crowding issue is caused by the promotion of credit cards that give priority pass access. I don't hear you.

• I still think there’s big value to be had with Priority Pass, just not with your average lounge in the United States; for example, I get huge value at Priority Pass restaurants, and also at lounges outside the United States
• I think it’s important to set reasonable expectations; some sites make it sound like a Priority Pass membership will get you access to these incredibly exclusive lounges in the United States, when that’s not really the case
• I’m not here to point fingers, but I’ve been doing the same thing on this blog for nearly 15 years, and as much as I wish I could take credit for this, I don’t think I’m the one making premium credit cards mainstream

Priority Pass is still worth a lot to me. I use Priority Pass lounges all the time and have a great experience.

Why do people bother with full airport lounges?

In the past, I wrote about what makes a good airport lounge. I always say that the number one thing I want for a lounge is a quiet place to sit. Many airport lounges aren't delivering that anymore.

There is an easy solution to this problem. Below is a picture of one of the Turkish Lounge Miami's gate areas.

It was quiet, there was lots of natural light, there was free wi-fi, and the apron views were great. This is a solution that I can easily use. I can always find a gate if the lounge is too crowded.

One of the few people who do that is me. I need help understanding why. I think it comes down to a few things.

• Some people want to eat and drink; I get it if you’re really hungry, but I also feel like the food and drinks in contract lounges are generally underwhelming, and if you can afford a high annual fee credit card, you can also afford to buy something actually decent in the terminal
• Alternatively, you can eat and drink something in the lounge, and then head out into the terminal
• I suppose on some level people feel that they’ve already “paid” for lounge access in one way or another, so they want to use it and get value from it, even if the experience isn’t great

Bottom line

Airport lounge crowding has become a big problem in the US. Premium credit cards that offer lounge access are popular because there is more to it than just that.

I don't like Priority Pass lounges in the US because they are run-of- the-mill. I would rather sit in a quiet gate area with no one around.

What do you think about lounge crowding in the US? There is a solution. Is there a single person who prefers sitting in the gate area?