Airport Lounges Are Sexy Again—if You Can Get In
“The best spaces are more like high-end hospitality than to stop at the pre-the -ft stand,” he adds.
In order to respond to different levels of travelers, airlines and credit card companies have started new concepts “lounge-avel-a-salon”-private spaces for an electric lunch or a nap. Last year, Air France introduced private consequences within its already exclusive first in Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). These 500 square foot sanctuaries are connected to the first class main lounge and have a spacious living room, a bedroom with a double bed, an outdoor patio and a dedicated butler. Meanwhile, the “reserve suites” of Chase, the private rooms with a personal attendant, include a welcome caviar service, on the card and an adjoining bathroom with the augustinus Bader amenities. The smallest suite, with a capacity of four people, costs $ 2,200.
Airport blowing
Beyond amenities in bacon, the softening of airport stress for business travelers consists in eliminating the points of friction. Karp says that this includes “jumping the line to enter, access a private security checkpoint or completely avoid crowds”.
In 2023 Delta Air Lines opened an exclusive registration area at Los Angeles International Airport (Lax) for Delta One customers. Nestled on arrival, the space of 4,200 square feet not only offers assistance with the white glass (hot towel, anyone?) But also a special ASA track and direct access to the living room.
Several American airlines, including American Airlines and United Airlines, allow customers to book a VIP concierge (on a remuneration basis) who can meet you by the street, check your bags, secure access to the living room and even escort you to the door. However, it is limited to certain hubs and is intended for specific customers.
Then there are the airport terminals that work more like private FBOs. Here, travelers can pay to bypass the entire commercial terminal, with advantages such as dedicated security, customs clearance and being driven directly to or from the plane. PS (formerly called private suites) offers these amenities both in Lax and Atlanta (ATL). Instead of the congestioned entry for microphones and departures, travelers arrive in a separate installation through the aerodrome.
“We are sitting in a space which, so far, did not really exist – the white space between commercial and private air trips,” explains Amina Belouizdad Porter, CEO of PS. New openings for PS are defined for Miami (MIA) and Dallas (DFW) in 2026.
Karp thinks that this model will continue to grow, especially on this side of the Atlantic. “Europe is ahead of the United States in advance in many ways when it comes to providing tailor-made airport experiences,” he notes. “I think we will see more here, especially for travelers accustomed to control and calm to fly private.”
