Airport Lounges have long been represented as stylish hang outs for first and business class passengers whilst they wait to board their flight. I have now tried multiple Airport Lounges for myself and from my current seat in Madrid’s Cibeles Lounge have decided to reveal all I have learnt, about these coveted spaces.

It is no surprise that many people choose to escape to an Airport Lounge, when the hustle and bustle of the main dining and seating halls of the departures areas in airports are often so noisy, and uncomfortable. Airport Lounges are more affordable than ever now, and us mere mortals from Economy are finding our way into these spaces, to treat ourselves to pre flight relaxation.

There are different levels of Airport Lounges, with some being specific to frequent or prestigious flyers of specific airlines, and many that are simply ran by the airport and vary by quality. I have spent time in some excellent lounges, as well as ones that did not feel very special at all. The main way to determine if it is worth it, is to find out in advance what is on offer.

What to expect

In all airport lounges, you can expect to have unlimited food and drink (including house wine and beer), comfy seats and WiFi access. The quality of these three things can vary though, so it is always worth looking for reviews and photos before you book.

In Madrid’s Cibeles lounge the Wifi is good but you still have to log into it every hour as it is time limited… a little annoying and not really an advantage over the main airport WiFi here. The food is nice, but of course very local and basic, so mainly pastries, breads, and salads. The seats are awesome! There is a mix of seating areas, a desk area for those wishing to work on laptops, a dining table area, and an armchair area. Every seat has individual access to a power outlet so I am enjoying my comfy armchair with my computer.

In some extra special lounges you could access benefits such as a restaurant service, hot food at all times, free alcoholic beverages, a concierge service, a place to shower and even somewhere to take a nap. Some lounges have gone the extra mile to create a relaxing experience with special rooms for playing video games, or in the case of Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse Lounge at Heathrow, you can get a complimentary spa treatment with the right pass. That sounds really good to me…

Normally, you can access your lounge for up to three or four hours before your flight. There can be exceptions though. Cibeles were good enough to allow me an extra two additional hours because I was already in the airport as a transit passenger.

How to get in

Some lounges are still reserved for the elite passengers; those with a business or first class ticket, or with membership to an airline. If you are lucky enough to afford a better ticket, then you can enjoy all its benefits for hours before departure.

Many lounges can now be accessed by all classes of passenger thankfully, and there are several ways to access the space.

Depending on the popularity of the lounge, you could purchase access face to face on arrival, but this is risky, as some can become very busy. It is safer to book in advance. You can do this through either an agency or directly with the airport. Many airport websites will have the ability to book a lounge direct.

The other method, is through an agency website. Websites, such as Holiday Extras, Wowcher, and Lounge Buddy are all examples of easy platforms to book a lounge, and receive a printable voucher to take with you. This costs on average about £30 per visit.

If you are a regular flyer (with different airlines) then you could consider investing in an annual pass that gives you access to over 1300 airport lounges across the globe. Priority Pass offers either 10 free lounge visits and then discounted visits for $299 USD or unlimited lounge visits for $429 USD. This includes all the lounge benefits, plus access to customer support, and their app.

Either way, the rules to remember when you are going to book your lounge, (assuming that I have convinced you of the benefits) are:

• Book in advance where ever possible
• Book the correct time of arrival, to give you the maximum benefit of the allocated time, so after when you expect to get through security, but before your 45 minute pre departure boarding time.
• Book the correct lounge in the airport! If it is a big airport, make sure you are booking a lounge in your terminal of departure.
• Check the reviews and photos of the lounge.
• Check the serving times for any hot food menu (I was caught out by this in the Cibeles).
• Print out your voucher if you can.

And enjoy!