![]() ![]() "We get leisure travelers, people just looking to get a separation from the airport environment." "It's not just the business traveler," Andolino said of Escape's core customer base. They also get free drinks and are treated to a variety of seating options, including couches. For $45 at the door, Escape customers get access to a hot and cold buffet of what Andolino calls "heavy hors d'oeuvres," such as salmon and locally inspired soups and salads. The same could be said of Escape, which has set a goal of having 20 lounges by 2020, said Rosie Andolino, the CEO of Escape's parent, Mag USA. The Club lounges vary, but the one I went to in Orlando featured free drinks, a buffet of light appetizers, comfortable seating and friendly service.ĪLD hasn't finalized any future lounge locations yet, but Knipp described its growth plans as "very aggressive." ![]() In fact, the number of Priority Pass customers at The Club lounges increased by 86%, she said. Knipp said that in the fiscal year that ended in April, business at The Club lounges was up 70%, with the majority of usage driven by Priority Pass. Priority Pass can be purchased for as little as $99 annually, though many users get the pass through their credit card. Many regular travelers are also taking advantage of the Priority Pass, which offers access to more than 1,000 lounges worldwide. One reason that choosing a club has gotten easier is the app Lounge Buddy, which enables flyers to locate and purchase access to roughly 300 airport lounges worldwide. The Club Lounge at San Jose Airport features an expansive seating area as well as a shower and an area to freshen up. "It's a lot easier for customers now to be able to choose a club experience without having to commit to a particular airline," said ALD senior vice president Nancy Knipp. and Minneapolis, with a Reno, Nev., lounge coming in the winter.Ĭhicago O'Hare has an outlet of the U.K.-based Swiss-port, and at Cleveland, San Diego and New York Kennedy customers can pay a daily fee of just $20 to $25 to access Airspace lounges. airports under the name The Club.Įscape Lounges operates spaces at Oakland, Calif. lounge at DFW in 2006, has now opened 15 lounges in 11 U.S. Airport Lounge Development (ALD), which opened its first U.S. In addition, they partner as well as compete with new offerings from the airline alliances, such as the well-received Oneworld and Star international lounges in the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles Airport (LAX).ĭaily-fee and shared-use lounges have also joined the fray. mainline competitors are, of course, also competing against international airlines. "If you look at the customer-care industry - if you look at any industry - if you do not get better, you fall behind."ĭelta and its U.S. "In everything, you have to stay up with the competition," Roussel said of Delta's entire lounge overhaul program. Meanwhile, American and United have launched or reimagined separate lounge lines for international business and first-class travelers, called the Flagship and Polaris lounges, respectively, and Delta is planning a differentiated offering for its Delta One business-class customers, as well. In March of 2014, Delta turned to the hospitality industry's Claude Roussel, a longtime operations director with the China Grill restaurant chain, to head up an overhaul of all 54 of the carrier's Sky Club lounges.Īnd last year, United embarked on a $260 million multiyear program to refresh or in some cases completely overhaul its 52 United Clubs. ![]() airport lounge space.Īmerican Airlines has embarked on $200 million worth of work to upgrade its entire network of 60 lounges. airlines have all embarked on ambitious lounge-overhaul programs, while new independent players have also begun moving into the U.S. Since the launch of that DFW Centurion Lounge, the Big Three U.S. Hot meals, better liquor offerings and more stylish interiors were among the improvements, he said. "There is an arms race in the quality of lounges, and it was set off not by an airline but by American Express," said Brian Karmizad, director of the website, a website that offers advice on airline loyalty programs. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.Saks Fifth Avenue and the art of clienteling Blending experiences and material goods, the luxury store has set up a program for select travel advisors to give clients.Advice from ChatGPT is advice from you Tread carefully if you use ChatGPT to generate information for your clients.Are we past the tipping point? Without fail, nothing divides traveler opinion more dramatically than the topic of tipping.Training the leaders of tomorrow Program director Heather Kindred shares the four-step learning process that makes Internova's Travel Leaders of Tomorrow. ![]()
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