Now more than ever, travelers are seeking out airport lounges as soon as they make it through the security checkpoint.
Whether its finding a comfortable place to answer a few emails or eat lunch before a flight — or maybe starting a trip with a cocktail in an exclusive setting — lounges have increasingly become a part of travelers’ routines.
In fact, lounges have become such a mainstay for a large subset of travelers that data and analytics firm JD Power has taken notice, looking at what exactly travelers are seeking in these airport oases and which spaces are doing the best job serving customers.
Like last year’s inaugural study, JD Power’s second-annual airport lounge benchmark study, released Wednesday, focuses on lounge networks rather than individual locations, taking a holistic look at everything a lounge network with general membership access offers.
Unlike last year, though, JD Power opted to include airlines’ premium business-class lounges under the umbrella of their broader lounge network. For example, that means that unlike the inaugural study’s focus on only United Clubs for the “United” category, this year’s study included Polaris lounges in its scoring for the same category.
The study measured customer satisfaction across eight main criteria, weighted based on importance and plotted on a 1,000-point scale. Those criteria, in order of importance, were perceived value of experience, staff, food and beverage, cleanliness and upkeep, amenities, ease of accessing a lounge, ambience and Wi-Fi quality. Data collected from April through June came from surveys of 2,991 travelers who visited a U.S. airport lounge at least once in the past year.
According to JD Power, although the methodology is largely similar to last year’s, a few tweaks to this year’s study make direct comparisons to last year’s scores difficult. One thing that can be compared year over year is the overall rankings.
The best lounge network is …
Like last year, American Express’ Centurion Lounge network topped the rankings overall, scoring 771 points out of a possible 1,000 under the new methodology. But unlike last year, American Express shared the top spot, with Capital One Lounges closing in for a draw.
Chase Sapphire Lounges came in third with 764 points, followed by Delta Sky Clubs (including Delta One lounges) with 763.
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British Airways lounges were added this year, with the network of U.S. locations scoring 751 points, followed by American Airlines Admirals Clubs (including Flagship Lounges) at 749.
Air France’s U.S. lounge network was another new addition, scoring 746 points, followed by Alaska Airlines’ Alaska Lounges (737 points), United Clubs and Polaris Lounges (702) and another new addition, third-party The Club lounges (650). The average score was 732.
What travelers value in their lounges
Like last year, the study also brought insight into how travelers see lounges and choose to use them. More than a third (39%) of travelers use lounges primarily as a way to get better value on food and drink than they would paying airport terminal prices, while 45% see lounges first and foremost as an escape from the busy terminal.
But crowding has become a problem in lounges, as any frequent flyer can likely attest. Nearly half of surveyed travelers (46%) said that their most-visited lounge is usually “moderately or severely” crowded. Overall satisfaction scores were an average of 244 points higher for respondents who said their most frequently visited lounge is “not at all crowded” compared to those who answered that they’re “severely crowded.”
“The airport lounge has become an oasis for travelers, but that oasis can sometimes become a mirage when lounges are overcrowded and people need to wait in line to gain access,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at JD Power.
Food-and-beverage options are a bright spot
The study found that food and beverage is an area where lounges are performing strongly, with 52% ranking food as “better than expected” and another 44% describing it as “in line” with expectations. Service was another strong area, with 77% saying they felt welcomed by staff.
Still, there was some room for improvement: Only 52% said staff seemed happy, and only 51% described staff as “knowledgeable.”
“As this segment of the airport economy continues to grow, it will be critical for lounge operators and their partners to continue to find ways to delight guests with higher quality food and beverage, and happier staff,” Stokes said.
Looking to add a lounge visit to your next flight? Be sure to check out TPG’s comprehensive guides on how to access airport lounges and the best credit cards that include lounge access as a perk.
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