Airlines Roll Out Grab-and-Go Lounges as More Than 50% of Visitors Want Food to Go
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Airlines Roll Out Grab-and-Go Lounges as More Than 50% of Visitors Want Food to Go
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Summary
Major airlines and credit card companies are opening grab-and-go airport lounge outposts, aiming to ease crowding at full-service clubs that remain packed despite tighter entry rules.
United, Delta, American and American Express had already cut access with pricier guest passes and limits on entry times and length of stay, but demand kept overwhelming their busiest hubs.
More than 50% of lounge and club visitors said they wanted food or drinks to take away, according to a United loyalty-program survey, giving operators a reason to build quick-stop formats.
The new spaces typically offer prepackaged food and drinks for passengers to carry onto flights, often without restrooms, dedicated Wi-Fi or outlets—discouraging long stays.
The concept is spreading first in major connecting airports and could expand further as lounges, once an elite perk, struggle with mass-market popularity.