The 8 do’s and don’ts of visiting an airport lounge

Airport lounges can be great places to relax before your flight, and getting access to them is one of our favorite status and credit card perks here at TPG.

If you’re visiting a lounge, you can enjoy complimentary food and drink as well as a quiet, comfortable place to sit while you charge your devices, download a few TV shows or get some last-minute work done before your flight. The more upscale lounges may even have amenities such as a spa, a la carte dining and showers.

While you may think this posh airport experience is only for the travel elite, did you know you can access airport lounges by holding the right credit card?

If you’ve never been in a swanky airport lounge before, here are some simple do’s and don’ts to help maximize the experience for yourself as well as respect your fellow passengers.

Related: TPG readers’ favorite airport lounges around the world

Do your homework

Depending on the airport and your fare type (economy class, first class, business class), you may have access to more than one lounge.

For example, if you’re flying on a Oneworld business-class flight from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) Terminal 3, you can access four different lounges run by different airlines that vary hugely in quality (our picks are the Cathay Pacific and Qantas lounges).

To get the most out of your lounge access, check online before you travel to answer these questions:

• What lounges do you have access to?
• What is considered the best lounge of the options?
• What is the location, opening hours and access policy of your preferred lounge(s)?

Related: The best lounges at London Heathrow — and how to get inside

Do arrive early enough to enjoy it

If you have access to a truly excellent lounge, like the spectacular new Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), you want to have enough time to enjoy it.

It may not make sense to leave home at 4 a.m. to have time for a cocktail before the sun rises. But suppose you have a flight at a more civilized hour. In that case, you should plan your check-in to allow enough time to experience everything, including a glass of something lovely, a view of the runway from the roof terrace and a meal in the formal dining room.

If check-in for your flight opens three hours before departure and it will take you about 30 minutes to check in, pass through security and walk to the lounge, you would have around 90 minutes in the lounge before boarding starts (depending on the aircraft type, airline, airport and so on). This is a good amount of time to explore and make the most of the lounge.

Rushing in late with only five minutes to scarf down a sandwich and a drink isn’t the most relaxing start to a flight.

Related: 5 ways to ensure you have lounge access before your next flight

Do a full lap of the lounge on arrival

Even if you have visited a particular lounge before, the best place to sit might not be apparent when you first walk in.

A word of advice: The seating near the entrance or the buffet can often be busy and not very relaxing.

If you do a lap of the lounge, you can get your bearings on where everything is (including the bathrooms, charging points and possible runway views), and you can also spot the quieter and more peaceful places to relax. This is much better than simply grabbing the first chair that you see.

Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access in 2024

Don’t take your eye off the time

Many lounges — especially independent, third-party lounges — will not make boarding announcements in order to avoid disturbing their chilled ambience. If you are indulging at the bar, time can fly by, and you might forget why you traveled to the airport in the first place — to get on a flight.

Neither the lounge nor the airline will be very sympathetic if you miss the flight because you enjoyed yourself too much. Set an alarm for boarding time on your phone before you enter the lounge.

As an added tip, I like to Google my flight number, which prompts my phone to provide me updates for delays and gate changes. A good airline app can also notify you of flight updates.

Related: How to avoid flight delays and cancellations

Do keep an eye on your little ones

Airports can be a great place to wear out young travelers before a long flight to ensure they can spend as much of the flight resting rather than being bored and restless in such a confined space.

Some of the world’s leading airports have kid-friendly attractions like a butterfly garden and indoor rainforests with waterfalls. Great airport lounges may have a small kids’ play area with toys, books and activities, and they’re often found in an enclosed room where kids can let off steam without bothering guests.

It’s a good idea to remain in this room with your young ones to supervise them. While your kids may interact well with others, remember that in an international airport, the other children in the room may not speak the same language, so they may not be able to communicate with others as easily as you expect.

Where your airport lounge does not have a child play area, you must always watch your kids closely. The main section of the lounge is not a playground; other passengers won’t appreciate anyone running through the space or jumping on the furniture as they are trying to relax.

In a crowded lounge especially, it might be better for both of you to take them out into the terminal, where they have more space to let off steam.

Related: Having a 7-hour layover with kids can drive any parent bonkers — here’s how I got through the experience

Don’t disturb the peace

FaceTiming loved ones back home? Watching a funny video someone sent you? Taking an urgent business call? These are all fine to do in an airport lounge under one condition: that you wear headphones.

As much as you might love the sound of your baby’s laugh or that amazing music video for the new song you can’t get out of your head, those around you in the lounge don’t. They’d prefer to enjoy some peace before their flight.

If you are taking a confidential business call that you don’t want strangers to hear (even if it’s only your side of the conversation), consider ducking into a meeting room or private space within the lounge — you never know who could be listening.

Related: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access

Don’t take more space than you need

Airport lounges are essentially public spaces you share with strangers.

While there may be a temptation to spread your luggage and coat across multiple seats to give yourself as much personal space as possible, there might not be enough seating for all guests if everyone did this.

Bottom line: Don’t take up more space than you need.

Related: A guide to guest policies for airport lounges

Don’t go overboard just because it’s free

You might be tempted to eat and drink as much as possible because it’s free, which can be a bad idea. If you drink too much, you might not even be allowed on the flight, and if you eat too much, you might ruin your appetite for your inflight meal later. If you plan to go straight to sleep on the plane, you might struggle because you’re too full.

If you wouldn’t eat that much at home before bed, don’t do it in an airport lounge.

Related: What’s the drinking age on international flights?

Best credit cards for lounge access

While the suggestions below aren’t the only credit cards that have lounge access as a perk, they are good ones to consider if lounge access is important to you.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to more than 1,300 lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network. Read our full review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The Platinum Card® from American Express provides access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta flights). (Effective Feb. 1, 2025: Eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight)*. Read our full review of the Amex Platinum card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® gets you access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, Nexus, or TSA PreCheck®. Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

*Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Bottom line

Lounges can make your airport experience so much more enjoyable. It’s worth looking into how you can access them with your credit card or status, or whether it’s worth paying cash to get inside.

As with any travel experience, there is a certain etiquette to observe.

Follow these simple guidelines, get the most out of your lounge experience and ensure other passengers can enjoy theirs, too.