2023-10-17 07:27:32
Long-distance travel It’s nicer to wait
This is how you get access to the lounge at the airport
The airline lounge doors open immediately for travelers with a first or business class ticket. But passengers flying in economy class can also enjoy the comfortable oases of peace at the airport. We present some options.
As of: 07:27 a.m. | Reading time: 4 minutes
A man enters the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge at Frankfurt Airport. He doesn’t necessarily need a business class ticket
Source: Getty Images/Alexander Hassenstein
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Air travel can be so beautiful – especially when you arrive rested and relaxed. However, not everyone can sleep on a plane. Then you can visit a lounge at the airport. There, visitors can snooze, eat and often even shower. No entry? More is possible than many travelers believe.
The easiest way to get into an airport lounge is if you have the right ticket: with a business or first class ticket, the doors to the airline lounges open immediately. The only condition: The departure must take place on the same day or at least promptly.
But frequent flyers can also often easily enjoy the oases of peace. For example with Air France: “Depending on your travel class or your Flying Blue or SkyTeam status, lounge access is included in your ticket or can be purchased as an option,” the French say.
And Emirates notes: “Lounge access is free or discounted for you and your guests, depending on your travel class and your Emirates Skywards membership. Access to our lounges in Dubai and at selected airports worldwide is also available for a fee.”
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At Lufthansa and its subsidiaries, access is usually included for frequent travelers, senators and the exclusive circle of Miles & More HON Circle members. However, it depends on the local rules. Air travelers should therefore inform themselves online before starting their journey.
Luxury for economy class passengers
If you only have a normal economy ticket and want to bridge a longer stay at the airport, you can book access via specialized sites. This is the case, for example holidayextras.de or on parken-und-fliegen.de. The catch: Since middlemen resell tickets here, the vouchers are around ten percent more expensive. It is cheaper to go directly to the lounge and pay for entry at the entrance. This works for most airline-independent lounges.
If you would like to book directly with the operators, you can also do so via the Internet, for example via the website loungepass.com. But be careful: the prices for lounge access are often quite steep. In Frankfurt/Main alone, Loungepass offers access to four different relaxation areas, which costs between 30 and 44 euros for an adult.
Guests in the Lufthansa First Class Lounge at Frankfurt Airport have access to luxurious bathrooms
Quelle: picture-alliance/dpa/Frank_Rumpenhorst
In Washington DC the prices are 33 to 46 euros, in Dubai you can pay 138 euros, but then for up to six hours with a shower and bed. Children – if they have access at all – only receive a discount in a few lounges.
But there are – depending on the lounge for three, five or six hours, sometimes without a time limit – reclining chairs, WiFi, work options, washrooms, some with showers, small meals, unlimited drinks, sockets and much more.
Lounge access at airports around the world
If a family package for three people is too expensive for you (after all, you can spend three hours in an expensive airport restaurant for 150 euros), you should take a closer look at the Priority Pass offer. The company offers entry to more than 1,400 lounges around the world.
There are currently three models for membership: Standard (annual fee 89 euros, stay for member and guests 30 euros each), Standard Plus (annual fee 289 euros, ten visits free for the member, after that and for guests 30 euros each) and Prestige (Annual fee 459 euros, all visits free for the member, guests cost 30 euros each). Here it is worth carefully calculating the expected number of flights per year.
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The pricing of the competitor Dragon Pass is similar: The Classic version costs 99 dollars (around 92.90 euros) per year, which includes one free visit, after which each visit costs 35 dollars for owners and guests. Preferential offers eight visits for $259, while Prestige offers unlimited access for $429.
More relaxed on the flight with a credit card
Some credit card holders can get the Priority Pass free of charge. However, the fees for the credit card are often steep. Example: American Express Platinum: An annual fee of 720 euros is due here. There are also two full-fledged priority passes.
The platinum-colored Mastercards from Sparda Bank Hessen and Postbank also offer one of these lounge cards. And at Hypovereinsbank you can get the Priority Pass free of charge with the black Visa Infinite. Attention: The number of lounge visits with these cards is often limited or there are lower fees per visit.
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By the way: Other providers have also jumped on the lounge bandwagon. This applies, for example, to the FinTech Revolut. Premium and Metal customers can purchase lounge passes to more than 1,000 lounges around the world for a reduced price of 22 British pounds (approximately 25.40 euros).
But whether expensive or not – the most important argument in favor of lounge access is: When you get on the plane you are relaxed and rested.
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In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
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