Though the rewards of travel are endless, it’s often the time it takes to get to the final destination that can be taxing. As a travel journalist, I’ve spent countless hours in the air and on the ground for layovers, trying to find ways to keep myself busy or squeeze in a nap. My saving grace when making transcontinental journeys has always been airport lounges—a transitory home away from home with perks that range from full buffets to a relaxing shower.
It’s a lot easier to count down hours until your next flight in a comfortable environment, and if you’re a design fan like me, you can also find inspiration in many sleekly built airport lounges around the world. Ambiance matters, particularly on business trips when deadlines loom, hunger strikes or rest is needed ahead of a long flight.
Even if you’re not flying business class or with mileage status on a particular airline, the popular Priority Pass grants access to some 1,500 airport lounges around the world with membership prices starting at $99. Many credit cards and shared airline codes also provide entrance to lounges. Regardless of how you access airport lounges, it’s important to remember that choosing one that fits your needs can make all the difference in your travel day.
Here are five of my favorite (and best) airport lounges that offer a wide array of perks, including private rain showers to luxuriate, office suites to work and sprawling buffets offering restaurant-quality dishes.
1. Delta Sky Club
With more than 50 locations around the world, Delta Sky Clubs are accessible and convenient for both U.S. and international travelers. From my home base of Los Angeles, the recently opened 30,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club at LAX Sky Way is an experience unlike any other I’ve had in the U.S.
This airport lounge is outfitted with private phone booths to work, theater-style seating for TV watching and a year-round all-weather terrace to get some fresh air ahead of a flight. One of my favorite perks of this lounge is its Fresh Farm program, which highlights local artisans and fresh produce with a rotating menu of dishes.
Another notable Sky Club sits in Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. It’s the only lounge in the airport operated by a U.S. airline, with amenities that include a made-to-order noodle bar, premium Japanese sake and a buffet bar that celebrates regional foods. The 9,000-square-foot lounge also features five showers, quiet booths to work and expansive windows that give a glimpse of majestic Mount Fuji on a clear day.
Access: Delta Sky Clubs are open to members, premium cabin customers, select Amex cardholders and select elite status passengers such as Gold Elite members. Those with Delta elite status can buy an annual membership to access Delta Sky Clubs at a standard membership cost of $695 (or 69,500 miles). For more entry rules, read here.
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2. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses
With airport lounges in cities that include New York, Johannesburg and its home hub, London, Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouses are as sleek as the airline’s brand. Design sets the tone in each of the airline’s lounges, with elements that include an impressive sculptural bar, graffiti-inspired wallpaper, curving copper forms and pops of the brand’s signature red color throughout.
This is the lounge for the traveler looking for an experience, not just a place to sit until the next flight. In Heathrow’s Clubhouse, I often feel like I’m in a hotel rather than an airport lounge. That’s because of amenities like waiter service, a library, barbershop, a 14-meter-long cocktail bar and a soundproof music room. There are even Peloton bikes if you’d like to get a workout in before your flight. This is the lounge experience where you actually don’t mind spending half the day.
Access: To experience this airport lounge, you will need to be flying Virgin Atlantic Upper Class or Delta One, or some combination of high-end elite status with Virgin Atlantic or one of its airline partners. For specific access from a particular airport, search here.
3. Cathay Pacific Airport Lounge
If you’re looking for carefully crafted luxury ahead of any flight, look no further than Cathay Pacific. The Pier, First Class Lounge in particular remains one of the most beautiful airport lounges I’ve ever experienced. That’s because impressive wellness initiatives remain at the center of their lounge experience—a much needed perk as travel can be stressful and compromise immunity.
Each of its five exclusive airport lounges in Hong Kong offers experiences that include massage services, temperature-controlled cabanas with a large bath and rain shower, a tea house, a relaxation room filled with low upholstered loungers and footstools and private day suites that offer views of the runway or privacy curtains when you’re ready to sleep. There is even a signature Cathay Pacific fragrance that combines a soothing blend of lavender, bamboo, green tea and jasmine. For those looking to get some work done, The Bureau offers six secluded work suites with iMac computers that are comparable to a home office.
Access: Cathay Pacific airport lounges are available to First and Business Class passengers, select Cathay members and Oneworld partner program members. To learn more, visit here.
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4. Copa Club Airport Lounges
For travelers to the Caribbean, South America and Central America, Copa Airlines offers six airport lounges in its hub country of Panama, Guatemala City, Costa Rica and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. As I often fly to Brazil and other parts of Central America, I have called many Copa Clubs my second home during layovers.
Panama’s Copa Club airport lounge in Terminal 2 received a major makeover in 2022, making it a much more comfortable space to work. The 20,000-square-foot area has lots of seating dispersed between hanging foliage and light fixtures, giving the space a calming mood. There’s a lounge and dining area, as well as a business center with over a dozen workstations with partitions between them. For those looking to work, among the biggest perks here are the four fully enclosed private offices, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
There’s also a large entertainment room with a big media console if you’d prefer some recreation. Families will appreciate the kids’ room that features a TV and tables, and for those looking for some relaxation, there is a quiet room with six reclining seats to rest.
Access: Single visit passes are available for $50 at some Copa Club airport lounge locations, and members of Priority Pass also have access to Copa Clubs. For more details on access policies based on miles and credit card memberships, visit here.
5. Turkish Airlines Airport Lounge
Sprawling across 60,000 square feet, Turkish Airlines’ business lounge maintains a level of sophistication despite its large size. I recently spent four hours in the space on a layover from Istanbul, and I was most impressed by the buffet stations where chefs served up many of the dishes and flavors I enjoyed throughout my visit to Turkey—including baklava and pide, a boat-shaped flatbread that’s stuffed with a variety of savory ingredients.
The space also features open nap nooks, a cinema, library and art gallery to keep you busy. In addition to the business lounge, Turkish Airlines also has a Miles and Smiles Airport Lounge for Star Alliance Gold status guests flying economy and a domestic airport lounge that is free to use for passengers and one guest. Turkish Airlines has contracted airport lounges in 12 U.S. airports, including a recently opened location in Miami.
Access: First class and business class passengers on Turkish Airlines and other Star Alliance flights, as well as Star Alliance Gold elites, have access to this airport lounge. Miami International Airport’s Turkish Airlines lounge grants access with a Priority Pass.
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Photo courtesy of Torjrtrx/Shutterstock
