Independent airport lounges provide cheap travel relief

Peace and quiet: Raleigh-Durham's Club at RDU.

By Mark Chesnut

Variations in travel habits and budget concerns can make it difficult for many travelers to justify the cost of an annual membership with an airline club lounge. But the recent growth of independent airport VIP lounges has resulted in a variety of less-expensive options for harried travelers looking for peace, quiet and amenities during that next long layover. All of the lounges mentioned here offer free Wi-Fi as well as other features that vary by location.

Baltimore
Among the newest independent airport lounges  is Airspace, which opened this year at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Located on Concourse D, the new lounge charges just $17.50 for a day pass, with free non-alcoholic beverages and snacks among the offerings.

Dallas-Fort Worth
The Club at DFW, located in Terminal D, charges $35 per day and provides free snacks and drinks including alcoholic beverages; there are also shower facilities.

London
No. 1 Traveller operates lounges at three airports in the London area: Heathrow (Terminal 3), Gatwick (North and South Terminals) and Stansted (accessible for international departures at gates 16 and 49). Prices start at 25 pounds for Heathrow, 20 pounds for Gatwick and 15 pounds at the Stansted locations when booked online. The Heathrow lounge has bedrooms (rentable for an extra charge), a travel spa and a mini-cinema.

Los Angeles
The reLAX Lounge, at Tom Bradley International Terminal, serves free beverages and snacks. Admission is $15 for one hour, $30 for three hours or $50 for an all-day pass.

Louisville
The Altitude club at Kentucky’s Louisville International Airport charges a $5 daily fee and serves free soft drinks and snacks; it also allows free local phone calls.

Mobile
The Executive Club, located at Alabama’sMobile Regional Airport, provides free snacks, beverages and local calls for a $10 day rate or a $50 annual membership.

New York City
Located at John F. Kennedy Airport’s Terminal 4, which serves a large number of international flights, The Lounge JFK charges $40 for a four-hour visit, and offers a menu of light meals.

Raleigh-Durham
Opened this year, the Club at RDU is located in Terminal 1 and offers free snacks and drinks including alcoholic beverages. A day pass costs $24.95.

Savannah-Hilton Head
The Passport Club at Georgia’s Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport charges $50 for its annual membership fee of $50, and provides free coffee and newspapers.

Another option is Priority Pass, which provides access to more than 600 airport lounges worldwide, including independently operated and airline-branded facilities. Standard annual membership costs $99, with an additional per-visit fee of $27; for $249 you’ll have  10 member lounge visits included, or pay $399 a year and all visits will be included.

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on business and leisure travel to Latin America.

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