While waiting for your flight, most people stay in the boarding lounge area. This place has chairs, toilets, power outlets, and other basic facilities.
But if you want something more, you can go to a special, usually paid, airport lounge. These lounges offer comfier seats, various foods, and other fancy amenities.
The cost to enter these lounges differs based on the lounge operator. However, there are ways to get in for free.
In this article, I'll share 4 ways to access airport lounges at no cost. Let's see what they are.
The first way is to travel in business or first class. Passengers with these tickets often get free lounge access, especially if the airport has one.
Some airlines even have exclusive lounges for their customers. For instance, we visited the Singapore Airlines lounge at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta while flying business class with them.
Besides lounge access, business and first class travelers can also enjoy other perks like special check-in counters and security lines.
Another way is to use a credit card that offers free airport lounge access. There are many such cards available, and one example is the JCB Platinum credit card.
Holders of the JCB Platinum credit card can visit airport lounges associated with LoungeKey for free, up to 8 times a year. These lounges are located at many major airports in Asia and Europe.
There are many other credit cards with similar perks. Check with your bank to explore different credit card options.
Airlines often have loyalty programs for their regular passengers. Members can enjoy various benefits, including free lounge access for those at higher membership levels.
For instance, Singapore Airlines has a top-tier membership called the PPS Club. Members of this club get free lounge access when flying with Singapore Airlines or its Star Alliance partner airlines.
This method isn't exactly free since it involves a subscription fee, but it can be more affordable than paying for each lounge visit.
You can get a subscription for an airport lounge pass, allowing you multiple lounge visits over a period. There are several lounge pass services available, like Priority Pass, DragonPass, LoungeKey, among others.
An airport lounge pass is ideal for frequent international travelers. The more you use the lounge, the more you'll find the subscription cost-effective compared to single visits.
Here are 4 ways to visit airport lounges for free. Now, let's answer some common questions about these lounges.
Yes, economy passengers can use the lounge. Besides paying directly, they can also get free access by following one of the methods in this article.
The time you can spend in a lounge depends on its rules. Some lounges allow a 24-hour stay, while others might limit it to just 2 hours.
Yes, you can sleep there as long as you don't stay longer than the allowed time.
Usually, lounges don't let you take food out, but small snacks and bottled drinks are often okay.
You can usually exit and re-enter the lounge as long as you're within the allowed time.
If the lounge is before security (landside), you can go there after your flight. If it's after security (airside), you can't use it after arriving.
Free lounge access is typically for one person. Family members are considered guests and may need to pay their own entry fee.
