Crowded airport lounges force airlines to rethink future of travel perks for fliers

Travelers can still pick up complimentary food and drinks at grab-and-go lounges — but without camping out or having to hunt for a seat.(iStock)

As part of a broader pilot aimed at giving rushed travelers a faster option, Delta Air Lines opened quick serve areas at Sky Clubsin Atlantaand New York, The Points Guy reported. 

Delta’s current Sky Club rules reference a Grab and Go feature, saying existing Sky Club access policies and eligibility rules apply to all Grab and Go entries.

“Grab‑and‑go was introduced as a way to help balance lounge popularity with therelaxing, elevated experienceour lounges are designed to provide.For customers who are short on time or simply prefer a quick option, grab‑and‑go offers convenience without adding to volume inside the Club,�

Delta’s setup is inside Sky Club lobbies, rather than in a separately branded mini-lounge.

“Our network now includes 59 lounges, including 4 Delta One Lounges, which is the largest lounge network of any U.S.airline,” the airline said.

Lippe-McGraw, who travels about once a month, said lounges are useful but not essential.

Travelers can still pick up complimentary food and drinks — but without camping out in a lounge or having to hunt for a seat.(American Airlines)

When time is tight, she said, the grab-and-go model offers the best part of the lounge perk — complimentary food and drinks.

Grab-and-go lounges are also far less expensive to maintain.

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“The overcrowding got bad enough that lounges stopped feeling premium — which forced airlines to act,” Lippe-McGraw said.

“But the grab-and-go model is also cheaper to operate.[There is] less staffing, no hot kitchens, smaller footprint.… So airlines get to frame it as a customer service improvement while quietly cutting costs.Smart move.”

Travelers with time to spare may still want the sit-down experience in a lounge.(iStock)

The move could also help airlines protect their most exclusive spaces.

“Offloading everyday crowds to grab-and-go spots frees flagship lounges to be genuinely special again,” she added.

Reddit users online recently debated the grab-and-go concept. 

“So long as they’re not trying to largely replace the traditional lounges with this, I think it’s ultimately a welcome addition for those shorter connections when you maybe just want tograb a coffeeand a bite to eat for the next leg,” one user said. 

For rushed travelers, the traditional lounge can be a hassle.(iStock)

“I used this when I had a very tight connection.I grabbed some food to go for the next flight.It worked well,” another said.

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A third Reddit user wasn’t so sure — joking that the concept was “sponsored by 7-11.”

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