It’s easy to think airport lounges are solely an option for business travellers, or at least, those jetting long-haul with some frequency. But in these days of heavy competition, many airlines now allow casual users to purchase a membership in their airport lounges for one-off use. If you’re travelling overseas with a baby – or indeed, traveling overseas with kids of any age, and have a stop of two or more hours where you’ll be hanging around the airport, we can’t recommend this option highly enough.
Just some of the delights you’ll find in good airport lounges include:
- Hot showers – need we say more?
- An extensive buffet which will allow you to eat a good meal far more easily than while juggling a small baby on your lap (Additionally, for those whose babies are on solids, this is a great chance to easily feed the baby something beyond the purées which airlines typically provide those on an infant fare.)
- Extras which, depending on your situation you may or may not be able to enjoy. For example, Etihad’s new premium lounge Abu Dhabi airport has a spa where all passengers can have a free 15-minute massage; there’s also a family room staffed with nannies so your child can play while you watch, eat, or dash off to have that massage.
Some travellers simply do the research ahead of time to figure out which lounge will be the best for them, and if there are likely to be any casual/day rates. Others use a new app called lounge buddy which does all the legwork for you.
Remember, you no longer need to have a membership to access many airport lounges. Day rates and casual rates are fairly common. Expect to pay $30-50US – sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. If the lounge is good, we reckon you’ll find it more than worth forking out for.