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A solid corporate travel policy can come with many perks. Although, sitting at a terminal gate way isn’t very fun when your flight has been delayed for two hours. At that point, your business class seating does little to get you on that plane sooner or closer to home. Yet, a business class traveler can access thousands of airport lounges around the world. These lounges range from basic to luxurious, all of them feeling more like home than sitting at a gate with the announcements blaring overhead. As a business traveler, read about how to get into business class airport lounges. Even if you’re flying economy for this trip, you can still get access.
Using Your Business Class Ticket
Many first time business travelers miss out on the airport lounge experience. Many business class and first class tickets grant you access to the airport lounge in addition to the upgraded boarding and leg room. This way, you can get to the airport early, relax on a layover or simply stop in to recharge before your next flight. The simplest way to gain access to airport lounges is using your upgraded ticket. Depending on the airline and airport, the cost of the lounge is already included. You might as well use the free amenities that come with you business travel ticket.
Business Travel Credit Cards
Another free way to access airport lounges, many business travel credit cards already give you access to premium lounges. Especially if you have an airline specific credit card, you should check your rewards to see which airport lounges you have access to. These cards also offer many other travel benefits like free checked bags and no-fee foreign purchases. Moreover, certain premium credit cards (usually with a hefty annual membership fee) will grant you access. If you already have the card anyways, you can use it to access business class airport lounges with an economy or upgraded ticket.
Memberships For Airport Lounges
There are quite a few airport lounge membership programs on the market. For an annual membership fee, they give you access to thousands of lounges at airports around the world. Many of them have tiered membership options ranging from basic or emerald to premium or sapphire. Depending on how many times you fly for business throughout the year, it might just be worth the additional cost. You get access to faster wifi, enterprise TV and plenty of refreshments. Some of the premium lounges in international airports are truly an experience in themselves.
Join Airline Loyalty Programs
Additionally, if you become a frequent flyer with certain airlines, they may grant you access to their lounges. While may not qualify for first class or business class when you are flying, they may offer you the complimentary access to local airport lounges. Also, as you add more miles to your account, they are more likely to give you free access to business class airport lounges.
Buy A One-Day Pass
If all else fails, it could be worthwhile to buy a one day pass to a business class airport lounge. Ranging from $26-$75+, you can find many ways to justify the costs. Especially if you can expense the cost to a client or job, the benefits of airport lounges are profitable for business owners. You have access to a quiet environment where you can recharge, have some work life balance or just keep working. Additionally, the free food and drinks could compensate for the hard costs as well as your productivity costs. If you are traveling for business once in a while, consider walking up to the lounge and asking how much it costs to buy a one-day pass.
These are some of the best ways to get access to business class airport lounges. Depending on how much you fly for business, you should consider using your upgraded ticket or business credit card to gain access. If those don’t work, the lounge memberships could be a worthwhile investment. Or, you can join your airline’s reward program. Finally, you can always buy a one day pass and access airport lounges with an economy ticket.
