✈️ Why airport lounges are a waste of money

Read time: 6 min 🕐

Long layovers are exhausting. No one enjoys spending hours in a noisy airport terminal, looking for a comfortable place to sit while overpaying for mediocre food.

Fortunately, most airports have premium lounges that offer a range of amenities to make your airport experience more relaxing, including cozy seating, showers and endless food options.

While lounge access is typically reserved for travellers in business or first class, there’s an easy way for you to access them regardless of the class you’re travelling in - Lounge Membership.

Lounge membership allows you to access over 1,000 lounges across the world for a fixed cost per visit - the cost you pay per visit depends on how you obtain the lounge membership. The two most common ways are:

1. Buying lounge membership

   You can buy lounge membership directly from the two main providers: Dragon Pass and Priority Pass. Both start at $136 annually, and give you one free lounge pass per year. All subsequent lounge visits cost $41 with Dragon Pass and $48 with Priority Pass.

2. Accessing Lounge membership for free through a travel credit card

   Many travel credit cards give you lounge membership as an included perk, including a number of free lounge visits per year, after which you’ll pay the fixed entry fee.

   For example: the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite gives you free Dragon Pass membership, as well as 6 free visits per year. While the card has a $150 annual fee (waived in the first year), the 6 lounge passes are valued altogether at over $246, and allow you to access lounges anywhere in the world.

*Not interested in buying lounge membership? Scroll down to the next section to learn how to get lounge membership for FREE!*

Why get lounge membership instead of paying the lounge directly?

The fixed cost per lounge visit with a Dragon Pass or Priority Pass membership allows you to pay significantly less compared to how much the lounge would charge you directly.

For example: the Ahlan First Class lounge in Dubai costs AED 250 ($94) to enter if you book it from their website.

With Dragon Pass, you can access the lounge for $41 (or for free if your credit card gives you free lounge visits).

This applies to many airport lounges around the world, and is why it usually makes more sense to access them with lounge membership.

When does it make sense to pay full price for a lounge?

Unfortunately, not every lounge is available through lounge memberships. There are many great lounges that you need to pay full price to visit, such as the Al Mourjan Business Lounge in Doha, Qatar. Whether it’s worth paying full price or not depends on you and your budget.

If you don’t travel often and want to try out an airport lounge, it might be cheaper to buy access directly from the lounge.

How to get FREE lounge membership

Let me show you how you can get DragonPass for FREE instead of paying $136+.

You can get Dragon Pass for free through Regus, a co-working space provider.

Follow these steps:

1. Register for a free account at www.myregus.com

   Follow the sign-up instructions and fill the required sections with your info and your company info.

2. After registering yourself and your company, Click on “Quick Access” in the main menu

3. Click on “Partner offers“

4. Click on the link under “Airport Lounges”

5. Fill and submit the Dragon Pass registration form

6. Check your email for your Dragon Pass sign in details

7. Download the Dragon Pass app

8. Sign in and gain access to your free Dragon Pass membership!

Today’s Featured Destination

🌸 Kyoto, Japan

This edition’s featured travel destination is the serene Japanese city of Kyoto. Renowned for its rich history, beautiful temples, and traditional tea ceremonies, Kyoto has a lot to offer. Here are some activities for your trip:

• Admire the timeless architecture and seasonal landscapes at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and its expansive gardens.

• Taste Kyoto's culinary heritage with traditional Kaiseki cuisine, featuring meticulously prepared dishes that celebrate local, seasonal flavors.

• Stroll through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, an enchanting forest that offers a magical and peaceful escape.

Travel news digest

🇩🇪 NEW Lufthansa Allegris Cabins debuting in May

Lufthansa Allegris, the airline's new flagship product, launches on May 1, offering luxurious long-haul travel from Germany to the world. Allegris will ultimately replace Lufthansa’s existing A350 and 787-9 cabin offerings.

Key Takeaways:

• Advanced Seating Options: Allegris offers a range of upgraded seating choices in Business Class and First Class, with improved legroom and storage space.

• Upgraded Economy Experience: Travellers will be able to enjoy economy class with adjustable headrests, a large IFE screen and tablet holders.

  Read More at Business Insider

🇦🇪 Flight Operations halt at Dubai International Airport due to heavy rainfall and floods

The United Arab Emirates experienced unprecedented rainfall, causing significant flooding at Dubai International Airport, the busiest hub for international flights. This event, described as a historic weather occurrence, has led to major travel disruptions.

Key Takeaways:

• Historic Rainfall: This storm, the heaviest recorded since data collection began in 1949, has raised questions about the potential impact of cloud seeding on the severity of the downpour.

• Widespread Disruption: The flooding impacted major transportation routes and facilities, including extensive damage at Dubai International Airport, affecting numerous flights and leaving travellers stranded.

  Read More at Associated Press

👋 Hi, I’m Taymoor! I’m a Toronto-based travel and aviation enthusiast who has spent many years learning how to unlock massive savings on flights and hotels. I created this newsletter to share tips that will help you book your next vacation for less.

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DISCLAIMER: All prices quoted in this newsletter are in Canadian Dollars (CAD) unless stated otherwise. This publication may contain curated content with links to source materials. Recommendations and opinions are those of the original authors, and Travel Edition assumes no liability.