I can think of nothing worse than being stuck on the F concourse of Chicago’s Terminal 2, aka the Third World Terminal, in the middle of a bad storm.
Those who are United loyalists know that flying in and out of that terminal is a dreaded event. United fills that terminal with regional jet after regional jet stacked several planes deep. The terminal isn’t equipped to handle that many people, so you see people huddling in corners, settling on every empty piece of floor that can be found, and starting fires to keep warm. Ok, maybe they don’t actually start fires, but you get the point.
So why am I telling you about this? Well, there is hope on the horizon that people won’t have to deal with these types of situations any longer. Some UK airports are leading the way in offering lounges that aren’t just for members of an airline club. Nay, these are lounges for the common man . . . as long as you’re willing to pay.
The New York Times profiled some of these new lounges (username required) last Sunday. Head to simplylounges.co.uk or holidayextras.co.uk and you can reserve space for yourself at airports from Aberdeen in the north to London in the south.
Airports like London/Heathrow have lounges for families, lounges for adults (complete with bar and smoking area), or even health lounges. This one seems the coolest to me, especially when you’ve got hours stuffed into an economy seat facing you.
Sadly this won’t be hitting Chicago’s Terminal 2 anytime soon, but maybe it will make it’s way to some of our airports on this side of the Pond.