But what do we really expect from a lounge? The discussion that tells how the way travel has changed

In recent days, within the community of The Flight Club, a discussion that was as simple as it was revealing was sparked: But what do we really expect from an airport lounge?

A seemingly trivial question that, in the space of a few hours, garnered dozens of very different comments, views, and testimonies. A comparison that tells better than any survey how our relationship with travel, airports, and frequent flyer benefits has changed, before and after Covid.

The (provocative) question that ignited the debate.

It all started with a post published by Emanuel in our Facebook community, which put its finger on a sore spot that many of us have touched at one time or another:

"But what do you really expect to find in a lounge?"

Emanuele tells of reading more and more posts from travelers who wonder whether it is "worth it" to pay to get into lounges, who get excited about the opening of new lounges at airports that are not transit hubs, or who even go so far as to plan times and connections to spend as much time there as possible.

It adds a key point:

"I would never anticipate arriving even 10 minutes early to go to the lounge to scrounge for coffee and a sandwich. Nor in Hong Kong would I give up two hours in the city to eat lounge food that, when it's good, is like a mediocre all you can eat."

The lounge, for him, remains a useful convenience in case of long transits or major delays, certainly not an aspirational destination.

Clean bathrooms, silence and electrical outlets: the real priorities

From there, an extremely interesting discussion ensued, with dozens of speeches taking a very good picture of how subjective - and cultural - the relationship with lounges has become.

Many users responded that for them the lounge is mainly for:

• find comfortable seating
• have a quiet environment with respect to the terminal
• work without noise
• use outlets and decent Wi-Fi
• have a clean bathroom (recurring theme!)

Some people use it as a "base of support," some spend the buffer time they take there for safety against traffic and delays, some work on computers while avoiding crowded and expensive bars, and some simply prefer to sit away from the hustle and bustle of the gate.

In other words: a lounge as a functional space, not as a free gourmet restaurant.

When the lounge becomes (almost) an experience

Of course, some admit that there are exceptions.

Iconic lounges such as Al Safwa in Doha, some Qatar lounges in Bangkok or Singapore, or top lounges in Hong Kong are cited as places that go beyond practical function and become a true experience.

But even in these cases, almost everyone agrees on one point: No one would really plan a trip just to spend more time in the lounge. If there is free time in Hong Kong, Tokyo or Bangkok, better to spend it in the city than in front of a buffet.

The airport "ritual" and the frequent flyer effect

Another interesting theme that emerged concerns the emotional and ritual side. For some frequent travelers, the lounge is part of the travel experience, a bit like getting to the stadium or a concert first to enjoy the atmosphere. A "decompression moment" between everyday life and boarding.

Others see it as an award tied to status, miles, business tickets: not so much for what it offers, but for what it represents.

Il barbone is not part of the average (fortunately)

In all this debate, there is obviously a big non-alignment: the bum. And no, it could not be otherwise.

Those who follow The Flight Club know this well: the bum does not experience the lounge the way the average traveler does. He doesn't go there to "mooch a sandwich," he doesn't go there for free drinks, he doesn't go there to pass the time while waiting for boarding. He goes there to review it. And especially to do something very unglamorous, but extremely useful: Save others time, steps and disappointment.

Because one of the most frequently asked questions in the community is not: "What is the most beautiful lounge in the world?"

But much more pragmatically:

"Is it worth the 12-minute walk to the remote gate to get into that lounge?" "Or am I better off staying near my gate and having a decent cup of coffee?"

And this is where the bum's dirty work becomes valuable. His reviews are not to celebrate the perfect lounge, but to say with brutal honesty when:

• the lounge is overcrowded
• the buffet is sad
• Wi-Fi is unstable
• sockets don't work
• the seats are uncomfortable
• the shower is a mirage

And so: "No, it's not worth walking to the most remote gate in the airport to have a worse experience than you would have sitting at the bar in front of your gate." In other words: the homeless person is not part of the average because he does not use the lounge for himself. He uses it as a community service tool.

Pre and post Covid: what has really changed

And this is where the discussion becomes particularly interesting. Before Covid, for many frequent flyers the lounge was primarily:

• a place to work
• A refuge from the chaos of the terminal
• A "collateral" benefit of status

Today, however, Increasingly seems to be experienced as an experience to be maximized: buffet, premium spirits, showers, design, runway view, hot dishes, wine labels.

As one of the users wrote:

"In recent years we read avalanches of posts not about acoustic comfort or workstations, but about food and wine offerings: if there are only two hot dishes, a few labels of wine or non-premium liquor, disappointment is triggered."

A change that speaks well of how leisure travel has incorporated symbols and rituals from the business world, and how frequent flyer benefits have become an integral part of the social narrative of travel.

A perfect snapshot of the TFC community

This discussion is also a perfect snapshot of what The Flight Club is today. Italy's largest community of frequent travelers, heterogeneous for:

• travel habits
• destinations
• frequency of flights
• motivations (work, leisure, passions, family)

Some people always leave at the last minute, some arrive three hours early to be serene. Some experience the lounge as a prize, some as a coworking space, some as just a place to sit. Those who ignore it at Malpensa or Fiumicino, but appreciate it at intercontinental stopovers.

And, most importantly, who keeps reminding us of one key thing: There is no right or wrong way to experience a lounge. There is only one's own.

The real answer to the initial question

In the end, perhaps, the answer to Emanuel's question is this: we expect from the lounge exactly what we need at that moment.

Clean bathroom.
A table for working.
A quiet place.
Glass of wine.
Hot dish.
Sofa.
A shower.

And maybe that's the beauty of it.

The lounge has not changed that much. We have changed.