Airport Lounge Experience: How I Got Multiple Meals and Unlimited Drinks

Airport Lounge: The Value of Unlimited Food and Drinks

An airport lounge day pass can more than pay for itself. Keep reading for one writer's recent experience with one. As the old saying goes, sometimes you've got to spend money to make money. I recently spent an unscheduled day working from an airport lounge on my way back from a vacation. Getting to an airport at 5 a.m. isn't ideal under the best of circumstances, but doing so and then finding out you're not actually flying out until late afternoon due to a rebooking really stinks.

Unlimited Food and Drinks for a Flat Fee

Airport food is all too often a personal finance don't -- it is expensive. Thankfully, we more than made up the cost in consumables. We were greeted by a generous breakfast buffet upon arrival at the United Club, and the best way to cope with the emotional turmoil of a rebooked flight is to put coffee and scrambled eggs on top of it. Plus, you could get nonalcoholic drinks, including decent coffee, all day. It certainly beat the pants off overpriced fast food. And not having to wait in lines at airport restaurants also left me with more time to do my job.

A Productive Work Day to Boot

Even before our flights were rebooked, I already had plans to spend a chunk of my day working from an airport. The lounge space was also a lot more relaxing and quieter than an airport gate area would have been. I far and away came out ahead by putting $118 on my credit card for lounge access.

Is it Worth Paying for Lounge Access?

If you fly frequently, and especially with the same airline, it's worth considering airline credit card options for lounge access. The next time it happens to you, consider whether paying your way into a lounge might be worth it -- it was for me.