US Airport Oases Open For Bookings
Let's start off with perhaps the most significant new feature. For the first time, our instant lounge booking functionality will be available within the United States, just in time for the busy holiday travel season. Starting today, it's now possible for all travelers to book guaranteed access from the LoungeBuddy app in just a few simple taps. To make things even better, no memberships, elite statuses, or premium seat purchases are required. Booking is available through either the LoungeBuddy App or our web portal. Now, you may be wondering which airport oases this will encompass. Let's take a look, shall we?
Alaska Airlines Board Room in Seattle checking in a guest with LoungeBuddy's Lounge Management System
Our first official domestic airline partner is Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, the flag carrier for the state of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Alaska Airlines consistently ranks among the top domestic carriers in the US, and we're happy to announce that we'll be providing instant bookings to their Alaska Airlines Board Room locations. Each of the four Board Room locations also happens to be located in the largest city of each state on the West Coast. Here's the list: Anchorage (Alaska), Seattle (Washington), Portland (Oregon), and Los Angeles (California). Coincidence? Probably not. Each of these Alaska Airlines Board Rooms is an excellent escape from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal, a place where you can enjoy the authentic "Alaska Spirit in an upscale, comfortable atmosphere."
Minute Suites location in Philadelphia
Our next premium US launch partner is Minute Suites, which offers comfortable private mini-suites within the airport terminal. Minute Suites caters to both business and leisure travelers who are looking for a place to relax, unwind, take a nap, freshen up before an upcoming flight, make a phone call, and/or get some work done. Minute Suites currently operates in three major US hubs: Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, forming a sort of arc along the southeastern seaboard.
Minute Suites location at Atlanta
Rest assured knowing that our rates are in line with walk up pricing and keep an eye out for special offers that may get you in to these exclusive hideaways at a generous discount. This applies for all lounge locations where LoungeBuddy currently offers bookings.
Expanded Offerings in the UK
Speaking of the UK, this is where we introduced instant guaranteed lounge bookings through the LoungeBuddy App in late 2014. This brand-new feature was rolled out in 14 major airports in the United Kingdom, including London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick, and Manchester. Originally, customers could choose from a premium slate of executive lounges by Servisair, one of the world's largest operators of independent airport lounges. These offerings include the ASPIRE-branded lounges, which cater to the needs of both business and leisure travelers with an emphasis on style, functionality, and comfort.
Servisair Aspire Lounge in Birmingham
Servisair Aspire Lounge in Luton
Starting today, LoungeBuddy members will also be able to purchase instant access to Plaza Premium Lounge's suite of premium lounge across the world. This includes Plaza Premium's Departures and Arrivals Lounges in London-Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2, the Queen's Terminal, which opened to much fanfare recently. We provided an in-depth look into the Plaza Premium Departures Lounge several months back - check it out. Of course, these lounges come with many of the special trademarks that you've come to expect from Plaza Premium - premium service, luxurious shower suites, excellent wellness spa treatments, Kinney Chan's unique architectural styles and motifs - including the signature chandeliers, and mouthwatering food options like the famous fish ball noodle soup.
Plaza Premium Departures Lounge in London-Heathrow
In the near future, we look forward to expanding our instant booking functionality to additional partner lounges around the world, including a wider range of Plaza Premium Lounge offerings. This will include locations within the US, Europe, Canada, Asia, and of course, Australia.
Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge in London-Heathrow
Available Lounge Listing
Here's a summary of all the locations in which LoungeBuddy currently offers bookings.
Minute Suites location in Atlanta
Aspire Lounge in Manchester
Additional Benefits of Booking Through LoungeBuddy
Here's some additional benefits of booking your next visit to an airport oasis through LoungeBuddy:
Booking And Check-In Speed
Book access in less than 60 seconds. Then, check in to your desired airport oasis in less than 30, leaving you with more free time to unwind, relax, and have fun.
Guaranteed Access
During busy periods, guests with access through credit cards or lounge memberships may be turned away due to capacity limits. When booking with LoungeBuddy, this will not be a problem - you'll have a guaranteed spot in the lounge of your choice.
Plaza Premium Departures Lounge in London-Heathrow
How To Book Lounge Access
Let's say that you've taken a look at the available offerings, and you've made a decision on which lounge to visit. Now, it's time to move on to the next step - our quick and efficient booking process on either iOS or Android.
Apple Pay
In addition to paying for lounge access with your credit card, you may also decide to complete your lounge booking with Apple's newly launched mobile payment service, Apple Pay, making it possible for US cardholders to complete the payment process with the touch of a finger. It's maximum security and convenience, and you won't even have to re-enter your credit card information. To make it easier for travelers to book their next airport lounge visit, this functionality is being made available at all partner lounges where LoungeBuddy offers in-App booking.
Lounge Management System
To manage passenger flow, check in guests in a more efficient manner, and create a more personalized guest experience, LoungeBuddy is proud to unveil our Lounge Management System. This system runs exclusively on iPads, and will help to facilitate a quicker and smoother check-in experience for all parties involved: not only the lounge guests, but the front desk agents, as well. This system will initially debut in a number of key airports, including London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Anchorage, Portland, and Dallas-Fort Worth.
