U.S. airport lounges look a lot different from those of even a few years ago. There is no longer a one-size-fits-all club. Instead, travelers will find tiered access, differentiated spaces and new incentives to commit more to a particular airline or credit card.
All of this is good news for travelers — especially ones who like to eat. Now, having a proper meal at a lounge isn’t a luxury, it’s a baseline expectation. To that end, we’re seeing a new wave of dining concepts emerge, and all of them are included with lounge access.
This summer, American Express rolled out a new dining initiative nationwide across all 15 of its U.S. Centurion Lounges. Dubbed the Culinary Collective, the card issuer is introducing four nationally recognized chefs — Mashama Bailey, Mike Solomonov, Sarah Grueneberg and Kwame Onwuachi — to helm the in-lounge offerings. While food will continue to be served buffet style, Amex promises ramped-up quality.
“You’d be lucky to make it to each of [the chefs’] celebrated restaurants across the country, but now visitors to our Centurion Lounges will be able to sample dishes created by [them],” said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel.
Chef Bailey leans into her Southern roots to create comfort food like summer berry custard and roasted corn salad. Solomonov cooks up an inventive take on Middle Eastern and Israeli cuisine like cauliflower chraime and tehina Caesar salad. Grueneberg blends her Italian tradition with global influences in dishes like lemony orzo, artichoke, dill, Urfa pepper and lemon yogurt grilled chicken. And Onwuachi integrates his Nigerian, Creole and Jamaican background into charred jerk broccoli and other plates.
In addition, American Express has tapped Harrison Ginsberg, known for leading New York City‘s famed cocktail bar Overstory as its bar director. The card company is fully leveraging its 2019 acquisition of Resy, with the aforementioned names coming from top restaurants and bars bookable through the platform.
Similarly, Chase’s purchase of restaurant discovery platform The Infatuation means the bank is using its in-house dining experts to help its culinary options at airports take off. Chase has eight Sapphire Lounges across its network, with at least three more in the works.
At the Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport, for instance, Chase partnered with New York City chef and restaurateur Gabriel Stulman of Happy Cooking Hospitality to execute the dining experience. And unlike Amex, food is served both buffet-style and à la carte through tableside QR codes.
Hidden on the second floor of LaGuardia, the well-heeled Chase clientele can find a lounge-within-a-lounge facility that almost feels too good to be true for an airport. The Reserve Suites are three private, bookable rooms with a dedicated attendant. They include a signature welcome caviar service, a drinks list from Manhattan wine bar Parcelle and a menu from West Village restaurant Jeffrey’s Grocery (featuring a decadent seafood tower).
Capital One is also making a huge splash in the food and beverage space with its six airport lounges, including one culinary-focused space called Capital One Landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The company’s newest lounge at JFK Airport features a bagel counter with freshly baked Ess-a-Bagel choices all day long. This New York City institution delivers dough every day to complete the baking process in-lounge.
Within the same space, another classic New York spot, Murray’s Cheese, has a cheesemonger outpost open to lounge goers. This includes a 45-minute tasting experience with a rotating selection of 10 specialty cheeses, served alongside various meats and specially curated wines.
