Airport Experience® News - 20 Years of the AX Conference

The Lounge Experience But perhaps the biggest evolution in airport amenities is the boom cycle of multipurpose airport lounges. Providing food and drink, work spaces, fast WiFi and most importantly, respite from the rush of a busy terminal, shared-use lounges have enhanced the passenger experience. Paid access from any traveler is a relatively new phenomenon, and one that has upended and expanded the lounge offerings in airports. “Historically in the United States, you were a member of an airline club as a guest in business or first class,” says Pascal Bélanger, senior vice president, Americas at lounge operator Plaza Premium Group (PPG). “[There’s been] a change of paradigm

- the game has really changed for [shared] lounges in the past several years.” Chris Gwilliam, vice president of global business development at lounge operator Airport Dimensions, which was founded in 2006 and currently operates in 23 locations across North America, agrees. “This concept of a shared use lounge that wasn’t tied to an airline was new,” he says. “Fast forward 20 years to where we are now, the concept is proven and there’s never been so much demand. Now, it’s a tidal wave of airports willing to have these amenities.” Founded in 1998 and based out of Hong Kong, PPG first entered the US airport market in 2020 in partnership with Capital One at DFW, and has since expanded to include an additional Capital One lounge at Denver International Airport (DEN) and a separate PPG lounge at Orlando International Airport (MCO). “The U.S. market is a latecomer for us, but one that’s got lots of opportunities. There are a lot of travelers who desire to have more

of an experience,” says Bélanger. PPG has managed to deliver passengers an elevated lounge experience and sense of place, Bélanger adds, pointing to the MCO lounge as a prime example of appeal to both business and leisure travelers. “The traits of PPG blended with local flavor have worked out really well,” he says. “There’s big screens for the kids and lots of natural light, it’s very Sunshine State-bright.” To design Airport Dimension’s lounges, the team has done extensive passenger research and attended industry conferences to continually adjust amenities based on customer feedback, says Gwilliam, noting that the company values requests for everything from breastfeeding spaces and wellness rooms to private work areas. For those seeking a private workspace, an increasingly popular option is the rentable lounge from companies like Minute Suites. Founded by healthcare experts Dr. Amir Arbisser, Dr. Lisa Arbisser, and Daniel Solomon, Minute Suites first entered the airport market through ATL in 2009. “Passengers appreciate the privacy that we have for them in an otherwise very stressful, crowded location,” says Solomon. While Minute Suites began as a shelter for executives to make calls, passenger insights quickly led them to add new amenities

Left, below: In select locations, like this Plaza Premium lounge at Orlando International, adding a family-focused area within a larger lounge space

makes sense given the traveler demographics.

Below: Common-use lounges (Airport Dimensions’ Seattle-Tacoma International location pictured) are the result of extensive passenger research and are always evolving. Next up for Airport Dimensions is integration of the Connecta app to coordinate services within the lounge.

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AX NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024