LoungeBuddy: Airport Lounges Made Simple

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Brent Griffith, Vice President for Marketing for LoungeBuddy, a downloadable app that makes finding an airport lounge easy.

The company describes their product as:

LoungeBuddy unlocks the mystery of airport lounges and helps to make your air travel experience infinitely better. Download LoungeBuddy for your iOS or Android device, and you’ll instantly have all of the information you need to determine the right lounge for your needs based on amenities, reviews, location, and cost/access requirements. Become a part of the LoungeBuddy community, where you can view real photos and reviews from fellow travelers for over 1900 airport lounges worldwide in over 500 airports. LoungeBuddy takes the guesswork out of figuring out how to get into a lounge. Whether you’re a casual traveler looking to access a lounge on your occasional trip or a road warrior who passes through airports every week, simply tell us a little bit about your trip, and we’ll tell you the lounges you may access for free or for a one-time fee.

In reviewing the software on my own, I found it very easy to use and initiative. For me, with multiple credits cards with lounge access features, elite status on airlines, and a variety of different ticket types I book, it’s sometimes difficult to see whether you have access to a specific lounge, or what lounges may be available along your route, all depending on what you are entitled to.

 

Brent sent me LoungeBuddy’s press kit, which I thought would be helpful to publish, for your information:

Which lounges do I have access to?

Airport lounge access requirements can be complicated and highly inconsistent between carriers and locations. By populating your LoungeBuddy profile with any elite statuses, lounge memberships, and credit cards you may have, and telling us about your current itinerary, we can display the lounges you have access to, along with the number of guests you may bring into the lounge at no additional cost. Even for those who don’t have access with any of the above methods, we show you hundreds of lounges that you can access for a reasonable one-time fee.

Why should I use LoungeBuddy instead of airline, Priority Pass or other travel Apps?

LoungeBuddy has a singular focus on making it easier to find the right airport oasis for your needs. Because we allow you to provide your elite statuses, lounge memberships, class of travel, and credit cards, we can utilize this information in order to display all types of lounges that you have access to, including airline-operated, partner, and independently operated third party lounges. As such, we are the only app you need to discover your airport oasis. In addition, your LoungeBuddy membership allows you to contribute and view ratings, reviews, and photos for over 1500 lounges worldwide.

Why isn’t a particular airport shown?

Currently our App covers 1750+ lounges in over 500 of the world’s busiest airports. We’re continuously working on adding airports and lounges, and if there is a particular airport that you would like to have listed in the app, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

What happens if I find a lounge with missing/inaccurate data?

Airport lounge amenities, locations, and access requirements change all the time. While the LoungeBuddy team works hard to maintain our system of 1750+ lounges and provide the most up-to-date information, we also rely upon our LoungeBuddy members to inform us if they happen to come across an issue. Simply scroll to the bottom of the lounge’s page and tap “Report Problem” to tell us what is incorrect or missing, and we’ll investigate.

What is the cost to use LoungeBuddy?

LoungeBuddy is available to download for free on iOS and Android.

How do I find airport lounges with particular amenities?

We understand how important it is to be able to have access to a shower after that red eye flight, or which lounges offer the free cocktails that can make a long layover more enjoyable. In order to filter by amenities, select an airport, and tap the bar at the top of the screen:

In doing so, you’ll be presented with a list of popular amenities and requirements to display your customized list of lounges. After making your selection(s), tap the “Save” button. We’ll only display lounges that have ALL of the amenities/requirements you selected. If no results are shown, this means that there are no lounges at a particular airport that you can access that meet all of the requirements.

I’m a United Club member and know I have access to the United Clubs. Why would I use your App?

Many people who are annual members of an airline lounge know the access requirements and amenities for the particular lounges they frequent. However, these individuals often do not realize all of the other lounges they may have access to (due to partnerships and alliances), the amenities that these alternative lounges provide, and the number of guests they may bring into each lounge. LoungeBuddy is all about making your travel experience better by providing you with a means to find the ideal lounge for your needs at the right time. This can potentially include helping you to discover a new partner or alliance lounge that you can access.

 

All in all, I’d highly recommend downloading this app, as I truly think it makes access to lounge access easy. It’s a complicated world of rules and restrictions, and LoungeBuddy takes away that hassle, and streamlines it in an app form. In talking with their senior leadership, they have a great business model, are out to expand, and have a steady direction ahead – I really think they’ll do well in their product, and I think it’s a product that many frequent travelers will find useful.