Airport Lounge Access Plays Major Role in Flight Choices — J.D. Power
J.D. Power has released their inaugural 2025 U.S. Airport Lounge Benchmark study, which reveals that access to airport lounges significantly influences the airline and airport choices made by consumers. Two notable results of the survey showed that 47% (nearly half) of airport lounge customers plan their route selections based on access to their preferred airport lounge, and 82% say their airline choice is influenced by lounge access.
Michael Taylor, Managing Director of Travel, Hospitality, and Retail at J.D. Power, said,
Airport lounges have become so popular that many airports are now starting to mimic their designs and layouts in their public terminal areas, … Lounges are clearly resonating with travelers, as expanded access through credit card perks and other non-status-related offers has fueled demand, bringing with it the unfortunate side effect of increased crowding. This is driving the demand for additional lounge space within airport terminals.
Airport Lounge Benchmark
This new U.S. Airport Lounge Benchmark looked at nine lounge operators, which included Alaska, American Airlines Admirals Club, American Express Centurion Lounge, Capital One Lounge, Chase Sapphire Lounge, Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounges, The Club, and United Club. These lounges were scored across eight core dimensions:
- Value of experience
- Staff
- Food and beverage
- Cleanliness (and upkeep)
- Amenities
- Ease of accessing lounge
- Ambiance
- Wi-Fi service
The 2025 study is based on responses gathered from 1,430 travelers who visited a U.S. airport lounge in the past year. The study ran from September through October 2025 and was based on a 1,000-point scale.
Benchmark Results
The American Express Centurion Lounge ranked the highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 782. Capital One and Delta Sky Club ranked second, in a tie, each with a score of 773, and in third place was Chase with their Sapphire Lounges. Across the 8 brands, the study had an average of 758, with American, Alaska, and United ranking at the bottom of the list.
Notable Findings
- Food and beverage was the main reason for lounge access, with 74% of customers citing that as their main reason to access the lounge. Next, 62% chose lounges for rest and relaxation, and 37% of the customers chose lounge access to escape the crowds at the airport.
- 34% of customers used their credit card memberships to gain lounge access. The next common (21%) method for access was gained from their elite (frequent flyer) status, and lastly, 18% of the customers used a standalone purchased membership.
- Satisfaction was found to increase with the length of time spent in the lounge. The majority of customers stated they only spent between 31 and 60 minutes in the lounge (also known as dwell time). But interestingly, there was an overall satisfaction gain of 39 points when customers spent 121 or more minutes in the lounge. So those who were able to relax and spend more time in the lounge tended to give it a higher score.
Press Release: Airport Lounge Access Plays Major Role in Choice of Flight Routes and Airlines, JD Power Finds
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Closing Thoughts
I personally agree and would rank the top four the same as found in this benchmark. I have worked hard to include all industry reports and reviews related to lounges, and it is nice to see that J.D. Power is now tracking airport lounges. Also, looking at the numbers, the highest-rated lounge chain (The Centurion) still only scored a C+; to me, that shows there is still a need for improvement across the eight core dimensions.