Airlines reopen lounges with new perks, more walk-ins from economy

Airlines are reopening airport lounges with higher-end service to lure back premium travelers after the pandemic, while increasingly opening the VIP experience to tourists - for a fee. Premium travel plummeted during the COVID-19 crisis, depriving airlines of higher-margin fares. But with traffic rebounding in certain regions and U.S.-bound travel set to reopen on Nov 8, lounges are a crucial weapon in airlines' post-crisis strategies for retaining their more profitable clients. United Airlines opened its first Polaris lounge at Washington Dulles on Oct 21 and announced plans last Thursday to reopen existing lounges in New York, Chicago and Houston by end-year, with the rest set to follow in early 2022. Air France has inaugurated a 3,000-square-metre temple to French design in one of its main terminals at Paris Charles de Gaulle. Dubai's Emirates and Air Canada both plan upgrades to lounge dining and service. "A lot of the narrative around 2022 is really going to be around that food program, how we serve our customers and elevating that aspect of the experience," said Mats Winter, director of product for Canada's largest carrier. Air Canada wants a "competitive product" for its business clientele but also for leisure travelers who are making up a growing part of premium-fare purchases, he said. "The mix has changed, but our commitment to making sure we have a great premium product hasn't. We are obviously keeping a very close eye on the traffic we are seeing in our lounges," Winter added. Designed as an oasis for premium travelers, lounges could attract more passengers looking to avoid crowds during COVID, said Michael Di Corpo, managing director of Montreal-based firm IEG, which sells software for managing airport lounges. Story has more.<br/>