Escape Lounge Archives - TravelSkills

American Express Platinum adds 3 new lounges

May 15, 2017

Oakland’s new Escape Lounge now open to Amex Platinum card holders (Photo: K Taylor)

American Express announced today that it will add access to three Escape Lounges as a new perk for Platinum cardholders.

In the U.S., Escape Lounges are located in Hartford, CT, Minneapolis and Oakland airports. (In Europe, there are three Escape lounges at Manchester and one each at East Midlands and Stansted airports- but these are not part of the Platinum plan.)

The new benefit starts today. Fine print says: Platinum Card Members receive complimentary access and may bring up to two guests. To enter the U.S. Escape Lounges, simply present your American Express Platinum Card, a same-day boarding pass and valid government issued I.D. to the front desk.

Escape Lounges are not affiliated with specific airlines, so anyone can enter for $45 per visit. Some Escape lounges have agreements with airlines in the airports where they operate to allow complimentary access to business or first class passengers. The lounges offer free wi-fi, hot and cold food and bar service.

Escape Lounge Hartford

Escape Lounge Minneapolis

Escape Lounge Oakland

This is welcome news for Platinum members, but I’m worried that the new benefit could result in crowding at the Escape lounges. Just last month I enjoyed the Escape Lounge in Oakland prior to a British Airways flight to London, and one of the highlights of the visit was that the lounge was only half full.

Below is a snippet from that Trip Report: Oakland-London, British Airways business class

Modern design, generous food and drink and views at Oakland’s new Escape Lounge (Chris McGinnis)

Last year Oakland International Airport opened a new Escape Lounge that’s open to all passengers for a $45 one-time-use fee. (British Airways business class passengers and Norwegian Air’s Premium passengers are comped.) It is located in Terminal 1 between gates 8 and 8A, across from gate 9. The 2,700-square-foot facility can accommodate 50 travelers, and has separate zones for relaxing, dining/drinking and work. It’s open daily from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Warm mac and cheese, avocado toast, cheese and crackers at the Escape Lounge (Chris McGinnis)

When I was there around lunchtime, The Escape lounge buffet had a nice selection of hot and cold items, including these cute cast iron ramekins of yummy macaroni and cheese, avocado toast, soup, salad, fresh fruit, cold cuts, crackers, cheese and chips. There’s also a separate full complimentary bar with waiter service. Food and drink is service on china and glass. Nice tarmac views out big windows. I found this lounge almost as nice as any Amex Centurion Lounge I’ve visited recently, but only half as crowded.

H/T: USA Today

Have you been to an Escape Lounge? What did you think?

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First look: Oakland’s spiffy new lounge (slideshow)

November 28, 2016

Oakland’s new Escape Lounge boasts nice tarmac views and more! (Photo: K Taylor)

This month, Oakland International Airport opened a new Escape Lounge that’s open to all passengers for a $45 one-time-use fee. It is located in Terminal 1 (all airlines except Southwest, which operates out of Terminal 2) between gates 8 and 8A, across from gate 9. The 2,700-square-foot facility can accommodate 50 travelers, and will have separate zones for relaxing, dining/drinking and work. It’s open daily from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

The lounge is another of an increasing number of “common use” lounges found at other airports across the country. For example, MAG, the British company that runs Oakland’s lounge, also has outposts at Minneapolis-St Paul International and Bradley International in Hartford, CT. Similarly, there are 10 “The Club” lounges at airports across the US, including The Club at SJC, which which provides free access to business class passengers of international airlines operating there.

While the Escape lounge in Minneapolis offers access to holders of Priority Pass, the Oakland Escape lounge does not at this time.

The Escape lounge is best suited for business and first class passengers headed to Europe on Norwegian Air or British Airways (Photo: K Taylor)

Premium cabin customers of Norwegian Airlines flying non-stop from OAK to London-Gatwick, Oslo, Stockholm, and Barcelona will receive complimentary use of Escape Lounge. We are still awaiting final word on whether British Airways business class passengers will get comped access to the lounge when its London-Gatwick nonstops arrive at Oakland in April.

The lounge includes contemporary furniture and great runway and tarmac views. It also boasts, “An extensive complimentary locally inspired menu (see it below); a wide array of unlimited complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including local coffee brand RoastCo; flight information screens; free high-speed Wi-Fi and reading materials” according to a press release. The bar offers a wide range of complimentary beer, wine and booze plus higher end brands and craft beers for $5-$15.

Well-known local Oakland chef Chris Pastena has developed breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Pastena owns Chop Bar, Lungomare and Calavera in Oakland.

Take a spin through our photos below:

Full bar (Photo: K Taylor)

(Photo: K Taylor)

Plenty of room to eat, work or relax, including semi-private booths (Photo: K Taylor)

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served (Photo: K. Taylor)

(Photo: Keonnis Taylor)

Chef Chris Pastena helped develop breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Image: MAG)

Oakland’s Escape Lounge is located in Terminal 1 across from Gate 9 (Photo: K Taylor)

Oakland has been on a roll lately, adding new international flights, offering bennies like free parking, a new all-rail BART link to downtown San Francisco, and now, a new lounge.

Have you used Oakland Airport lately? Would you now? Please leave your comments below.

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Airport updates: LAX + Dallas + Minneapolis + Houston

September 11, 2015

Minneapolis-St. Paul’s new Escape Lounge will be open to all passengers who pay a fee. (Image: Metropolitan Airports Commission)

Travelers departing Los Angeles International could see passenger drop-off delays due to new construction; members of Virgin Atlantic’s Elevate program are offered free UIber rides at Dallas Love Field; a new passenger lounge will soon come to Minneapolis-St. Paul; and the first portion of Southwest’s new terminal at Houston Hobby opens.

Officials at Los Angeles International are warning travelers to expect nighttime traffic delays for passenger drop-offs along the departures level roadway of the LAX Central Terminal Area. A construction project to overhaul those roads, including the laying of new concrete, will begin Monday night, September 14, and continue until sometime before Thanksgiving. Monday through Thursdays, the work will begin at 11 p.m. and should finish up by 5 a.m. (but you never know)., and Friday and Saturday nights it will start at 11 p.m. and continue to 1 p.m. the next day. The roadway will always offer access to the terminal, but lane closures should be expected, LAX officials said.

Members of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program who buy a Virgin flight originating at Dallas Love Field are being offered free Uber rides (up to $20) for a trip to or from that airport. It’s good for flight bookings made through October 12 “while supplies last,” Virgin said. If the customer is a first-time Uber rider, he’ll get an additional discount of up to $20.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International is expected to cut the ribbon on a new passenger lounge sometime in the next few months. The new Escape Lounge will be open to all travelers for an as-yet-undetermined fee, although it is expected to be around $30. Located on the mezzanine level of Terminal 1, the 5,000-square-foot Escape Lounge will offer free Wi-Fi, free food and beverages, and reading materials.

The white portion of the terminal represents Southwest’s new international facility at Houston Hobby. (Image: Hobby Airport)

At Houston Hobby, the first phase of the new Southwest Airlines international terminal and concourse has opened, and the entire facility should be operating by October 15 — the same day that Southwest starts flying from HOU to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Mexico City, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and San Jose, Costa Rica. Elements of the first stage are a new Southwest ticketing area and self-service kiosks; and Southwest check-in counters. The whole complex, known as the West Concourse, will also include a new federal inspection station and gate area. The first phase of a new West Concourse parking garage is expected to open in November.

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