Nearly half (47%) of airport lounge customers now plan their route selections based on access to their preferred airport lounge and 82% say their choice of airline is influenced by lounge access, according to the inaugural J.D. Power U.S. Airport Lounge Benchmark.
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, he said, “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.” The crowding, said Taylor. is driving the demand for additional lounge space within airport terminals.
Other findings in the report included:
- Credit card perks expand lounge access: More than one-third (34%) of lounge customers use credit card perks to gain access to an airport lounge, while just 21% are granted access due to elite frequent flyer status and 18% have a standalone lounge membership.
- Food and beverage are the big draw: The most popular services and amenities utilized in airport lounges are food and beverage (74%), rest and relaxation (62%) and an escape from airport crowds (37%). One noteworthy trend airports will want to watch closely, said the report, is the fact that 38% of lounge customers say they visited the lounge due to the high cost of food and beverage in the terminal.
- Satisfaction increases the longer the lounge stay: A majority (56%) of lounge customers spend between 31 and 60 minutes, on average, in an airport lounge. Among these guests, overall satisfaction averages 758 (on a 1,000-point scale). Overall satisfaction climbs 39 points to 797 when guests spend 121 minutes or more in a lounge.
American Express Centurion Lounge ranked highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 782. Capital One Lounge and Delta Sky Club ranked second, in a tie, each with a score of 773.
The survey measured customer satisfaction with airport lounges in the US across eight core dimensions (in order of importance): value of experience; staff; food and beverage; cleanliness/upkeep; amenities; ease of accessing lounge; ambiance; and WiFi service. The 2025 study is based on responses gathered from 1,430 travelers who visited a US airport lounge in the past year. It was fielded from September through October 2025.
