The rise of ‘business class-only’ airport lounges

Although many airlines reward high-tier frequent flyers with access to business class lounges, there’s a steady increase in the number of lounges being declared as true business class-only spaces where it’s your ticket up front, not your shiny loyalty card, that gets you through the doors.

In many ways, this represents a return to How Things Used To Be.

Long before airline loyalty programs became increasingly important and profitable businesses in their own right, lounges were a crucial part of the business class experience: exclusive pre-flight havens for the important and well-heeled.

Over time, that elite access was extended – or some might say, watered down – to include the higher levels of an airline’s frequent flyers and those of alliance partners.

Now the pendulum is swinging back, as the ranks and expectations of frequent flyers swell, to create new lounges strictly reserved for business class passengers.

United Airlines’ Polaris lounges are a business class-only affair.

In their own way, these upmarket lounges reflect a contemporary take on the original lounge formula: à la carte dining, well-stocked bars with and free-flowing Champagne, nap rooms, high-grade design and furnishings plus an overall ‘refined’ ambience all aim to bring extra shine to the modern business class travel experience.

Delta Air Lines is the latest member of the business class-only lounge brigade.

As first revealed by Executive Traveller earlier this month, the new wave of Delta One Clubs set to open from 2023 will be only for travellers booked into the airline’s Delta One business class (along with business and first class flyers of other SkyTeam airlines departing from the same terminal).

“These lounges will not admit top-tier frequent flyers (eg Medallion Diamond) who are in Delta Premium Select and/or Main Cabin),” a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines confirmed to Executive Traveller. 

Delta’s decision matches the approach of rival United Airlines, which operates a network of Polaris lounges dedicated to passengers in its own Polaris business class cabins (and business and first class flyers on Star Alliance, given United’s membership of that group).

All United Airlines Polaris lounges include a tender bar with premium wines and cocktail at the ready.

Since the first Polaris lounge opened at United’s Chicago home in December 2016, similarly-upscale Polaris facilities have sprouted at Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newark, Houston and Washington DC.

Sleeping nooks and nap rooms are now part of many business class-only airport lounges.

Fancy bars, dining rooms, private workstations, nap rooms and well-appointed shower suites all set the stage for the actual Polaris flight, which has become United’s most premium experience since the airline scrapped first class.

In its Signature Suite lounges at Toronto and Vancouver, Star Alliance sibling Air Canada takes the ‘restricted access’ concept a step further: in most cases, even a business class ticket booked using frequent flyers points isn’t enough.

The dining room of Air Canada’s Signature Suite Toronto lounge.

“Only Aeroplan flight rewards booked as a Business Class Flexible Reward or a First Class Flexible Reward… are eligible for access,” Air Canada calls out, with “Business Class Lowest Reward or a First Class Lowest Reward” excluded from the Signature Suite, along with all “Business Class flight rewards booked and ticketed by partner airlines.”

Likewise, premium economy or economy passengers who snared a points upgrade to business class with points will be turned away at the door.

At Singapore Airlines home in Changi Terminal 3, the SilverKris Business lounge is another declared business class-only zone, with the exception of the airline’s PPS Club members (who can earn that rarefied status only on business or first class travel with Singapore Airlines).

Singapore Airlines’ flagship business class lounge at Changi Airport T3.

Reopened in May 2022 after a multi-million dollar makeover, the spacious SilverKris Business lounge foregoes à la carte dining in favour of an extensive buffet spread, although the bar and nap rooms are standouts.

However, outside of Changi, all other SilverKris Business lounges welcome Gold-tier KrisFlyer members and Star Alliance Gold elites.

Qatar Airways has long maintained a business class-only policy for its sprawling Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Doha: a policy which often catches out the frequent flyers of other Oneworld airlines, who are used to business lounge access even on mid-tier Sapphire status (such as Qantas and Cathay Pacific Gold, and British Airways Silver).

Qatar Airways’ Al Mourn business class lounge at Doha.

Lounge access isn’t even included on Qatar’s unbundled Business Lite fares, although it can be purchased for around US$100: an option available to any traveller on a Qatar Airways flight.

For a long layover it’s arguably worth it when you consider the Al Mourjan…