Airport Lounge Satisfaction Hinges on Food, Staff—and Keeping the Crowds Down
Complimentary food and beverage remains the biggest draw, while overcrowding can sharply diminish the lounge experience.
Photo: Mark Chaves / Unsplash
For travelers willing to arrive at the airport early, a good lounge can make the difference between starting a trip with a proper meal and a quiet place to work—or spending an hour circling the terminal in search of an empty seat.
New data from JD Power suggests travelers increasingly value lounges for exactly those practical benefits. According to the 2026 U.S. Airport Lounge Satisfaction Study, 45% of lounge guests say they visit to escape crowded airport terminals, while 39% cite the high price of food and beverages elsewhere in the airport.
Complimentary food and beverage ranked as the most important benefit of lounge access, followed by comfortable seating. Most guests were satisfied with what they found: 52% said lounge food and beverage offerings were better than expected, while 44% said they met expectations. Just 4% said they were worse than expected.
“The airport lounge has become an oasis for travelers, but that oasis can sometimes become a mirage when lounges are overcrowded and people need to wait in line to gain access,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at JD Power.
Crowding, in fact, had one of the most dramatic effects on the guest experience. More than 45% of respondents said the lounge they use most frequently is moderately or severely crowded. Guests who described a lounge as “not at all crowded” gave their experience an average satisfaction score of 833 on JD Power’s 1,000-point scale. Among those encountering severe crowding, the score dropped 244 points, to 589.
Staff interactions also proved important. While 77% of guests described lounge employees as welcoming, only 52% characterized them as happy and 51% as knowledgeable. Stokes said lounge operators will need to focus on “higher quality food and beverage, and happier staff” as the sector continues to expand.
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American Express Centurion Lounge and Capital One Lounge tied for the highest overall customer satisfaction score, at 771. Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club ranked third with 764.
The study evaluated lounges across eight factors, including value, staff, food and beverage, cleanliness, amenities, ease of access, ambiance, and Wi-Fi. Results were based on responses from 2,991 travelers who had visited a U.S. airport lounge during the previous year, collected between April and June 2026.
