Airport lounges are increasingly crowded — at peak times at large U.S. hubs, the difference between a pleasant experience and a frustrating one often comes down to the unwritten rules of how members behave. Here are twelve guidelines worth knowing.
1. Don't camp at a four-top alone. Single travelers who spread out across a four-person table during peak hours are the most-complained-about lounge behavior in the modern era. Take a single seat or a two-top.
2. Phone calls go to the phone room. Most U.S. lounges now have dedicated phone booths. Use them — not the open seating area, not the bar, not the dining room.
3. Don't stockpile food. Buffet lines are for one plate at a time. Building a take-it-with-you snack bag from the spread will get you flagged and, in some lounges, asked to leave.
4. Showers have a clock. The standard expectation is a 30-minute slot for a shower suite. Don't camp in a shower for 90 minutes; other people are waiting and many lounges now enforce reservations.
5. Tip the bartender. The drinks are complimentary; the labor is not. Cash tips on top of the included service are standard practice at most U.S. lounges.
6. Headphones for video calls. If you must take a video call in a quiet zone, use headphones with a microphone. The other 80 people in the lounge did not pay $695 in annual fees to listen to your standup meeting.
7. Don't bring outside food and alcohol. The lounge already has food. Walking in with takeout from the terminal is bad form and is increasingly being declined at the door.
8. Children stay with adults. Many lounges now have dedicated family rooms. Use them. The quiet zone is not where unattended kids should be running.
9. The dress code is real, even when it's not posted. Beachwear and exposed bathing-suit attire are routinely refused entry at international lounges.
10. Respect last call. Most U.S. lounges close 30 minutes after the last departing flight. Don't be the person they have to physically usher out.
11. Don't argue at the door about access. Door staff are trained on the current policy. If they say no, the answer is no — escalation belongs to a phone call to the issuer the next day, not to a confrontation in the boarding area.
12. Use the lounge as a base, not a destination. The point is to make a 90-minute layover comfortable. Camping in a lounge for 6 hours degrades the experience for everyone, especially during peak periods.