Airport lounges are supposed to be exclusive sanctuaries away from the hustle and bustle of busy airport terminals. But, even in the nicest of airport lounges, there’s one thing that can easily ruin the experience: other passengers.
Many frequent flyers will have experienced antisocial behaviour in airport lounges at some point, from people talking loudly on their phones to parents that let their children run amok. Other passengers lacking lounge etiquette can seriously detract from the experience.
This week, our members are discussing the things that irk them the most in airport lounges. Some members have nominated passengers making loudspeaker phone or video calls without wearing headphones. Others believe it is poor lounge etiquette to handle buffet food with bare hands.
Rude lounge guests are also a pet hate, as are single passengers or couples that take up four or more seats during busy lounge periods.
Some airlines have started to take a stand against poor lounge etiquette. Cathay Pacific, for example, has published a list of lounge etiquette guidelines. Cathay Pacific passengers are asked to refrain from causing offence or disturbance to other passengers, smoking and placing feet on tables, among other things. Cathay also asks guests not to bring in their own food from outside of the lounge, or to take lounge food or magazines away with them. Meanwhile, Qantas has a dress code for its domestic Qantas Club lounges.
A few airlines, such as All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines and SAS even have special phone call booths in their lounges, so guests can talk away without disturbing other passengers.
If you could ban one thing from airport lounges, what would it be? Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Pet airport lounge hates
