By Charles Passy
American Express and American Airlines will debut new quick-serve lounges, aimed at travelers looking for a short respite
Like those travel-size bottles of shampoo, airport lounges will soon be coming in a more compact version.
In recent days, American Express (AXP) and American Airlines (AAL) have both announced plans to launch new lounge concepts – specifically, ones that will be smaller in size than the traditional airport take-a-break locales and that offer seemingly fewer amenities. In effect, these are quick-serve lounges aimed at travelers who might need a short respite, the companies say.
American Airlines’ concept, called the Provisions by Admirals Club lounge, is set to debut later this summer at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. It’s “designed for speed, simplicity and convenience,” the carrier said in a statement.
The space will be 2,000 square feet – by contrast, the two standard Admirals Club lounges at the same airport are considerably bigger, measuring 4,500 square feet and 23,300 square feet. American Airlines has nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges worldwide, but a spokesperson for the carrier explained that they each vary in size.
In the case of American Express, its quick-serve concept, called Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge, is expected to debut in 2026 at Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport. It, too, is aimed at travelers without much time to spare. “Many of our visitors spend less than an hour in our Lounges, and we’ve created Sidecar specifically for them,” said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, in a statement.
Amex didn’t provide details regarding the specific size of the new concept versus its standard Centurion Lounges, but it describes the smaller Sidecar space as being “speakeasy-inspired” and designed to provide guests “a quick bite or drink before they board their flight.”
There’s an obvious reason lounge providers are adding these spaces, airline-industry experts said: Standard lounges have become notoriously busy in recent years, particularly as people continue to sign up for premium credit cards that offer lounge access as a perk. Travelers sometimes find themselves waiting to get a spot at a lounge. And even once they’re inside, they often don’t find the situation all that relaxing because of the sheer number of people.
“It’s a hot mess. It’s ridiculously crowded,” said Nabeela Aysen, a New York City resident who runs her own public-relations firm and travels frequently.
So the new lounges will theoretically help address capacity issues, similar to adding an extra lane to a highway. And they will make sense for lounge providers in other ways, experts say: Because of their smaller footprint, they are cheaper to open and operate. Plus, smaller spaces are more likely to become available in airports versus larger ones.
Those factors make the small-lounge model one that could be a winner for all concerned – lounge providers, airports and passengers. At least, that’s the view of Dulani Porter, an executive vice president with Spark, a strategy agency that works with national and global travel brands.
“I have a lot of confidence that a concept like this is going to work,” she said.
Still, some travelers may not be sold on the idea if they want the benefits of a full-size lounge, which can include extensive food and drink options, plenty of seating and even such amenities as showers, work spaces and spa services.
That’s how Edeana Blaku feels. The New York City-based marketing executive points to situations where her flights have been delayed – in some cases by several hours – and says she appreciates having the use of a traditional lounge to wait out the time.
With a smaller lounge, “it’s just not feasible,” she said.
Nevertheless, if the idea catches on, it will be only a matter of time before other lounge providers – namely, airlines and credit-card brands – jump on the bandwagon, experts say.
So far, Amex and American Airlines haven’t announced plans to open additional locations of their small-scale concepts. In the meantime, their initial locations will be available to those who meet certain requirements, such as having a premium credit card like the Amex Platinum or Citi/AAdvantage Executive cards. American Airlines also sells a one-day lounge pass for $79.
Read next: So your rich friend wants to travel with you? Don’t commit before having this conversation.
-Charles Passy
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