Sample the good life at airport lounges without paying huge fees

Once, airlines’ airport lounges were the province of the elite traveler. Hoi polloi had no access.

That’s no longer true. If you carry a branded airline credit card, you sometimes will get a free pass, but there are other ways to sample the good life without paying huge fees for access or having to carry a premium credit card.

Big airlines have operated their own lounge networks since American opened the first Admirals Club in 1939, but independent lounges are a relatively new development in the United States. Among them:

American Express Centurion Lounge, www.thecenturionlounge.com. During a long and delayed flight, for instance, I decided to try the new Centurion Lounge in San Francisco airport, in United’s post-security area.

Access is free for travelers who hold AmEx Platinum cards, but holders of other AmEx cards can get in, along with children under 18, for $50.

AmEx has full Centurion Lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Miami, New York’s LaGuardia and San Francisco, along with a smaller “Studio” in Seattle-Tacoma. Locations other than LaGuardia are airside — that is, beyond security.

The San Francisco Centurion Lounge was a real winner: Facilities include a shower suite and a computer bar, along with the expected array of hot and cold eats, no-charge beverages and Wi-Fi.

Is $50 a little steep? If your wait isn’t that long, then yes. But the more I travel, the more I find that fee a reasonable option for the quiet and the Wi-Fi, never mind being able to clean up after a rough day of travel.

Priority Pass, www.prioritypass.com. Priority Pass offers access to more than 700 lounges around the world, some independent, some operated by airlines.

You’ll find more facilities outside North America, but there are many U.S. lounges, including airside locations of Alaska Airlines Boardroom lounges at Anchorage, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle; and other airline or independent lounges at Baltimore, Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Colorado Springs, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York’s JFK, Orlando and Washington Dulles.

You have three pricing options: You can pay $99 a year plus $27 a visit, you can pay $299 a year and get 10 visits or you can pay $399 a year for unlimited visits. A guest is charged $27 regardless of which pricing option you choose.

AmEx Platinum and Diners Club cards include Priority Pass membership, but Diners is not currently open for new members in the U.S. or Canada.

The Club, www.theclubairportlounges.com, does not charge yearly fees. One-day passes cost $35. It operates lounges airside at Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Jose, Calif., and Seattle-Tacoma airports.

Plaza Premium, www.plaza-network.com, operates lounges airside at Edmonton (U.S. departure area), Toronto and Vancouver, with Winnipeg in the works in Canada, along with other locations around the world, mainly in Asia and many in the Middle East. Its website touts 120 lounges in 14 countries.

Rates vary depending on how long you stay; a sample booking for the lounge in Heathrow’s Terminal 4 for July 31 (date chosen at random) is $57 for two hours, $89 for five hours and $110 for 10 hours. Taking a shower (30 minutes) costs $24.

About 50 Plaza Premium lounges are available to holders of some AmEx cards.

Executive Lounges, www.executivelounges.com, operates facilities airside at Calgary and Montreal in Canada and many other locations in Britain and the Middle East. Entry on July 30, chosen randomly, at London’s Heathrow would run about $23; drinks can be pre-ordered, including a chilled bottle of prosecco for about $19.

Airspace Lounges, www.airspacelounge.com, operates facilities airside at Baltimore, Cleveland, JFK Terminal 5 (JetBlue) and San Diego. One-day fees start at $20; prices may vary during the day. AmEx Platinum card customers get in free. Children are allowed, but if they’re older than 2, they pay full price.

travel@latimes.com