Not All Travel Lounges are Created Equal

Sky lounges I'd recommend and others I’d skip…. CFP-CFP-Next2026Next2026

Starting with the Priority Pass, through the Capital One Venture X card: CFP-Next2026Cf

Munich (MUC), By far my favorite in Europe! (Except KLM, they're up there too) Killing a 2 hour layover on our way home from a wedding in Lake Como last summer, in a gorgeous lounge with good food, coffee, soda, complete with a charcuterie & spritz bar - this lounge made waiting at the airport feel like a dream.

Munich, Germany (MUC)

Priority Pass is the largest, with 1700 lounges worldwide, with access to some of the most prestigious airport lounges regardless of airline ticket. I have access to mine through my Capital One Venture X card: https://i.capitalone.com/JE0rrZr6f 

Washington, D.C. (DCA) takes the cake for me. Accessing with my Capital One VentureX card, this is one Capital One's 6 "hub" lounges in the country. Flying through here on our way back from a wedding was the best way to finish our trip! I could confidently say I got my money's worth for having a Capital One card, just based on the food & drinks I had at this lounge. From a barista making your coffee, a full hot bar-- We're talking genuinely healthy options (hard to find at the airport). Think homemade pop-tarts, sodas on tap, fresh shrimp & grits, veg-friendly options like hummus, curry & charcuterie. Their full "Grab-To-Go" wall even encourages you to take food with you. I almost made us miss our connecting flight because I was loving my life in this lounge! Like, running through the airport with our bags & getting passenger paged for Sydney & Justin! Boarding doors are closing. I still say it was worth it.

Capital One only has SIX exclusive lounges in the United States, you can find Capital One Lounge locations in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), New York City (JFK), Washington, D.C. (DCA) and Washington Dulles (IAD).

Paris (CDG), “Yotel” - I would skip this lounge and airport altogether if you can. The 2 shuttles and .85 mile walk is not worth it! I chugged water (which at least is free there), grabbed some snacks and went back to my gate. I didn’t trust this airport after missing my connection to Santorin because the shuttle didn't stop so I wanted to get back to my gate as quickly as possible.

Atlanta (ATL), The Club found in the International E Concourse. The Club is a bit of a walk to get to when you're flying domestic, but if your layover is long enough I promise it's worth it. I always like the extra steps on days that I'm travelling too. They usually have a short waitlist so you'll check in when you arrive but don't worry, it's always moved quick!

Updating this list after opening my AMEX Delta Sky Miles card & AMEX Gold Business cards, I've officially upgraded lounges...

With my new Delta SkyMiles Reserve AMEX, I gained premium travel benefits, featuring 15 annual Delta Sky Club visits (unlimited with $75k+ yearly spend) when flying Delta, plus 4 guest passes.The caveat here is you have to be FLYING Delta & have a ticket for that day to access, so keep that in mind. Here’s my Amex referral link. Use it and we could both earn rewards if you are approved and get a Card: https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/delta-skymiles-reserve-american-express-card?ref=SYDNECAnRm&XL=MISNS

ATL / Delta SkyClub: On our most recent trip to BVI, I met my mom in the Delta SkyClub in the A Concourse. By the way, there are TWO SkyClubs in the A Concourse at ATL airport. You would never know until you're trying to meet up with your mom on your layover, talking on the phone & trying to meet up in the lounge but still can't find each other... *To access the Delta Sky Club, you must be flying Delta that day.*

My new favorite!!! Flying home from the British Virgin Islands my connection was out of E gate in ATL's international concourse and I I stumbled onto AMEX's Centurion Lounge to kill the last hour of my layover.... Best suprise ever. For $0 other than the annual fee I pay for my AMEX Gold Business Card (I use for 4x points on ads for work & 4x points for food) Here’s my Amex Business Gold referral link. Use it and we could both earn rewards if you are approved and get a Card: https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/businessgold-card?ref=SYDNECZqEL&XL=MISNS 

The trees, the outdoor lounge, the fully complimentary access. The light fixtures, gourmet food selection, open bar, dessert, coffee & tea stations. Check out ATL's AMEX Centurion Lounge: https://www.tiktok.com/@confessionsofatravelbugg/video/7622342155704585486?_r=1&_t=ZT-954UlBKxu5l

After the DELTA ONE lounge at LAX, the AMEX Centurion Lounge has to be the most beautiful airport lounge I've ever seen!  (Read about the time I talked my way into LAX's DELTA ONE Lounge, deets here: https://www.confessionsofatravelbug.com/post/delta-one-lounge-lax) Because let's be honest, how often do we actually fly Delta One? That may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.