Quiet havens at the airport

Nation's Business, Sept, 1997 by Hal Morris

Michael Haynes, senior vice president of an investment-banking firm, is relaxed and sipping orange juice as he scans his mail, which he has spread across the table before him. He's taking care of a little business, but he is not in his office.

Haynes is at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas -- appreciating the peace and quiet of Delta Air Lines' Crown Room Club, sheltered from the hubbub of the terminal. In the club room, he can focus on banking matters -- "I just hate sitting around" before takeoff, he says -- until he is informed, personally, that he can board his flight to Los Angeles.

Frequent business travelers such as Haynes are increasingly using members-only airline clubs -- secluded oases at major airports -- to sidestep the crowds, hassles, check-in lines, and other terminal annoyances. Haynes typically makes two flights a week to Los Angeles and often travels to Denver, Salt Lake City, and Austin, Texas, so he is a familiar visitor in Delta's Las Vegas club.

On a recent morning he was traveling on short notice to meet with commercial bankers. Although he narrowly missed the flight he had reserved, he switched easily to the next Delta departure with the help of a Crown Room Club representative, who used a computer terminal in the room.

Business Hubs

Delta's Las Vegas lounge is one of almost 200 domestic airport club rooms maintained by major U.S. airlines. The clubs -- some as large as 10,000 square feet -- offer not only boarding passes and reservation changes but also various business services. These include the use of telephones (usually no charge for local calls), fax machines, copiers, computer hookups, and conference rooms. A growing number of clubs provide Internet access and laser printers for computers.

Plush chairs and sofas round out the subdued atmosphere, where guests can work, read, watch television, or simply get some rest.

The combination of business services and relaxing ambience has prompted Randy Petersen, publisher and editor of InsideFlyer magazine, to call airport clubs part Kinko's and part cocoon.

Clubs' membership numbers are closely guarded by the airlines. Petersen, whose monthly on frequent-flier programs is based in Colorado Springs, Colo., estimates that a typical club has 200,000 to 300,000 members and that United Airlines tops the list with 400,000. Delta leads in the number of domestic dub locations with 45. America West, on the other hand, operates just two -- both in Phoenix.

Some airlines maintain multiple club rooms at busy airports. At Atlanta, for example, Delta has six rooms. New York's Kennedy International is the site of two each for American, Delta, and TWA. Continental has two at Newark, N.J. Among the rooms at Washington's Dulles International are three operated by United. United also has three rooms at San Francisco and Chicago's O'Hare, and I US Airways has three apiece in Charlotte, N.C., and Pittsburgh.

A Host Of Extras

Some airlines' club rooms provide even more than coffee and copiers. American's Admirals Club offers notary service. Continental's Presidents Club provides discounted overnight delivery services Northwest's WorldClubs feature personal computers, and US Airways' clubs display stock quotes.

The conference rooms available at many clubs are proving to be convenient meeting places, and their use is growing. Says Petersen: "Whether for job interviews, board meetings, or sales pitches, participants meet and go back home. It saves time and money. From a cost point of view, it's an excellent option." The rooms are booked in advance at generally $25 to $50 an hour.

Two airline-club features that are popular overseas but never caught on at U.S. airports are shower facilities and massage loungers, says Petersen. He adds that only about 5 percent of domestic clubs have automated teller machines, because AIMS are so commonplace in airport concourses.

Besides offering a number of services, club rooms can aid in client relations. Investment banker Haynes cites the time he was to meet a Saudi Arabian business man flying in for a meeting at the Crown Room Club in Las Vegas. Haynes unexpectedly had to take another trip, so a lounge representative accorded the Saudi visitor royal treatment until one of Haynes' staff members arrived.

Haynes cites the club's hospitality as an example of the extra value he gets from his membership.

The Price Of Belonging

Airline clubs' first-year membership fees range from $125 at Hawaiian Airlines to $400 at United. Annual renewals are lower, typically by $50 to $100. Some airlines offer lifetime memberships. Most allow spousal memberships at additional cost.

Memberships can be purchased at travel agencies, airlines, and club rooms. Some companies foot the bill for their executives. Travelers who want to sample a club's facilities usually can do so with a one-time visit for $25 to $50.

Airport clubs offer beverage service. Soft and hard drinks used to be complimentary at all clubs, but now only a few airlines' clubs offer free drinks. Some airlines are trying to make money through the clubs, says Petersen. Some now charge $1 for a soft drink, he says, which typically is higher than the price outside the lounge. Coffee remains free, however.