Tap That App: LoungeBuddy
By Matthew Bossons
Tap That App is a monthly segment where we feature an app our editors think is cool.
Famed for well-worn chairs, screaming children and, most recently, the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s brother, airport departure gates are known to be hellish.
The solution? Hit your nearest airport lounge!
Considered a holy land for frequent flyers, these premium waiting rooms are exclusive and free entry is usually granted only to those with first-class tickets, airline memberships or flashy credit cards. For the rest of us, payment is almost always necessary.
Enter LoungeBuddy: your mobile guide to gaining lounge entry on the cheap. Available on both iOS and Android, this handy app assesses your travel itinerary to determine which lounges you can access during your next departure wait or layover.
Here’s how it works: click the ‘trip’ option and then select ‘create.’ Next, enter your airline, flight number and travel date. Once you have found and selected your flight, the app will give you your lounge options at each airport you’ll visit on your trip and whether your ticket grants you access.
If your economy class flight to Bangkok does not allow you access to any of the lounges in, say, Hong Kong International Airport, LoungeBuddy will inform you how much extra you have to pay to enter – provided that’s an option.
If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to enter your flight information, you can simply click ‘purchase access’ and browse the app’s extensive list of airports until you find the departure, arrival or layover destination that applies to you.
When we browsed the list, we selected Chiang Mai International Airport’s Coral Executive Lounge and were able to buy entry for only RMB150. This deal included free beer and wine, a kids’ room, internet terminals, ‘premium food,’ TVs, snacks and access to showers, among other perks.
If you, valued reader, are a regular flyer, consider this app an essential travel tool.
LoungeBuddy is available on both iOS and Android devices.
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