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I’ve been to dozens of airport lounges worldwide. Here are the 5 things I never do in them.

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I travel often — at least once a month — and I like having access to Delta Sky Clubs through my co-branded Delta credit card and Priority Pass, a membership that gets me into more than 1,500 airport lounges worldwide.

These two programs usually allow me to find a lounge I can use regardless of the airport I’m at or the airline I’m flying.

I enjoy using airport lounges because they’re usually quieter and less crowded than waiting at the gate. I also like having access to a nicer, less-crowded restroom, and of course, the complimentary food and beverages are pretty sweet, too.

As a frequent traveler, here are five things I never do in an airport lounge.

Plop in the first seat I see

Most airport lounges have a variety of seating, from desk-like workspaces with electrical outlets to comfortable upholstered couches you might find in a living room.

I don’t pick the first open seat I see unless the lounge is super crowded and I feel as if it’s my only option. Fortunately, I can usually gauge how crowded a lounge is by the presence of a line at the entry.

A lot of lounges I’ve visited don’t allow new visitors when they’re close to capacity, so finding a seat is usually not an issue.

If I’m not familiar with a lounge’s layout, I’ll take a lap to see all the available seating. I love a comfortable chair with built-in USB ports so I can charge my phone, so I’ll look for that type of seating first.

I also like to sit away from the buffet, bar, and restrooms so I can have as quiet an atmosphere as possible.

Stuff my face like food is going out of style


A buffet in an airport lounge.

Many airport lounges offer buffets.

Jill Robbins



Food varies widely from lounge to lounge, from chef-curated menus to bowls of trail mix and grab-and-go snacks, but there are typically plenty of hot food offerings.

They can be tempting, but I don’t have that “it’s free, and it’s there” mentality, so I won’t load up my plate unless I’m starving or know I won’t be eating for a while. I don’t want to feel too full or bloated before a long flight.

The bar is always a happening spot for travelers, but I take it easy on the alcohol some lounges give out for free.

I might have a drink once in a while, but I don’t want to get dehydrated before a long flight or lose my inhibitions to the point where I’m not watching my belongings or the time.

Snooze

Even if I’m tired and a lounge has comfy, reclining chairs, I don’t sleep in airport lounges. I’m always too nervous I’ll miss my flight.

I’ve never had a lengthy layover during which I was that exhausted, plus most lounges have time limits on how long people can be inside them.

Getting off my feet and relaxing is usually enough of a break if I’m tired.

Be inconsiderate of other lounge guests


People sitting in an airport lounge.

Airport lounges are public spaces.

Jill Robbins



Unless a lounge is virtually empty, I don’t take up more than one seat or put my backpack on its own chair. I get frustrated when I’m looking for a seat, but many are unavailable because people are using them as storage.

Using headphones is also a cardinal rule in airport lounges, although I often see people being inconsiderate by streaming or using FaceTime without them.

I also wouldn’t engage in some behaviors I see in lounges that I find gross, such as removing shoes to put bare feet on airport furniture or taking care of personal grooming — like clipping nails — outside a restroom.

Lounges provide a comfortable, home-like environment, but I try to remember that they are public spaces. I wish other people would, too.

Go to another terminal in the airport to use a lounge


Two orange drinks on a bar at an airport lounge.

As much as I love using an airport lounge, I won’t go too far from my gate to use one.

Jill Robbins



I love having lounge access, but I won’t leave my flight’s terminal to seek one out unless my layover is at least two hours long.

Even then, I hesitate to go unless I’m familiar with the airport. I never want to miss a flight just because I wanted some extra comfort before it.

This story was originally published on July 25, 2024, and most recently updated on December 18, 2025.




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A pepper spray attack injured 21 people at London’s busiest airport

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Travellers faced chaos at London Heathrow Airport on Sunday, where police said some 21 people were apparently injured by pepper spray.

London’s Metropolitan Police said they were called to a parking garage at Terminal 3 around 8 a.m. after a number of people were sprayed by a group of men who left the scene.

Armed officers arrived and arrested a man on suspicion of assault within nine minutes of the first report, it added.

“At this stage, it’s understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction,” said Commander Peter Stevens.

He added that it occurred in an elevator, and those directly involved are believed to be known to each other.

21 people were treated by the London Ambulance Service, including a three-year-old child, the police said. Five of them were taken to hospital.

While the terminal remained open, the disruption put many people at risk of missing their flights.

Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, serving over 80 million passengers last year.

In an X post, Heathrow Airport advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any questions.

A highway into Terminals 3 and 2 was closed for about an hour before reopening, according to an X post from National Highways.

It then said it closed it again on the airport’s request, “due to the amount of vehicles and pedestrians within the tunnel,” but reopened within 30 minutes.

The BBC reported that some passengers were seen getting out of cars and walking down a road with their luggage, towards signs that warned “no pedestrians beyond this point.”

There were also delays of 45 minutes approaching the airport, according to National Highways, while Elizabeth Line trains stopped serving the terminals for over an hour.




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Prepare to pay $45 at airport security if you don’t have a REAL ID

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  • The TSA announced a $45 fee for travelers without acceptable ID at airport security checkpoints.
  • The alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID is set to be implemented on February 1.
  • It’s unclear how TSA Confirm.ID will work, but it’s intended as an option for flyers without a REAL ID.

The Transportation Security Administration has taken a page from the budget airline playbook.

The agency said Monday it is implementing a new alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, that would charge travelers $45 at security checkpoints if they show up without a REAL ID or another acceptable government-issued ID, such as a passport or permanent resident card.

The new fee option is set to begin on February 1. The TSA said the fee would cover a 10-day travel period. Details about how the fee and identity verification would work were not yet available. The TSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“TSA urges all travelers who do not have a REAL ID to pay the fee online before traveling,” according to a press release about TSA Confirm.ID and the new fee. “For passengers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee, information about how to pay for the TSA Confirm.ID option will be available at marked locations at or near the checkpoint in most airports. Travelers who undergo TSA Confirm.ID processing at an airport should expect delays.”

The TSA had previously proposed an $18 fee that would cover the costs for a biometric kiosk system designed to verify a traveler’s identity more quickly than the current manual process.

Under that proposal, the TSA said the new technology would be less time and resource-intensive than the current process when a flyer lacks these IDs, which involves providing personal information or answering detailed questions to match flyers to government databases.

“This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago,” a TSA spokesperson previously told Business Insider about the $18 fee proposal.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, but it just rolled out in 2025.

In May, the TSA began requiring travelers to present a REAL ID or another government-approved identification to pass through airport security checkpoints.

The TSA says 94% of flyers already use REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification.

The agency is encouraging travelers who do not have a REAL ID to schedule an appointment with their local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible. A REAL ID card shows a star inside a circle in the upper right corner.




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