Lounges, 2023 Year in Review (United States)

Matthew Justice
happy new year letters on a wood background.

Currently, (as of December 31, 2023) there are 323 airport lounges in the United States (excluding USO & military lounges since they are not open to the public). Across the United States (US) there are lounges in 36 of the 50 states (72%). Throughout 2023 there have been 16 new lounges open and many others remodeled or expanded. Below are some statistics on the overall landscape of lounges in the United States. 

Which states have the most airport lounges?

  1. California (49)
  2. New York (40)
  3. Texas (32)
  4. Florida (23)
  5. Virginia (16)
  6. Illinois (16)
  7. Hawaii (14)
  8. Georgia (13)
  9. Pennsylvania (10)
  10. New Jersey (10)

Lounges by Operator (Top 10)

  1. Delta Airlines - Sky Club (56)
  2. United Airlines - United Club (51)
  3. American Airlines - Admirals Club (42)
  4. The Club (21)
  5. Escape Lounge (14)
  6. American Express - Centurion Lounges (13)
  7. British Airways (11)
  8. Alaska Airlines (9)
  9. Lufthansa (6)
  10. Air France (6)

Note: there are also 53 USO and military lounges located at airports in United States.

Which U.S. airports have the most lounges?

  1. New York Kennedy - JFK (28)
  2. San Francisco, California - SFO (19)
  3. Los Angeles, California - LAX (17)
  4. Chicago, Illinois - ORD (16)
  5. Atlanta, Georgia - ATL (12)
  6. Houston, Texas - IAH (12)
  7. Dallas/Fort-Worth, Texas - DFW (12)
  8. Washington Dulles, Virginia - IAD (11)
  9. Honolulu, Hawaii - HNL (10)
  10. Newark, New Jersey - EWR (10)

Notable & New Lounges from 2023

  1. Capital One Lounge (DEN) - November
  2. American Airlines (DEN) - October
  3. Capital One Lounge (IAD) - September
  4. United Club (DEN) - September
  5. Delta Sky Club - Terminal E (BOS) - August
  6. Air Canada - Maple Leaf Lounge (SFO) - July
  7. Escape Lounge (SYR) - June
  8. Chase Sapphire Lounge (BOS) - May
  9. Centurion Lounge (SEA) - February
  10. Delta Sky Club (MCI) - February

My Favorite Lounges in 2023 (Top 10)

  1. Chase Sapphire Lounge (BOS)
  2. Plaza Premium Lounge (MCO)
  3. Delta Sky Club - Terminal E (BOS)
  4. Delta Sky Club - Terminal 3 (LAX)
  5. Delta Sky Club (AUS)
  6. Turkish Lounge - Concourse H (MIA)
  7. The Club (MSY)
  8. Centurion Lounge (MIA)
  9. Chase Sapphire Terrace (AUS)
  10. VIA VIP Club (HRL)

My Favorite Lounge Features in 2023

  1. Pop-up Ice Cream Sundae Bar - Delta Sky Club T3 (LAX)
  2. Order-to-Table service using a QR Code - The Club (LAS, MSY and BOS)
  3. Taproom with craft beer and locally inspired menus
  4. Sound Proof Pods (seen at Delta Sky Club BOS & LAX and The Club MSY)
  5. Outdoor Patios and Decks
  6. Grab-N-Go lounges for those connecting with short layovers
  7. Wellness options with massage and mediation rooms
  8. Lounges investing in fast Wi-Fi to give customers streaming and work options
  9. Lounge Access without membership (day pass)
  10. More power plugs including Portable Power Pods and USB-C charging

My Least Favorite Lounge Features

  1. People talking or listening to music on their speaker phone in a lounge.
  2. Charging for "Premium" Beer, example $5 for a bottle of Stella in a lounge.
  3. People taking their shoes off.
  4. People being rude to employees in lounges, not tipping, etc.
  5. Lounge operators cutting more and more access options to loyal members.

Upcoming Lounge Changes for 2024

  1. Basic Economy class fares will no longer be allowed access to Sky Clubs.
  2. Alaska Airlines lounge changes. No more fly any airline access and price increase.
  3. Chicago Midway getting their first ever lounge.
  4. Chase should be opening their Sapphire Lounge in Las Vegas (LAS) and more.
  5. Capital One should be opening more lounges.
  6. Centurion should be opening ATL and DCA lounges.

Closing Thoughts

There were several examples of airports that got their first ever lounges this year such as SYR and MCI. I have seen lounge overcrowding be an issue, compared to last year. I am looking forward to 2024 and seeing what operators bring to market. 

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