Airport lounge or railway waiting room? Have credit cards made lounges too accessible for aam aadmi? | Mint

Getting access to the airport lounge by using credit card (s) is quite simple and easy. Almost all credit cards by all the banks provide a limited access to the airport lounges across India. This is lauded by most credit card users who see this as an effective way that democratises access to airport lounges.

However, this has led to one collateral damage: Airport lounges have become way too accessible and crowded. Some even complain that they now look like a railway station because hundreds of thousands of credit card users find their way to lounge without having to pay. One user complains that one has to wait for as long as 45 minutes to be able to enter, while another one complains that he has to pull out half a dozen cards to gain an entry because access is becoming increasingly restricted.

Lounge or railway station?

One user that goes by the name of Walter Red wrote on his social media handle that airport lounges these days have been occupied by free loaded dehatis who pounce upon food like they have not eaten in a lifetime.

Another user, Amit Thadhani, a surgeon, wrote in the same post that it is becoming difficult to get into the lounge as they restrict to very few (credit) cards. “I pull out half a dozen cards sometimes and none of them are accepted,” he said.

Another user, Harsh Agarwal, lamented the long waiting outside the lounge because of easy access provided by credit cards. “There is always a waiting of 45 minutes in queue to get to Delhi T3 international lounge. I would rather spend time in food court than in waiting outside like free foodgrain ration shops,” he wrote.

One more user wrote that because of credit cards, lounges in India are not comfortable and luxurious. “The elite no longer go to the common lounges anymore,” wrote Rupam Phukan.

On the other hand, some users lauded the easy access to lounges provided by credit cards. One user that goes by the name of Kacker Singh said that there is nothing to crib about. It is a sign of prosperity.

Aishwarya Mudgil, wrote in her X post that although people tend to crib that airport lounges have become railway waiting rooms because of credit card offers but those who feel too elite can go to privy lounge, she recommended.

For the unversed, business class travellers are entitled to use privy lounges such as Encalm Prive Lounge at Delhi Airport Terminal whereas the regular users go to Encalm Lounge T3.

One user Kishore Kumar said that credit cards had democratised luxury for the poor and middle class..

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