With crowding becoming an increasingly big issue for airport lounges, we’ve seen the introduction of more creative lounge concepts. In particular, we’ve seen more grab & go lounges introduced, with the idea being that those short on time can grab a drink and snack, rather than sitting around a lounge for an extended period of time.
Along those lines, it looks like airport lounge operator Airport Dimensions (the operator behind “The Club” lounges) is joining the trend, and has opened its first own grab & go lounge in the United States.
Atlanta Airport gets new grab & go lounge concept
Airport Dimensions has recently opened Poppin at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which is the lounge operator’s first-ever grab & go lounge concept. Poppin is located next to The Club ATL, airside in Concourse F, on the mezzanine level.
It’s open daily from 11AM until 10PM, so it has much more limited hours than The Club. The lounge is accessible up to 2.5 hours before departure, and offers a variety of drinks and snacks, including sandwiches, salads, fruit, snacks, sweet treats, and ice cream, along with soft drinks, coffee, beer, and cider. Guests can take all of these options with them, and there’s also a limited amount of seating available.
Poppin is accessible with Priority Pass, so guests have the option of whether they’d like to visit The Club ATL or Poppin, though guests can only visit one or the other under the same Priority Pass membership.
Below you can find some pictures of the lounge. It definitely looks functional and not terribly high end, a bit like the public areas of a limited service property, but that’s of course fine for this kind of concept.
This is a huge value-add for Priority Pass members
Admittedly not all airport lounges are created equal, and there’s a big difference between first class lounges, business class lounges, Priority Pass lounges, etc.
Lounge access has been hugely democratized over the years, and in many ways, that’s a good thing. However, the core value proposition of lounges has also massively shifted as a result of this. As I see it, lounges used to be a quiet place to escape to, whether you want to relax or work. Nowadays lounges are often the most crowded places you’ll find in airports (and there are often even lines to get in), and they seem to be all about eating and drinking.
So while there are still lots of incredible lounges, your average Priority Pass lounge in the United States can be pretty grim. Quite frankly, nowadays if I’m traveling domestically, I’ll often just try to find a quiet place in the terminal where I can sit, as I find that to be more pleasant than being in an overcrowded lounge.
As I see it, these grab & go lounges give you the best of both worlds. Even if I’m not short on time, I’d rather grab a drink and a snack and find a quiet gate area, rather than spending an extended period of time in a crowded lounge, assuming I can even get in. I hope we see this concept spread.
In terms of economics, these lounges also seem like a win-win. Presumably these grab & go lounges can accommodate a lot more customers than standard facilities, given the pace at which people move through them. And the margins are still there, since the lounge operator is being paid for each person who visits the lounge.
Bottom line
Airport Dimensions has opened Poppin at Atlanta Airport, located immediately next to The Club ATL. The idea is that this is a grab & go lounge, where Priority Pass members can help themselves to drinks and snacks, as an alternative to the traditional lounge experience.
Given the current reality of airport lounges, which includes a lot of waitlists, I’d say these kinds of facilities are a huge positive, and I hope we see this spread.
What do you make of this grab & go Priority Pass concept? Would you like to see it expand?
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