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A Visit to the Only Airport Lounge in BWI

a room with tables and chairs

My mileage run last weekend had me flying out of BWI for the first time in probably a decade. It felt a little funny that one of my nearest airports was less familiar to me than, say, the Omaha Airport. As I was doing some research to see if they had a TSA pre-check lane (they did), I also saw there was only one airport lounge – the Airspace Lounge — and that Jeanne had been pretty happy with her experience awhile ago.

Fortunately admission is free for American Express Platinum and Centurion card holders and up to two guests (I guess my card isn’t totally worthless for lounge access). I was intrigued by their pricing structure though. It’s $20, but prices go up during peak times in line with demand. US Military get discounted entry, as do arriving red-eye passengers (who also get a free shower and clothes pressing).

a white and black information

On Foursquare, one of the tips from 2011 indicated members of other airline lounges can show their membership cards to get a $3 discount, but no idea if that’s still valid. Admission comes with a $7 credit which can be used towards food or premium beverages – enough to cover to make most items free.

a white card on a wood surface

The card also gets you entrance to any of the three lounges in Baltimore, Cleveland, and JFK Terminal 5 for the date of purchase.

So now that the details are covered, I can get to my experience.

a sliding glass door in a room

The Lounge is located in Terminal D, right next to the Dunkin Donuts. They have kiosks immediately in the entrance to purchase admission, but they were out of service while I was there. No big deal since there were only about 5 other people in the lounge at 5:30AM and the space was small enough the attendant had no problem handling the desk and food/beverage orders.

a room with tables and chairs

It was quiet and brightly lit. The tables and couches don’t have many electrical outlets located near them, but there is a 2 sided counter with lots of places to plug in.

I snagged a free mug of Peet’s coffee (though I liked the compact soda dispenser) and headed for a table to peruse the menu.

a coffee maker and coffee beans on a counter

a machine with a drink dispenser

They had a fairly wide range of appealing snack items and a decent lineup of wine, beer, and liquor (particularly for an airport lounge).

a menu of a restaurant a menu of wine and wine a menu of a beverage a menu with black text and blue text

I noticed that food could be purchased to go, and since I wasn’t quite hungry yet I asked for the Breakfast sandwich. 10 minutes later it was brought to me in a cute paper bag with a complimentary mini bottle of water and napkins.

a white bag with blue text

a bag of food and a bottle

At this point it was time to board, so I grabbed a cup of tea to go this time and headed out. During the 30 minutes I was there about 3 or 4 more people wandered in and out, so it stayed quiet and spacious feeling. If it gets as busy as other airline lounges during peak times though, it will definitely feel crowded!

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4 Comments

  1. This is not the only lounge at BWI. There is another lounge in the international terminal at BWI called the British Airways Chesapeake Club Lounge. It is located immediately after the TSA security screening area on the left hand side.

    1. Good catch, you’re correct! But for most of us the BA lounge won’t be an option — it’s only open 4:30PM-8:30PM and according to the British Airways and Priority Pass terms and conditions I saw when doing research, only for folks departing on international flights.

  2. I’m pretty sure there is no shower at the Airspace lounge. They give you an amenity kit to use at the sink.

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