Who Needs Club Lounges When You Can Have a Gate Area Like This

There’s a new look coming to a gate near you, if you’re lucky. My friend could not wait to tell me about her experience flying out of Minneapolis’ Lindbergh terminal last weekend. And after seeing her pictures, I could understand why.

To get to her gate, she had to walk through a store. But not just any store – it’s like walking through a brand new Wegmans or Whole Foods. It used to be a hallway, but now it’s the equivalent of multiple airport shops all laid out in one attractive area.

There’s a produce section stocked with fresh mounds of produce. There’s a salad bar.

Soda machines

And unbelievably, dozens of local beers and varieties of water. I don’t even have that selection in my local grocery store.

My favorite though? The wine dispensers.

There’s an electronics section, there’s the usual books and magazines.

There’s even a fun travel themed area from which my friend generously got me an Flight 001 amenity travel kit.

And once you’ve made your purchase, you can eat in the gate area in attractive surroundings.

Or browse on public ipads for free.

OTG is the group responsible for the redesigns, currently only available at JFK, LGA, and MSP. But if more airports start looking like this, I won’t need club membership at all. Yes I like free drinks & snacks, but much of what I like about the lounge is nice surroundings (which wouldn’t explain why I have a United Club membership) and comfortable seating.

—————–

What did you think of this post? Give us a +1 below or leave a comment!

And don’t miss out on any of our adventures and tips. Get instant updates via e-mail or RSS Feed and follow us on twitter and Facebook.

Heels First is the travels and tribulations of two twenty-something frequent fliers jumping into the world of travel. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.

Related Posts:

• MSP Layover Idea: Fresh Tacos at Minnehaha Falls