How we rate lounges

Scores are editorial, 1 to 5

Every lounge is scored on a fixed set of metrics, each from 1 to 5, where 5 is the standard written next to the metric below. Scores are set by the Lounge Frog team; readers can't change them. A metric we haven't scored is left blank rather than guessed, and the page lists it under “Not yet rated”. A lounge with no shower suites has no shower score at all, instead of a low one.

On a rating grid, a bar turns amber at 3 and red at 2 or below, because the weak spots are usually what you're looking for.

The overall rating

A lounge's overall rating is the plain average of the metrics that have been scored, rounded to one decimal. There are no weights: Wi-Fi counts as much as food. It is never stored or adjusted by hand; it is worked out from the individual scores each time they are read. Next to it, each lounge page says how many metrics it was worked out from, so an average of three scores isn't mistaken for an average of fifteen.

Airports, terminals and airlines work the same way on their own metrics.

What a lounge is scored on

Seating & comfort

5 = plenty of comfortable seats, easy to find one

Quiet

5 = calm enough to work, read, or nap

Space

5 = never feels packed, even at peak

Food

5 = real meals, fresh and varied

Drinks & bar

5 = good pours, real selection, no nickel-and-diming

Coffee

5 = barista-made, not a push-button machine

Wi-Fi

5 = fast and reliable for video calls

Power outlets

5 = an outlet at every seat

Workspace

5 = desks, quiet rooms, phone booths

Showers

5 = clean, available without a long wait

Restrooms

5 = clean, plentiful, well kept

Cleanliness

5 = tables bussed fast, nothing sticky

Staff & service

5 = attentive, friendly, quick

Views & light

5 = tarmac views, natural light

Exclusivity

5 = premium-cabin or invitation only; no day passes or lounge networks

Exclusivity

Exclusivity measures how hard the door is to get through, not how nice the room is. 1 means anyone can walk up and buy a day pass; 2 means a lounge network that comes bundled with many credit cards, such as Priority Pass; 3 means one card issuer's lounge or one airline's paid club; 4 means a business-class ticket or alliance elite status; 5 means first class or invitation only.

A lounge is only as exclusive as its most open door, so the score follows the easiest way in. A first-class room that also takes a Priority Pass card scores like a Priority Pass lounge. Because it counts toward the overall rating like any other metric, a lounge that is easy to get into gives up a little overall for it.

Airports, terminals and airlines

Airports are scored on the whole journey through the building:

Security speed

5 = through the checkpoint in minutes, even at peak

Check-in & bag drop

5 = short lines, plenty of kiosks, quick bag drop

Baggage delivery

5 = bags on the belt by the time you reach it

Immigration & customs

5 = fast lanes, e-gates, no hour-long queues

Signage & wayfinding

5 = clear signs, easy to find your gate

Terminal transfers

5 = quick train or walk between terminals, airside

Ground transport

5 = rail link, easy taxis and rideshare pickup

Cleanliness

5 = spotless floors, restrooms, and seating

Food & drink

5 = real restaurants and good coffee, not just kiosks

Shopping

5 = useful shops, not only duty-free perfume

Wi-Fi

5 = free, fast, no captive-portal hassle

Seating

5 = comfortable seats with power, easy to find

Restrooms

5 = clean, plentiful, never a queue

Accessibility

5 = step-free routes, help easy to find

On-time departures

5 = flights rarely delayed by the airport itself

Terminals are scored on life past security:

Security speed

5 = through the checkpoint in minutes, even at peak

Check-in & bag drop

5 = short lines, plenty of kiosks, quick bag drop

Baggage delivery

5 = bags on the belt by the time you reach it

Walk to gates

5 = short walks, moving walkways where it's long

Signage & wayfinding

5 = clear signs, easy to find your gate

Cleanliness

5 = spotless floors, restrooms, and seating

Food & drink

5 = real restaurants and good coffee, not just kiosks

Shopping

5 = useful shops, not only duty-free perfume

Wi-Fi

5 = free, fast, no captive-portal hassle

Gate seating

5 = comfortable seats with power at every gate

Power outlets

5 = outlets and USB at most seats

Quiet

5 = no blaring announcements or gate-area chaos

Restrooms

5 = clean, plentiful, never a queue

Accessibility

5 = step-free routes, help easy to find

Airlines are scored on:

On-time performance

5 = arrives on schedule

Hospitality

5 = crew is friendly and attentive

Food & beverage

5 = quality meals and snacks

Drinks

5 = good selection, generous pours

Customer service

5 = answers the phone and fixes the problem

Rankings

The Top 100 lounges can be ranked by the overall rating or by any single metric. A lounge that hasn't been scored on the metric you rank by is left out rather than counted as zero. Ties go to the higher overall rating, then alphabetically. Lounges that have closed are left off the rankings. The airline rankings work the same way.

Who gets in

Each lounge lists the programs that admit you: lounge networks such as Priority Pass, airline clubs, alliance lounge access and card-issuer lounges. You can hold a program directly or through a credit card or airline status that includes it; the card, program and status pages show which cards and tiers unlock which programs. Where a program only works under a condition at one lounge (business class only, for example) the note is shown beside it, and where we know the lounge's guest rules they appear under “Bringing guests”.

A lounge with no programs listed has no network or club access on record, which usually means it is for premium cabins or by invitation. If you sign in and save your cards and statuses, lounges you can use are highlighted, by matching your saved memberships against these lists; nothing is checked with the lounge.

Access data is a guide, not a guarantee. Operators change their rules, sometimes without notice, and can turn people away when a lounge is full. Confirm with the airline, the lounge operator or your card issuer before you rely on it, as our terms say.

Opening hours and closures

Hours are recorded per lounge and shown in the lounge's local time zone, which is also what the “open now” badge checks against.

When a lounge shuts for good we record the date rather than deleting it, so a link to it still explains what happened. A closure announced ahead of time shows as “Closing” with its date; once the date arrives the page says “Closed”, the lounge drops off the rankings and out of “go here instead” suggestions, and its structured data marks it permanently closed. Its old scores stay on its own page as a record.

Reader reviews are separate

Signed-in readers can leave one review per lounge, airport, terminal or airline: a 1–5 star rating with an optional write-up, which they can change later. Reviews are shown in their own section with their own average, and they never change the editorial scores above.

The star rating search engines see for a page comes only from reader reviews. Our own scores are never presented as a review average, and a page with no reviews claims no star rating.

Photos

Photos are added by the Lounge Frog team. Each is credited under the photo to where it came from, linked to the source page when we have it. Signed-in readers vote on them, and the best-voted photo becomes the one shown in listings. If a photo is yours and the credit is wrong, report it on that page or email us.

Reporting an error

Every lounge, airport, terminal and airline page has a “Report an error” button near the top. Pick what's wrong from a short list (for a lounge: hours, who gets in, location, a closure, amenities or something else), say what the right information is, and send it. No account is needed. If you're signed in, your name is attached so we can follow up.

Corrections

Each report goes into a queue that the team works through oldest first. When a report checks out we correct the page itself, including the scores, access list, hours or closure date, and mark the report resolved. You can also send corrections to founder@loungefrog.com.

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