Airport lounges: how did they get so horribly, competitively decadent?

The Guardian UK Monday 26 October 2026, 16:53 UTC By Guardian Staff 1 min read

Key Points

High-end cocktails, nap pods, waffle stations, tapas attendants, sashimi bars and brutalist art. The airlines’ battle to please the 1% is getting increasingly bizarreName: Airport lounge wars. Age: American Airlines opened the first airport lounge in 1939.

High-end cocktails, nap pods, waffle stations, tapas attendants, sashimi bars and brutalist art. The airlines’ battle to please the 1% is getting increasingly bizarre

Name: Airport lounge wars.

Age: American Airlines opened the first airport lounge in 1939.

American Airlines (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

Tottenham outcast Richarlison convicted of running red light in £60k sportscar Richarlison has been frozen out by manager Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham this season - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has received a court fine after being caught driving through a red light in his £60,000 Chevrolet sportscar. The 29-year-old Brazilian striker was recorded by a camera mounted on the A41 in Hendon, north...

The Independent UK 16m ago

Trump administration illegally fired Maurene Comey, who led Epstein prosecution, judge rules

Trump administration illegally fired Maurene Comey, who led Epstein prosecution, judge rules Maurene Comey is the daughter of former FBI boss James Comey - someone who Donald Trump has long viewed as an enemy The Trump administration illegally fired Maurene Comey, who led the Epstein prosecution, from her job as a federal prosecutor in New York, a federal judge has ruled. Maurene Comey, who was an assistant US attorney for a decade, was illegally fired in July 2025 despite her work on some...

Daily Mirror 17m ago

The regime change we need for Thames Water | Letters

Terry Barker says nationalisation changes who owns the shares, it does not change the rules, while James Wallace says the powers to intervene already exist. Plus a letter from Philip ClaytonAndy Burnham’s instruction to officials to look at all options for Thames Water and not feel constrained (Burnham urges officials to come up with more radical options for Thames Water, 19 October) is welcome, but the options will fail unless they answer the right question. Thames Water is not ill-regulated.

The Guardian UK 17m ago

Bigger does not always mean better in hospital care | Letter

For some medics, working at a large centre means for the same pay you don’t have to work so hard, writes Dr Paul GodwinThe closure of maternity units is always a temptation when the NHS runs into staffing problems, largely of its own making (Up to 20 maternity units in England may have to shut, NHS leader warns, 19 October).In my area the quality of care has already been called into question at the largest local unit, and directing mothers to chance their luck there seems to be an undeserved...

The Guardian UK 17m ago

Airport lounges: how did they get so horribly, competitively decadent?

Related Stories

Tottenham outcast Richarlison convicted of running red light in £60k sportscar

Trump administration illegally fired Maurene Comey, who led Epstein prosecution, judge rules

The regime change we need for Thames Water | Letters

Bigger does not always mean better in hospital care | Letter