Airport Lounges Are More Numerous, Increasingly Opulent And Often Overcrowded

Airport lounges are now an essential part of travel. Virtually every major airline opened clubs around the world in the mid-1970s. The battle continues today. But access can cost as much as $845 a year and once peaceful retreats often are crowded. Today, travelers are confronted with an often confusing array of airline-operated lounges and credit card/bank-owned sanctuaries, plus independent operators, all with varying admission rules and levels of luxury.

The Circus came to Georgia. Did travel & hospitality businesses benefit?

 By Amanda Morris In a year that has seen empty hotel lobbies, “For Lease” signs covering travel agency windows and cash-strapped airlines offering deep discounts, Georgia’s tourism economy is getting a brief boost from the hoopla attending the runoff for the state’s two Senate seats. Past political campaigns featured soft-palmed candidates shaking hands and exhorting…