Alaska Lounge ranked second-worst airport lounge in U.S., study finds
Dec 11, 2025, 11:46 AM
The Alaska Airlines logo is displayed as travelers stand at a check-in area. (Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images)
(Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images)
The Alaska Airlines “Alaska Lounge” was ranked by J.D. Power as one of the worst airport lounges in the U.S. on Wednesday.
Among a list of several other high-profile lounges, the Alaska Lounge was ranked as the second-worst in the country, just a few points lower than the study average, J.D. Power announced.
“Airport lounges have become so popular that many airports are now starting to mimic their designs and layouts in their public terminal areas,” Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality, and retail at J.D. Power, said. “Lounges are clearly resonating with travelers, as expanded access through credit card perks and other non-status-related offers has fueled demand, bringing with it the unfortunate side effect of increased crowding. This is driving the demand for additional lounge space within airport terminals.”
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Reasoning behind Alaska Lounge’s poor ranking
On a 1,000-point scale, the Alaska Lounge received a score of 748 that was based on responses gathered from nearly 1,500 travelers who visited a U.S. airport lounge in the past year.
Various customer satisfaction factors contributed to the rankings, including value of experience, staff, food and beverage, cleanliness, amenities, ease of accessing the lounge, ambiance, and Wi-Fi service.
J.D. Power did not reveal the specifics for how the Alaska Lounge fared in each category, although it did note that the most popular amenities for a lounge are its food and beverage selections.
The list of the best U.S. airport lounges based on overall customer satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale:
- American Express Centurion Lounge: 782
- Capital One Lounge: 773
- Delta Sky Lounge: 773
- Chase Sapphire Lounge: 771
- Study Average: 758
- American Airlines Admirals Club: 753
- Alaska Lounge: 748
- United Club: 705
J.D. Power noted nearly half of the customers surveyed revealed that they now plan their route selections based on access to their preferred airport lounge. Additionally, 82% of travelers surveyed said their airline preference is influenced by lounge access.
The study found that 56% of lounge customers spent between 31 and 60 minutes in an airport lounge. These guests’ overall satisfaction rose nearly 40 points when they spent at least 121 minutes in a lounge.
“One noteworthy trend airports will want to watch closely is the fact that 38% of lounge customers say they visited the airport lounge due to the high cost of food and beverage in the terminal,” J.D. Power stated.
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