Airport Lounges Just For Singles—A Boarding Pass, A Cover Charge, And A Chance At Finding Love

A traveler wants major airports to open lounges just for single people: pay to get in, meet other singles, and skip the guessing about whether someone wants to be approached. The comments immediately went to (a) married men and (b) Minute Suites. I don’t think the idea is crazy. A boarding pass, TSA screening and lounge access already do some pre-qualifying of potential dates and mates. Add people going to a location where everyone’s signaling they’re open to meeting someone solves the coordination problem. I wonder if it would make more sense to test it inside an existing lounge rather than signing an airport lease for a singles club though. Professional pickleball player Shelby Bates lays out the proposal in an Instagram reel tagged at Atlanta’s airport. She names New York JFK, Atlanta and Los Angeles, proposes an admission fee, and suggests activities, a communal table, speed dating and televisions showing sports (so you already know what team someone likes before making an approach). There needs to be a lounge for single people. A fee to get in. You’re going in there with the mindset that you’re single. Everyone else in there is single. People can approach you, talk to you. She figures she needs to get in touch with an airport CEO. Watch Shelby Bates propose airport lounges for singles But Will The Men Even Be Single Or Just Take Off Their Wedding Bands? Some people love the idea. Others point out that a person can be flying alone without being single, or that the person you meet may live 2,000 miles away – airports are optimizing for long distance relationships. Then there are these: @mauriciopaiz: “Just spent the night in ATL… they should promote the minute suites a bit more 😂” @chinedumikwuakor: “Just gonna be a bunch of married people in that mix lol.” @motobecanegt: “ ‘So, where do you live?’ ‘2000 miles away from you.’ ‘Oooh, we should date.’ ” @mikelyonsphotography: “They are there, it’s called… ‘United Club’.” He then offers to meet her at an airport that weekend. @taliafvr92: “Ugh no!!! I love being single and left alone in the lounge” There’s Already Some Sorting Happening I’ve written about airport lounges and PreCheck as filters for potential dates. A staffed public venue behind security, with cameras and airport police available, has advantages for a first meeting. Travelers have been screened for weapons. Flying and paying for lounge access also let you infer someone’s resources. It’s imperfect information. And a security checkpoint doesn’t get you a full background check (PreCheck is at least going to cover many offenses). Priority Pass would be an interesting addition. If the lounge was accessible that way, it would attract guests whose cards cover their visits. Then the premium credit card it’s attached to serves as a rough signal of creditworthiness (of course Priority Pass also sells memberships directly). The strongest filter would be wanting to meet someone. Earlier this year I wrote about a woman who got an Amex Platinum card to network with rich people in lounges and made “0 connections”. Everyone was eating, scrolling or sleeping. A designated singles space changes that expectation. People still get to decline an approach, and staff would need to deal with anyone who won’t take no for an answer. But you’re no longer trying to work out whether the person beside you wants to talk or finish a presentation. Most lounges might not have enough room, but what about the new 55,000 square foot United Club in Houston? Another benefit is that your flight departure serves as a natural end to that first conversation. Or, if things are going well, missing the flight adds real dramatic tension and a story to tell you grandchildren. People Have Been Trying This For Years Excluding couples and families shrinks the customer base for a lounge. That doesn’t kill the idea if enough people were uniquely motivated by the concept. The operator still needs enough compatible people present at the same time. Age, attraction, orientation, relationship goals and boarding times all winnow down the dating pool. The operator would need rent, buildout cash and a revenue share. They’d cover staffing and food costs. You’re going up against Chase, American Express, Capital One, Airport Dimensions, TAV Services and others bidding for the space. Priority Pass could help supply visits and revenue. But when entry is included with a card, some people will come for the food and drinks and not actually be open to date. People have been trying versions of this for years. In 2015, Lounger proposed matching travelers who had lounge guest privileges with people who wanted to join them. I’ve also covered AirDates, Wingman and the idea of selling introductions through seat assignments. Calls for designated singles lounges were turning up in New York Times airport romance coverage last year. In this reel’s comments, GateF8 showed up to promote its airport connection app. Bates said she’d try it on upcoming trips. I actually think an airport singles event in a lounge would be interesting just for the buzzworthy media coverage it could generate. It may be a collossally bad idea on an ongoing basis but as a one-off it’s surely worth the earned media. Topics on this page