From Paris to Sydney, these amazing airport lounges offer gourmet restaurants, relaxing spas, and more.

Forget fluorescent lighting, stale buffet food, and spotty Wi-Fi. These days, the best airport lounges feature amenities like yoga studios, detox bars, spa treatments, and dining rooms with menus by celebrity chefs. Of course, you generally have to pay for the privilege of luxuriating in these wonderful way stations by flying business or first class. But some premium credit cards will also grant you access. Here are 13 of the world’s best airport lounges, and how you can get into them.

Some of these lounges might be closed at the moment, but all are expected to reopen. Before any intended visit, be sure to check with your airline about what facilities and amenities are available, and what cleaning and health protocols are in place.

Air France La Première Lounge, Paris

Air France’s La Première first-class cabin is one of the most fashionable flying experiences in the world, and the airline’s ground game is très chic, too. The airline reopened its flagship first-class lounge at Charles de Gaulle in May after an extensive refurbishment that included freshening up the cozy cocktail bar to be brighter and more inviting, adding semi-private relaxation areas and installing new pieces of art. Fliers can still expect cuisine created by star chef Alain Ducasse in the dining room.

Hopefully, the Biologique Recherche spa treatments will resume soon, too.

Access: If you’re one of the lucky few departing or connecting in Paris in Air France’s La Première cabin, you’re golden. You can also purchase access if you’re departing on a long-haul Air France or Delta flight that’s not equipped with La Première cabins for 500 euros ($600), or 75,000 of the airline’s Flying Blue frequent flier miles, per person.

American Airlines Flagship First Dining

Although they are currently closed due to COVID-19, American Airlines fields its most exclusive lounges, Flagship First Dining venues, at its hubs in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York JFK. Once inside, guests are seated at their own individual tables and can order from gourmet menus that might include seasonal dishes such as roasted beet and burrata salad, or free-range beef tenderloin with peppercorn crust and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. The airline also typically serves Krug Champagne along with other premium vintages from France and the U.S., as well as handcrafted cocktails.

Access: Getting into a Flagship First Dining lounge requires passengers to be traveling in the airline’s first-class cabin on international routes, or one of its transcontinental flights in a three-cabin plane (meaning, economy, business, and first class). The Miami location is set to reopen in September, with the others to follow.

American Express Centurion Lounges

American Express has been steadily expanding its network of chic Centurion Lounges, even opening new locations throughout the pandemic in airports like New York JFK and Charlotte. It will soon count 40 locations, including both Centurion Lounges and freshly rebranded Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner (read: smaller outposts with fewer amenities) around the world. Although the services and facilities vary from lounge to lounge, guests can expect consistent touches across the network, including place-specific décor and installations by local artists, fine-dining menus created by up-and-coming regional chefs, and both signature cocktails as well as more unique options like Napa wines in San Francisco and Colorado microbrews in Denver.

The new flight from Newark Airport will start on Dec. 12.

Air France is adding a flight from the New York area in December, increasing its service to Paris just in time for the holidays.

The carrier will kick off a new flight to Newark Liberty International Airport from Paris-Charles de Gaulle on Dec. 12, Air France shared with Travel + Leisure on Thursday. The flight will mark the return of Air France to Newark for the first time since 2012.

“As the leading airline on the Paris-New York route, Air France is continuing to increase its capacity between the two regions,” the airline said in a statement shared

The new non-stop flight will be flown daily and year-round on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Each flight will seat 280 people, including 40 in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 216 in economy, and be equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi.

The route will be in addition to the six daily flights Air France currently flies between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The new flight will also be Air France’s 18th destination in North America this winter.

The new flight will leave Paris at 12:30 p.m., and arrive at 3 p.m., local time. It will then leave Newark at 5:05 p.m. and arrive in Paris at 6:05 a.m. the next day.

Earlier this year, Air France restored several flights between the United States and Paris, including from Denver, Dallas, and between JFK and Paris Orly International Airport.

In France, the airline has opened a “La Première Sisley Beauty Institute” for passengers leaving Charles de Gaulle airport, which focuses on skin rehydration, tightening, and stress relief before a flight.

And while on board, business class passengers are treated to some seriously good food thanks to Michelin-starred menus created by French chefs (think: braised beef with potato mousseline and roast chicken with spelt risotto).

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.

Starting June 5, Southwest will fly once each day between Maui and Kauai.

Southwest Airlines is introducing several new routes this summer, including a new service between two popular Hawaiian islands.

Starting June 5, the carrier will fly once each day between Maui and Kauai, according to the airline. This new flight is in addition to Southwest’s already existing interisland flights between Oahu and Maui, Oahu and both Hilo and Kona on the Island of Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai, and Kona and Maui.

Southwest, which began flying between Hawaii’s islands in 2019, is also increasing the frequency of its other Hawaiian routes.

“For a gamut of travelers seeking business opportunity, faraway fun, or family time, these new routes and additional flights put the Hospitality and value of Southwest Airlines in front of more of our Customers,” Andrew Watterson, the executive vice president, and chief commercial officer at Southwest, said in a statement. “We recently extended our flight schedule to early November, and we’re making available new service sooner for planning early summertime journeys.”

In addition to Hawaii, Southwest will add two more new routes: between San Jose, Calif., and Eugene, Ore., and between Sacramento and Santa Barbara in California. Each route will begin June 5 and be scheduled once per day.

Southwest will also increase the frequency it offers on several routes throughout California — including from San Jose and between San Diego and Sacramento, San Jose, and Oakland — as well as to Havana, Cuba, from both Fort Lauderdale and Tampa in Florida.

Southwest’s new routes come just weeks after the airline introduced a new fare class: Wanna Get Away Plus. The new fare will enable travelers to make same-day changes as well as transfer eligible unused flight credits to someone else for future use.

Hawaii ended its Safe Travels program last month, waiving all vaccination and testing requirements for domestic travelers and making it as easy to visit as before the pandemic.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.

The routes will start in November and December.

Alaska Airlines will launch three new routes this fall and winter — just in time for the holiday travel season.

Starting on Nov. 17, the airline will launch daily, year-round nonstop service from Portland, OR to Miami. With the new route, Alaska Airlines will fly nonstop to Miami from two cities after it first introduced service from Seattle last year.

In total, the carrier will now serve four cities in Florida from Portland with Miami joining Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa.Starting on Nov. 17, the airline will launch daily, year-round nonstop service from Portland, OR to Miami. With the new route, Alaska Airlines will fly nonstop to Miami from two cities after it first introduced service from Seattle last year.

In total, the carrier will now serve four cities in Florida from Portland with Miami joining Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa.


Then on Dec. 14, the airline will add service from Palm Springs to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport as well as service from San Luis Obispo to Las Vegas.

“We believe our guests are going to love these new nonstops,” Kirsten Amrine, the vice president of revenue management and network planning for Alaska Airlines, said in a statement. “We continue to see strong demand by travelers who want to go to leisure destinations and are already planning trips for next year. We’re especially excited to launch a new coast-to-coast route in Portland, which is a key hub for us. Miami is the largest underserved city from Portland and vice versa, so plenty of flyers are ready to travel between the Rose City and South Florida.”

The new flights between California and New York will be operated on a seasonal basis with a morning departure from New York (so travelers can get there in time to soak up all that Cali sun).

The new flight between California and Las Vegas will operate daily. From San Luis Obispo, the airline also flies nonstop to San Diego, Portland, and Seattle.

In addition to the newly-announced routes, Alaska launched daily nonstop flights between San Diego and both Washington, D.C. and Eugene, OR, this week. And on Oct. 5, the carrier will launch daily nonstop flights between San Diego and Tampa.

Alaska Airlines makes travel more affordable by allowing customers to earn miles for money they spend on Lyft rides in the U.S. and Canada. However, the carrier also limits access to its airport lounges for passengers booked on a first class ticket based on how far they are traveling.

Alaska also offers a flight pass, which the airline first launched last year and has since expanded, that allows travelers to book six, 12, or 24 flights per year at a fixed monthly rate.

Routes to Colombia and Peru will be launching just in time for holiday travel.

It will soon be easier and faster to fly throughout South America from the U.S.

Delta Air Lines announced new flights to Colombia — in partnership with LATAM Airlines — in time for the holiday travel season, the airline shared with Travel + Leisure on Friday. For the first time, passengers will have daily service between Miami and Medellín on LATAM Airlines. LATAM will also launch new service between Atlanta and Lima, Peru.

Delta will fly from Miami to Medellín via LATAM and from Atlanta to Lima on a daily basis. Additionally the airline will fly from Atlanta to Lima, Cartegena, and Bogota several times a week.

The new Miami to Medellín service begins on October 29, and the new Atlanta to Cartagena service begins on December 22. Delta previously announced flights from Orlando to Bogota beginning on July 1, Los Angeles to Sao Paulo on August 1, and New York (JFK) to Rio de Janeiro starting on December 16.

“The mission of Delta and the LATAM group’s partnership is to make travel between our Joint Venture markets in North and South America easier and more enjoyable, and to bring the continents closer than ever,” Delta’s Vice President for Latin America Alex Antilla said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure.

Delta Air Lines announced new flights to Colombia — in partnership with LATAM Airlines — in time for the holiday travel season, the airline shared with Travel + Leisure on Friday. For the first time, passengers will have daily service between Miami and Medellín on LATAM Airlines. LATAM will also launch new service between Atlanta and Lima, Peru.


Delta will fly from Miami to Medellín via LATAM and from Atlanta to Lima on a daily basis. Additionally the airline will fly from Atlanta to Lima, Cartegena, and Bogota several times a week.

The new Miami to Medellín service begins on October 29, and the new Atlanta to Cartagena service begins on December 22. Delta previously announced flights from Orlando to Bogota beginning on July 1, Los Angeles to Sao Paulo on August 1, and New York (JFK) to Rio de Janeiro starting on December 16.

“The mission of Delta and the LATAM group’s partnership is to make travel between our Joint Venture markets in North and South America easier and more enjoyable, and to bring the continents closer than ever,” Delta’s Vice President for Latin America Alex Antilla said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure.



Another perk for Delta’s frequent flyers when flying on LATAM is that they will have access to all of their same elite benefits such as earning SkyMiles, priority boarding, lounge access, and extra baggage when using these new partner flights.

LATAM Airlines was formed in 2016 after the merger of LAN Airlines and TAM airlines. The combined group offers air services throughout South America, with a focus on Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and more. LATAM was recently voted “The Best Seat Comfort” and the “Best Food & Beverage” in South America in the 2023 APEX Passenger Choice Awards.

In 2022, there were 963 million international tourist arrivals worldwide.

That’s 963 million opportunities for the travel industry to be a positive influence and drive transformative change. More specifically, that’s 963 million chances to increase knowledge about the realities of the climate crisis in vivid and unforgettable ways and inspire dedication to protecting the planet and fighting for climate action.

If you spend any amount of time searching online for travel experiences designed to provide education specifically about climate change, there continues to be an underwhelming amount of information and options.

But at least a handful of thoughtful travel companies and tour operators in business today have begun crafting tours that integrate first-hand education or exposure to the environmental challenges unfolding worldwide as global temperatures warm and weather patterns the world over make dramatic shifts.

From journeys that bring travelers to Iceland to witness and learn first-hand about glaciers that are rapidly retreating in the face of warming temperatures to citizen science projects that allow travelers to participate in research and data collection about the changing planet, to itineraries that include traveling alongside educators, scientists, and individuals with Ph.D.s, here are some of the emerging ways travel companies are shining a light on the serious challenges facing the planet in an attempt to inspire climate action.

1.Earth Watch, Climate Change in the Mackenzie Mountains

Earthwatch offers an inspiring number of thoughtfully designed tours that delve deep into the climate crisis. From the Climate Change at the Arctic’s Edge tour to the Climate Change: Sea to Trees at Acadia National Park trip, and Climate Change in the Mackenzie Mountains, Earth Watch provides a unique variety of ways to engage in thoughtful travels alongside scientists and Ph.D.s in order to learn more about our fragile planet. The company also offers tours focused on ocean health, and wildlife and ecosystems.

Its 11-day Mackenzie Mountains tour in particular, takes travelers to the majestic Mackenzie Mountains, a range that forms the border between Canada’s Northwest Territories and the Yukon. An area that’s on the front line of climate change, participants will use sophisticated equipment to collect data about permafrost and soil—work that helps reveal global-warming-related changes in the region. Additional activities include monitoring the status of the tree line, and record information on native plant species, says the company’s website.

There will also be time spent observing native mammals and birds in this striking and beautiful region. And here too, there’s a climate change-related purpose: travelers will record when and where animals are spotted and how many are observed. By helping researchers learn all they can about this fragile environment now, travelers will be helping to preserve it for the future, says the company’s website.

2.Global Family Travels, Immerse in Iceland’s Dynamic Geology: A Transformative Adventure to Inspire Climate Change Action

A trailblazer when it comes to crafting trips designed to illuminate the challenges unfolding around the world, Global Family Travels offers an immersive, living science experience in Iceland.

The nine-night trip provides the opportunity to explore the beauty of Iceland’s landscape and learn about how climate change has impacted the country’s geography, how warming ocean temperatures are threatening some local wildlife and of course, take an up-close look at the heartbreaking retreat of glaciers.

That’s 963 million opportunities for the travel industry to be a positive influence and drive transformative change. More specifically, that’s 963 million chances to increase knowledge about the realities of the climate crisis in vivid and unforgettable ways and inspire dedication to protecting the planet and fighting for climate action.

If you spend any amount of time searching online for travel experiences designed to provide education specifically about climate change, there continues to be an underwhelming amount of information and options.

But at least a handful of thoughtful travel companies and tour operators in business today have begun crafting tours that integrate first-hand education or exposure to the environmental challenges unfolding worldwide as global temperatures warm and weather patterns the world over make dramatic shifts.

From journeys that bring travelers to Iceland to witness and learn first-hand about glaciers that are rapidly retreating in the face of warming temperatures to citizen science projects that allow travelers to participate in research and data collection about the changing planet, to itineraries that include traveling alongside educators, scientists, and individuals with Ph.D.s, here are some of the emerging ways travel companies are shining a light on the serious challenges facing the planet in an attempt to inspire climate action.

1.Earth Watch, Climate Change in the Mackenzie Mountains
Earthwatch offers an inspiring number of thoughtfully designed tours that delve deep into the climate crisis. From the Climate Change at the Arctic’s Edge tour to the Climate Change: Sea to Trees at Acadia National Park trip, and Climate Change in the Mackenzie Mountains, Earth Watch provides a unique variety of ways to engage in thoughtful travels alongside scientists and Ph.D.s in order to learn more about our fragile planet. The company also offers tours focused on ocean health, and wildlife and ecosystems.

Its 11-day Mackenzie Mountains tour in particular, takes travelers to the majestic Mackenzie Mountains, a range that forms the border between Canada’s Northwest Territories and the Yukon. An area that’s on the front line of climate change, participants will use sophisticated equipment to collect data about permafrost and soil—work that helps reveal global-warming-related changes in the region. Additional activities include monitoring the status of the tree line, and record information on native plant species, says the company’s website.

There will also be time spent observing native mammals and birds in this striking and beautiful region. And here too, there’s a climate change-related purpose: travelers will record when and where animals are spotted and how many are observed. By helping researchers learn all they can about this fragile environment now, travelers will be helping to preserve it for the future, says the company’s website.


Glacier in Iceland – Blue icebergs floating in the lagoon
Glacier in Iceland – Blue icebergs floating in the lagoon (Photo Credit: Getty/ LeoPatrizi)

2.Global Family Travels, Immerse in Iceland’s Dynamic Geology: A Transformative Adventure to Inspire Climate Change Action
A trailblazer when it comes to crafting trips designed to illuminate the challenges unfolding around the world, Global Family Travels offers an immersive, living science experience in Iceland.

The nine-night trip provides the opportunity to explore the beauty of Iceland’s landscape and learn about how climate change has impacted the country’s geography, how warming ocean temperatures are threatening some local wildlife and of course, take an up-close look at the heartbreaking retreat of glaciers.


“From beginning to end, this new trip to Iceland (which is appropriate for travelers from 8 to 80
years old) was created to educate participants about our changing climate and inspire them to
take up the cause, spreading the critical message about the need to protect this planet we call
home,” says Global Family Travels founder and CEO Jennifer Spatz.

Want to learn more? Read the company’s blog about the trip. There’s also an informational webinar that provides more details about this impactful itinerary.

“By the time you leave Iceland you will truly know the impacts of climate change, how to treat the environment in a sustainable way and hopefully have some ideas about what you personally can do to minimize your impact and help mitigate climate change,” says Spatz.