Almost all airline and airport lounges closed when the pandemic hit in early 2020. Now people are slowly returning to air travel, and airport services, including lounges, are reopening to meet travelers’ needs. Airlines and other lounge operators such as American Express Centurion Lounges have welcomed guests back with limited services. Today, Minute Suites announced that several of its airport lounges are fully reopening.
For me, and I think many other frequent travelers in the U.S., Minute Suites are one of the best innovations of the last decade. Minute Suites provides private rooms inside security at select airports where travelers can nap, relax or work before their flight or during long layovers and delays.
In 2009, Minute Suites opened its first location at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport. Minute Suites has grown to eight locations with two sites at Dallas/Forth Worth, TX, two at Charlotte-Douglas International in Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia International. Minute Suites at Dallas/Fort Worth, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Philadelphia are now open. Baltimore/Washington International opens on October 1, 2020, and Nashville International Airport, Nashville, TN opens November 1, 2020).
During long layovers and flight delays, Minute Suites give travelers a much needed place to rest and work in security and privacy. It beats the heck out of sleeping in airports, which has never been pleasant the times when I’ve had to or chosen to do it.
Minutes Suites rooms contain a sofa that transforms into a bed that sleeps two, fresh pillows and blanket, a sound masking system, dimmable lighting, and a thermostat for individual environmental control.
Rooms also include a TV with Direct TV, Netflix, WiFi, and a workstation.
Suites are booked with a one-hour minimum followed by 15-minute increments. An eight-hour day rate and a flat overnight rate are also available. Showers are booked separately in 30-minute increments with special pricing for guests renting a suite in addition to a shower. Advanced booking is recommended when possible and reservations can be made online with the Minute Suites Mobile app.
This is the current price list.
Rates are steep. Priority Pass membership, which comes with several premium credit cards like chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Platinum, takes away some of the sting. The first hour is free for Priority Pass Members. Each additional hour costs $28.
For an overnight layover, I will spend most of the time in the terminal and use the free Priority Pass hour along with a purchased hour or two to sleep. Dallas/Fort Worth and Charlotte are great because each has two Minute Suite locations. That means two free Priority Pass hours.
Buying one or two additional hours turns an overnight layover ordeal into a fairly comfortable and inexpensive pleasure. Shelling out $56 or so is more than worth it for the convenience of remaining in the airport post security rather than travelling to a hotel, paying an overnight rate for a few hours of rest, and a zero-dark-thirty wake up and trip back to the airport.
Final Thoughts
I welcome the reopening of Minute Suites and its current plans to double the number of airports it serves in the U.S. I’m not quite ready to get on a plane, but reopening lounges and blocked middle seats make it tempting. Plus I now have a germicidal ultraviolet light to increase my confidence in avoiding the virus during travel.
Salsaworldtraveler'sblog 
I’ve never heard of these, but I noticed there is one in Philly. I may have to walk past it to check it out next time at the airport. You think for $45 they would throw in a beer or two… 🙂
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Or maybe even a single-malt scotch! The free hour with Priority Pass and reduced rates helps some although there have been times on layovers when I would have gladly paid the going rate for an hour or two of rest and privacy in the terminal.
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I’ve never had a particularly long layover; I think the longest was 3-4 hours once. And I was able tp spend that time just wandering around the airport,
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Wandering around an airport is a very good way to pass the time. I’ll also spend time in a lounge when they are open. The Minute Suites at PHL came in very handy on one occasion.
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wandering is good exercise and a nice way to explore the airport…
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Walking around airports is good preparation for my mall-walking days.
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we did a lot of mall walking in Singapore – they are everywhere!
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Brilliant idea, but, yes, rates are steep. Thanks so much for your informative post.
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Priority Pass really helps keep costs down. On a long layover I find two or three hours of privacy and rest is enough to tide me over until I can sleep on the plane. The rest of the time I try to find ways to pass the time in the terminal.
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