Why Delta & United Should Add Reservations To Flagship Lounges

Intro

For clarity, I am not talking about the lounge itself, but their dining rooms…

Earlier today, I wrote a post about how people had to wait over 20 minutes to be allowed into the Delta One Lounge at JFK earlier last weekend. With premium lounges becoming busier and busier, thanks to United and Delta expanding, there have become wait times of well over an hour to grab a nice sit-down meal. 

Well, what if United & Delta Airlines added reservations, like Resy? Let me elaborate. 

My Scheme 

While this is obviously not implemented, I wanted to come up with my idea of how adding reservations will not only help frequent flyers but also help these two airlines turn over tables quicker. Here is what it would look like: 

• Polaris Lounges and Delta One Lounges would be eligible to pre-reserve 50% of the tables to passengers eligible for access. This means that those who either do not know about reservations or booked a last-minute ticket still have the ability to walk in. 

• Anywhere from 14 days to 6 hours prior to departure, you can pre-select your preferred meal time through the app. Say your flight is at 6:50, you can reserve a table for 5 pm at the Polaris Lounge in Newark. 

• You can have the option for an “express meal,” which would allow you to be in and out in 30 minutes, a 3-course meal (45 minutes), or a casual meal (up to 1 hour). Maximum time would be 1 hour. 

• Additionally, if you choose the express meal, you can pre-order your food on the app as well with modifications. 

• Tables will be held for up to 5 minutes, and if you don’t show up with your full party, you will forfeit your table, allowing someone else to use it. 

• Those who are not tech savvy could reserve a table through the airline's phone number or Twitter (X) or perhaps a specified WhatsApp number…

Say this was the case at the Polaris Lounge in Newark, it would alleviate stress if done correctly...

Say, as an example, I have the following routing: 

United Houston-Newark landing at 2:30 pm 

United Newark-London departing at 5:55 pm

I think it would be a fantastic addition if I could request a reservation at 4 pm for a sit-down dinner at the Polaris Lounge. Of course, if my flight is delayed, the table will be forfeited, but at least if it’s not, I have some peace of mind that I will be able to grab some food. 

And the best part? It could all be done through the app. You know the main screen that says “view menu” and “change flight”, UA and DL could simply add “make a dinner reservation at our restaurant”. 

A Couple Of Drawbacks 

Maybe I have lost the plot (probably), but I also wanted to touch on a couple of drawbacks as to why this might not work out. Let me know if you have any more, but here are mine: 

• Customer complaints. With half of the tables being reserved, customers who are re-booked or simply didn’t know, have more limited options for seating. 

• Yes, some customers are not tech-savvy. Unfortunately, technology has come a long way, and even my mum might not be able to figure this out 😅 as she has to call me to find out how to switch on the tele. 

• It adds extra work for the staff in these lounges. Having to rush around, arrange tables for who’s coming, and possibly preparing food orders in advance could create a disaster. 

Imagine knowing you'll have a nice meal before boarding a 16-hour flight...

But let me know, what do you think about this concept. 

Final Thoughts

Having had to wait for over 90 minutes to get a table at the Polaris Lounge, and over 60 minutes at the Delta One Lounge before, I was wondering: what if Delta and United both implemented dinner/lunch reservations through their app? Personally, I would love to see this addition, but I sadly don’t think it will come to fruition for a while.