Once, airlines' airport lounges were the province of the elite traveler. Hoi polloi had no access.
That's no longer true. If you carry a branded airline credit card, you sometimes will get a free pass, but there are other ways to sample the good life without paying huge fees for access or having to carry a premium credit card.
Big airlines have operated their own lounge networks since American opened the first Admirals Club in 1939, but independent lounges are a relatively new development in the United States. Among them:
American Express Centurion Lounge, www.