Just about a month ago, Bradley International Airport officially launched its highly-anticipated first nonstop trans-Atlantic Aer Lingus flight to Dublin, with a celebration featuring step dancers and free Guinness beer.
With the opening of its new Escape Lounge on Tuesday, the airport aims to provide another elevated option for its travelers, offering an all-inclusive experience for an entry fee of $45 that includes WiFi, unlimited food by a James Beard-award nominated local chef and unlimited beer, wine and liquor, with certain premium brands available for an extra charge.
Escape Lounge, designed and operated by U.K.-based Manchester Airports Group, is the second of its kind in the United States, following a similar concept at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport with another planned for Oakland Airport in November. The lounge is located in the East Concourse, at the entrance to gates 1 to 12.
The 55-seat space strives to provide a comfortable and quiet experience for pre-flight relaxation or work, with free high-speed internet and an abundance of power outlets, and a hot and cold buffet of small plates designed by Tyler Anderson, the chef-owner of Millwright's in Simsbury and the upcoming Cook and the Bear in West Hartford.
MAG's Anthony Tangorra, vice president/commercial, said the company sought to fill a need for a "common-use" lounge at Bradley International, whose Admiral's Club lounge provides access only to American Airlines or US Airways Club members and members of approved lounge partners. Any Bradley passenger can access the Escape Lounge by paying the entrance fee.
"We see a unique opportunity in the U.S.," he said. "[There are] many markets wher there's plenty of demand for airport lounges like this, but not a lot of supply. ... We don't compete with airlines; we tend to serve those customers who wouldn't have been served otherwise."
Tangorra said Bradley officials approached MAG about the possibility of a lounge space when the airport announced the Aer Lingus Dublin route in late 2015.
"Typically, trans-Atlantic airlines that offer business- or first-class cabins offer complimentary lounge access," he said. "There was supply/demand imbalance on that perspective as well." (Aer Lingus business-class ticket holders and Gold Circle members receive free access to Escape Lounge.)
"We have the ability to customize the experience based on everything that's in here," Tangorra said. "Our job is to sort of sit back and let the customer do what they like. We provide great service, but it's really laid back. Customers come in and feel free to graze, drink, work, be on their way."
The lounge opens at 5 a.m., serving breakfast to early-morning fliers, with options like oatmeal, breakfast biscuits, frittatas, French toast and bagels. Coffee is sourced from Giv in Canton, Tangorra said, and the lounge features a large super-automatic espresso machine for self-service, as well as French press pots.
Lunch and dinner buffet items, starting at 11:30 a.m., are inspired by Anderson's menus at Millwright's and Cook and the Bear, with selections like roasted carrot and quinoa salad, miniature servings of macaroni and cheese, turkey Waldorf sliders, smoked tomato soup with grilled cheese "croutons" and desserts: Mexican chocolate pudding with cinnamon whipped cream and lemon panna cotta with strawberry jam and sunflower seed granola. "We wanted the flavors to be very approachable," he said.
The airport-lounge format — and its tiny kitchen — is a new challenge for Anderson, but he liked the concept, he said.
"Food is getting better at airports nationwide." He said the culinary staff is dedicated to providing the freshest product possible, bringing out new items every hour.
Tangorra said the Bradley Escape is the first of MAG's American lounges to offer food in partnership with a locally known chef, and that the Minneapolis lounge would follow suit, along with future planned locations.
"What we try to do in terms of localization is partner with great hyperlocal chefs who bring, I think, the most meaningful element that there is," he said. "What affects the customer's experience is food and beverage."
Tangorra said he expected Escape Lounge to become a regular stop for business travelers accustomed to the lounge experience at other airports, but that MAG is looking to capture an untapped market of leisure travelers who only fly once or twice a year and may not be aware of the option.
"When we get to the point wher customers begin to come to this airport early because they want to have a few glasses of champagne that's complimentary before their trip to the Caribbean or Florida … then we'll know we're successful," he said. "Because we think for $45, it is absolutely worth that to come early and enjoy and really soak into your vacation before you go. And that's what we're sort of hoping to build to."
