We had a great weekend in the St. Louis area celebrating the wedding of two friends and on Sunday it was time for us to head home. We were flying from St. Louis to Austin on Southwest and stopped in at the Wingtips Lounge prior to our flight.
Location
The Wingtips Lounge St. Louis is located airside in Terminal 2, near Gate E29. After clearing security, turn left and follow the signage towards Gates E20-E40. Near the end of the concourse, there will be a ramp on the left side leading to additional gates. follow the ramp down and you’ll see the entrance to the lounge across from Gate E29.
Only passengers on airlines based in Terminal 2 (Southwest, Lufthansa) can access the lounge as the two terminals are not connected after security.
Hours of Operation
The lounge is currently open from 7:00a-8:00p Sunday through Friday. The lounge is closed on Saturdays. Also, the lounge is closed on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays between 1:00p-3:30p to all passengers not flying Lufthansa, the airline uses the Wingtips Lounge for their premium and elite passengers in St. Louis.
Entry Requirements
There are multiple ways to access the Wingtips Lounge in St. Louis the most common of which is through Priority Pass, which we have thanks to our American Express Platinum Card. Access is also available to members of Diners Club, Lounge Club, Lounge Key and, for a fee, Lounge Buddy.
Single visit passes and Wingtips Lounge memberships (both personal and corporate) are available for purchase at the lounge. As mentioned above, premium passengers flying Lufthansa also have access to the lounge.
There was no check-in desk at the entrance and, instead, we checked in with the staff at the bar.
Layout
The lounge was a good size, especially considering the limited number of passengers, and was laid out in one long corridor parallel to the concourse. Immediately upon entering was the bar area which was against the back wall overlooking the roadways leading to the terminal. There were about 15 seats at the bar and large glass windows that let in a ton of natural light.
Directly across from the bar, there were a few 2-person dining tables as well as some single booths along the wall. The booths were semi-private and had a small table that could be pulled up to hold a plate or laptop.
Past the bar, there was a dining area with a variety of seating including cafe style tables and a high-top row of seating along the windows. The buffet and a soda machine were located along the right side.
Further back, there was a grouping of single lounge chairs with tables in between. This was the furthest point of the main lounge from the door and was the quietest part of the lounge.
Finally, at the rear of the lounge, there was a private 10-person conference room. The space could be rented by the hour for a fee but, I doubt anyone would have said anything if you needed to step inside for a quick call.
On the opposite side of the entrance, near the bar, there were 2 unisex bathroom stalls that were spacious and clean.
Food and Beverage
All of the food i this lounge was available on the buffet. Unfortunately it was….not good. Best case it was something you’d find in your local grocery store and it seemed to have been out for quite a while. Also, the buffet didn’t seem to be replenished on a regular basis as most of the food items were running low. There was a selection of sandwiches, chips, salad bar, soup, fruit, breakfast bars, and dessert available.
Near the food, there was a coffeemaker along with a selection of teas and a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine that served a variety of soft drinks and water.
At the bar, they had a menu featuring complimentary and for-purchase alcoholic beverages. While the complimentary selection wasn’t great, it had enough to satisfy most folks. Bud Light being the only complimentary beer was a little disappointing as you typically get a couple of options at least.
Atmosphere
We arrived at the lounge right at 3:30p, so the Lufthansa crowd had just cleared out leaving us with a relatively empty space. The bartender on duty checked us in and scanned my Priority Pass card. We found a couple of seats at the bar and had a fantastic time chatting with our bartender. He was extremely personable and did a great job of interacting with everyone in the lounge.
As we settled in I ordered a beer and the complimentary Bud Light was sold out. Instead they let me choose from the other beers on draft and I went with a Kona Big Wave.
After ordering, we visited the buffet and grabbed something to eat while we waited for our now delayed Southwest flight. The TV was initially showing episodes of Judge Judy but it was switched over to the Patriots vs. Cowboys game. The game was such a blowout that we all ended up watching Judge Judy again before heading to the gate to board our flight.
Summary
This lounge is definitely not the place you want to arrive early at the airport for. While it was fine, especially considering the crowded terminal, the staff was the most redeeming quality as the food and beverage selection left something to be desired. However, there were no crowds which made it even more enjoyable and ultimately, if I was flying through STL on Southwest again, I’d stop in for another visit.
