I doubt this question ever came up with Emily Post but we figured we would try to attack this question. We all know how stressful air travel can be. Headaches include overcrowded airports, planes, delays and airlines treating their passengers like cattle. Add to these issues are that airlines started to limit their perks like access to airport lounges. In the past, you could bring a guest into one of the lounges and pay a minor fee. Now the fee is much higher (if you are even allowed to bring in a guest) and you have to wait.
What to do in the situation when you have access to an airport lounge but your travel companion does not. Do you go to the club without them or do you pass on the club? The travel companion can be a business associate or a personal one.
The benefit of going to a lounge is access to a quiet space where you can drink and eat in a calm setting and charge your electronics. Also the bathrooms tend to be a higher quality and cleaner than the airport bathrooms in general.
Business Associate
If you are traveling with a business associate, your access may provide a break in the boredom of traveling together. On the flip side, you may alienate your associate by highlighting the fact that you have access to this perk and they do not. Also, you are saying that you would prefer grabbing some food and drink over spending time with them. It could be awkward for the rest of the trip.
Personal Relationship
If you are traveling with a friend or family member, it is an easier discussion. You start off with that you should not leave them alone at the airport. You are traveling with them and this means that you should sacrifice this kind of benefit if your partner can not enjoy it.
If your partner insists that you go and enjoy the club, you may have been given a free pass to o but you may also have been given a test. The test is whether you would abandon your partner for free food and drink?
Recommendation
As long as there is clear communication and agreement with your traveling companion, it is ok to leave them and go to an airport lounge by yourself. Is it advisable?
While it may be ok, it is not advisable. Why create an awkward event with someone you are traveling with. By engaging in a conversation with them to see if they would be ok if you enjoyed the airport lounge without them, you are creating an uncomfortable discussion and may create a negative situation.
With a personal relationship, do not even go there. Just pass on the airport lounge and spend time with your companion.
With a business associate, I think that you should also pass on the lounge out of respect for your associate. You want to avoid being considered rude and inconsiderate.
Just remember, you should always try to make your traveling companion comfortable and avoid unnecessary stress. By leaving you them while you enjoy the airport lounge, you may be creating an awkward situation that could impact your travels with that person. Skip the airport lounge and spend time with your traveling companion.