Salt Lake City, UT
I am a part of the diamond medallion sky lounge club with delta. This is a privilege they offer to people who have spent time and money with delta, as I have.
It is bullshit, and I feel honored.
He quietly packed up his briefcase and slipped past the frosted glass doors into the terminal.
I walk through the frosted sliding doors with a sense of privilege and belonging. I do not need to be too kind at reception, because it is an honor to be welcomed into the club, but not one to work there.
These lounges have complimentary booze, the only real benefit of membership. Aside from this, the sky lounges feel very much like public libraries in the midwest. (Though I am not sure if the midwest still has public libraries.)
I like to sit in the corner and drink. Sometimes I do my very important work. Mostly, I just watch others.
Their dour expressions suggest a belief that their membership is a fair and appropriate compensation for the many many hours they have spent working very very hard selling things they hate to people they despise.
The sky lounge is a very quiet place. We sip our drinks in isolation. There is no shame in this. It is accepted as good and right. And when there are raised voices, people notice... even if everyone continues to look at their laptops and sip their wine.
In Salt Lake, I over heard a phone conversation that began this way:
"God would want you to be consistent" -
30 seconds of silence -
30 seconds of silence -
"Honey - God really wants you to be consistent"
more silence.
"Consistent!" -
then a grunt.
then a groan.
then "Jesus Fucking Christ. I have to go"
and then the artificial clicking noise that suggests that the iphone is being put to sleep
then a grunt.
then a groan.
then "Jesus Fucking Christ. I have to go"
and then the artificial clicking noise that suggests that the iphone is being put to sleep
He quietly packed up his briefcase and slipped past the frosted glass doors into the terminal.
I started on another plate of cheese cubes and glass of syrah.
3 comments:
I used to spend many hours in American Airlines' lounge. My guess is that they're pretty much the same with any airline, as you spot-on described it. Maybe it's the lighting, maybe it's the silence, the lonely drunkeness, or the countless TV's with CSPAN, but they really depressed me. But the bathrooms were nicer, and that did make me happy. And it was kinda fun to walk through mysterious smokey doors.
I now rarely fly with the same airline consistently, and God only knows the looks I would get entering the sky lounge with two little kids; so, I doubt I'll be entering one anytime soon.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your new post. I wish we could hang out in a sky lounge together, quietly sharing our observations and laughing silently at those around us...because you are my friend, and it would be fun.
yes yes and yes. and yes. are you in italy?
Yes, back in Italy!
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