Are You Allowed To Take Airline Lounge Snack Foods To Go?

Airport lounges can make surviving a long layover or delay at the airport a lot more comfortable, especially if your stomach's growling. Many lounges offer an abundance of hot and cold foods in a buffet-style spread. With that said, airport lounges aren't restaurants and shouldn't be treated as a culinary free-for-all.

As tempting as it might be, it's not a good idea to pile an excessive amount of food on your plate and scrape the leftovers into your travel bag on your way out. Most lounges have a rule — whether explicit or unspoken — against taking food to go. This is the case at Delta Sky Club, Japan Airlines' lounges, and the KLM Crown Lounge, just to name a few.

Besides being against the rules, you wouldn't want to take most foods from the lounge anyway. For one, most of what's served at the lounges are fork-and-knife-style meal items and perishable snacks such as cheese cubes and sliced up fruit. Even the portable snacks, such as whole fruits and bagged chips, are best left behind at the lounge, especially if you're already scheduled to get a meal on the plane. Filling your stomach with too much food on travel day could lead to you feeling bloated after your flight.

If you're wondering how bad it really is to toss a bag of cookies in your pocket before leaving an airline lounge, you'll get a different response depending on who you ask. Some traveling netizens say people do it all the time, while others insist it's not worth the risk. In a Reddit thread on the subject, u/bamboo-harvester wrote, "I've certainly done this at the Delta lounge at JFK. How are they going to notice if you slip a bagel and an apple into your bag? And they have to-go cups for coffee and juice." In a separate thread, u/featherwolf similarly shared, "Frowned upon, but in my experience nobody hassles you if you pack up some snacks, grab a coffee and go. I think it's one of those rules that the actual employees would prefer you break."

Meanwhile, commenters on other boards offered a slightly different take. On Flyertalk, bce1 explained that they had witnessed lounge staff "go after" visitors who tried smuggling food out, though they added that they've taken a can of soda out and haven't been reprimanded. In a Mumsnet thread, many users agreed that stealing snacks isn't proper etiquette, and no one should treat the lounge experience as a trip to the grocery store. Still, some noted that swiping a "reasonable" amount of food, such as one can of soda or one pack of biscuits for a child, is generally acceptable.

There are several ways to gain access to airline lounges, including signing up for airline loyalty programs, booking an upgraded seat on the plane, or purchasing a global lounge membership (such as Priority Pass). However, you can lose your benefits in an instant if you fail to follow the lounge's house rules. Grabbing snacks to go might not seem like a serious offense, but if your lounge prohibits it, you could get kicked out and even banned from entering in the future.

In some cases, your airline membership could also be revoked, and you might be restricted from boarding your flight. This is particularly likely if you're called out for packing food to go and you refuse to cooperate with the lounge staff. Remember, passengers that are defiant or disorderly are viewed as a threat to public safety, so how you behave in the lounge can have a major impact on your travel plans.

When in doubt, ask lounge attendants if it's okay to take a bottle of water or a pastry with you. You might discover that some foods are meant to be taken, depending on the lounge. On the other hand, chancing it and walking out with a bag of chips, an apple, and a croissant might lead to trouble and get you blacklisted for good.