Wingtips Lounge STL Review: Using Priority Pass in St. Louis

Wingtips Lounge, St. Louis' self-proclaimed "executive lounge without the first-class ticket," is a bit of a misnomer. While the St. Louis Lambert International Airport lounge offers a marginal respite from the rest of the chaos that tends to fills Terminal 2, it's not much.

Its limited seating is often insufficient for the number of travelers that tend to pack in. But there's hardly reason to pack into it anyway.

The lounge is part of the Priority Pass network. Credit cards that offer Priority Pass are becoming an increasingly commonplace benefit, so it's perhaps no surprise that this lounge has devolved into more of a crowded cattle call than a serene retreat. But the Wingtips Lounge STL is one of the weakest Priority Pass lounges out there.

Food options resemble cheap grocery store cupcakes, potato chips and flavorless cold sandwiches. If you're lucky, you might get some baby carrots and mixed salad in there. At least you can eat some fresh food that's a color besides beige.

That said, if you're flying through St. Louis, the STL lounge options are pretty limited (as are general places in the airport to wait out your flight). This mediocre option might actually be your best.

So with that, here's what you need to know about Wingtips Lounge STL, how to get in and where you’ll find it.

Wingtips Lounge is a third-party lounge network (as opposed to a lounge operated by an airline and designed for its premium class travelers).

Wingtips Lounge used to operate an outpost at the New York-John F. Kennedy airport, but that location is now permanently closed. These days, the only Wingtips Lounge exists in Terminal 2 of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

The lounge is fairly small, consisting of one, long main room and a bonus conference room in the back (which you can book for an additional fee). The lounge has two dedicated, gender-neutral bathrooms, though there are no showers.

Don't expect much in the way of other amenities or entertainment. Whereas Centurion Lounges sometimes have spas and Peloton rooms, the entertainment at Wingtips Lounge STL doesn't extend much beyond the flight departures screen or people watching.

The only reason to visit is really for the complimentary food and drinks, which are only ho-hum.

Food at Wingtips Lounge STL

Exact menu items can vary depending on when you visit, but they have included mixed salad greens, plus simple DIY toppings such as croutons, cheddar cheese, diced onions, carrots and ranch dressing.

Sometimes there are basic sandwiches (e.g. a white bread roll with a slice of turkey and cheddar) or a vat of serve-yourself chicken noodle soup.

There are also usually some simple snack foods including potato chips, brownies, cupcakes and cookies.

Drinks at Wingtips STL

The drink selection at Wingtips STL used to be vast, given the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. But on the roughly half-dozen latest visits that NerdWallet staffers made to the lounge, it was broken. On one Nerd's latest visit in September 2024, it had been removed entirely.

On that September visit, serve-yourself drink options consisted of no more than ice water, hot water (for hot chocolate or tea) and a coffee machine. At least the coffee machine used beans from Kaldi's Coffee, which is a popular Missouri coffee chain.

You can order custom cocktails at the lounge's bar, but it's usually quite crowded (so don't expect to get served quickly). Meanwhile, there's often only one bartender working — doing double duty to mix drinks and check in guests. With no soda machine, you'll also have to ask the bartender for non-alcoholic beverages such as juice and soda.

Non-alcoholic drinks and some alcohol is complimentary, but most mixed drinks and canned alcoholic drinks still incur an extra cost.

Wingtips Lounge is located in Terminal 2 near Gate E22. To get there, clear airport security and then keep heading left until you come across it (upon which it'll be on your left).

Hours vary by day (and it's entirely closed on some days, including certain days of the week and holidays). Check the Priority Pass website for the latest hours.

Getting inside the Wingtips Lounge STL

The lounge sells day passes for $38 to anyone with a departing boarding pass, though it offers corporate discounts to employees of certain companies.

You might also access the STL Wingtips Lounge through Priority Pass. While Priority Pass sells annual memberships, many people get Priority Pass through premium travel cards including The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, among others. Terms apply.

The lounge is also accessible to those with Lounge Club, Diners Club and LoungeKey access. The LoungeBuddy website and app also sell day passes to the lounge.

» Learn more: Credit card lounge pass showdown: Priority Pass vs. LoungeBuddy

Buying a Wingtips Lounge STL day pass

An STL lounge day pass costs $38, which you can purchase online or at the door. If you pre-purchase online, keep or print out your email confirmation to flash upon arrival.

The lounge also sells memberships, which provide some savings if you'd otherwise enter more than once per year.

The Wingtips STL membership tiers are:

• Red ($75): Offers two visits per year, with a reduced rate of $30 for subsequent visits.

• Platinum ($250): Offers 10 visits per year, with a reduced rate of $28 for subsequent visits.

• Black ($500): Offers unlimited visits.

But given that the lounge is hardly worth $38 — and there are so many ways to gain access through a credit card — purchasing a membership makes very little sense.

Even if you're opposed to applying for a new credit card with Priority Pass access, you're still better off just purchasing a Priority Pass membership. The highest tier of Priority Pass, called Prestige, costs $469 annually. Not only is that less than Wingtips membership, but it includes access to all Priority Pass lounges worldwide (of which there are well over 1,600). Wingtips Lounge membership is a bad deal, as it's more expensive and only gets you into this one, subpar lounge.

Accessing Wingtips Lounge STL through Priority Pass

Here are some of the most popular cards that provide Priority Pass Select lounge access perk as part of the benefits package:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Enrollment required.

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Enrollment required.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express. Enrollment required.

• U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card.

Terms apply.

If you're flying through St. Louis, don’t go out of your way to stop at the Wingtips Lounge St. Louis.

Especially if you’re flying out of Terminal 1, it’s not worth the headache to get over to the Wingtips Lounge. The two terminals are not connected post-security, so you’ll typically have to take a shuttle to get between them (plus you’ll have to clear security twice).

It’s likely also not worth purchasing a day pass, unless you’re really prepared to load up on $38 worth of dry cupcakes and low-quality alcohol.

If you really want to lounge, you might also consider the more exclusive American Airlines Admirals Club, which is quite nice. Though, that's on the other side of the airport, and it's generally tricky to gain access to Admirals Club lounges. You can buy day passes for $79.

Then again, if you’re in Terminal 2 with time to spare and you have complimentary access through a program such as your credit card’s Priority Pass benefit, then you might at least pop in to see if it matches your vibe.

It might very well be. After all, the rest of the food and seating options throughout the airport aren’t great. At least they’re getting better. St. Louis Lambert International Airport recently added a Shake Shack, and there are the staples like Vino Volo, Starbucks and Auntie Anne’s. And don’t miss the local gems, such as the Ted Drewe’s vending machine, serving up the famous concrete, which is a malt or shake so thick that it is served upside down.

If it’s tasty food you’re after, skip the generic Wingtips Lounge cupcakes. Instead, do yourself a solid during your final moments in St. Louis by ordering the city’s iconic, frozen custard.