LoungeBuddy

LoungeBuddy operates as a digital platform enabling travelers to find, book, and access airport lounges globally. The company was established in 2013 by Tyler Dikman, Zac Altman, and Brent Griffith. Dikman, who served as CEO, was a lifelong entrepreneur, having started his first business at age five and a computer service company, CoolTronics, at fifteen. Altman, the CTO, was a self-taught engineer from Australia who had previously built and sold a taxi-booking startup as a teenager before moving to San Francisco. Their collective experience in travel and technology aimed to solve the complexity of airport lounge access rules.

The business functions primarily through its mobile application and website, which initially served as a comprehensive database of airport lounges, complete with user-submitted reviews, photos, and detailed information on amenities. This allowed any traveler, regardless of airline status or ticket class, to discover available lounges. The platform's 'Lounge Access Wizard' was a key feature, enabling users to input their frequent flyer statuses, credit cards, and memberships to see which lounges they could access for free or for a one-time fee. The primary revenue stream shifted to a pay-per-use model, allowing travelers to purchase single-use passes for lounge access directly through the app. This model provided an additional revenue source for lounge operators by selling otherwise unused capacity without a middleman.

After initially launching as a resource tool, LoungeBuddy raised $3 million in a Series A funding round in 2015, led by Founders Fund, to facilitate instant booking capabilities. A prior partnership with American Express, which began in 2017, involved LoungeBuddy providing lounge information for the American Express mobile app. This relationship culminated in American Express acquiring LoungeBuddy in March 2019 for an undisclosed amount, with the deal closing in April of that year. Following the acquisition, LoungeBuddy continued to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary under its original founders' leadership. The service for booking lounge access became exclusive to American Express cardholders. However, reports from late 2024 indicate that the LoungeBuddy website and app services are scheduled to be discontinued in early 2025.

Keywords: airport lounge access, travel app, pay-per-use lounge, LoungeBuddy, American Express, Tyler Dikman, Zac Altman, lounge booking, travel technology, airport amenities, single-use lounge pass, frequent traveler tool, mobile travel services, airline lounge directory, Founders Fund, travel experience, airport services, premium travel