MAG USA adds escape lounge at Oakland

Manchester Airports Group’s USA subsidiary, MAG USA, has been awarded a contract to design, build and operate an Escape Lounge at Oakland International Airport (IATA: OAK).

The contract, awarded by the airport’s owner, Port of Oakland, is the second major contract win for the new MAG USA business.

OAK is the second largest airport in the San Francisco Bay Area, welcoming approximately 11 million passengers each year.

MAG USA will invest more than $2 million in the 2,700 sq.ft. Escape Lounge which is scheduled to open in June 2016. For a fee, all passengers at OAK will be able to take advantage of stylish and contemporary furnishings, complimentary food and drinks, free Wi-Fi, a relaxed atmosphere, and a selection of newspapers and magazines.

Rosemarie Andolino, President and CEO of MAG USA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Oakland International Airport to bring our first Escape Lounge to the West Coast. The Oakland International Airport leadership should be commended for their commitment to offering travellers new amenities to enhance their travel experience. Oakland is a vibrant and growing airport that plays a vital role in the San Francisco Bay Area economy.

“Increasingly, consumers seek simple and affordable upgrades to their daily lives and Escape Lounges provide the opportunity to do just that. What better way to begin your travel experience than by enjoying high quality food and refreshment, free Wi-Fi and newspapers in a relaxed, comfortable and contemporary environment separate from the inevitable noise and crowds of gate areas.

“Common-use airport lounges are still a new concept in North America and we look forward to working with more airports as they improve their passenger amenities, not just in lounges but also in other areas of retail.”

This follows MAG USA’s first Escape Lounge in the USA at Minneapolis-St Paul Airport (MSP). The lounge at MSP is due to open today, December 7th.

MAG already operates five Escape Lounges across its four U.K. airports, along with the new lounge at MSP, collectively serving over 500,000 passengers per year. MAG’s award-winning Escape Lounges are part of the company’s ‘little slices of luxury’ which it offers to its passengers across its UK airports and now in the US.