“It seems due to rewards credit cards and things like that, airport lounges get incredibly overcrowded on a regular basis now, with a struggle to even find a place to sit.”
In fact, there are so many Americans holding these credit cards that it’s getting difficult to find lounges in this country that aren’t ‘full’ just about all the time (eg, forget LAX). But overseas, much, much, better (in general).
But it is a 2-edged sword, 3 years ago, I never even knew they existed, and being a conservative, I was slow to adapt to the latest trends, so I didn’t bother with (or even know) that certain credit cards meant access. Now I do!
I still have an old-fashioned credit card but I always fly business or first class overseas. They are going to either have to keep adding more lounges, or make access more exclusive for sure. Having a packed lounge with no seating is very poor service.