'All the ways to score yourself a pass into the airport lounge (as someone who does it regularly).'

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I organise and host overseas group trips for women, so I'm always on the go; this year I've already taken 15 return flights, with Hong Kong, the Maldives and Cambodia still to come. 

My passion is making these trips life-changing for my guests, and I want to set the tone even before I board my flight. I want to be excited, happy, feeling special and relaxed and ready to share the vibe when I get there — so I always trot straight to an airport lounge as soon as I check in and clear customs. 

Instead of jostling for a seat in a crowded terminal, paying $25 for a small glass of sparkling and cranking my neck to watch the departures screen I sit in a comfy seat, use the free Wi-Fi and sip my bubbles or coffee, enjoy a cheese plate, snacks or a meal and feel more than a little fancy.

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I can have a shower if I want to, and the lounge will announce when I should stroll down to board my flight. I can let the excitement of travelling fizz through my veins because I'm not stressed or waiting for hours at the gate watching the clock and checking 137 times that my passport is in my tote. 

I am a Qantas Club member and I try to fly with them as much as possible so I can use the Qantas Lounge in Sydney (it's okay, can't wait for the refurb to be finished), in Hong Kong (truly amazing) and Singapore (best salad bar and cocktails ever) but when I'm unable to fly Qantas I have to find other ways to get into a lounge — and I've become pretty skilled at it.

Here's how you can have the airport lounge experience too — and while I'm mostly sharing my Qantas experience, you can definitely do similar with Virgin and other airlines.

Spend up on seats at the front of the plane.

Obviously the easiest way to score a spot in the lounge, but if you want the whole fancy pants experience and you have the cash to burn, then simply book a Business or First Class seat. You'll be treated like royalty, starting from the First Class Lounge, with restaurant-quality food, French champagne, high-end amenities kits, pyjamas and impeccable service throughout the whole flight.

If you're travelling with Emirates they'll even send a limousine to pick you up. 

Join a Frequent flyer program.

Joining these programs means you can work your way into the lounges by earning status credits for every flight you take. If you're a Qantas Frequent Flyer, you will receive complimentary passes when you hit Silver Status (300 status credits), Gold Status (700 status credits) and when you reach the Qantas Points Club, which is an additional program that rewards you for collecting points by doing things other than flying, like buying petrol, shopping at Woolies and paying bills. 

These complimentary passes can be shared with friends and family, so if you already have a Qantas Club Membership, you can pass them on for them to try. They just have to be a Qantas Frequent Flyer — it costs to join but if you sign up to Woolworths Rewards you can join for free. 

Virgin Australia has similar programs and ways to earn access to Virgin lounges, and so do other airlines. 

Buy an airline lounge membership.

If you're a frequent flyer, the easiest way to get into the lounge is to buy a membership. I bought a two-year Qantas Club membership (it's now around $1299) that gives me, one other adult and two kids access to Qantas lounges around the world and into partner airline lounges — as long as I'm flying on their airline, of course. 

Girl maths tells me that as I fly around 20 return flights a year, and three glasses of bubbles cost around $20 each in the airport, I am well ahead paying for the membership and then using it for 'free'.

Buy a one-off flexible membership.

If you know you're going to be travelling a lot during a special trip, or you're flying to Europe, for example, you can also purchase a flexible Qantas Club membership for $99 (plus a $129 joining fee). It lasts 28 days (you can roll it over each month) and gives you access to 30 lounges across the Qantas lounge network. 

You do have to be flying on a Qantas flight with QF numbers (do check this — I've been caught before buying a ticket from Qantas but it didn't have the QF on it so I couldn't use the lounge). And when you're flying on partner airlines, like American Airlines, you can use their lounges too. 

Fly a lot.

If you fly enough to reach Gold Status and above with Qantas — that's earning 700 status credits in one year — you'll get free Qantas Club membership so you can access Qantas lounges whenever you're flying on a QF flight.

Pay to play at a private airport lounge.

If you can't get in for free, then you can always pay to play in airport lounges all over the world.

In Sydney, Perth and Melbourne there is The House Executive Lounge — I used this lounge on a recent trip with Hawaiian Airlines and it was great, and in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide we also have Plaza Premium. I paid for time in Plaza Premium when I flew Scoot and for around $60 I had three hours in the lounge (and a little longer, they don't come searching for you the minute your time is up) to relax, eat and drink — it was extra to use the shower.

Beer, wine and bubbles were included, as well as lots of food and snacks — nuts, chips and crudites — and hot food like pasta and curry, plus salads and a whole lot of cakes and desserts. There were comfy chairs and a nice view out over the planes.

I used Klook as it has discounted pricing if you book in advance (you can also walk in at the airport but risk the lounge being full and costing more) and I have used them to access airport lounges all over the world.

Generally you can google "airport lounge + the city you're in", eg, Los Angeles, and it will tell you what's available.

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Access through your credit card or join Priority Pass.

A number of credit cards also offer lounge access or will give you complimentary lounge passes to the Qantas and Virgin lounges each year.  You can find them with a quick Google.

Priority Pass membership also gives you access to airport lounges all over the world — like Plaza Premium at Australian airports — either complimentary or at a discounted rate depending on the membership level you buy.

Ask your friends! 

Ask your friends if they have any spare guest passes, as chances are someone will have one and be happy to give it to you, especially if it's about to expire.

I've given a few away to friends — people love to share and get others into the lounge. 

Find lounge passes in Facebook groups online. 

I've found some fabulous Facebook groups full of people kindly offering their lounge passes and also offering to guest people into the Qantas Club, Business and even into First Class lounges if they're flying at the same time.

Now, you can't sell guest lounge passes, but you can gift them to people to enjoy so go and check the page and even post and ask if anyone has passes spare on the dates you're flying — you may even find someone travelling at the same time who will take you into the lounge as their guest.

Go to Qantas Lounge Sharing and Lounge Pass Gifting and Voucher Swapping on Facebook. 

Last resort: ask someone to let you in.

Most lounge members can take a guest in with them, and if you are desperate and bold, you can possibly hover nearby the lounge and ask if someone will take you in. I'd say yes if you asked me! 

Cheers!

Evie runs group trips for women and for mums and kids to destinations all over Asia. Find out more here.

Feature Image: Supplied.