"(and none of those annoying "The TSA has recently blah blah blah blah" announcements over the PA)"
Even in the midst of his panic, Winston was too much taken aback to be able to hold his tongue.
'You can turn it off!' he said.
'Yes,' said O'Brien, 'we can turn it off. We have that privilege.'
Meh, once I'm in the airport and have a ticket it's pleasant enough, it's the fact I have to block out so much time in the first place. Get off work early, etc. The only advantage I see are showers & toiletries to a lounge, I'll still have to be there x hours early and any food & wifi benefits I can just pay for myself. Even Tim Ferriss has given in and just arrives 5 hours early and hangs out vs dealing with airport bs. I doubt he would be like that if it was like catching a grayhound. I actually have 2 free lounge passes with united.
Most clubs have showers, free wifi, numerous power outlets, free snacks and adult beverages and, most importantly, a quiet place to relax before your flight (and none of those annoying "The TSA has recently blah blah blah blah" announcements over the PA). Many airlines offer reciprocal benefits with other airlines' lounges (for example, when flying on Alaska, you can use the Boardroom at an airport without an Admiral's Club).
Earlier this week I had to catch a flight departing at 6:15am. Instead of waking up at 3am, I spent my mandatory pre-flight airport time taking a shower (shampoo, soap, a razor and, of course, clean towels complements of the lounge), eating breakfast (free coffee, muffins and an apple) and catching up on email.