Surprise — why spending $30 per kid to visit the lounge at the airport turned out to be the best money spent

Once upon a time, it was common that if you had an airport lounge membership that granted you access, it extended to your immediate family when they were traveling with you. Unfortunately, times have changed.

Over the last few years, largely due to increased demand and finite lounge space, we've seen program after program restrict lounge access.

Now, friends, partners and even kids under 18 have to stay outside the lounge door for some programs, unless you spend enough annually to hit a higher tier in that lounge ecosystem or pay guest entry fees.

And for the first time ever, I paid the guest entry fee. Buying lounge access for my kids was the best $60 I could have spent on that entire trip.

Here's why it was worth it — just in case you are ever in a similar situation and typically opt to skip the lounge when the family is along for the ride.

The unexpected airport delay

Lounge access is nice, but it isn't so important to us that I typically spend extra to bring my kids in when we travel if they don't otherwise have access.

I would have never guessed I'd spend extra money to have them hang out in a domestic airport lounge.

We were fresh off a short cruise from Miami, which meant an early wake-up call and debarkation to start the trek home to Texas. Flight schedules weren't really on our side, so we were going to have a few hours in the airport before our flight home, even if everything worked perfectly. But perfect wasn't on the agenda that day.

Instead, a few expected hours in the airport that morning turned into over nine hours when our flight home was delayed ... and delayed ... and delayed again.

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Miami International Airport (MIA) isn't exactly known for being the best airport in the country. At least, in the terminal we were in, there weren't a lot of outlets at the gates to power your devices, the gate seating was far from comfortable, there was a nonstop chiming sound and other passengers also facing delays were lying all over the floor of the gates resting wherever they could.

We joined them in that less-than-ideal situation for the first few hours of the day.

However, as soon as we were within three hours of our originally scheduled flight, which is the earliest you can get in, we headed to the American Express Centurion Lounge and did something I never really thought I'd do: I spent $30 for each kid to come into the lounge with me.

If you aren't familiar, those with The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can get up to two complimentary guests by spending $75,000 or more on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year.

Otherwise, it costs $50 per guest for those 18 and over and $30 for guests under 18 (those 2 and younger can visit for no cost).

Related: The least expensive cards for airport lounge access

From chaos to comfort

Spending $60 for my two kids to chill in a lounge sounded like something I wouldn't likely ever do until I did. Here's what it got us:

• Over five hours with comfortable places to sit on couches with our own outlets (given the time duration, this would have been worth it to me all on its own)
• Nice restrooms
• Access to unlimited snacks and drinks
• Dinner from the lounge buffet

Considering we spent about $55 on airport lunch in the hours before we could get into the lounge, the math easily "mathed" on hard costs we saved over the five-plus hours we spent there. Airport dinner alone likely would have cost us over $60, given the price of lunch.

When we left the lounge to head to the gate, we were again faced with having to fight our way to find some space on the ground to sit together, as the whole area of chairs and floor space was full of equally exhausted and unhappy people who had also spent their whole day waiting for their flight.

Related: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access

A secret spot at MIA

If you happen to find yourself in a similar situation at the American Express Centurion Lounge at the Miami airport, specifically, there's an area to check if you have trouble finding seats in the rest of the lounge.

When you enter the lounge (after checking in), immediately turn left and go down the hallway, where you may find couches and tables that are empty even when the rest of the lounge is pretty full.

Bottom line

If you thought — like I did — that paying guest fees for your kids to visit a lounge at the airport with you was an option to dismiss as being something you don't really need to consider, I hear that.

However, keep it in mind as an option, especially during long delays when things that usually aren't worth it suddenly become the best money you spent on your vacation.