When airport clubs are worth the money

When you fly several times a month, as Gabriella Ribeiro Truman does, finding a comfortable place to wait for a flight and grab a snack can make traveling a lot more enjoyable.

She used to have free access to co-owned American Airlines and US Airways lounges through her American Express card, but with that program over, she now pays $500 a year to be a member of American Airlines' Admirals Club, which gets her access to private airport lounges around the world through the one world alliance. "It was worth it for me to pay for it," says Truman, 39, a New Jersey-based travel marketing executive.