After Adani LoungeOne, GMR’s HOI and Travel Food Services Launch Their Own Airport Lounge Access Programs

What once was a simple “add card, generate QR code” process with DreamFolks has now turned into a nightmare for most of us.

What once offered convenience and ease has now become a headache, leading many of us to avoid it altogether and simply swipe our card directly for airport lounge access.

With the discontinuation of domestic airport lounge access by DreamFolks, things have fallen into disarray, resulting in an overcrowding of different partners, each launching their own platform. What was initially marketed to us by airport giants as convenience and freedom from middlemen has proven to be the opposite, creating even more inconvenience where none existed before.

Even the most aware and tech-savvy among us struggle to navigate these various platforms, assuming we even know about them in the first place. Not long ago, Adani launched its own LoungeOne platform, which allows cardholders to access airport lounges for free if their card issuer happens to be a partner at that specific airport. But this in itself was complicated, as the number of airports was limited, and figuring out whether your card worked was mostly a matter of trial and error, with no clear information available.

What was already confusing has now become even more so with GMR launching its own HOI platform, which enables cardholders to book complimentary airport lounge access using their credit cards. While HOI does offer an extensive list of airports, for Adani-managed airports, it simply redirects users to the LoungeOne platform.

All of this only reinforces the nostalgia for the simplicity, convenience, and transparency that DreamFolks once provided.

All New HOI Airport Lounge Program

HOI began as a travel companion platform for travelers passing through GMR-operated airports and has now expanded to offer complimentary lounge access. Users accessing HOI through the website can book lounge visits at several airports, including those not operated by GMR.

However, those using the HOI app directly can only book airport lounge access for GMR airports, namely Delhi, Hyderabad, and Goa.

The platform operates quite similarly to DreamFolks; you enter your mobile number and OTP, add your card, and book the lounge of your choice. Currently, we have tested that the platform works with HDFC and IDFC Bank credit cards.

For all those wondering, HOI means Hello in Dutch.

Travel Food Services Lounge Booking Platform

Not many are aware, but Travel Food Services is also developing its own airport lounge access platform. While the website is already live and accessible, we use the term ‘developing’ because, as of this writing, several visible glitches remain on the site.

This program allows access to limited airport lounges within the country.

Pro Tip – The working of QR codes and the availability of airports are subject to various terms and conditions. Anyone planning to use these platforms should do proper research beforehand to avoid confusion at the respective airport lounge

Bottom Line

As they say, time heals all wounds, and with time, the airport lounge access scene, too, may stabilize with dedicated, straightforward platforms. It is also expected that credit card issuers and lounge operators will eventually provide more clarity on the accessibility and eligibility of lounge benefits across various cards.

For now, with the launch of Adani LoungeOne, HOI, and Travel Food Services platforms, travelers should face little difficulty in generating a QR code for complimentary airport lounge access.

Still, what some once believed, that middlemen were a hindrance, has now proven otherwise. In hindsight, nothing matched the convenience DreamFolks brought to the lounge access ecosystem in India. One unified platform managed domestic and international lounge access, spa benefits, and even railway lounge access. Today, spa benefits are being removed from cards, domestic lounge access lacks clarity, and only global and railway lounge access remain under DreamFolks, making its absence in the domestic space felt more strongly than ever.