For a while, travelers thought they’d found a hidden “secret lounge” at DFW Airport. But the reality turned out to be very different.
There are a few ways to get access to an airport lounge:
- You’re flying first or business class
- You’ve racked up elite status with an airline
- You have a credit card that includes lounge access
Some lounges are genuinely impressive. Others…not so much.
Basic lounges might offer comfortable seating, snacks, drinks, and a quieter place to sit. Higher-end lounges can include things like table-service dining, premium drinks, showers, and even spa treatments.
And then there are lounges that are…well, technically lounges, I guess. (I’m looking at you, Wingtips Lounge at JFK! OMG, what a hot mess that was when we visited it! And The Club at LAS wasn’t much better!)
Still, the reality is that most travelers don’t have lounge access at all. So the idea of a quiet, hidden space at the airport—one that not many people know about—sounds pretty great.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) apparently has such a space. It’s in Terminal D, which is generally known as the International Terminal. It currently serves a variety of international airlines such as AeroMexico, Air Canada, Air France, Avianca, British Airways, Emirates Airlines, Korean Air, Qantas, Qatar, and Turkish Airlines. Domestically, it also serves American, Spirit and Sun Country.
Anyway, back in May 2023, DFW’s social media team released a video about it:
@dfwairport 🤫🤫 #dfwairport #attheairport #traveltiktok #airportlife #airporttok #didyouknow #internationalairport #travelhacks
So much for keeping a secret a secret, huh? 
Yeah, the replies to the video were on point:
- Some things need to be gate kept — Kristin
- Noooo don’t give it away! My husband and I hung out there for 3 hours and he played the piano. It was so quiet
— czarinacaprice - Nooo not my hiding place
— Victoria Deagle - Bruh why did y’all have to expose it now everybody knows — Trevor Bills
- No
it was the only place left to hide. — Archel - Shhhhh!!!!
don’t — ctgrannnnnn - @DFW Airport didn’t your mama teach you how to keep a secret? — qwnlola
- Not cool! now it will be overrun with screaming children. ugh — dtwnseagy
- Stop spilling the secrets — DR
We don’t land in DFW very often, and I don’t think we’ve ever been in Terminal D. So I had never heard of this “secret lounge.”
Naturally, I went down a Google rabbit hole (I am the Queen of Google, after all). And…nothing.
DFW’s website has multiple maps of Terminal D. None of them mention anything resembling a hidden lounge. They list all the usual suspects—The Club DFW, Centurion Lounge, Flagship Lounge, and so on—but nothing even remotely “secret.”
The only other things listed? The Grand Hyatt and something called a mezzanine. No photos. No details.
So I moved on to Plan B: ask people who actually live there.
- Friends who fly out of Love Field? No idea.
- Family who only fly Southwest? Nope.
- Friends with Admirals Club access? Never needed to look for it.
Finally, my friend Chris (we go way back—high school) recognized it right away.
He told me:
“It’s not really a lounge. More like a sitting area upstairs. It’s small, kind of hidden, and usually empty…until people find it.”
Even better? He was flying to Greece in a few days and said he’d check it out in person.
And he did.
While waiting out a delay, Chris took the Skylink over to Terminal D to investigate.
The “lounge”?
Roped off.
He asked a nearby restaurant host—no clue. Asked security—they told him it wasn’t open to the public and couldn’t say when (or if) it would be.
Not exactly promising.
Chris said he’d ask again on his way back from Greece—and this time, he got answers (and photos).
The “secret lounge” is exactly where the video suggested: above Gate D22, just past the central TSA checkpoint in Terminal D.
From the main floor, you can actually see it if you look up. It sits above the Duty Free shop, with a sign that says:
“Join us upstairs for special events and more.”
And that’s the key.
According to an employee at the duty-free store below, the space isn’t a public lounge at all. It’s owned (or leased) by the shop and is only used for private events—things like vendor showcases or whiskey tastings.
There are stairs (and an elevator) that lead up to it, but access is restricted unless something is going on.
Here’s what the “lounge” looked like, from a few different angles, from the main floor of the terminal.
The lounge has 2 access points via stairs, and there’s also an elevator (that wasn’t working when Chris was there. Maybe they shut it off when there’s not an event):
Chris asked if it ever opens to the public.
Nope.
It’s only used for special events.
Which means the “secret lounge” wasn’t really a lounge in the traditional sense—and whatever access people may have had before is gone.
One commenter on DFW’s original video mentioned the area being “closed for construction” shortly after it went viral. That may have been when the change happened.
Either way, if you were hoping to find a quiet, hidden spot in Terminal D…this isn’t it anymore.
The “secret lounge” still exists.
You just can’t use it.
Womp womp.
*** MANY thanks to Chris for his assistance!
Feature Image: DFW/FB
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