CMV: Credit cards shouldn't have lounge access in origin cities unless your flight is delayed.

Airport lounges are supposed to be places you can wait out a delay/cancellation, or connection. Or for premium cabin passengers to have a relaxing start to their journey. Allowing everyone (and their family) to arrive 3 hours early for an open bar and buffet before their random domestic flight, takes away space and resources from those who are actually stuck in the airport.

It's a self destructive prophecy. More people get cards, more people try to get their money's worth, the lounges get full faster and start lists, people arrive at the airport earlier to get on the list earlier, which means they spend more time in the lounge, and less people get in overall.

Instead of feeding this cycle, airports should focus on using their space to create predictable experiences and arrival times for passengers - like having sufficient TSA space to ensure the lines don't take than 15 minutes. Airlines should communicate clearly what the start and end of boarding are, and stop encouraging passengers to arrive early unless there's a specific reason. When every passenger arrives early, nobody is early, they're all just spending more time at the airport. Airlines like Southwest are clearly capable of accepting bags as late as 30 mins before departure - there is absolutely no reason for it to be cut off at 60 or even 45.

If you want the privilege of arriving early to use the lounge amenities, you should buy a lounge membership from your airline or fall into your alliance's lounge access rules for elites. Maybe this would even open up space for US Domestic First Class passengers to have access - like they do in every other country in the world.

For those looking to feel special before departure, they can use the new grab-and-go "lounges", then actually be able to relax in the lounge when they reach their connection vs waiting in line.