Two highlights of this lounge: the view of the apron and runway and the cheerful, friendly Lufthansa agent who was checking boarding passes outside the lounge.  I asked the gal if I could take a picture of the lounge entrance. She said absolutely and posed in front of the Lufthansa sign.  I did not post it as I’m sure she would have opted out of the picture had she known it was for a blog.

The only Lufthansa attendant I had interaction with inside the lounge was a bit snooty. Each of the two times I asked her a question, she smirked at me as though she was thinking:
“Are you seriously asking this question, you idiot…”
She also spoke perfect English and had no accent at all… go figure…

There was plenty of room to spread out which included some restaurant type seating near the food and beverage areas. There was an assortment of fresh breads, cereal and fruit. The only hot food was a Panini “bar” where one of the attendants heated up ham or veggie paninis. My ham panini left a bit to be desired a.ka. the quality of ham was not very good.
There was a solid selection of spirits, highlighted by Bouvet Brut and Famous Goose Scotch. Also available, 2 different beers on tap in addition to several varieties of Becks in bottles.

It wasn’t the Business Class Lounge in Doha but Lufthansa’s Tower Lounge was much better than 90% of the lounges I have seen in the US.

no free wi-fi but computers available opposite this work area

view

Everything Virgin Atlantic does is a little outside the box. From the bar on the planes to the airplane salt & paper shakers. Why would their airport lounge be any different? A Spa, a shoeshine guy and table service were a few of the things that impressed. The desk attendants were quite friendly and greeted me as if they had been waiting just for me all day; and in fact this was how all the Virgin Clubhouse employees treated me.

Right after I showed my boarding pass, I was given a short tour of the lounge. After a trip to the clean and large shower rooms, I chose a seat near the floor to ceiling windows. As soon as I sat, my drink and breakfast order was taken. The food was fresh and delicious.

The shoeshine guy offered guests a pair of slippers while he shinned your shoes. He couldn’t do much with my Asics though. In the spa, neck & shoulder massages and basic mani/pedicures were complimentary. There was also a full service spa menu and the fees vary dependent upon treatments. Appointments for free and paid services are required.

The whole experience was relaxing and refreshing and I am looking forward to visiting other Virgin Clubhouses in the future.

wii golf; guitar hero avialable too

some sights from my seat

to orlando

I spent 1 beers worth of time in this lounge prior to my Virgin Atlantic flight to London Gatwick. I am confident that no Virgin Atlantic employee with decision making authority has visited the Air Jamaica Lounge in Kingston. I am surprised Virgin allows their passengers anywhere near this lounge. I mean, Virgin Atlantic would be better off giving their Upper Class passengers Burger King vouchers because the ambiance is that much better in the food court.

The lounge reminded me of a funeral home: strange, dim lighting and no windows. The decor straight out of 1975. There was tea, coffee, beer, soda and some booze to drink. The only food I found was potato chips and coconut cookies. I used the bathroom and found the 1 urinal out of order leaving only one stall. I wonder how many years that urinal has been unusable? The only reason I went in the bathroom was to wash my hands-and I did so, using the soap dispensed from a gravy boat.

Ever visit an airline lounge and think: “Why bother having a lounge?” That was the Air Jamaica Lovebird Executive Lounge in Kingston.

Good day from London Gatwick. At Gatwick, writing about Heathrow; now I’m getting confused. Let me take a take step back, if I may, to last week when I was at Heathrow awaiting my United flight back to Los Angeles. I checked out the Star Alliance lounge in Terminal 1 and true to my hypothesis, lounges, regardless of airline or alliance, are always better outside the United States-even if it’s a US based airline.

The Star Alliance Lounge at Heathrow provides plenty of room to spread out and relax as well as some more private areas to work. There is free wi-fi with the a code that is provided, although I was unable to locate any power outlets where I was seated. Shower rooms were available, but I did not use them. There were a plethora of magazines, dated US newspapers and the day’s locals too.

Food, while seemingly basic, can make or break a lounge for me. (What did you expect… my last name starts with “eat”) There was plenty of it at the Star Alliance Lounge-Heathrow. Sausages, sausages on rolls, bacon on rolls, cereal, yogurt, bagels, fruit, croissants and at least 2 dozen beverage choices not including the hard stuff (booze). You would be hard-pressed to go hungry there.

Best Bet: When you enter the lounge, veer off to the left and head towards the back of the lounge. This area seems to be the most spacious and there is alot of natural light provided by floor to ceiling windows.

Spent a few moments, well, more like an hour or two, at a most impressive and expansive ANA Lounge at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.  I think the only way this lounge could fill up is if every flight for the day was cancelled…it is huge. The highlight?   The made to order noodle bar.  So good, I think I went back for seconds.

When I entered the lounge, there were at least 8 attendants at the desk.  I asked, politely, if they felt I should be upgraded to first class, in the light of the fact that the Spirit of Japan flight was postponed.  They contemplated it for a few seconds, but ultimately, as I expected, said no.  There was a separate first class section of lounge; I can only imagine what that was like. Anybody been in there? Here’s the deal with the business class section:

entry

front part of lounge

rear section of lounge

back bar

rear lounge looking to main area

shower room

noodle bar

I was very impressed by the Pier, Cathay Pacific’s Business Class Lounge in Hong Kong. The Pier is one level below the departure gates, and the lounge entrance is near gate 62. For starters, it’s huge and very well appointed. I found a sea of comfortable chairs and coffee tables to give one as much or as little privacy as they wish. In addition to the self service food and beverage that is the norm in any respected business class lounge, Cathay Pacific offers several other options, dependent upon what you’re in the mood for: the coffee bar, ice cream bar, liquor bar and noodle bar are each staffed with employees to concoct whatever floats your boat. The noodle bar sits on the far end of the lounge, adjacent to the main food and beverage counters, and has large common tables and counters, almost like a cafeteria. The “Long Bar”, 27 seats to be exact, is pretty cool as it faces a wall of windows looking out to the runway.

On the opposite end of the lounge are shower rooms and computer terminals. I used the shower rooms to freshen up before my flight to Saigon and they are certainly some of the nicest I have seen. There must have been at least 50 computer terminals separated by more couches and coffee tables where one could easily conduct a meeting.

I set my belongings at a table and walked around for no more than 10 minutes. When I returned, I was surprised to see two Cathay Pacific lounge attendants standing next to my luggage. I had left my cell phone on the table and it had rung. One of the attendants simply told me that I could not leave my phone unattended. My bad, but I was pleased to know that Cathay Pacific has a handle on everything happening in the lounge, despite its vastness. With that, I was off to board my flight to Vietnam…

noodle bar

noodle bar

drinks and sandwiches

pastries

potatoes & what I think was rice

reading material

long bar; the far end is the coffee & ice cream bar

spring rolls & hot dogs (?)

shower room

work area

I am little more than half-way through my posts pertaining to my most recent set of flights.  Below, I tried to capture my experience at Qatar Airways Premium Terminal in Doha.  I would ask you to think about the best airline lounge you have ever visited. Now, picture that lounge making up an entire terminal. That, in essence, is the Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport, although there are 2 separate actual lounge areas; one for First Class passengers and one for Business Class passengers.
A bus brought Business Class passengers from the plane to the terminal where we were greeted by two Qatar attendants and escorted to a security check-point with no line.   

premium terminal from the tarmac

The lower level of the terminal contains a few shops as well as the departure gates.  The actual First Class and Business Class Lounges can be found on the upper level.   

first lounge on the left; business on the right

I could not resist posting a picture of the bathroom.  Very clean and modern.  Good thing the bathrooms were staffed with attendants because I couldn’t figure out how to use the soap dispenser or make the water turn on.  

Satellite snack and beverage counters could be found throughout the lounge:   

In addition to the snack and beverage stations, there was a restaurant.  While the food was self-service, waiters were on hand to clear plates and serve beverages.  The restaurant has hummus, salads and breads available throughout the day and various hot foods are served at meal time.  All food from the restaurant is required to be consumed within the restaurant’s dining area.  I included a picture of my lunch at the restaurant.   

lunch: chicken thigh, potatoes, bread, baba ganoush (?)

Beyond the spectacular setting and wonderful food, what makes the Premium Terminal so great is, like any successful operation, the people.  Qatar staff were focused solely on the well being and comfort of the passengers.  When I inquired about catching an earlier flight to London, the service desk attendant insisted I return to the lounge and relax while she checked out the availability.  I obliged and after about ten minutes the agent appeared in the lounge to let me know I would be able to take the earlier flight.  She then insisted that she wheel my bag while she escorted me to the departure gate.  After a few leisurely hours enjoying all that the Premium Terminal has to offer, I was on my way to London. 

This is the first post about a trip from Manila to London, via Doha, on Qatar Airways.  As a Qatar Airways Business Class passenger, I was given a invitation to Delta’s Sky Club at Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila.  While nothing in particular stood out, the lounge was clean and well appointed.  The only hot food available was porridge in a crock pot.  Coffee, juice, liquor and beer were available.  I saw one television, which, ironically, was on the wall in the “quiet zone”

I saw signage for 6 or 7 different lounges in the Manila Airport. I assume the Sky Club is one of the best and that is why Qatar Airways chose to utilize this lounge for their “premium” passenger.

A Layover in Bangkok

Inside of Terminal

inside the terminal

I had flown Thai Airways Business Class and therefore had access to their Royal Silk Lounge, or in this case loungesssss.  I am now sitting in my third different Royal Silk Lounge of the day.  Royal Silk Lounges are scattered… no, smothered, all over the Bangkok airport. OBW (oh by the way) the lounges I speak of do not include those for First Class Passengers.  In some instances Silk Lounges are, literally, right across the hall from one another.

The lounges are all very similar, but I favor the layout of the lounge across from gate D1.  There are bunch of private alcoves to relax in. The one below is a separate room.

Thai lounge across from D1

The food is plentiful and although there is not a huge selection, I noticed the staple of each lounge was anchored by rolls: small pastries stuffed with “stuff”… ham, tuna, chicken sausage, chicken ham (?) and chicken chicken (chicken?)  There are a lot of hot and cold beverages and a self service liquor bar.  My personal recommendation is the “Butter Coconuts” crackers…phenomenal (and I hate coconut)

inside a lounge

inside lounge

 If you do nothing else, no matter how far you have to walk, (it’s a sprawling airport) visit the Royal Orchid Spa.

spa entrance

A business class boarding pass gets you a complimentary foot or head/neck message.  The spa is very peaceful and the masseuse did an outstanding job.  Post massage, the staff will make you a cup of tea accompanied by a few slices of oven baked banana.  Enjoy this while you relax in the Spa’s Lounge.

lounge within the spa

I don’t normally take pictures of bathrooms, but this wasn’t a normal bathroom:

spa bathroom

The Royal Orchid Spa is the perfect experience after sitting in the same place for 17 hours.

Bangkok Airport

TBIT: Tom Bradley International Terminal

lobby

Good morning from Heathrow!  The carry-on bag I have travelled  the globe with over the past few years, somehow, today, at Heathrow, is too big to be a carry on and I had to check it.  Also, the agent at the Delta check-in desk charged me an unexplainable $72 tax upon check in.  Balance out those two items with the fact that I am going home and it’s still a good morning!   Anyway, last Saturday was my second visit to the Star Alliance Lounge in TBIT at LAX (Tom Bradley International Terminal) in as many years and while it is not the grandest in terms of food and amenities, I’m sure it’s convenient for both passengers and airlines to have one central lounge.  It is located to the left, on the 5^th floor after you pass security.  There is a separate area for First Class Passengers which I have yet to visit; any comments or photos are welcome and I will post them.

It was tricky finding a seat, as the lounge was packed on this Saturday night.  I wound up with a counter seat, all the way at the back, in the secondary smaller lounge area.  This area has a great view of the apron; except when its pitch dark out of course.

rear area

work area

The bathrooms are small and located in the lobby area.  A better idea, if you need to us the facilities, is to have the attendant unlock a shower room for you.  They are bigger, well equipped and cleaned more often than the regular bathrooms.

shower room/bathroom

The basics for food: fruit, cheese, peanuts, finger sandwiches, soup, fried rice and instant noodles.  A good selection of beer, soda, liquor and wine are available.

food

Gate agents for most flights come in to the lounge and try to round up passengers at boarding time.

lobby

I am currently in the SkyTeam Lounge at Heathrow and have visited a few others this week including Qatar Airlines’ Premium Terminal in Doha, which is, what I like to call, ridonkulous!  Stay tuned…

Earlier this year, American Airlines announced plans to renovate the Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport.  I was not sure what I would find while visiting during this renovation as only portions of the facility are open for passenger use.  Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Besides, a lounge attendant directing to me the temporary entrance, I would not have even known any renovations were underway… the lounge was clean, spacious and well stocked with complimentary food and cocktails.  One of the diffrences, as I understand them, between an Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge is that complimentary liquor is limited to the Flagship Lounge (used by International First Class passengers) while Admirals Club (for International Business Class passengers among others) patrons are limited to one or two drink vouchers.  From what I saw at Hetahrow, the lounges were temporarily combined offering the full spectrum of amenities that International First Class passengers (Flagship Lounge Users) are accustomed to.

The self service food and beverage area anchors the lounge and is surrounded by tall counter seating.

Admirals Club Heathrow

I could not duplicate the picture below if I tried.  No idea what happened, but I thought it came out kind of cool.  Almost looks like a Virgin America Cabin.

Satellite Beverage Bar & Seating

Plenty of Seating with 220 & 110 Volt Outlets

Sandwiches, Salad, Fruit, Vegetables, Cookies, Pretzels, Nuts

Plenty of Sandwiches Available

Mini Pastrami Sandwich

departure screens in Admirals Club

Solid Selections at the Bar

Many Computers for Passenger Use

There were four desk attendants assisting passengers, although the lounge was not even close to busy. Many kitchen staff were on hand, re-stocking all of the food and beverage areas and tidying up the lounge.  All things considered, this is a fabulous airline lounge.  Surely, this is the section that has already been remodeled, if not I will be anxious to go back and experience the finished product.  Actually, I am anxious regardless!