This article comes courtesy of Geberit North America…

British Airways unveils new lounge as part of $7 million, 7,000-square-foot build-out at Dulles Airport that oozes luxury in every way.
When British Airways upgrades its first-class and business-class passenger lounges, the new designs reflect the discriminating tastes of its preferred customers. From the lighting to the flooring and even with the restrooms, British Airways has gone to great lengths to pamper its clientele.

British Airways’ lounges far exceed what one expects from an airport “waiting room”…limestone floors…porcelain tile…custom-made Swarovski chandeliers dangling above the walnut and stone bars… luxurious fabrics from the U.K. in an array of textures and colors…brown and navy blue leather upholstery… complimentary massages and other spa services…and the latest in consumer electronics entertainment. Every inch of every lounge is carefully crafted to meet British Airways’ standards.

“A very clean, upscale modern look is what we were achieving,” says Vincent Melito, Director, Facilities, Americas in the U.S. headquarters for British Airways. Specified finishes for the restrooms, for instance, are high end with porcelain slate tile mixed with mosaics and woodwork. British Airways strives to have every component of the restrooms, including its upscale dual-flush toilets designed by Philippe Starck and hung with Geberit in-wall carriers, complement the contemporary atmosphere of its lounges.

British Airways’ brands division at corporate headquarters near London Heathrow Airport works with Melito to set basic design standards for finishes and looks. He is charged with seeing the project through from inception to completion. “A lot of the designs are replicated from lounge to lounge according to the layout,” he says.

For the Dulles lounge, part of a new $7 million, 7,000-square-foot build-out in the terminal wing, British Airways chose to adopt its Galleries design theme. Galleries, which is the airline’s most sophisticated lounge theme, aims to replicate an art gallery experience. Houston’s 2,800-square-foot first-class lounge is also done in Galleries, whereas its 4,000-square-foot business-class lounge has a more casual, club-like setting.

To execute construction for different lounge projects, Melito’s group works with various outside architectural firms. “There is some design freedom,” says Melito, referring to work conducted by British Airways’ architect partners. “But we do put specifications in their hands with finishes and the look and feel for them to follow.” TPG Architecture in New York City was the architectural firm of record for the Dulles lounge.

“We’re always trying to achieve green initiatives in term of water conservation,” says Melito. “We may not apply for LEED® certification on our lounges, but we’re making a conscious effort to save water with the right products.”

Sustainability measures please British Airways management, yet green plans cannot compromise on the high-end design appeal and comfortable convenience that British Airways’ passengers expect. “That’s the style we look for,” he adds.

Other British Airways lounge renovations include a major 6,400-square-foot project at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, a 7,500-square-foot renovation at Miami International Airport, and an overhaul of the Sao Paulo, Brazil, lounge for which project scope and cost have yet to be determined.

Renovation is also in the works for the 30,000-square-foot lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, and the airline has slated a $1 million refresh for the San Francisco International Airport lounge.

The Red Carpet Club, next to gate C16 at ORD, was the first stop on my 22,000 mile trip last week. A non-distinct entrance placed me directly in front of 2 cheery United desk agents. I first clarified with the agent whether I even had access to the club on my Economy+ (and Star Alliance Gold status) ticket. The agent happily confirmed without making me feel like a jackass for asking. Always a pleasant trait of a customer service oriented employee.

While I have been to a few Red Carpet Club’s, I am always taken back by being provided drink tickets. 2 to be exact. I feel like a little kid trying to determine what kind of junk I’m going to buy with the tickets I won playing skee ball. Naturally, my first stop was the bar, where I was equally disturbed to learn that a liquor drink would relive me of both of my tickets. For some reason, the bartender was extra-unfriendly and didn’t say one word to me except: “two”

While the Delta SkyClub blows away the Red Carpet Club in the cocktail department, the Red Carpet Club (this one at least) may edge the SkyClub in the food department. There were some fresh vegetables with salad dressing, plenty of cheese and crackers, trail mix, snack mix and yogurt covered something or other. The Red Carpet Club also provided me with free Wi-Fi access, although I didn’t have enough time to log on.

There were plenty of comfortable chairs and space to spread out in the rest of lounge. I also found that the Red Carpet Club at ORD provides some very good views of the apron. After 30 minutes in the RCC, I had to hustle to grab a bottle of water and get to gate C16 for my 2:33 (14:33) flight to Frankfurt. Here are the pictures:

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.

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.

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.

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.