What is the greatest airline lounge in the world?

[Quickstatus]

What is the greatest airline lounge in the world and why?
Describe your criteria for "greatness"

 

[henrus]

What is the greatest airline lounge in the world and why?

I'd start by saying the greatest I've been to is the Eithad First Lounge in Abu Dhabi. It's a quite space that's not too big (Qatar/Emirates enters engulfs the room) with service that's never too intrusive plus good dining and champagne that I don't think any other first class lounge accessible by status comes close to. It's also private enough that you can hide in a corner and not be found by anyone plus the cherry on top is that you can access this lounge with status before a 2 hour flight in Y. From the curbside to lounge involves very little time in the terminal as well.

Qantas First in Sydney is up there for the view and atmosphere towering over the airport however it can be hit and miss sometimes and also it can get rather busy (Sydney airport on a whole can be a zoo sometimes). That being said it's a solid lounge and I'd put it up there are one of the better I've been to (I haven't been to the QF F lounges in SIN/MEL but would like to). I think the QF LHR is also noteworthy as a really good business class lounge. Last visit I sat at the downstairs gin bar and forgot I was in an airport lounge, the ability to try different gins/coughtails plus have a menu to order from is unheard of at 99% of business class lounges making it a peaceful experience.

EK (DXB)/QR (DOH) are just way too big and not private enough and then you have others like ANA First in HND where the service was just weird, you had to order food at a counter but then they'd bring to you (plus the staff just standing around waiting to help was intrusive).

I know this will sound weird but lounges like QF Club Brisbane, VA lounge SYD and VA Lounge BNE also get top marks for the ability to not have to step foot in the terminal until boarding. These locations mean I can "budget" less airport/lounge time becuase of the streamline process (within opening hours). Yes I appreciate they're all domestic lounges but I'm surprised how few places either domestic or international do this around the world. Take EK first for example, the F/J area looks almost the same as the Y section and then you end up in the main concourse before taking the lift up to the lounge - you'd think for one of the best F products in the sky they'd have a better ground product at their main hub.

 

[Human]

I think it's fairer to split the question into different categories of lounges. Of course, as a general rule, most First lounges are going to be better than most Business lounges which will be better than most domestic and/or independent lounges ... as a general rule.

Best First Class lounge? Never been to one.
Best Business Class lounge? My top two are the Al Mourjan lounge in Doha and the new T3 SilverKris Business lounge in Singapore (I know that's a boring/predictable answer).
Best domestic lounge? I loved the late lamented Virgin lounge in Cairns.
Best independent lounge? I have a soft spot for the Manaia lounge in Queenstown (even despite the lack of barista coffee!).

My totally scientifically-objective criterea? Good food, not too crowded, great customer service, a nice view, and the vibe!

 

[henrus]

Best independent lounge? I have a soft spot for the Manaia lounge in Queenstown (even despite the lack of barista coffee!).

I've never been to the Manaia lounge in Queenstown but am a regular at the Christchurch one, the staff are always friendly and I love the gin of the month concept (plus JQ with QF status gets access!).

 

[Batterytraveller]

A lounge is about making somewhere you don’t really need to be pleasant for the time you are in there. If we could waltz from the train/Uber/bus to the plane without stopping and with certainty that we would get where we were going, I’m sure most of us wouldn’t spend a second longer in the airport than we had to.

This isn’t the world we live in and we need somewhere pleasant to wait. Lounges are part of the the whole edifice that makes us make irrational decisions about our travel but they are part of the equation.

For me; I’m looking for tranquility, good showers*, comfort, and food and beverages in that order. If the lounge also has something of the country it’s in or where the airline is from then so much the better.

*good showers in my book means good ventilation - what’s the point of having a shower if the humidity in the shower room makes you sweat up instantly (the old Cathay arrivals lounge in Hong Kong and the al mourjan in doha were/are really bad for this)

So which lounges do I like.

Cathay first LHR - small, comfortable, quiet. Nice food and drink, good apron views.
Cathay pier first in HKG is good as well, but the wing is loud and unpleasant. Pier business was good when I went through recently, especially the tea bar; the jing silver needle jasmine tea is really very good, nice to have dim sum but you can get better in London and Melbourne let alone outside the airport in Hong Kong.

JAL first HND or NRT, especially the satellite lounge at NRT when it was open and the library area in HND; it has some great old JAL memorabilia including a model of a Boeing 7007 supersonic jet. Japanese culture keeps these spaces quiet, great showers, nice food, and some pretty awesome sake which is a passion of mine.

Honourable mention to the qantas Mel first lounge, smaller and more peaceful than Sydney although I tend to go through there at night vs during the day for Sydney. Food is generally acceptable although the salt and pepper quid needs to die a quiet death. It’s truly execrable and I can get better at any place on my local high st.

Home base is QF Melbourne domestic business, I like that I know that the woman who makes the coffee in the morning is called Maria and that she knows my coffee order.

 

[Duffa]

Turkish in Istanbul
Oman in Muscat.
Emirates first in Dubai

 

[Forg]

Honourable mention to the qantas Mel first lounge, smaller and more peaceful than Sydney although I tend to go through there at night vs during the day for Sydney.

Interesting how time-of-day affects that; been in the QF Sydney F lounge thrice and the Melbourne one once (stated to illustrate my lack of experience with what’s normal in each) … by comparison the Melbourne one was an oppressive-feeling dungeon (has it moved?) & really busy+noisy by comparison, the fact it was so enclosed & with a low ceiling seemed to enhance the level of noise.

But I’ve been in SFA F lounges, the above two are the only ones. Well, I think I’ve been to the QF Auckland one, but we might have accidentally wandered into a crowded broom closet.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Interesting how time-of-day affects that; been in the QF Sydney F lounge thrice and the Melbourne one once (stated to illustrate my lack of experience with what’s normal in each) … by comparison the Melbourne one was an oppressive-feeling dungeon (has it moved?) & really busy+noisy by comparison, the fact it was so enclosed & with a low ceiling seemed to enhance the level of noise.

But I’ve been in SFA F lounges, the above two are the only ones. Well, I think I’ve been to the QF Auckland one, but we might have accidentally wandered into a crowded broom closet.

The MEL F lounge has been upstairs since… 2005 or something? The business class lounge is the dungeon… urgent need of an update!

 

[serfty]

The MEL F lounge has been upstairs since… 2005 or something? The business class lounge is the dungeon… urgent need of an update!

MEL First lounge moved from dungeon to rooftop in 2007.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

MEL First lounge moved from dungeon to rooftop in 2007.

Thanks… I remember using it in 2007… didn’t realise it had just opened!

 

[Forg]

The MEL F lounge has been upstairs since… 2005 or something? The business class lounge is the dungeon… urgent need of an update!

MEL First lounge moved from dungeon to rooftop in 2007.

Maybe we scrood-up then (or maybe the F lounge was shut when we traveled - was a year or two after JQ got 787's but QF not yet) ... the two reasons we flew to Tassie via Melbourne was (a) because better-half had Platinum status & I found one of those relatively-rare via-international-terminal flights and (b) I wanted to go on a 787.

 

[SYD]

I know this will sound weird but lounges like QF Club Brisbane, VA lounge SYD and VA Lounge BNE also get top marks for the ability to not have to step foot in the terminal until boarding. These locations mean I can "budget" less airport/lounge time becuase of the streamline process (within opening hours). Yes I appreciate they're all domestic lounges but I'm surprised how few places either domestic or international do this around the world. Take EK first for example, the F/J area looks almost the same as the Y section and then you end up in the main concourse before taking the lift up to the lounge - you'd think for one of the best F products in the sky they'd have a better ground product at their main hub.

But in DXB, they make up for it with direct boarding gate access from the F and J lounges. That’s pretty handy.

BA F in T5 has direct lounge access from the F checkin area and dedicated security, passport control. Also pretty good but the lounge itself can be over crowded.

Another criteria/consideration is if you’re starting your journey or in transit. Long haul I usually want a shower during a transit and some handle that better than others. Generally the ME ones never have enough. EY F at least has a buzzer system. CX F at the Wing and the Cabanas are great. QF F/J in SIN is usually streamline, as SQ SIN. QF LAX F in theory is ok, just don‘t get one with no hot water…

I'd start by saying the greatest I've been to is the Eithad First Lounge in Abu Dhabi. It's a quite space that's not too big (Qatar/Emirates enters engulfs the room) with service that's never too intrusive plus good dining and champagne that I don't think any other first class lounge accessible by status comes close to. It's also private enough that you can hide in a corner and not be found by anyone plus the cherry on top is that you can access this lounge with status before a 2 hour flight in Y. From the curbside to lounge involves very little time in the terminal as well.

EY F is ok but having transited many times flying J, I probably didn’t partake in all that was on offer. If I had a really long layover, I’d probably gravitate towards DOH/DXB.

Qantas First in Sydney is up there for the view and atmosphere towering over the airport however it can be hit and miss sometimes and also it can get rather busy (Sydney airport on a whole can be a zoo sometimes). That being said it's a solid lounge and I'd put it up there are one of the better I've been to (I haven't been to the QF F lounges in SIN/MEL but would like to). I think the QF LHR is also noteworthy as a really good business class lounge. Last visit I sat at the downstairs gin bar and forgot I was in an airport lounge, the ability to try different gins/coughtails plus have a menu to order from is unheard of at 99% of business class lounges making it a peaceful experience.

The service still needs some work to get back to pre-Covid standards, but QF F in SYD would definitely been in the Top X list of international lounges and apart from one Good Friday and the place was a complete zoo, it is still always a good way to start my OS trips.

QR Premium lounge at CDG is quite nice and I imagine so is LHR (not had the chance to try it). Peeps also highly rate the QR SIN lounge - which I hope to try out later this year.

I haven’t tried out a UA Polaris lounge yet, but generally anything in the US are dire. Exceptions being the AA Flagship lounges. JFK, MIA. I just missed out getting to the better AS lounge in SEA North Satellite. Our flight was leaving from the Sth Satellite.

The AY Premium lounge in HEL is pretty solid. I can’t think of too many other really good European airline lounges. LH is overrated.

 

[JohnK]

Everyone would have different criteria for the greatness of a lounge. I want a quiet lounge with choice of western food. Don't care for wine/champagne. Totally overrated. Happy with any beer or spirit on offer.

- SYD Qantas F Lounge
- SIN Emirates Business Lounge
- LHR BA T5 Galleries F Lounge?
- BKK EK Business Lounge
- BNE EK Business Lounge
- HKG CX Wing/Pier F Lounge
- LAX AA Flagship Lounge

The above are not in order. I'd be happy in any of these lounges.

 

[sqrt()]

There is a distinct lack of mentions for the QF Pub at HBA...

 

[Forg]

There is a distinct lack of mentions for the QF Pub at HBA...

That’s a bit harsh on pubs … it’s more like the office area of a 1980’s outer-suburban motor registry.

 

[eric2011]

After my recent visit to NZ my favourites are the ANZ regional lounges in AKL, NSN and TRG. I believe the other regional lounges are equal. All have excellent food and drink offerings, great runway/airport views and are reasonably private and quiet

 

[kookaburra75]

Like many of the others have said, the main criteria for me, is not being too crowded, good food on offer, and power points in case I need to keep the laptop charged up. The ones that I have really enjoyed are:
- CX F & J LHR (best showers, and I love the noodle bar)
- QF F SYD & MEL (on my first visit to MEL as a newly minted WP, the staff took me on a tour and fitted me in for a massage in the spa)
- CX J CDG (MrsK enjoyed the different champagnes they had available)
- ANZ NZ Regional Lounges (well set out for working, and good food and drinks)
- QF F & J SIN

And the QF and VA domestic lounges are all good in their own ways, but of course the experience can vary greatly depending on the time of day.

 

[Quickstatus]

some pretty awesome sake which is a passion of mine.

My BiL is a trained Sake Somellier (if you are ever in KUL page me here on AFF and I'll let you know the details of his shop) and when I was in the now defunct QF NRT lounge he was able to le me know of the various Sake that were there.
There was also a lady lounge employee who was able to corroborate what my BiL was saying as well.

 

[Flying Fox]

Never been but would love to visit the LH First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.

The photos that I have seen make it look amazing.

 

[Batterytraveller]

My BiL is a trained Sake Somellier (if you are ever in KUL page me here on AFF and I'll let you know the details of his shop) and when I was in the now defunct QF NRT lounge he was able to le me know of the various Sake that were there.
There was also a lady lounge employee who was able to corroborate what my BiL was saying as well.

I’d be keen to check out the sake scene in KUL, Singapore I have sampled but would be good to see what you guys have.

I know of a couple of QF cabin crew who come to sake events in Melbourne and share a deep sense of shame about what qantas serve in j to japan (ozeki).

I think the best bottle I had in the JAL first lounge was a Jikon Junmai Daiginjo - the sort of thing I’d never order because, as good as it is, it isn’t worth the coin, but I appreciated it in the lounge. ANA has a better overall sake game IMO.