Best Star Alliance lounges in...

[Simsy85]

Hi all

Have my trip to Europe next month and in the process of nutting out which lounge surfing I will do!

I'm flying Turkish Airlines as a Star Alliance Gold from SIN to IST; CDG to IST; DBV-ZGB-MUC-TXL (mixture of Croatian Air and Lufthansa); and finally IST-SIN.

Can I get some advice from people as to the best Star Alliance lounges in these locations as many of them have multiple such as Singapore.

Furthermore, I'm not used to travelling with Star Alliance with multiple options (normally just the AirNZ lounge in Brisbane) - what can you access? for instance can I access the Singapore Airlines SilverKris First lounge? (ie Qantas Platinum in a Qantas First).

Cheers

Simsy85

 

[smit0847]

Hi all

Have my trip to Europe next month and in the process of nutting out which lounge surfing I will do!

I'm flying Turkish Airlines as a Star Alliance Gold from SIN to IST; CDG to IST; DBV-ZGB-MUC-TXL (mixture of Croatian Air and Lufthansa); and finally IST-SIN.

Can I get some advice from people as to the best Star Alliance lounges in these locations as many of them have multiple such as Singapore.

Furthermore, I'm not used to travelling with Star Alliance with multiple options (normally just the AirNZ lounge in Brisbane) - what can you access? for instance can I access the Singapore Airlines SilverKris First lounge? (ie Qantas Platinum in a Qantas First).

Cheers

Simsy85

The TK CIP Lounge in IST is absolutely stunning - easily one of the best J lounges in the world. The amount of food stations and attention to details was incredible and the shower rooms are heavenly. However, it is also incredibly crowded as they let every man and his dog in and this means there are queues for everything (bathroom stalls, showers etc). If you are there at an off-peak time (i.e. not before 10am or after 8pm) you might be okay.

SIN you will only have access to the Krisflyer Gold Lounge I think which I have not visited but I believe is okay except for no showers in the lounge.

The LH *A Lounge in TXL was quite nice - good food and very peaceful although it seems you are only arriving there and they may not give access. TXL is a very strangely shaped airport.

The OU Lounge in ZAG is without question the worst airport lounge I have EVER visited (much worse than the VA ADL Lounge). It is only marginally better than being in the terminal (which is also horrible). Set your expectations low and then keep lowering them. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....airport-lounge-you-have-53119.html#post881305

I hear the LH Lounge(s) in MUC is much better than the one(s) in FRA.

Out of all the *A Lounges I have visited in Europe (which is quite a few now), apart from the IST Lounge my favourites were the SK hub Lounges - very calm, peaceful and respectful staff and pax, simple food done very well. A very pleasant place to wait between flights.

Star Alliance have no recognised *A Platinum status so you will not be able to access F Lounges with *A Gold. You will be able to access any *A Gold Lounge at any airport you pass through on presentation of a same-day onwards boarding pass. Where the airline you are flying has their own lounge at that airport you will be expected to use that lounge however I understand you can press to use any *A Gold Lounge at that airport.

 

[dajop]

The TK CIP Lounge in IST is absolutely stunning - easily one of the best J lounges in the world. The amount of food stations and attention to details was incredible and the shower rooms are heavenly. However, it is also incredibly crowded as they let every man and his dog in and this means there are queues for everything (bathroom stalls, showers etc). If you are there at an off-peak time (i.e. not before 10am or after 8pm) you might be okay.

I would agree. Probably the best lounge I've been to anywhere that is open to mere golds and business class passengers and not just restricted to First pax, Highest tier elites or restricted in some other way (although I do note I haven't been to any of the middle eastern airline lounges at their hubs). The food stations are quite impressive and , at least for the two times I was there, food is freshly cooked in front of you (and snapped up as quick as a party pie in a Qantas Club).

 

[uiopui]

IST is the best lounge i have been to. Turkish pizzas are cooked in front of you and the general atmosphere is very nice.

 

[DIANNENICOLOFF]

Hi All, I agree with the above comments, as I have also been in the IST lounge. Definitely one of the best lounges around. Even the female bathrooms are like a five star hotel. Could not fault anything.

 

[casanovawa]

Hmmm, passing through IST in Apr '14 so will have to check it out...

 

[RooFlyer]

Great thread! Am doing a Star Alliance Europe air pass next year - which is whY only - so will be fishing for the same advice! I've bookmarked the thread to come back to then

 

[boomy]

Any advice on the best *A J lounge in BKK?

 

[dajop]

Any advice on the best *A J lounge in BKK?

SQ has better of food and beverage. TG J lounges have showers. Best is to do a lounge crawl.

 

[Foreigner]

Any advice on the best *A J lounge in BKK?

I've been to TG's J lounge numerous times. It's okay but I don't like it that they don't have spirits (read, no JW Black).

 

[Foreigner]

I hear the LH Lounge(s) in MUC is much better than the one(s) in FRA.

I wouldn't know as I haven't been to Munich BUT I can say there are several LH lounges in FRA and the newest one is most impressive. I was in that lounge prior to trip to JFK. Pictures are in this link:

http://www.jaunted.com/travel-photo...+Concourse:+The+Non-Schengen+Senator+Lounge#4

My only gripe was the lack of veg options with food.

My colleague who took a flight to Shanghai was at a different end of the terminal and had access to an apparently older lounge.

 

[Fantic125]

The FRA and MUC domestic lounges are IMHO on par, but the FRA lounge for Int. flights is much nicer.

 

[boomy]

SQ has better of food and beverage. TG J lounges have showers. Best is to do a lounge crawl.

Tried the TG J lounge before and wasn't impressed, will go to SQ this time with a short visit to TG for the showers

 

[dajop]

Tried the TG J lounge before and wasn't impressed, will go to SQ this time with a short visit to TG for the showers

Only qualifier is that SQ lounge closes when the last SQ flight departs around 9pm. And there is a "special" TG J lounge along D course that can only accessed by passengers that have business class boarding pass for a * carrier, it doesn't allow star alliance gold members in. It of course does not have showers. Aaaah Thailand.

 

[boomy]

Only qualifier is that SQ lounge closes when the last SQ flight departs around 9pm. And there is a "special" TG J lounge along D course that can only accessed by passengers that have business class boarding pass for a * carrier, it doesn't allow star alliance gold members in. It of course does not have showers. Aaaah Thailand.

Is the lounge on concourse D better then Royal Silk & Orchid on concourses C & E?

 

[dajop]

Is the lounge on concourse D better then Royal Silk & Orchid on concourses C & E?

Not materially, at least in my opinion. A little quieter perhaps. One night had a 7 hr connection in BKK from SIN to MXP ... (the joys of award availability) ... started in SQ lounge until kicked out when closing, went to TG D concourse then to TG C concourse for shower, and really didn't notice too much difference between the TG lounges.

 

[boomy]

Not materially, at least in my opinion. A little quieter perhaps. One night had a 7 hr connection in BKK from SIN to MXP ... (the joys of award availability) ... started in SQ lounge until kicked out when closing, went to TG D concourse then to TG C concourse for shower, and really didn't notice too much difference between the TG lounges.

I will have 6 hours connection in BKK later this month so it looks like I will do exactly the same with an addition of foot massage to relax after all the lounge crawl

 

[RooFlyer]

I was in BKK last night (Sunday local), with a connection between abt 9pm and midnight local. ALL the TG lounges were zoo-like. I got a shower without much of a wait, then went for a back massage at the spa. When I went back to the lounges at 10pm, I JUST managed to find one vacant seat in the third one I tried.

All packed to the gills and food & be offerings in short supply.

 

[Simsy85]

Finally back in Australia and have the following advice:

1. The TK Lounge in IST - Wow. Just Wow. So good. So Comfy. So Impressive,
2. The LH Senator's Lounge in MUN - Very nice. Very smooth and plenty of them - in the one terminal I was in (or concorse) there were 3 lounges.
3. AirBerlin are just horrible - lounge was closed.
4. Comments made about the OU Lounge in ZAG were accurate, although they had beer on tap

 

[cfellows]

Just to add quickly, *A Gold is only entitled to the SQ Gold lounge in SIN. Which is across the hall from the SilverKris Bus/F lounge in T3 (unsure other terminals). I've never been but heard it is pretty coughpy, no toilets inside or showers and the food/drinks are very basic and no alcohol?