What is the attraction of lounges?

[JohnK]

Good to see the excitement in visiting a lounge is there for some people.

I do get excited in visiting a lounge every now and then but many visits to the lounge are before a flight that takes me away from home.

 

[TomVexille]

Thanks Flying duck! And thank you for such a generous offer I live only ten minutes away from ADL airport, so I was quite keen on taking you up on your offer until I realised that I'll be in Queensland at that time. What's the VA lounge like in Adelaide? Do you think it's just as good as the Qantas Club?

ADL QP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ADL VA Lounge

It's not bad when it's quiet, but it's not good either. Whereas the ADL QP is rather good for a QC

 

[Matt_01]

@Nat Z I like your enthusiasm for the lounges. I have spent to many years in them so the shine has gone however I would still rather have the access than be with the riff-raff. The ADL QP is larger (by a long way) than VP. If you want to visit the VP I will be there every Sunday night from around 17:00-17:15 from the last week of May through to the end of July.

As for the "is this it" feeling mentioned by @daft009 I tend to stay away from reviews as they are always subjective. As a case in point and only as you mentioned "bear in mind it was a domestic flight though. I'm sure that if I was flying business on Emirates or Qantas international then it would have been much nicer" if you took an international J flight you could get any one of a number of different seats Skybed Mk1, Mk2 or the business suite, a330 leather/ cloth seats or 787 which is basically the same as the a330 however the aisle/ window numbering for seats is different. There are those who also complain about the EK bling and the narrow J seat, but there is still the on board lounge/bar

I just look at it this way, a lounge is nice, but it is just a public lounge and not a restaurant. Lounges are always filled with different types of people, those dress up for the occasion or the bitang singlet types. In the air most J experience are good experiences but there are the bad, aircraft get substituted and one can not control other passenger behaviour, flying is just another form of public transport or a bus with wings.

There may be those who disagree but I would much prefer a 2nd rate J seat over a 1st rate Y seat anytime.

 

[Franky]

I took a friend not long ago who had never been in a loungeand I recount the conversation below.

Him: How much is the beer here?
Me: Free mate
Him: No the crown largers not the tap stuff
Me; Free
Him: really wow. What about the food?
Me: Free
Him: No not the nuts the whole buffet thing?
Me: yeah mate all part of it, free
Him : I am never leaving here ever. if I miss my flight I just don't care.
Me: grab me a beer please while you are there
Him on return: I reckon I should have my daughters 21st here, would save me a fortune, the guests could come in one at a time with the extra pass.
Me: It doesn't work that way
Him: sigh, its a shame, I am off to get some of those cheese and salami things. Say isn't that the bloke off the TV? Oh wow I love his show

and on it went for the next hour and 6 beers later. It was like seeing my kids open their Xmas gifts

For non lounge people it is awesome and I remember those days.

Classic..

 

[jase05]

Thanks for your enthusiasm @Nat Z. Keep an eye on the lounge meetup sub-forum and there is a good chance you can share your enthusiasm with other AFFers. Lounge Meetups

Oh, I haven't been to the ADL VA lounge, but I hear it is very underwelming. So best to stick with the QP.

Good luck with the study, and see you in a lounge somewhere.

Edit: The ADL barista* is at the other end of the long bar away from the windows.

*Not to be confused with an ADL AFFer.

ADL VA lounge is ok without being great. Can get a little busy and in the afternoons in summer the heat coming through the windows can be a bit too much. The beers are probably close to the coldest ones you will get though which is always good

 

[GSP]

As others have said, the VA lounge in Adelaide is in my view inferior by a fair way to Qantas lounge. The ADL Qantas lounge is better than most other domestic club lounges in fact. As also mentioned above, VA lounge in ADL does have greater beer selection (if that's your thing), but food selection is always a long way behind Qantas, whilst not fantastic is still good. If I go at lunch or dinner times, I'd prefer to get something outside to eat and then go into the lounge...or just have too many chicken wings or spring rolls in the lounge (QAN).

 

[carambola]

I don't get excited about our domestic lounges per se, but I appreciate them and miss them when I end up flying with an airline where I don't have status.

On the other hand, I very much do get excited about some of the international lounges. In fact, I still arrive early for my CX flights so I can spend a few more hours in the Pier whenever I can. A few rounds of coughtails and noodles, a hot shower and my own little corner (because there's almost always still a corner free)... One of these days, I'll even make it to the F lounge and I'm sure my mind will be blown!

 

[JessicaTam]

I don't get excited about our domestic lounges per se, but I appreciate them and miss them when I end up flying with an airline where I don't have status.

On the other hand, I very much do get excited about some of the international lounges. In fact, I still arrive early for my CX flights so I can spend a few more hours in the Pier whenever I can. A few rounds of coughtails and noodles, a hot shower and my own little corner (because there's almost always still a corner free)... One of these days, I'll even make it to the F lounge and I'm sure my mind will be blown!

Blatant plug
HKG lounge crawl 10 June 2018
/Blatant plug

 

[Cult of one]

As others have said, the VA lounge in Adelaide is in my view inferior by a fair way to Qantas lounge. The ADL Qantas lounge is better than most other domestic club lounges in fact. As also mentioned above, VA lounge in ADL does have greater beer selection (if that's your thing), but food selection is always a long way behind Qantas, whilst not fantastic is still good. If I go at lunch or dinner times, I'd prefer to get something outside to eat and then go into the lounge...or just have too many chicken wings or spring rolls in the lounge (QAN).

Yep the Adelaide lounge is not awesome but have found that the team are super helpful and that makes up for it a bit. The new Perth lounge (well 2 years) is very good.
Best I have been to was Etihad in Paris. Full ala carte restaurant, proper champagne (from a place I had done a tour of just days before) and I was almost sad when they called the flight. Best part was that my boss paid for the ticket

 

[yld200]

I've only just started flying more regularly and love going to the lounges, am lucky to have QC from work now. For me personally, being inside an airport terminal makes me a bit anxious.
Where's the best place to sit?
Should I wait at the gate?
Where can I get a coffee?
Where's good food?
I have to go toilet, gotta take my bags with me!
So much noise and people bumping into you!

I feel like the lounge eliminates that feeling and is like my little safe place in the airport to relax before my flight. Quiet (most of the time), drink, food, nibbles, wifi, charging points, comfortable and don't have to take my bag with me every time I need to get up. Being able to take a warm shower before a redeye back home from Asia is also a nice bonus especially if I've been working or out all day before my flight.

Some lounges are amazing, and some are average but being able to just relax in a comfortable seat with a drink and some food does it for me.

 

[TomVexille]

I don't get excited about our domestic lounges per se, but I appreciate them and miss them when I end up flying with an airline where I don't have status.

On the other hand, I very much do get excited about some of the international lounges. In fact, I still arrive early for my CX flights so I can spend a few more hours in the Pier whenever I can. A few rounds of coughtails and noodles, a hot shower and my own little corner (because there's almost always still a corner free)... One of these days, I'll even make it to the F lounge and I'm sure my mind will be blown!

I found the noodles and ambiance in the Pier J better than the Pier F

 

[Hvr]

Having just had an exfoliation facial in the F lounge here I really appreciate the visit.

 

[boomy]

I find most businesses lounges quite boring. In Australia I’d rather use PriorityPass and eat a decent meal in an airport restaurant rather than the slop usually offered in QF lounges. Most international business lounges are also meh, excluding some good ones like TK, CX, BR... Some first class lounges like QF, CX, QR, LH have the wow factor that will motivate me to arrive earlier to the airport.

 

[VPS]

Having just had two Jetstar flights in NZ with no lounge access I was not happy Jan. Clean toilets make lounges worthwhile

 

[harvyk]

Having just had two Jetstar flights in NZ with no lounge access I was not happy Jan. Clean toilets make lounges worthwhile

Clean facilities is pretty much one of the best things about lounges.

 

[Daver6]

Clean facilities is pretty much one of the best things about lounges.

Which is why lounges without dedicated toilets is such a disappointed. I'm looking at you BA.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Six months ago I took my in laws into the QF SYD First Lounge before a flight to NZ for their wedding anniversary. It was their first time in an international lounge so that's as good a place to start as any. They had a great time and probably think it's the norm!

My father in law hinted I should travel with him when he next visits across the ditch

 

[Forg]

I’m not the frequent flyer in our family, I got involved in this forum primarily for info for my better half.
I’ve got no status at all, pretty much, but she’s Platinum ... I’ve managed to fly with her internationally 3 times now, and as a pleb there’s definitely some Wow Factor involved in a good 1st lounge & in clean dedicated toilets & in showers when you’ve got a 4hr wait in an airport!

Plus we flew my mum & sister down to Melbourne last year for Mum’s birthday; it worked well having the business class lounge as a place to pass some time & even grab lunch on the way, especially as travelling with people who don’t travel often can be full of unexpected delays so you want to be there a tad earlier than usual. And as first-timers, they thought it was pretty cool too, even though that lounge isn’t a patch on the international QF J lounge let alone F.

Unfortunately, I believe her Platinum membership disappears at the end of May; I’ve not had a chance to do the CX thing in HK, she said even the London CX lounge was pretty nice.

We’re taking a J trip on China Airlines to the UK next month (thanks to AFF for the heads-up on J fares that cost the same as SG Premium and cheaper than QF!) ... even though I know Sky Team lounges are pretty lame & the CI lounge in Taipei ain’t so great (dunno why Asian airlines don’t do noodles & dumplings & the like - surely that can be done cheaper than sangers & taste way better!), I’m still going to be enjoying myself in said lounges & the fact that our 4hr-ish waits in Taipei will have somewhere to sit around & shower.

 

[TomVexille]

The CI lounge we used at TPE last year had some decent beef noodles @Forg. And we were in the coughpy half of the lounge as that's JLs contract lounge.

 

[jase05]

I’m not the frequent flyer in our family, I got involved in this forum primarily for info for my better half.
I’ve got no status at all, pretty much, but she’s Platinum ... I’ve managed to fly with her internationally 3 times now, and as a pleb there’s definitely some Wow Factor involved in a good 1st lounge & in clean dedicated toilets & in showers when you’ve got a 4hr wait in an airport!

Plus we flew my mum & sister down to Melbourne last year for Mum’s birthday; it worked well having the business class lounge as a place to pass some time & even grab lunch on the way, especially as travelling with people who don’t travel often can be full of unexpected delays so you want to be there a tad earlier than usual. And as first-timers, they thought it was pretty cool too, even though that lounge isn’t a patch on the international QF J lounge let alone F.

Unfortunately, I believe her Platinum membership disappears at the end of May; I’ve not had a chance to do the CX thing in HK, she said even the London CX lounge was pretty nice.

We’re taking a J trip on China Airlines to the UK next month (thanks to AFF for the heads-up on J fares that cost the same as SG Premium and cheaper than QF!) ... even though I know Sky Team lounges are pretty lame & the CI lounge in Taipei ain’t so great (dunno why Asian airlines don’t do noodles & dumplings & the like - surely that can be done cheaper than sangers & taste way better!), I’m still going to be enjoying myself in said lounges & the fact that our 4hr-ish waits in Taipei will have somewhere to sit around & shower.

The CI lounge in T2 is pretty average but the one in T1 is excellent IMO. Had a large assortment of dim sum and and a top notch noodle bar. It’s about a 15 minute walk from T2 but it’s worth it