Circum Pacific 1W Lounge Hop - Summary

[RooFlyer]

Recently I used a 1W ‘Circle Pacific fare and this allowed me to do some serious 1W Lounge Hopping and on a following trip, did some F lounges belonging to *A. Brief reviews follow, which may be of interest.

In a lounge I like a variety of eco-systems, or themes, which cater for different moods/modes – work, relaxing, dining, socialising etc. I especially like it when there is a quiet area where you can get away from the madding airport crows/noise. I like local cuisine and wines to be offered, both a la carte and buffet, if possible. I'm not a big user of 'spas' , but happy to use if the mood suits.

Lounges visited, in order of my liking (updated 8 Aug.) were:

1. Cathay The Wing at HKG 10/10 as a Lounge, 9/10 as a First Class Lounge
2. Qantas Singapore Lounge at SIN T1 9/10 as a Lounge
3. Qantas First Lounge at MEL 9/10 as a Lounge, 8/10 as a First Class Lounge
4. Emirates Lounge at SIN T1 9/10 as a Lounge
5. Malaysian Platinum Suite at KUL satellite 8/10 as a Lounge, 8/10 as a First Class Lounge
6. United First Lounge at SFO 8/10 as a lounge, 8/10 as a First Class lounge
7. AA First lounge at LAX T4 8/10 as a lounge, 8/10 as a First Class Lounge
8. Singapore Air First lounge at SYD 8/10 as a lounge, 7/10 as a First Class Lounge
Then follows: Malaysian Golden Lounge Main terminal at KUL 8/10 as a Lounge ; Cathay Business Lounge at YVR 7/10 as a Lounge; Malaysian First Lounge at KUL Satellite 8/10 as a Lounge, 7/10 as a First Class Lounge; Cathay First lounge at YVR 7/10 as a Lounge, 6/10 as a First Class Lounge

 

[RooFlyer]

Qantas First Lounge, MEL – breakfast time

Short review, no pics - I wasn't planning comparisons at this stage!

I confess a long standing bias against the MEL F Lounge as I think it is inferior in many ways to its SYD counterpart. However to judge it on its own merits on this trip:

Entry via the escalator to the charming front desk hosts who offer any service which may assist me. However its breakfast time and I head for the dining area. Service there as usual is impeccable and I depart from my usual eggs benedict with salmon to try the buffalo milk yoghurt with rhubarb and also the green figs. Delicious, and together with an espresso and a fruit energiser, it gets me in the mood for a long flight ahead.

The layout of the MEL F lounge just doesn’t do it for me. It’s not cramped, but just seems so. I sit at one of the lounge chairs and read the morning paper, when approached by one of the attendants offering a spa session. I don’t normally do these, but thought what the hell, so indulged. On exiting I’m offered a champagne. Life could be worse, I guess.

I then download some shows onto my iPad and the wi-fi is very fast. not lightening, but very fast. I went to one of the PCs/printer areas and easily printed off some work documents that had just been e-mailed to me.
I head down to the boarding area for the flight to LAX a few minutes early, as I want to stretch my legs a bit. Oh-oh. I forgot about the absurd boarding routine in the adjacent gate where there is a free for all pre boarding passport check and a long disorderly queue. I go for my circuit of the departures areas and 10 minutes later the queue had largely cleared. However the down the escalator was paused due to crowding below. Then, not for the first time, it’s a bit chaotic as people head down the wrong boarding lane. Whoever designed this bit of the airport should be done away with.

Overall
Atmosphere: Light clubby; good mix of types of seating and areas. As always, fantastic staff and food and beverages. Spa service very nice; a terrific lounge experience.

 

[RooFlyer]

Cathay Business and First Lounge YVR – late morning

I’m early, only ½ hr after lounge opened at 11:15am and I’m only one in Lounge. Next people in lounge arrive an hour later.

Enter first into the J lounge with is bright and airy. A good number of clubby type seats in 2, 4 & 5 configs. Lots of access to power points. In addition, a bench with 20 stools (no power) and about another 10 seats. Drinks area with cookies, soft drinks, Chateau Sancerre , instant noodle type things. Nice view over Apron area.



Thru to First. Darker furnishings; faux wood panelling. About 14 ?leather club type chairs, 8 lighter chairs facing window with view over Apron.



First impression is the TV blaring out. CBC news channel.

Good selection of soft drinks in fridges, sandwiches, filled bagels etc in fridge also. Chateau Sancerre and a small bottle of Moet & Chandon. The Champagne is already opened (likely from the day before) and there’s just a dribble in the bottom. Poor effort. In addition, there’s a Canadian pinot noir and 5 sprit selections (2 Bacardi, vodka, gin and Canadian Club whiskey). I made a G&T and this finished off the gin. Nuts and cookies and crackers under cover. Jugs of juices and Perrier in fridge.



Sticky rice and prawn and spinach won tons in the steamer, plus ‘instant noodle’ type containers (CX branded). Business lounge has the same PLUS “Singapore style curry fried noodles”. This is the first 1st lounge I’ve been in where the food selection is worse than in Business etc lounge.

Wi-fi is the free airport wi-fi!! I can sporadically pick up AC’s data valet service from beneath. Neither is very fast.

After a while, the TV was changed remotely – first to boxing (!) then to soccer. The attendant came out and expressed “Yes!” at the choice. No-one in the lounge was interested, although I did have an ear on the previous News that was on. I eventually asked them to turn the volume down, as it was spoiling the ambiance. The three others in the Lounge at the time nodded their agreement.

Overall:
Food: Tasty but minimalist. Drink: Poor. Ambiance: Serious, and ‘clubby’ but negatively impacted by the TV noise. First Class in its exclusivity, but not, in my opinion, by its offerings.

 

[RooFlyer]

CX The Wing First Lounge HKG – lunch time
For me the first point of order is a shower to take away the sweat of a HK morning. Past the Champagne Lounge and straight to the Cabanas and enjoyment of this extraordinary facility. Down a seriously reflective black marble corridor, into my Cabana suite. Separate loo, and then a bath and separate rain head / waterfall / wand shower. There’s a separate basin with counter and another counter, all well-lit and also a couch if you wanted to lie down. Great large and thick towels. Could spend an hour and soak, but lunch awaits and it’s just a shower.



I retrace my steps back to the Champagne Lounge for a pre-lunch aperitif. Choices of Moet & Chandon Brut and rosé and Verve Cliquot (didn’t see the label). Relax in one of the 5 or so burgundy deep chesterfields and contemplate CX’s choice of bubbles and the planes on the Apron out the window.



Two glasses are enough, and now I repair to The Haven, where it’s more black marble on the floor and polished and chiselled white marble on the floor. The Haven seats about 75 from a quick count and at noon there are probably a dozen people having lunch. There’s a limited a la carte menu, but I head for the buffet. A wide selection of cold appetisers hot Eastern Dishes (mixed dim sum, fried rice, braise pork in crème sauce, some others). Desserts are a treat. Various chocolates, pralines, tiramisu, cheesecake, fresh fruits etc etc.
My descriptions of the dishes don’t do them justice. Anyone not satisfied would be hard to please. For a drink I just chose a fresh orange juice, which was delicious and soon repeated. Uniformed waiters bring the drinks and clear away the finished plates with rapidity.



Back out and reluctantly do some laptop work, going past the sit-up, serviced bar in white marble. Could choose between deep clubby red, tan or black leather chairs, or a nifty construction that has its own laptop space, drinks space and privacy (called a ‘Solus’ chair I found out later). Here the wi fi speed disappoints. Barely enough to play some ABC news video. A waiter comes round and takes a drink order.



The view is onto the wide airport apron.

Overall
This is a serious First Class Lounge. Refined yet bright and open ambiance, good quality fittings, superb food offerings including a la carte, great service throughout and excellent special features such as the cabanas and Champagne lounge. Top effort; exactly what I think a First Class Lounge should be.

 

[simongr]

I am intrigued to see how The Wing tops the MEL F lounge - reports I have heard are that the Wing is much sharper and newer now but not necessarily that much improved. Have you been to the SYD F lounge for comparison? I am obviously biased being a Sydneysider but I certainly think SYD with its great views of the city, open and airy environment is much better than MEL.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am intrigued to see how The Wing tops the MEL F lounge - reports I have heard are that the Wing is much sharper and newer now but not necessarily that much improved. Have you been to the SYD F lounge for comparison? I am obviously biased being a Sydneysider but I certainly think SYD with its great views of the city, open and airy environment is much better than MEL.

Didn't do SYD on this trip, but It would be my top choice of all, no question. Agree with all your points.

I might have been dazzled a bit by The Wing's cabanas and the Champagne Lounge, but overall it tops the QF F lounge in MEL I think. It just reeks of 'First Class' and having separate 'rooms' is a good layout. Maybe MEL suffers in comparison with SYD .

 

[RooFlyer]

MH First Lounge, Satellite Terminal KUL

This is a few steps away from the Platinum Suite and is also almost deserted. It is large, with a dining area of about 8 tables set for either 1, 2, 4 or 8. The rest of the lounge has brown upholstered chairs and a brown carpet, a buffet (sandwiches, several curries, sweets), drinks bar, self serve ice creams in a fridge. Several TVs are mounted on pillars, with the sound turned low.



There are 6 showers in the gents loo area, at least, with toiletries etc laid out. A cigar room is a nice touch (if you are inclined that way!).

There are about 6 staff who mostly talk amongst themselves down one end but I eventually get attended to and ask for a Champagne. Its Thierry Grandin Cuvee Marcel Jardin 2007. Nice enough, but I’m not offered any refills. Never mind, its time to go.

Overall:
Ambiance is lacking a bit; it might improve with some more people. Food and beverages are OK, however I think the lounge needs a refresh.

 

[RooFlyer]

MH Regional Lounge, Main terminal - early afternoon

This lounge is light, bright and large. A water feature greets you on entry, then there are several different areas for relaxing, and also tables for dining. There’s a kids room, a prayer room, a spa and meeting rooms. Showers are available. The lounge is about half full, but doesn’t seem crowded.







The buffet is extensive and appealing, and there’s a separate ‘noodle station’ (right in the pic below) with dishes being cooked. There is a bar with bar-person, but again the wine selection is disappointing. A bottle of Chilean merlot and one of chardonnay appears to be it.



Wi-fi is slow. There are a number of waiters etc but most are merely standing around. Dishes remain un-cleared after people leave, which is disappointing.

Overall.
A great general lounge. Light, bright and breezy, with lots of facilities and good food and beverage offerings, with the exception of wines. If my flight was leaving from the Main terminal, I don’t think I’d need to go to the First lounge at Satellite, but if I had time, I would still probably head to the Platinum Suite for a meal.

 

[RooFlyer]

QF Business Lounge, SIN Terminal 1 - evening

Only 2 pics here, as the lounge has been well covered elsewhere and most of my pics had people clearly defined in them, and probably not suitable for posting.

Nicely greeted at entry and pointed toward the interior. As this was my first visit, a bit disappointed not to be offered a tour/explanation I’d heard others have received. It’s a large and seems about half full, maybe more. Lots of different areas, but after passing a well-stocked, large sit-up at bar I end up in the meals area. I must have looked confused (and I was a bit), as a ‘maître d’ type asks if she can help. Yes! I ask for a quick overview of what was on offer and this was efficiently and pleasantly given.

The bar:


When I went to sit down to eat, only spots on the communal dining tables were available, and I was soon bugged by the guy sitting next to me, talking loudly and aggressively on his mobile. I moved as soon as one of the peripheral small tables was available. The communal dining tables also makes parking of carry-on difficult. Where is it supposed to go when there are 6 people sitting side by side?
I could have sat at the cooking station bar but chose not to.

I think as is well known now, there is an extensive buffet, plus a choice of 2 small cooked dishes. My salmon was delicious, but I would have liked it to be larger. I had a pick at the hot buffet offerings, but none happened to appeal very much. A waiter offered me a drink, and I chose a NZ sav blanc, which was very nice and topped up when empty. Sparking available was Seppelts NV Salinger; otherwise a good range of Australian and NZ reds and whites.

Lots of pleasant and helpful staff, all busy. The polished concrete floor contributes to a noisy atmosphere – almost cafeteria like. Not a fan of the floor, or the silly ‘open’ ceiling, with vents and piping exposed. The Pompidou Centre it aint! The windows look over the lower floor of the Terminal; the only lounge on the trip that didn't have views to the outside.

Finishing the meal (I was going to skip the meal on the plane) I headed for the showers to freshen up. There was a selection of toiletries there. I was surprised to find the marble walls stained and looking the un-renovated state that they are. Very disappointing, considering the effort that has gone into the rest of the facility.


Entrance to the showers area. Actual shower stalls not quite as sparkling


Afterwards, I explored the rest of the lounge, and liked the various different ‘eco systems’ where people with different wants and needs could suit themselves. Almost every seat has 1 or 2 international power points available. I just stuck to water again, working on the laptop; wi-fi was OK without being brilliant. As the flight approached, the lounge became quite full and the noise and bordering-on-boorish behaviour of some of my fellow loungers began to grate.

Overall
A large, breezy, comfortable general lounge, with many great facilities and very good food and beverage (no Champagne). You could pass quite a long time here in comfort. Staff are terrific, but I think the designers have tried a bit hard with the décor. Gets quite crowded and noisy towards flight(s) departure time in the evening.

 

[RooFlyer]

Emirates lounge, SIN T1 – evening.

I eventually escaped the Qantas Lounge for the Emirates Lounge, further towards my departure gate, but it was only a quick visit.

It is also large (not as large as QF), but was relatively deserted. Conservatively furnished in the ‘classic’ Emirates style, wood panelling, camel coloured club chairs and low lamps. It’s a good balance between being well lit but avoiding starkness.

I pass a pretty good drinks bar, but head to check out the buffet, although not to eat. The buffet has a wide selection of cold appetisers (eg prawns), hot mains (mainly curries and satays) and nice looking desserts, including fresh berries. I wish I took some more detail!



Drinks besides abundant sprits were Verve Cliquot Champagne and a selection of new world wines.

I didn’t look for the loos or showers, but expect them to be satisfactory. I had a bit of a further explore and found the lounge (in a 'U' shape) is pretty big. Its certainly more tranquil than the QF lounge.



Overall

A great Lounge. Superb food and drink offerings. Staff not as active or apparent than in the QF lounge, but its not nearly as busy either. Recommended for anyone with access who wants to relax a bit more than you can in the QF lounge when it gets crowded, towards flight times.

 

[Inver]

This is turning into the definitive thread for lounges.

 

[moa999]

I am intrigued to see how The Wing tops the MEL F lounge - reports I have heard are that the Wing is much sharper and newer now but not necessarily that much improved. Have you been to the SYD F lounge for comparison? I am obviously biased being a Sydneysider but I certainly think SYD with its great views of the city, open and airy environment is much better than MEL.

Agree the new Wing F is sharper and newer, but I also felt it was a bit soulless. Its very dark wood and plush red couches and Solus chairs, but is very same, the old water features used to break it up a bit more.
Did not see the new cabanas which from the photos look good.

The new a la carte menu selection looks good.
However on my one use (when the place was maybe 15% full) I was told a 15-20min wait for food (as was written on the menu)
I presumed how empty the place was this was an overestimate.

28min later I walked out, without seeing my food, and made Final Call on my flight.

 

[serfty]

This is turning into the definitive thread for lounges.

Maybe, but a bit tainted by the OP's admitted bias against the Melbourne First Lounge.

As in anything like this, these are subjective.

Personally, I prefer it to the one in Sydney - for a few reasons, but mainly I have never had to sit and eat at a coffee table due to overcrowding and the staff generally seem that much more personable (I have no issue with the layout).

I will be seeing the HKG lounges at the new year, so I may come back then with a personal update as to why it might or might not be better than Melbourne's.

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe, but a bit tainted by the OP's admitted bias against the Melbourne First Lounge.

<snip>.

Hoist on my own petard! :mrgreen:

 

[RooFlyer]

AA F lounge LAX T4 – early morning

Having obtained the access card from the AA lounge front desk, it’s through the sliding glass door to the smiling lounge attendant. Cheerfully she checks on my domestic departure time for Las Vegas.

I head for the shower suites, and one is free. They are OK, with the wall mounted type of liquid soaps. Washes away the TPAC cobwebs OK.

The lounge has a nice view over the T4 apron, and has PCs, a range of seating types and a buffet. Drink selection is good; bubbles are a local sparking; wines are medium quality (IMHO!) Californian and Washington State whites and reds. Bit early in the morning for me. Lots of water, soft drink and juice options.

Food selections are, as usual in Nth American lounges a bit on the disappointing side. Soup, cold cuts and salads, crackers, finger food type things; cereals for breakfast. Survivable, but not what Australian are used to in a First Class Flagship lounge.

There are high bar type tables as well as comfy chairs and tables. The lounge is pretty quiet, except for CNN on the TV at the buffet end. Very quiet, almost sedate at the other end . Wi-fi is good and fast.

Overall
A comfy and relaxing lounge, with all the amenities you would want (except for a spa, if that’s your thing). Food superior to most Nth American lounges, but not what I would call “First Class”.

 

[RooFlyer]

CX The Wing a la carte menu May

 

[LadyC]

Thanks for posting! It's always interesting reading about the lounges out there - it helps me decide which ones I should visit

 

[JessicaTam]

How long was your Circle Pacific trip? Or did you just hop from lounge to lounge!

 

[RooFlyer]

How long was your Circle Pacific trip? Or did you just hop from lounge to lounge!

Had to do some work in USA/Canada for 2 weeks then came back and hung out in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur for a few days on the way back, researching for a family holiday later in the year.

But like others before me, I'm happy to put my liver and cholesterol levels on the line for AFF!

 

[Grooba]

Really interesting comparison there RooFlyer, thanks for the write up.

CX The Wing a la carte menu May

That Chinese Country Pot was spectacular last week!