The fun part of traveling to Asia is deciding how to fly there! There are so many wonderful airlines to choose from. I’m a big fan of Cathay Pacific but we decided to fly over on Singapore Airlines since we had not been on their First Class on the A380 before. Corbin has enjoyed many different international first class trips but this would be his first in first with Singapore.
CHECK IN: 10/10
I had checked in online but Singapore requires a document check and a boarding pass to be printed on SQ stock.
As we approached the check-in counters, the Suites counter was available and we received our boarding passes very quickly. I’ve trained my son that checking in a bag is frowned upon so soon we were on our way.
LOUNGE: 9/10
Security was simple and the priority queue was short. We didn’t have to remove any items from our bags or take off our shoes. It felt almost civilized.
Singapore uses the shared Star Alliance lounge. This day the first class section also had passengers from the LH Frankfurt flight. The first class section has two VIP rooms that airlines can arrange to use. Both were occupied.
The lounge was very quiet and a perfect place to have lunch and relax before our trip to Narita. As we entered a Singapore Airlines representative happened to be at the front podium. We chatted a bit. At one point, she asked if Corbin and I were brothers! I accused her of shamelessly flirting with me and informed her I was a married man!
A welcome glass of champers
The lounge attendant offered us a brunch/lunch menu and said we could eat in the dining area or at our seat in the lounge area.
We ordered a prawn and Greek salad, a bagel with lox plate and a BLT. Everything was very tasty especially when paired with a couple of glasses of champers.
Just before the Frankfurt flight left, a family arrived with a very young child who ran around the lounge like it was her nursery. Corbin has been to many lounges as a child and I always made sure that he was never a bother to anyone. These parents were not concerned at all.
The lounge has a connecting door to the huge business class side so I strolled through. My favorite part of the biz side is the hotel-esque outdoor patio. It’s a great lounge feature especially in a city like LA. There is also an indoor patio that overlooks the main section of the new shopping arcade. The seating areas are varied and there is something for everyone.
I lived in LA for many years and often wondered why the airline alliances didn’t join together and create shared lounges instead of each airline having their own. I am so pleased that both Star Alliance and Oneworld offer very nice lounges now in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
The only reason this lounge doesn't get full marks, is that it is still on the small size. Emirates First Class lounge in Dubai sets a very high bar with size. Once the Frankfurt flight left, it felt much better.
Soon enough our flight was called and we were on our way to the gate!