Today at the Cathay (Swiss) Lounge at ORD
Mar 2, 2012, 11:56 am
#1
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Today at the Cathay (Swiss) Lounge at ORD
I am sitting in the "First" Class lounge that Cathay uses at Chicago - the Swiss Lounge.
Sadly, there is very little food because the passengers from the Business Class Lounge are filling their plates. What makes this a bit strange is that with a few exceptions, one wine and a couple of small plates of appetizers - the food is the same.
Nonetheless, they have emptied the larder. This requires that they enter the lounge, fill their plates, and take them back to the Business Class area passing the two lounge personnel.
Very strange. Perhaps someone who is wiser can explain this behavior.
Sadly, there is very little food because the passengers from the Business Class Lounge are filling their plates. What makes this a bit strange is that with a few exceptions, one wine and a couple of small plates of appetizers - the food is the same.
Nonetheless, they have emptied the larder. This requires that they enter the lounge, fill their plates, and take them back to the Business Class area passing the two lounge personnel.
Very strange. Perhaps someone who is wiser can explain this behavior.
Mar 2, 2012, 3:04 pm
#3
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That's disturbing. I wonder if there is a different spread of food and beverage options (and enforcement of the biz vs. FC sides) later in the day when the lounge is no longer a contract lounge to CX but used by LX's own FC passengers?
Mar 2, 2012, 11:00 pm
#4
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Great, not only is F lounge a joke now they are not even enforcing it. I think the problem is F lounge doesn't have bathroom and people do move back and forth, and because F lounge has limited seats sometimes a few F lounge pax do move to J section to sit, which make policing impossible.
Mar 3, 2012, 4:36 am
#5
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In theory, Swiss Lounge @ ORD is not classified for Business and First Class purpose.
Based on CX's website, both lounges (SAS and Swiss) are available. But CX's system seems to assign Business and First (as well as GO and DM) to Swiss and the rest to SAS.
Based on CX's website, both lounges (SAS and Swiss) are available. But CX's system seems to assign Business and First (as well as GO and DM) to Swiss and the rest to SAS.
Mar 3, 2012, 6:58 am
#6
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As per my post, the food is the same in both lounges except in First there is a bottle Pinot Noir and a few appetizer items on small plates. In fact, I had to go over to the Business Class section to get some fruit and cheese as neither were replenished on the First Class side. In fact, in my three hours at the lounge - nothing was refreshed.
The Cathay person was surprised when I told her what was happening but felt there was little she could do as this is a contract lounge with Swiss. The Swiss person did not seem to care.
All in all, a poor showing for Cathay's lounge at ORD today.
The Cathay person was surprised when I told her what was happening but felt there was little she could do as this is a contract lounge with Swiss. The Swiss person did not seem to care.
All in all, a poor showing for Cathay's lounge at ORD today.
Mar 3, 2012, 3:16 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2009
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As per my post, the food is the same in both lounges except in First there is a bottle Pinot Noir and a few appetizer items on small plates. In fact, I had to go over to the Business Class section to get some fruit and cheese as neither were replenished on the First Class side. In fact, in my three hours at the lounge - nothing was refreshed.
The Cathay person was surprised when I told her what was happening but felt there was little she could do as this is a contract lounge with Swiss. The Swiss person did not seem to care.
All in all, a poor showing for Cathay's lounge at ORD today.
The Cathay person was surprised when I told her what was happening but felt there was little she could do as this is a contract lounge with Swiss. The Swiss person did not seem to care.
All in all, a poor showing for Cathay's lounge at ORD today.
Mar 3, 2012, 6:02 pm
#8
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Too bad CX doesn't move the plane over to the AA gates after arriving at the INTL terminal. The FL lounge is at least a little better than the Swiss lounge as well as getting through security where AA is vs the INTL "cluster".
Mar 3, 2012, 7:19 pm
#9
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JAL and others do that - move to T3. Would be more convenient for connecting passengers since I suspect most, if not all, are in-bound on AA.
Mar 4, 2012, 1:53 am
#10
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In November last year I wandered to SAS lounge and saw a lone DM there who was kicked out from Swiss lounge because he was in economy, status nothwithstanding. He was very unhappy and vowed to file a formal complaint when he got to HKG. The Swiss lounge of course, was extremely congested. Sadly, the new CX SFO lounge is not much better than Swiss lounge in my opinion - even less food offering than Swiss lounge when I was there in January.
Mar 4, 2012, 1:15 pm
#11
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But at the least - even SAS Business Lounge offers almost nothing, at least there is one thing that SAS can guarantee - silence
They never anticipate that when they build the lounge, about 20% of the entire flight will actually step into the lounge.
Mar 4, 2012, 6:30 pm
#12
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Mar 5, 2012, 6:47 pm
#13
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Mar 5, 2012, 8:27 pm
#14
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I was referring to your phrase "They never anticipate." I mean, it is possible they anticipated it, but chose to go ahead and do it this way because it might be still better than using the BA lounge (both cost-wise and PAX experience-wise).
Apr 26, 2012, 12:37 am
#15
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Sorry to resurrect an old thread - just wondering, are there any other lounges at ORD T5 that are:
1) Better than Swiss
2) Open around the time CX departs
3) Accessible to OW Sapphire members
Perhaps BA or QF?
1) Better than Swiss
2) Open around the time CX departs
3) Accessible to OW Sapphire members
Perhaps BA or QF?