Originally Posted by kryten22uk
What is the primary purpose for the two?
Where are they located (landside/airside)?
On average, which tends to be prefereable?
Can I do the easy ones?
Departures lounges are primarily intended for passengers who are departing from that airport and are usually airside. Arrivals lounges are primarily intended for passengers who have just arrived at that airport and are landside.
And the question of which is preferable depends on exactly what your travel plans are - no one answer fits all.