Fare in Flagship Lounges

 
Old Feb 26, 2006, 9:22 pm
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Fare in Flagship Lounges

I will soon be making my first grand entrances to the august environs of the LAX and LHR FLs. What delectable fare awaits me?
Having done some seaches, it seems there are only random comments on the food in the Flagship lounges - this might be a good place to list what is provided at LAX, LHR and ORD, as a function of time through the day. I am particularly interested in what is available at LAX early in the morning, and LHR at around 10 am (will miss hotel breakfast windows due to early starts for both). Oh, and please - no need to repeat all the more general comments about how the FLs are no great shakes, CX is better option at LHR, etc.
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 9:25 pm
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If you arrive hungry you will leave even hungrier at either.
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 9:36 pm
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
If you arrive hungry you will leave even hungrier at either.
You have a wonderful facility for the apt, pithy comment. However, I believe you could provide details, from extensive personal experience....
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 9:41 pm
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Originally Posted by Wexflyer
You have a wonderful facility for the apt, pithy comment. However, I believe you could provide details, from extensive personal experience....
So could a simple search.

Take my word for it-- "food" is -not- what you'll find.
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 9:50 pm
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Do a search. I recommend you start with Jon's 12,000+ posts as thankfully when combined they fit into 8 single spaced typewritten pages which can easily be read during lunch or a long elevator ride.

I've never been in a FL so I can't answer the question. But I can ask it and did, and in the interest of actually being helpful here's a link to that:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forums/show...=528913&page=2
http://www.flyertalk.com/forums/show...6&postcount=24
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 10:00 pm
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LHR FL? Well, if boxes of cereal and so-so milk are your cup of tea, there's plenty of that -- besides the tea bags -- for the better part of the day. But you'll only find a fraction of real food at the LHR FL that you'll find at any time of the day at the ORD FL.
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 10:38 pm
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Honestly Wexflyer, the food in the FL's leave a lot to be desired. The LAX club in the early am usually has on offer some Danish pastries, bagels, croissants and breakfast cereals. Sometimes they have some lox but they tend to hide it away in the "upper refrigerators" to the right of the service area where they keep the soft drinks, etc. You will have a selection of fresh fruit which IMHO always needs a few more days to ripen. At that time, since Qantas is not footing the bill the champagne will be Korbel!!. They have some premium spirits on offer and usually a few chocolates. In short, not much and not very good. The evening hours when the Qantas flights take off have a much better selection of higher quality items.

As far as the LHR FL there is a very good reason to go to the CX lounge. I know you did not want to hear it but facts are facts and the gang her at FT know what they are talking about. The nonexistent food in the LHR FL sucks! If you are on the LHR-LAX nonstop you really will be left out in the open. In the early morning they set out the Danish and yoghurts etc. and from what I have experienced when they are out for the day they are out. They don't put out the little finger sandwiches until 12 noon after the LAX flight has departed. Last month when I took the non stop I arrived in the FL about 9:45 am and the only thing left was cereal and apples. Thats it folks. I inquired if there was anything else and the lounge attendant said she had finger sandwiches but was on "strict orders" to place them out no earlier than 12 noon. I Then went over to the CX lounge and was admited via my Platinum status and my F boarding pass. I was allowed into the F side (to the right) where there were fresh dumplings, all sorts of breakfast pastries, finger sandwiches and a small menu that you could order a caesar salad, Chinese noodles and some other items. I had the caesar salad and the dim sum along with a nice glass of champagne. It is not the wing or the pier, but it is far better than the AA FL.

If your status allows by all means bypass the LHR FL and go directly to the CX lounge. If you can't and have to go to the FL, I suggest a stop at one of the food stands in the chaos that is terminal 3. At least you will have something to eat.

I know this is not great news but this is how it is. I hope you have a pleasant journey.
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:03 pm
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The LAX FL always has 2 kinds of Yoplait yoghurt (usually vanilla and peach) and fresh fruit (sometimes quite good when the melons and pineapple is ripe). Also some poor danish pastries. Sometimes they have NY cheesecake (yummy) but not very often. Later in the morning they put out sushi and soba noodles (for the NRT flight) and this can sometimes be surprisingly good (better than usual airport sushi). However this does not last long. Around noon they usually put out croissant sandwiches. There is plenty to eat, just not always the best selections. The food was better when the lounge first opened (however certain pax abused it, for example JW Gold is no longer stocked as entire bottles of it were disappearing out the door).
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:06 pm
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Originally Posted by number_6
...for example JW Gold is no longer stocked as entire bottles of it were disappearing out the door).
Don't look at me, I only boost single malt (Springbank/Longrow preferred.)
"Blended scotch is all crap-- I don't care what color the label is"
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:13 pm
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
Don't look at me, I only boost single malt (Springbank/Longrow preferred.)
"Blended scotch is all crap-- I don't care what color the label is"
I had you pegged as more of a bourbon guy. Queens, aren't ya? Would have guessed Woodford's or Baysil Hayden... or Makers even. You just can never tell.

Mets fan though right? That's impossible to get wrong ain't it...
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:15 pm
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Rumor has it that the FL no longer serve filet mignon ever since I was caught filling my carryon with them.

Best steak I've ever had
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:19 pm
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Originally Posted by upgrade lover
As far as the LHR FL there is a very good reason to go to the CX lounge. I know you did not want to hear it but facts are facts and the gang her at FT know what they are talking about.
Thanks for the details. The only reason I said that I did not want to hear about the CX lounge was that I am already convinced and plan to go there, based on details plus photo's that have been posted on FT. In fact, I was in the business side of the CX lounge myself at the end of 05, but as I was suffering from a bad case of the flux (ex Russia), I was not able to partake or even show much interest - I left early to find a chemist's shop. Why I wanted to hear about the LHR FL is that less detail has been posted - often very general comments that it is very poor.

As for the recomendations to search, in fact I did a search for "flagship lounge food" and went back through two pages of hits. Most comments on food are random, e.g. "smoked salmon available in afternoon" in ORD - good to know, but what else was available? Hence my thought that a thread to provide a detailed list might be useful.
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:50 pm
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
Don't look at me, I only boost single malt (Springbank/Longrow preferred.)
"Blended scotch is all crap-- I don't care what color the label is"
I've got disagree a bit...I think Johnnie Blue is actually quite a decent blend, and Ballantine's 30 isn't bad either.

However, beyond that, I'm a stong believer that the best whiskys come from Islay.

Steve
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Old Feb 26, 2006, 11:57 pm
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Originally Posted by sllevin
However, beyond that, I'm a stong believer that the best whiskys come from Islay.
Then we 'aint disagreein' at all! And, the quote was really just a quote from "The Verdict"(?-- I think that's it..)-- the old lady says it to Paul Newman who shoves it through the door to her.

For in-flight purposes (only), Blue is fine.
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Old Feb 27, 2006, 5:41 am
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The environs of the LAX FL are great.. The food is the same as always with hot appetizers in the evening and cold croissants and smoked salmon for lunch. However the BIG change is there is NO MORE CHAMPAGNE. It is Piper Sonoma Sparkling Wine. Another cost cut from the bean counters at AA.....
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