Vote for the worst and best lounge
#61
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, TKM&S Elite
Posts: 27
Best (any of airline) : CX Pier F. Loved having a snooze in the private day room looking out over the apron
Best (BA) : SIN. Nice bit of space, just a shame to have a good lounge in the only airport in the world that I would happily not have a lounge to use!
Worst (any airline): Korean in Nagoya. Small basement room with about 15seats, and 3 tables (....all of which had signs saying they were reserved), no nautral light and a stale sandwich.
Worst (BA): MUC (before the big refit). A depressing place to be. Although Hannover was pretty small and bleak too.
Best (BA) : SIN. Nice bit of space, just a shame to have a good lounge in the only airport in the world that I would happily not have a lounge to use!
Worst (any airline): Korean in Nagoya. Small basement room with about 15seats, and 3 tables (....all of which had signs saying they were reserved), no nautral light and a stale sandwich.
Worst (BA): MUC (before the big refit). A depressing place to be. Although Hannover was pretty small and bleak too.
#62
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 163
Hong Kong gets lots of votes. I have been to the BA and CX offers there, and they are great. However, my best ever HKG lounge experience was in the Virgin lounge. The physical environment and the food/drink offerings were good, but what set it apart was the service. Quite brilliant.
#65
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
Is that the one outside the main doors away around to the right? Splendid luxury - Been there quite a few times when I was working in Shymkent, Cocseray and Turkistan (that's a city not a country). Lovely place Kazakhstan, That comedian (forgotten his name now) did not really do it full justice with his parody.
#66
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 152
Worst: Back in the day, LLW. Although the depression of the lounge was overcome at the joy of heading home.
Best: Another vote for DOH.
I presume by lounge we're referring to on ground? Otherwise EK on a A380 has a great "lounge", and will be trying QR's in a couple of weeks time.
Best: Another vote for DOH.
I presume by lounge we're referring to on ground? Otherwise EK on a A380 has a great "lounge", and will be trying QR's in a couple of weeks time.
#67
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 14
Just arrived from Bangkok (Thai Airways) via Tokyo Haneda (ANA) to New York JFK. First Class should be very good. Not so!
Thai Airways in Bangkok - The best I have ever visited. They provided electric car to take me to that large lounge. You get your own rather large room with a desk, sitting area with a couch and side chairs, huge TV. You can dine there or go to a stunning restaurant at the end of the lounge. Lounge was mostly empty.
ANA First Class lounge at the gate 110 at Haneda airport - Huge lounge, at the entrance, left side had sitting booths and a restaurant (all booths were occupied, restaurant wait time was over 30 minutes - I did not like that). I went to the right at the entrance. It was difficult to find a seat, since it was completely occupied, food selection was mediocre. People were swarming over the food like locust. I have asked the staff if all those passengers were flying 1st Class. Apparently, they let everyone into that lounge, so the exclusivity of flying First Class was completely erased. I have seen many of that First Class Lounge visitors boarding my flight. They were sitting in Business and even Economy class. Many of them went to a First Class sleeve entrance boarding the plane just for show, and then followed to their seats in Business and Economy. Business and Economy had their own sleeve.
Last year, I have had similar experience when I flew with Japan Airlines via Narita - Overcrowded First Class Lounge. The staff member apologized and put me in the Business Class lounge that was less crowded.
It is a shame that Japanese Airline companies got it all wrong. In the future, if I fly First Class, I will avoid Japan.
Thai Airways in Bangkok - The best I have ever visited. They provided electric car to take me to that large lounge. You get your own rather large room with a desk, sitting area with a couch and side chairs, huge TV. You can dine there or go to a stunning restaurant at the end of the lounge. Lounge was mostly empty.
ANA First Class lounge at the gate 110 at Haneda airport - Huge lounge, at the entrance, left side had sitting booths and a restaurant (all booths were occupied, restaurant wait time was over 30 minutes - I did not like that). I went to the right at the entrance. It was difficult to find a seat, since it was completely occupied, food selection was mediocre. People were swarming over the food like locust. I have asked the staff if all those passengers were flying 1st Class. Apparently, they let everyone into that lounge, so the exclusivity of flying First Class was completely erased. I have seen many of that First Class Lounge visitors boarding my flight. They were sitting in Business and even Economy class. Many of them went to a First Class sleeve entrance boarding the plane just for show, and then followed to their seats in Business and Economy. Business and Economy had their own sleeve.
Last year, I have had similar experience when I flew with Japan Airlines via Narita - Overcrowded First Class Lounge. The staff member apologized and put me in the Business Class lounge that was less crowded.
It is a shame that Japanese Airline companies got it all wrong. In the future, if I fly First Class, I will avoid Japan.
Last edited by vicstone; Mar 15, 2019 at 8:25 am Reason: Corrections
#68
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: KSA
Programs: BA LTG, UA Gold, EK Silver, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,240
Best - I like the QF F Lounge in Syd but the CX F lounge in HKG is also nice.
Worst - In recent memory is at ARN - what a dump althought the lounge in DXB not far behind as is way too small, cr*p food and the sparkling stuff must cost less than .99 cents a bottle
Worst - In recent memory is at ARN - what a dump althought the lounge in DXB not far behind as is way too small, cr*p food and the sparkling stuff must cost less than .99 cents a bottle
#69
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: BA Gold for Life
Posts: 1,388
#70
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: BA Gold for Life
Posts: 1,388
#71
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: QF, TK, VA, SQ
Posts: 695
I don't think it's fair to count the little contract lounges strewn over the place as "BA" lounges (there are definitely some weird ones around). For me, anything you can get into with Priority Pass is of a different scoring system to anything else.
I quite like BA's new FCO lounge, or Galleries F at LGW. I find the T5 FLounge just gets overrun and while it's fine, it's not that special.
As for worst, there was a small, dark space (I swear it was a BA lounge) out of MUC a couple of years ago (maybe it's closed now?) and it was pretty depressing, but they did have good local beers.
The worst ever lounge I think I've been in was in VLI, but to be honest it was the only part of the airport which was air conditioned, and that in itself was a saving grace! (This was the only time I've ever boarded a flight with a hand written boarding pass, as the computers were down and ground staff were doing everything by hand).
Best lounges I've been in are prob the CX Wing (for cabanas) and Pier (for everything else) at HKG, CX's F lounge at LHR T3, QF F at SYD and MEL (LAX is ok but not amazing), and I've got a soft spot for AY's HEL lounge (w/ Sauna- haven't been to the new one yet though), and EK's FLounge at DXB - while extreme and oversized, is a pretty tranquil way to kill a few hours. (Realise it's not OW, but as a QF Plat I have access).
Generally speaking, If there's any lounge at all, things are looking up
I quite like BA's new FCO lounge, or Galleries F at LGW. I find the T5 FLounge just gets overrun and while it's fine, it's not that special.
As for worst, there was a small, dark space (I swear it was a BA lounge) out of MUC a couple of years ago (maybe it's closed now?) and it was pretty depressing, but they did have good local beers.
The worst ever lounge I think I've been in was in VLI, but to be honest it was the only part of the airport which was air conditioned, and that in itself was a saving grace! (This was the only time I've ever boarded a flight with a hand written boarding pass, as the computers were down and ground staff were doing everything by hand).
Best lounges I've been in are prob the CX Wing (for cabanas) and Pier (for everything else) at HKG, CX's F lounge at LHR T3, QF F at SYD and MEL (LAX is ok but not amazing), and I've got a soft spot for AY's HEL lounge (w/ Sauna- haven't been to the new one yet though), and EK's FLounge at DXB - while extreme and oversized, is a pretty tranquil way to kill a few hours. (Realise it's not OW, but as a QF Plat I have access).
Generally speaking, If there's any lounge at all, things are looking up
#72
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 9
TXL is very far from being the worst lounge. In fact, in my extensive experience, it's pretty good - spacious, bright, with plenty of seating and always a good range of food and drink (including fresh fruit and a bowl of help-yourself fun-size chocolates on the counter). Its only real shortcoming is that it is landside, which, due to the layout of the security at TXL, makes it extremely difficult to judge when you should leave to get your flight.
I can think of many worse lounges even in Europe, my own nomination being GOA (Genoa), which was dark, uncomfortable and landside.
I can think of many worse lounges even in Europe, my own nomination being GOA (Genoa), which was dark, uncomfortable and landside.
TXL is an airport in purgatory, awaiting the opening of the new Berlin airport. You cannot really expect any upgrade to be made when the airport itself will be greatly changed once BER opens. Any guess as to when that will REALLY happen? (Key word is 'really'.)
#73
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,573
Surprised Penang is getting bad reviews. As regional Malaysian airports go, both the domestic and international lounges are pretty good. And certainly better than most AA domestic lounges.
#74
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,070
I went to PEN only once, last year, flying out with KA to HKG, but I don't remember anything bad about the lounge. DAD was surely worse.
#75
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Programs: Nowt of note.
Posts: 1,628
Nowhere near as widely travelled as many, my vote for worst with BA is Bilbao BIO. Food selection on my visit was either squished sandwiches badly wrapped in cling film, crisps, or naff biscuits, and the room itself is stuck away in a corner of the terminal with only a view of piled up road furniture.
Contrary to the experiences of @vicstone in Japan, I absolutely loved the JL F lounge in HND.
Contrary to the experiences of @vicstone in Japan, I absolutely loved the JL F lounge in HND.