lsquare

My experience so far is that even the worse OWS lounges are better than the majority of the *G lounges I've been to before.

lsquare

Maybe I'm missing something, that review is for the TK business class lounge. *G don't get access to it. Apparently there's a separate lounge for *G members. I don't know if that lounge is as good as the business class lounge.

bbmatt

100% agree, the priority pass lounges in HKG trounce ALL the *G lounges at HKG. I for sure i can get better wonton noodles at the food court for under 50HKD (and there is natural light...)


I haven't been in a while, but the old Turkish lounge at the old IST has amazing food and so many buffet stations with different types of food. I'm sure the one at the new airport will be equally good. Also united club in T2 LHR has surprisingly good curries and other food, beats BA, but not CX and QF

Edit: wow just looked at these pix for the new miles&smiles lounge at IST: https://liveandletsfly.com/turkish-m...tanbul-review/
the spread is like a mid tier hotel buffet!

lsquare

I had no idea MatthewLAX posted a review of the lounge. Maybe ISTFlyer can comment as well? Just looking at the pictures, it seems like the IST lounge blows every other *G lounge out of the water. It doesn't even look close. I mean, if someone said this is an OW lounge, I wouldn't blame them.

Comatose.Captain

I thought TG's new Royal Orchid in BKK was pretty good food-wise.

In LHR, I like all three T2S satellite lounges. It's a matter of taste, but personally I find the breakfast at the United Club beats the breakfast at the CX and QF in T3. (Just to make the obvious comparisons.) For lunch and dinner, I'd probably think OW has a slight edge when comparing offers for OWS in T3 vs. *G in T2. But still a lot of variety in the *A lounges. You've got finger food in the MLL and decent cocktails in the United Club etc.

If memory serves me right, the food in the BR lounge in TPE was pretty good but it's been a while.

Lastly, I also find the LX SEN in ZRH decent. I mean, the live cooking is just for show and doesn't really help the food much. But the food is comforting. I guess it's not a glowing endorsement but I'd still consider it to play in the top league. (I guess one could hope for even more in ZRH, especially given the large number of high net worth travellers there.)

Still have to check out the TK in the new IST but I'm sure it's excellent.

BTW, I think OW isn't the only point of reference here. When it comes to lounge food, I typically don't want a multi-course dinner, but some smaller/lighter/snack options. In that regard, the AF's in CDG are excellent if I think of their salads, chicken, and particularly cheeses and rolls. And they always got great wine, too.

And one more thing: I like the A3 and LH lounges in ATH especially considering these are in a weaker market (short-/mid-haul).

lsquare

It's interesting that you feel that way because there are travel bloggers that have said the CX lounge at LHR is quite good. I haven't tried it yet, but I want to in 2021!

I forgot to mention that I've been to the *A lounge at CDG. I think it's better than any of the *A lounges I've been to at HKG.

I get that you don't want a multi-course dinner, but in terms of taste and quality, I find OW tends to be better. I still haven't been to a *G lounge that can compete with a CX lounge let alone the Centurion Lounge.

Comatose.Captain

They've got free-flowing champagne and the excellent noodle bar (if you're into that). But the interior of the business section isn't so nice any more, the views are meh (compared to, say, the MLL), and the buffet food is not great and of limited variety.

lsquare

Actually, I am! I'm not saying it's the best noodle I've ever had (far from it and I've had better in HK), but compared to other lounge food except for Centurion Lounge, I'll take it! I'm also addicted to the Cathay Delight. I've tried it the first time on my CX J flight to HK. I had no idea it was even served at the CX lounges in HK.

monopod

The new TG lounge at BKK is really good. The food items they have on the menu are quite legit! BR lounge in BKK also has "New Orleans" wings, staple item from Thai pizzerias and I love it.
I also like the ramen and curry at ANA lounges in HND and NRT. Nothing flashy but very nice to have between flights. TK lounge at Ataturk had really good food. I haven't been to the new IST, will be there next month but the food selection is probably going to be limited because of covid. Star Alliance lounge in LAX does have nice food too. Again, nothing fancy, but nice enough pre-departure.

Also have to slip in a dishonorable mention. OZ lounge in ICN has the worst food. Very limited options and even at lunch/dinner the food don't taste very good. I've had better food at United Club in LAX.

Dover2Golf

Ah, you don't understand SQ.

It's a great privilege to be able to pay the high fares in whatever class you want to travel to be allowed to board one of their aircraft. On boarding you should expect nothing more than your specified seat, a smile from Singapore girl and otherwise rather mediocre service. In the event that they oversell, they will often off load rather than upgrade unless you are a top tier PPS member. They have no interest whatever in *G passengers and indeed only introduce Krisflyer and *G recognition as a condition of their membership of *A. To have any hope of recognition you have to be one of their own PPS members, a club you can join when you pay higher than normal fares and travel only in first and business class. You might then just about be acknowledged by the crew but don't bank on it especially in business class, if first they still manage to call you by name. .

SQ, like a few more trades on a reputation that is at least twenty years out of date and these days, if you believe the publicity you will be disappointed.

All that said, I still find their all time arch rival, Cathay to be pretty good.

lhrpete

A bit off topic but:

ROTFL, I'm an LPPS member, i.e. the very top of the heap in a tier that is now closed to further membership, we were told, due to the cost of maintaining it not that there are many benefits The benefits are a bit more baggagen than an ordinary *G and access to the F section of the SKL if you are in business class (if you're in economy you won't get in) and have been a PPS member for at least five years and spent at least SGD 50000 each year. These days to make basic PPS you need to spend at least SGD 25000 a year on SQ flights in the premium cabins, when I qualified (20 years ago) it was on distance and sectors.

Dover2Golf sums up the SQ experience perfectly, it's all hype with little substance these days and unless you are at the top of the heap where extras are very few and far between - maybe an upgrade every five years if you fly in a month without an R in the name and then only on the third Monday and it's your very lucky day, you will get exactly what you paid for and you must recognise that it's an absolute privilege to be allowed to board one of their aircraft and be allowed to transit their hub at Changi where the lounges are mediocre on a good day. As a KF *G you are beneath contempt because you have not earned status in the premium cabins and might have earned on other airlines and as a *G with another airline you are of no interest to them whatever so ask for nothing and you won't be disappointed. Singapore girl is as likely to snarl as smile too.

fumje

Really? I found *A at CDG to be fine but nothing special so far as eating goes. Not a great variety of foods, and mostly standard flavours.

The TG lounge at HKG to me is pretty good for a meal. I do tend to prefer Asian to western cuisine, though, and it also has been over a year since I've visited.

yurtripper

Dover2Golf and lhrpete have absolutely nailed it wrt SQ. Nothing to add to that. Although I do remember thinking when hearing the group boarding calls for a flight to ZRH that KF *G must be somewhere behind unaffiliated Y pax in status.

I remember my first visit to SIN as a KF Gold. The *G lounge was so bad that I walked out and went straight to SATS instead, using my PP for access. When an elite lounge at your own hub is worse than a bog-standard contract lounge you know something is badly wrong.

garykung

What are you talking about? TK Business class lounge is a *G lounge, which is the exact lounge *G uses. Even one of the pictures confirms this:

https://onemileatatime.com/wp-conten...Istanbul-1.jpg

*A lounges are different from *G lounges.

For starter - *A lounges are run in the name of *A. But *G are run in the name of individual airlines. *G can only access *A Business lounges, but not First Class.

cfischer

NH lounges in TYO or TK lounge in IST - food-wise