henrus

If you could stock an airline lounge what would you stock it with?

I'm mainly talking food and beverage. We often see lavish airline lounges which offer water bars (LH), pizza ovens (QF), restaurant dining (EK, SQ, LH, QF, CX just to name a few) or a good manned cocktail bar (a lot of airlines) but what would your ideal lounge include?

Annalisa12

I'd have more exciting things for breakfast that are not in the cooked breakfast or eggs and bacon line. Not such a big deal in the scheme of things when I could choose anything but it really bugs me.

jeebus

Dim sum on push carts?

BuildingMyBento

Ask Do & Co for advice (e.g. IST's TK lounge)

StuckInYYZ

I would include the standard basics (snacks and drinks). I would include some alcohol (including some local stuff (craft beers, popular wines, etc.)... meal options would be some international stuff (as allergen-free as possible) and a selection of local stuff (eg. chicken rice or curry laksa for a lounge based in Singapore... creole food if in New Orleans, poutine and smoked meats if in Montreal, etc.)...

it might be a bit more expensive, but if you're going to market yourself as a premium rest-bit for someone, make it so. Done properly, it could be quite successful.

ou81two

It really depends on what kind of lounge. There's a vast difference in what's needed between domestic flights and international ones.

A manned cocktail bar? I can make my own drink thanks. Don't need a make work project.

Madone59

Hershey Kisses. I always need a bite of something sweet, and the yogurt raisins don't cut it.

Tchiowa

I don't go into a lounge to eat. Snacks are fine. Small sandwiches, etc. Eggs in the morning.

I would ban alcohol from all lounges. Tired of dealing with boisterous drunks on planes.

The_Bouncer

In my dreams: A Texas steak-house lounge, with cooked-to-order steaks, fresh off the grill, waitress service and an open-air beer garden with a full range of craft beers.

Realistically: Two or three hot food options (buffet-style is usually the most practical), snacks such as small sandwiches and salads. On the drinks side, decent beer (preferably on tap like at CPH) and good, strong coffee.

StuckInYYZ

I don't think banning alcohol would mitigate the drunks on the various aircraft. If not there, they'll go to the other locations that do server alcohol or (seemingly more common), buy some at the nearest duty free and secretly drink it.

One thing I noticed is no longer the case.... back in the late 80's and early 90's, at Asian airports, if you bought any alcohol or cigarettes, they would take your ticket number and deliver it to you last minute at your gate... if you did that on top of banning alcohol in the lounges, that would work. But just a ban in the lounges wouldn't work...

That and the price of entry would have to go down....

The_Bouncer

Exactly. All that a ban on alcohol in the lounges would achieve is further "enhancing" away the service for the majority of people, who are fully capable of enjoying a beer or two without getting nuked and causing problems for everyone else.

My 2c is: if you get drunk and cause problems in the air, you should get banned from flying.

pinniped

- Good local craft beers on tap. I've been in a lot of lounges that serve *some* local/regional beers, but pilsners and lagers are always over-represented. Lets get some decent hops coming out of those taps!

- A game room. Would obviously need to be soundproofed enough that the rest of the lounge wasn't bothered. Pool table, fooz, ping pong, pinball, a couple stand-up arcade games, bar shuffleboard, etc.

- Maybe a few large TVs in the game room...but no TVs anywhere else in the lounge.

- In general, if I was designing a larger lounge, I'd do everything possible to make one floor or area as whisper-quiet as possible (no cellphones, etc.) and let the other floor be the party lounge.

- Now to really dream...lounges with some kind of outdoor access. There's one in Lima (a generic airport lounge that Star Alliance elites can access) that has a nice outdoor sitting area. Waiting for a midnight flight, it was nice and cool out there...very refreshing.

- Food: I like the idea of the smaller sandwiches. Paninis or whatever...both for breakfast and later in the day. They're easy, portable, and you can make about 4 different kinds and please almost everybody.

garytimo

Things I really want in a lounge: Two or more hot meal options, self serve beer, the Economist magazine available free.

Bear4Asian

+1


Yogurt raisins are awful. They look like they might be yogurt almonds and disappoint when revealed to be raisins! A good way to have a snack that gets little use and saves money though.
^^^

Server

Soft baked pretzels (with mustard and cheese sauce options) and little dark chocolate squares.