Business Traveller will be featuring an article on the best airport lounges in the world in our next issue, and we'd like your help in compiling it.

Which departure lounges merit a mention, and why? Let us know which features are the most important for you when it comes to a departure lounge (location, facilities, size, eligibility, etc), and which lounges tick these boxes in your opinion.

We'll start you off with a few suggestions:

- BA's Galleries at Heathrow T5

- Emirates' lounges at the newly-opened Dubai International T3

- Cathay Pacific's lounges at Hong Kong International airport

- Singapore Airlines' lounges at Changi airport

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Dont think its going to be BA lounge HKG somehow !

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Any that still has a smoking room that does not impeed non smokers.

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I agree that BA's lounges at LHR T5 are currently amongst the best

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The Virgin ClubHouse(s) at both LHR and NY JFK are excellent, and the ones in HK is no slouch either.

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It has to be the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt.

Superb in every respect from drive up check in, dedicated security line, dedicated duty free, personal greeting, full waiter service restaurant, free WiFi, terrific spacious and non-burping shower and bath suites with rubber duckies and ETRO bath accessories, a smart smoking area (think cigars rather than grabbing a quick ciggy).

The piece de resistance? A personal chauffeur driven Porsche Cayenne to the aircraft.

Nothing beats that. So good, they even made a documentary about it:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=riVwcISBGas

I am also a big fan of Qantas' First Lounge in Sydney. The rainforest wall is a great, calming feature as you enter. The food and wine on offer is top notch. Great runway views, and supremely courteous staff.

Nice as the T5 lounges are, there are significant structural and service related shortcomings that, taken together, add up to a missed opportunity. Though they are a significant improvement, and the artwork is world class.

Streets ahead of what we had in T4.

The nicest touch is, I think, the genuine Concorde Connolly leather seats in the Boardroom of the Concorde Business Centre.

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Cathay lounges in HK as well as Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge in Kuala Lumpur.

Noticed that these lounges are slightly positioned differently from e.g. Singapore Airlines Lounges in Changi. The CX and MH lounges gives a great sense of open space with little corners for meals. CX in particular provides you enough room to move around, sense of privacy as well.

Was at the MH Lounge in Paris just last week - very miserable indeed.

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Without a doubt, QANTAS First Class lounge in Sydney. Great space, great food, great staff, views of the runways...simply the best!

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Singapore Airlines Changi airport lounge will be among the best for following reasons - For first class, there is a valet service at check-in, the first class lounge employ cook to prepare hot food (from selection) and a bar where one could order great cocktails - although bar hours are limited. There are good showers, smokers room and a very good collection of newspaper and magazines. The food and drinks selection is quite good and for night flight it is ideal to have dinner in the lounge and then go straight to sleep in the plane. The business class lounge is a shade lower in facility - however there are enough seats hence one could get privacy. BA T5 business class lounge (south side) is ridiculas as to go there one has to go down 1 level after security check and then go up 3 levels. The lounge is crowded all the time - however there is plenty of drinks and snacks. The newspaper/magazine supply is not replenished easiliy. Someone indicated Frankfurt first class lounge - it is vey difficult to locate that for transit passengers - the signs are ridiculas.

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When the Cathay lounges in Hong Kong opened, they redefined the luxury air travel experience on the ground. There really hasn't been anything that has come close. The incorporation of the lounge design ("the wing"), with the architecture of this impressive airport. Having said that, the lounge is showing wear and tear and doesn't have the same "newness" it did five to seven years ago. Bringing the best of Hong Kong hospitality to service, run and cater the lounge with the Peninsula Hotel was a sheer masterstroke by Cathay Pacific. The fact that all oneworld emerald card holders have access to the first class lounge irresepective of oneworld carrier of travel.(unlike BA which has a seperate Gold lounge and the Concorde Room for first passengers only) is another major plus. The Cabanas in the wing and day break rooms in the pier are a great place for some privacy. I always manage to get 3-4hours of sleep in the wing cabana's when I have a long layover. The noodlebar probably has the best lounge food I have ever tasted - fresh, simple and filling. Overall

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1. Definitely the LH FCT in FRA. Actually the FCLs are pretty good too, both in FRA and MUC

2. VS Clubhouse in LHR

3. CX Wing and Pier

4. TG F lounge, well, the entire F experience (buggies, spas etc) rather than the lounge, per se, in BKK

By comparison, LHR T5 and SIN T3 are pretty "meh, whatever". I'm in the EK F lounge in a couple of weeks time, but I've heard mixed reports - the restaurant and wine cellar look pretty good though

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I know a few 1st class lounges and must say the best was/is Lufthansa's in Frankfurt.

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I am happy to nominate the BA T5 Galleries complex, which is really very good, especially the Gallery First and Concorde Room, with the cabanas. The quality of food and champagne/wine is (usually) very good.

The VS Clubhouse is good, and the food is very good. It is, however, a little "flash" for my taste, and the wine and champagne are not up to BA's standards. The inability to help yourself to drinks is disappointing......The staff are of varying quality and responsiveness, but that can be said of most lounges! That said, this is the best part (after the car/check in at T3) and the rest of the VS experience is a serious of disappointments and poor quality!

The QF First lounge at SYD has great food and wine, view of the City and airport, although the seating areas are a little featureless and not that comfortable or private.

I have to make a positive comment regarding the shared lounge that BA use at BAH - surprisingly nice and comfortable.

Disappointments are the BA/QF lounges in BKK and SIN; whilst not bad they could be better.

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I do agree and disagree with everybody ....i believe it is just your personal experience that makes you vote for a lounge over the other ,that s why our opinions do converge and diverge .........at the end ,we do agree on some common points .............there is no doubt that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in FRA is a top notch product ,though now 5 years old !!............ I heard about the new Fcl lounges in FRA and MUC but have not yet visited them ....hope will do soon ........ I noticed that nobody has evoked the Qatar Airways First Class terminal in Doha ........head and shoulders above most competitors ground products ...........the Fcl zone is also most of the time serene and inspiring ,unlike the Ccl zone ...............

Before I wrap up ,let me pay tribute to the awesome Thai Airways First Class lounge in BKK .........ambience ,comfort ,spa facilities ,food ,etc.........could say among the very best in the world ............!!..a lounge to fly for !

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I have to back the Qantas First lounge at SYD.

From the moment you arrive to the moment you board your flight, you feel like every penny had been well spent.

The food was perfect, freshly cooked and served very quickly. We sat by the window whilst dining and had the A380 parked below us, a marvelous view of the Sydney skyline across the runway and services that was second to none.

So how good was this lounge? Well, such was the attention to detail, service and selection of food and drink, it managed to stop my wife shopping in the duty free. That is a first!!

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Right now I am sitting in Ethihad's new lounge in the new terminal at Abu Dhabi airport. It is fabulous. I am in the busines centre with 10 of the new MACs all on desks with lamps and leather chairs. There's free internet, although I cannot access my email at the moment and I've just eaten some delicious chicken stogonov and tomato rice. PLus the staff are great - a member of staff asked me what drink I would like and then came and found me to serve me as I tucked in. In a few minutes I am going for a free fifteen minute massage. There's a prayer room and a smoking room and plenty of areas to sit on soft leather sofas, or chairs and a TV room. All looking over the runway. The food and beverage is like a buffet from a top hotel. I would definitely rate this as one of the top lounges in the world.

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I have to agree with VintageKrug about Frankfurt, for all the reasons he gives, but a close second is the Zurich Airport First Class Lounge. Virtually all the same facilities but the food choice is better in FRA.

My big gripe is that they will no longer keep your coat for you. This was a very useful service if traveling to hot countries when departing during a cold European winter and saved having to carry (or pack) it in sweltering heat.

The excuse for abandoning this service - 3 guesses - "Security"!!! Just how dangerous can an overcoat be???

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Qantas Sydney Flounge simply has to be on the list! The best I've experienced!

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Korean Air's business class lounge at - Seoul Incheon airport has an elevated mezzanine lounge looking over the terminal. Peaceful and you can hear the announcements too. Lots of computers and a snooze area.

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How about "special recognitions" for those individual lounges that may not be the BIGGEST or MOST LUXURIOUS, but offer something truly SPECIAL or UNIQUE?

*Top of my list is EVA AIR'S "The Garden" lounge at Taoyuan, Taipei airport.

Before EVA removed First Class from their flights, this lounge was for the use of Super First passengers as well as Diamond Card members. Now its only for Diamond Card members...not a bad perk for being a top-tier member of this airline.

It's the nicest "little lounge" i have ever experienced complete with a chef who will make you any type of fresh noodle dish you want, along with other Taiwanese dishes and I have to give a special "shout out" to the bartender who has been working at EVA lounges at the airport for something like 20 years. He has the greatest laugh and loves to make special drinks for guests.

There's also shower suites available, plenty of comfortable seats, high-speed computer work areas, and even a "garden swing" one could enjoy. Top it off with one of those "self-playing" baby grand pianos and beautiful glass artwork by a local Taiwanese artist. I truly love visiting and enjoying this lounge any chance I could get.

Anyway, there's my "honorable mention" for those one-of-a-kind lounges in the world. I hope you will add this category to your article.

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Definitely the first class terminal in Frankfurt (and the "copies" of that as first class lounge in that same airport and in Munich): complete gourmet meal, sleek design, bath facilities, personal service

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To all those who do NOT vote the Lufthansa First class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich as the best in the world, obviously have not used them. I was very disappointed with the SQ First class lounge in Changi; the QF First class lounge in Sydney is a beat-up; and the rest around the world are just boring reptitions of every other boring lounge. Lufthansa deserve accolades for re-defining the lounge concept over 5 years ago. No other airline has the courage or initiative to match it, let alone going one better. Bravo Lufthansa.

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Quote from above...

"To all those who do NOT vote the Lufthansa First class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich as the best in the world, obviously have not used them. I was very disappointed with the SQ First class lounge in Changi; the QF First class lounge in Sydney is a beat-up"

Well you can only comment/vote for the ones that a person has used, surely? Rather than one they have never been to?

When you say QF First in Sydney is "beat-up", what exactly is it you mean?

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Dear Mr Guignon !

Your note has inspired me a lot and encouraged me to jump in the plane and go to inspect the new LH First Class lounges in FRA and MUC ....I do agree with you that the LH First Class terminal in Frankfurt is head and shoulders above many of its competitors products ....I have not yet visited the BA First Galleries at T5 .........would u kindly give us some more details about the new F LH FRA and MUC lounges ???..thanks a million ...... If other members of the forum are not interested ,kindly email me on mailto:karim.haggag@link.net">karim.haggag@link.net

Cheers !

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The documentary I referenced in an earlier post might be of interet to those considering using Lufthansa's superb Frankfurt facility for First Class passengers:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=riVwcISBGas

Enjoy the rubber duckies in the bath!

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Quite inspiring !

By the way ..the renovated KLM Crown Lounge at Amsterdam airport ,lounge 52 is a much much much better one than it used to be in the past ....i would say among the best in europe now ....airy ,comfortable ,serene with service oriented staff around ...Good job ,KLM !

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My best choices:

1. if you have the possibilities to fly F class--than definitely LH F class terminal in either FRA or MUC

2. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses

3. TG First Class in BKK

4.BA Lounges in T5

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I do agree to some great extent with this ranking ....

Lufthansa is doing a great job on the ground for its F pax particularly ....TG is a superb Fcl lounge facility in BKK ...Virgin s LHR T3 Clubhouse is a nice one but my expectations were raised too much before visiting the facility ..it is NOT the best in Europe ,in my opinion ...I believe it is starting to show its age ..isn t it ??? BA T5 Galleries not yet sampled ,but let me iterate that the renovated/reshuffled KLM Crown Lounge 52 at Amsterdam airport is a big leap forward for KLM ..

Can anybody share with us any feedback on the Jet Airways Lounge(C or F ) in Brussels ????..keen to hear about it ...

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qantas first lounge in sydney, wonderful...

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Nothing beats the Virgin Clubhouse in LHR. However, I was particularly impressed by the Air New Zealand lounge in Sydney. I was not impressed by the Emirates Dubai lounge though - far too large and a poor selection of food

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1. The new Skyteam lounge at LHR T4, with its award winning designs, horizontal garden, oxygen bar, massage area, & full service breakfast dinner & lunches. Very fresh & innovative compared to many lounges at LHR. Private lounges offered on the 2nd floor!

2. KLM Crown Lounge complex, Schipol. The largest lounge in Europe, panoramic views of the terminals, open glass walls, Great feeling of space but calm, , marble floors with KLM blue theme throughout. It features themes of food from around the world.

3. The Malaysian Airlines Intercontinental lounge at KL has been there for many years. yet it retains a golden feel, excellent cook to order food, bar service to you, a sauna, concierge service, pressing, & a great atmosphere. An old player, but one that has shown consistency over many years.

4. Thai's first class lounge & spa in BKK, (though the 1st class Oceania services no longer exist!)

I no longer rate SQ's business lounge in new terminal Changai. the food has been sparse in recent 3 trips, no seats as overcapacity, shame.

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The Virgin Clubhouse at LHR is excellent.

You can see an online tour here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVL5uLZeNaY

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The Oberoi Lounge at Bangalore International Airport is the best one. This has even a title of "WORLD CLASS PIG HOLE".

1. DULL LIGHTING 2. ONLY 80 SEATS 3. UNDERPAID CONTRACT STAFF 4. LOUSY FOOD 5. TOILETS THAT ARE ALWAYS LOCKED BY THE MANAGER are the hallmark of this world class Bangalore airport.

NO ONE CAN BEAT THIS ..... ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

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I do agree with MarkRoberts comments .....to some great extent ....

The KLM facility is nowadays one of the best in Europe ...TG s Fcl zone is awesome and terrific ....you just need to be flying to Europe mainly on a flight offering Fcl ...it is becoming so scarce !...

Let me add that I was NOT impressed at all ..at all by the highly acclaimed new Business Class lounge of EK in Dubai at T3 !!....spacious yes but not comfortable ..not very airy ...cheap material of furniture ..((((unelegant)))) colours ...poor /limited choice of food .....it gave me the feeling of being in a train station !!!...already shabby though quite new ...nothing to compare to the QR s newly enlarged business class zone at the premium terminal in Doha ..elegant ,sleek,soothing ,comfortable ,enchanting ,inviting .....head and shoulders above the Emirates facility !!!...

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For me the CX lounge in HKG is superb, LHR T5 BA not far behind. Love the view from Sydney Qantas First which combined with the superb pre flight, all day catering, superb new world wines and really nice people puts it well up there.

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Perhaps we should also be electing the worst lounges also? Drab? Outdated?

Malev Lounge in Budapest has about 20 seats, pc's that pre-date Victorian England, stale pastries (enough to keep a 747 as blocks), & staff that look & have the air of an Eastern European correctional centre! Lime green uniforms, not much has changed since 1980's..and it isn't a retro look!

If we are no nominate he best, much falls inbetween, but the worst could also be a sparky debate?

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I agree, MarkRoberts9. This BEST forum has been around since May last year .. perhaps even more important are opinions on the WORST airport lounges around the world. Like anything in life, all opinions of Best are subjective but with Worst it's usually something we can all agree on.

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How about best "non-lounge lounge" experience? Noumea springs to mind. Checking in 2 hours before the Qantas flight to Brisbane you then discover that you can't access the lounge as passport control doesn't turn up till about 45 minutes before the flight. No worries go to the airport cafe - but "sorry, no food" (a common theme in parts of Noumea it would seem). 50 mins before the flight, passport opens. I am first in line, and it takes an eternity as the goon on the desk examines every single page in my passport, very very very slowly.

There are no signs to the lounge. Eventually discovered upstairs. The attendant is hogging the internet computer, which she continues to do until we leave for the flight. For the 11 people that eventually turn up in the lounge there are 5 tiny individual canape plates. They turn out to be extremely old - the bread has completely dried out and the prawn ones do not smell well at. All are left unmolested. Despite the lounge having just opened, the ice has melted. the wine and champers are warm. There is nothing else to eat. There is no wi-fi, and Mme Atttendant is still busy with her correspondence. There is a jug, tea bags and cups but no water to make a cup of tea which my colleague desperately needs, as he contracted food poisoning in Noumea only the day before, whereas I had it on day one as was up for a stiffer drink. The attendant leaves the internet for a moment to make tea in the coffee machine (!!!!). It tastes like rancid coffee. So really all the lounge had in the end, was a couch to sit on and a warm drink. Period.

As a coda, once on board the FSD told me of a regular customer on the Bris-Noumea flights, who had had food poisoning on three consecutive trips at three different hotels. And on the next trip where the hotels didn't poison him, he ate the canapes in the lounge and was violently ill most of the flight and pretty much took up residence in the forward bathroom Be warned!

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Hi

My vote goes to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. And amazing selection of drinks and food, impressive service, great facilities etc. Here are a couple of articles with photos and videos that I posted after my visit there: http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?p=457 and http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?p=466

Regards Gard

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Thai Airways First Class Lounge in Suwanna is Top notch..includes its own spa although I am always quite happy with their run of the mill Business Class Emporium.

Large Bombay Safire,lots of ice and a slice of lime...not lemon...cant beat it before the departure back to Heathrow.

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I agree that the Thai First Class lounge at Suvarnabhumi is nice - the spa treatment that I got there was excellent before going on a long flight. But the food/drink selection in the lounge was not that impressive compared to the Lufthansa First Class lounge/terminal at Frankfurt.

Regards Gard

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Gentlemen !

I do fully agree that the First Class Terminal in FRA is really outstanding and inspiring !!...but don t forget this is FIRST CLASS .....coming to Business lounges or even Senator ones ,they give me the feeling of a Railway station...it also looks a bit oldish and shabby ..even the Tower Lounge newly launched is not much different from the business amd Senator lounges ..come on LH ,you need to revolutionise your approach in business lounges ...you did it right in First ..why not in Business ??? ..nowadays the KLM Crown Lounge 52 at Schiphol is one of the best in Europe although KLM has been lagging in lounge concept for ages !!..

I do love the TG First Class lounge ....especially when it comes to spa treatment ......head and shoulders above the pack !!!!!

By the way ..the BA T5 LHR Galleries ,Club section is not that outstanding ...you need to be in First or Concorde Room to feel you are pampered ...

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QUANTAS SYDNEY FIRST CLASS LOUNGE is simply OUT OF THIS WORLD. The place itself, the food, the service, the views.... AMAZING. Have not seen anything like it....

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In my opinion, VS Club House is definetly the best ever for Business Class passengers departing Europe. It is in fact far more exclusive and comfy than BA LHR T5 (but I admit that some may appreciate its kind of hospital ambience).

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Must admit, I was very disappointed with the BA Concorde Room (First Class Lounge) in T5. It's just not well thought out from a traveller's perspective.

Firstly, it's quite small, though I expect it to be smaller than the business lounge, but it acutally feels cramped. The seating is too close to one another; so if the lounge has a decent number of people, you're walking around/over them just to get past/to a seat.

The seats are not that comfortable and very few have access to a power supply (should you want to power up your laptop). However, for me, the most annoying thing is the inability to just grab something to eat - like a packet of crisps or a small snack. You have to order drinks from a bar (when I was last there, only one barman in sight and a queue building up) and then separately order any food/snacks you want.

There is a 'full service restaurant' there too, which I've not tried. But I like the option of having a full meal or ordering something special from a 'bar menu' - but 90% of my time, I just want to grab a few little snacks and nibble on them while I relax before my flight.

One this with the BA business lounge that I hate - they've replaced all their water bottles with large glass bottles, so my old trick of grabbing a few bottles of water to take on my flight can no longer be done :(

That aside, for the sheer volume of people that go through it, the BA business lounges in T5 are pretty good - nice selection of food and drinks, pretty decent seating and good selection of reading material

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"Gentlemen ! I do fully agree that the First Class Terminal in FRA is really outstanding and inspiring !!...but don t forget this is FIRST CLASS "

Well, the original question was "Business Traveller will be featuring an article on the best airport lounges in the world in our next issue, and we'd like your help in compiling it."....and the first class lounge is an airport lounge isn't it? ;-)

Regards Gard

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This topic has been around since May last year, maybe its been fully discussed by now ...

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Very euro-centric here folks. QANTAS First will beat them all hands down - even without Porshce transfers. From curbside porters who whisk you to a sit down check-in, you are greeted by a rainforest wall and waterfall as the concierge escorts you to the escalators. Topshelf wine and bubbles, full service restaurant, spa with a range of treatments. You're wowed by Mark Newson's stunning designs from the cutlery to the soaring cathedral ceilings as you sink into your Poltrana Frau sofa with a full view of the runways and the glimmering city in the distance. And the staff are superb. Makes leaving Sydney that much harder.

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Most of this thread has strayed into the ultra luxury end of the market. The experience that always makes me wonder at the mediocre offering of so many European Business Class lounges (especially short-haul) is the NZ Domestic Lounge at Auckland - airy, comfortable, good food and drink choices and sensible/ accessible technology - plus friendly service. All ahead of a 25 minute hop to Tauranga or somewhere similar!!

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Agree with flyingrepublic Qantas FIRST lounges in Sydney and Melbourne are the best premium airline lounges anywehere. Also QF's domestic J lounge are pretty good too, NZ lounges not bad either. Agree most Euro and American J lounges pretty basic..

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Sorry flyingrepublic and austline, altho I'm proudly an Aussie just cant agree with you about the QF Fst class lounge at Sydney. Nothing makes it stand out above the stand alone building that is the Lufthansa FST class facility in Frankfurt. (In Sydney, a full view of the runways and the glimmering (your word) city in the distance...?) In Frankfurt, complete with its own Customs and Immigration clearance and own duty free shop.

The Porsche transfers from the building direct to the aircraft stairs is yet another feature that makes it stand out. Compare that to the chaos of Sydney airport. And the distances you have to walk to your departure gate.

Without a doubt, the LH First class terminal is unique in the world and LH deserve the world-wide accolades for showing the rest of the world how it should be done.

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I WAS AT THE WINGS IN HK AND GOLDEN LOUNGE AT KLIA.ALSO FIRST CLASS LOUNGE FOR CX AT KLIA AND HANEDA'S AMERICAN AIRLINES
WELL JFK FIRST CLASS LOUNGE FOR BA
ALL IN 6 WEEKS
NO VEGETARIAN FOOD
KINDLY START LOOKING INTO IT FOR ALL LOUNGES AROUND THE WORLD
I AM COMPLAINING

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PREMADHEESHEKHI,

I don't know about the other lounges on providing vegetarian food but last month I saw a passenger at the next table ORDERED a vegetarian fried noodles in the CX First Lounge and in fact it looked pretty decent while I was having smoked salmon!

The SQ First Lounge in Changi also has plenty of things a vegetarian can consume and there is also made-to-order service. Same in QF First Lounge in Sydney!

But I understand what you are saying as there are quite a few vegetarian travellers and the airlines should do a little more to offer choices for this group.

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I do find there to be a lack of veggie choices in lounges. However, the staff can generally get some yoghurt/fruit/nuts/crudites.

On board now, I genreally order one of a variety of meat free dishes, esepcially in Europe and more often than not I have questions from staff and passengers alike as it not only looks preseantble, but smells great.

I would like the airlines and airport catering outlets to cater more for the veggie's.

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It is imho difficult to amalgamate First and Business class lounges as they are built with different objectives. When it comes to First class lounges, the possibility to compare belongs mostly to First class travellers. Business class travellers like me only seldom have access to them (for instance AF First lounge @CDG or Concorde Lounge @LHR are restricted for First passengers beyond any FQTV considerations).

Of course top tier FQTV can often access First lounges abroad, but these usually are quite far away from their eponymous lounge at HQ...

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I have to say my favourite lounges are

VS LHR Clubhouse
VS JFK Clubhouse
BA T5 Galleries Complex
BMI International Lounge LHR
Dubai Airports Authority Business Class Lounge T1 Gate 109.

All offer top class facilities, great seating with a good variety of food and drink. Pleasurable to wait for a flight in any of them.

Other lounges that have been pleasant to while away flight delays are the LX Lounge in PRG, LX lounge in MCT.

Worst lounge : LH in FRA by gate C13. Horrible seating, few refreshments and pay for internet.

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I like HKG especially since they did it up and dedicated it to First.

Sydney is spectacular of course but lots of wasted space I often think.

Concorde room in T5 is lovely

JFK is great also.

Have not had the pleasure of LH First Terminal nor of VS club house.

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Binman62:

Cathay is in the process of renovating all their lounges (The Wing and Pier but not the Cabin which is new). The Business lounges first and at the end of this year their First lounges. The staff told me that the Wing First lounge will be enlarged and I shall look forward to the upgrading.

The LH First Terminal lounge never failed to please this very jaded Asian traveller!

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For me the Qatar louge in Doha.

I am sure there will be no votes for Manchester though!

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Having experienced a number of lounges around the globe I would rate

LH First Class Terminal, FFM and FC Lounges in FRA-MUC, the best; even in JFK they upper gallery for FC/HON is fantastic

Qantas FCL in MEL/SYD, second; Melbourne is my favorite over Sydney, since it offers same comfort/product and view, but its simply less crowded; the spa feature is very nice as well

SQ FCL in Changi 3rd

For Business Class the Virgin Club House at LHR/JFK is a great treat

Hopefully the airline alliances (* and Oneworld) will start soon to meet equal standards for their lounge products.

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Premadheeshlekhi, I can't believe there was no vegetarian food at the CX lounge in HKIA - quite apart from anything, there is the noodle bar where you can have dishes made to order! I don't quite know how to say this without it sounding rude, which I genuinely don't mean to be, but did you in fact ASK for a vegetarian option? I am betting not, because if you had...

Incidentally, for other users of the lounge, they do cook some things to order at the CX F lounge in HKIA but they don't publicise it at all, which is a shame. Ever since I spotted another passenger doing it, which is how I became aware of the possibility myself, I have been ordering freshly cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast...

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"Nothing beats the Virgin Clubhouse in LHR"
"For Business Class the Virgin Club House at LHR/JFK is a great treat"

I have to agree, and want to write something positive on a Friday...

Something Mr Branson & his team got very right...wish it was rolled out in more places, though I appreciate 'home country' is always easier for the 'best' longe.

Staff are always pleasant, but by far is that lovely old chap (not being ageist) who shoe-shines. Real old school manners and a proper gentleman, who makes any customer feel King, and appears (hope he is) to be loving the clients. Genuine.

As to the biz aspects, like dedicated drive-thru check in and the like, also nice extras, and noticed when you don't get that in other countries. Like I say, I appreciate home territory makes this easier to set up. For once a British airline gets this bit right.

On food, I'm coeliac and never have any problems finding stuff to eat, its quality there.

Tiny gems are bumping into Richard Branson & his son Sam, on rare occasions, ordinary & down to earth (if you don't get starry-eyed).

And Chiangi (for SQ) is hard to beat, but then the entire airport is hard to beat.

("Shared" airline biz longes, seem to be the worst...doctors waiting room style seats, bag of nuts or crisps or packet cookies, machine beverages: don't bother...they didn't)

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My top 5 so far are:

1. BA Galleries at T5
2. BA Concorde room at JFK, not sure if this is still open now for First customers, but I have fond memories of passing through it before my one and only flight on Concorde just before it stopped flying.
3. QF lounges in Sydney - stunning, spacious, plus great staff.
4. Emirates lounge in Brisbane - very luxurious for a business class lounge with great food, and you can board the plane directly from the back of the lounge, which is very good especially just before that 15 hour flight to Dubai, which feels like hard work in any cabin class.
5. Malaysian Airlines lounge at KLIA - the nicest airport I've ever visited and a fantastic lounge.

My top 3 worst are:

1. Emirates business class lounge in Dubai T3 - it all feels like a corridor, which is weird because it's relatively new and it's their hub airport and most of their other lounges around the world are superb. It's also too over-used, there are just too many people normally for the size of the place. My main gripe would be the showers, nowhere near enough of them (I've never queued for less than 45 mins when visiting) and they are rubbish to use, it all feels a bit like showering in a grubby public convenience.
2. Singapore airlines lounge at Heathrow T3. Tiny with rubbish facilities.
3. Any 'shared' lounge, I haven't been in a good one yet, and I've visited quite a few...

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Hello Dan Dare 1975 !

I was sooooooooo much relieved and happy to read your note ...you won t believe why !!!!....I personally am not a real fan of Emirates ..I do prefer Qatar Airways by far ..especially when it comes to lounge facilities at their hub ..NO COMPARISON btw the stylish,sleek,elegant ,soothing QR Premium terminal facility in Doha and the EK biz lounge in Dubai ..just visited it once and that was it with EK for me ....it does not feel like a lounge at all.....very impersonal ...careless staff ....crowded ..low quality furniture and poor and maigre food choice ....!.....I spent there my most uncomfortable 4 hours in air travelhistory !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...every human being on Earth is praising this airline except me .....I wonder if those people tried the QR or Cathay facilities at their home bases ...thanks ,DanDare 1975 for your vote !!!!....I do agree with you that some Emirates lounges abroad are good but the one in Dubai is awful !!!!!!!!!!!..by all standards !.....
Something else ..when I visited the Malaysian lounge at KLIA 4 years ago it was dark ,bleak ,poor ,uninspiring ..no trace of spa facilities unlike what I had read ..can you please inspire me about that lounge ???...I had stopped flying MH ever since !...

I noticed u did not mention the CX lounges in HK ....any thoughts to share ??....I love them ...

I believe we can share a lot of ideas on this topic ...appreciate u can email me ur thoughts on Malaysian or other on mailto:karim.haggag@link.net">karim.haggag@link.net ......Appreciate it !

Thanks

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My No.1 in almost all respects is the Lufthansa FCT in Frankfurt.

From dropping your car/rental car at the drive up ramp. personal security and baggage check, personal assistant, individual passport control and individual drive to the plane as far as the airline procedures are concerned.

Then a great huge area with comfy seats and couches, bar area with nothing left to desire and a great restaurant with a la carte table service plus buffet for hors d'oeuvres. Beautiful separate smoking room with cigars on offer and digestivs.
For the busy there are quiet work areas, for the weary showers and bathtub, quit rooms for a nap.
And, newspapers and magazines in many languages.

There is no lounge that comes close, the negative is I only used it three times, so far.

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Millionsofmiles !

I do agree with you that the LH FCT in FRA is great !...I did visit it once in 2004 ..it was still new !....LH gets it right in First but in business class they have a loooooooooooooooooong way to go ..among the worst in Europe nowadays !..

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Hello KSHaggag:

Glad to hear I am not the only one with not entirely positive thoughts about Emirates. I have flown with them a few times and I would say the problem is that the overall experience is of a very inconsistent standard thoughout. I was flying regularly on business between Gatwick and Brisbane a few times over the last couple of years. The lounges in Brisbane and Gatwick were really good, but as I said the lounge in Dubai is awful. The business class seat on the Gatwick to Dubai flight was an excellent seat, with lie-flat capability and excellent latest generation AVOD IFE, but this sector is only 6.5 hours long, the flight from Dubai to Brisbane is 15 hours, on this sector the business class seat does not lie flat, is very uncomfortable and has much less space generally, also the plane has old IFE so less choice for a much longer flight. It seems like they are trying to grow too quickly for the facilities and resource they have.

I haven't yet had the pleasure of flying with Etihad or Qatar, but I might be using QF in a couple of months.

I've been to Hong Kong twice but was flying with Qantas so I never got to go in the CX lounge, which was a shame as the BA/QF lounge in Hong Kong is a bit dingy and small. I got upgraded to First on the Hong Kong - Heathrow leg the last time though so not all bad...

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Thanks DanDare1975 ....!...Well....if you try QR or EY,you will identify the difference ...I prefer them to Emirates ..I do believe that Emirates is all about marketing hype ......!!!....

The BA/QF lounge in HK is not the best ,with all respect due to BA ....try the CX facility in HK .....u won t regret it ....moreover ,CX now is embedding its A333 s with a new ,lovely seat in biz class .....reminiscent of the lovely Singapore Airlines seat on the B777-300ERs and A380...a seat to fly for !.....

Anything about Malaysian lounge at KLIA????

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KSHaggag

Thanks - next time I'm heading that far eastwards I might try and go CX for comparison.

I must say the last time I was in the KLIA Malaysian lounge was a couple of years ago but I was certainly impressed. Excellent food, good service, light and airy, very spacious. I liked the flight as well, good IFE, excellent food, although the seat could be better, it's one of those ones that lies flat but at an angle. I still think the BA club world seat takes some beating...

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Thanks DanDare1975 !..

Have you tried BA on the London City /JFK A318 product ???...is the seat comfy enough ?....I had read about MH Golden Lounge but found something disappointing .....will give it another try !

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KSHaggagg!
You are right on the spot here. LH is very good in F, excellent with her FCT, but looking at Lounges for C-Class, and C-Class itself, LH HAS a long way to go, indeed:
- No real lie-flat seats yet
- Service rather mediocre in cabins that are too large
- ...

So, hopefully LH will learn from other carriers, even from their subsidiary SWISS.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzJ19enSi-8

Something rather special ;)

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Millionsofmiles !

Thanks for your blog!...I do really endorse your statement 1000% !!!..Yep,with LH you ought to be in First in order to have a decent ,enjoyable experience ...they get it right only in First on long haul routes but in biz class they are lagging miles away behind their rivals !!......in short haul biz class they are good .....but for longhaul ...really really poor !...shabby lounges at their hub ,uncomfortable ,cumbersome seats ..also i don t like the colour of the seats ...far from inspiring ...crew can sometimes be good ,sometimes extending a very impersonal service ..the food is generally okkkkkkeyy ...the worst thing they have is their IFE ..the poorest I have ever encountered in the sky !!..the contents are awful and I would really like to see that person responsible for the IFE and cabin product ....where did they look for the choice of IFE programs ????..can t be on Planet Earth !!!...it is simply awful !..
I wish LH learnt from its younger daughter Swiss ...!..Swiss is indeed the gem in the LH group of companies ....will Mom accept to learn from her little cute daughter !????

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I would have to say best shared lounge that I have visited in the Crystal Lounge in PRG which I used when flying LX to ZRH.

The only disadvantage I would say it it was quite hard to find but once inside it had tables for working, plug sockets, a comfy area, a well stocked bar with hot and cold drinks. Ample refreshments, including some amazing deli style salad pots.

Clean restrooms and personally coming to tell you that your flight was boarding (after a general announcement of a short delay). I am sure that they wouldn't do that with multiple delays and when really busy but it was the nice touch that they remembered.

The only other place that I was personally advised that my flight was ready for boarding was in Muscat flying LX to DXB. I was pleasantly escorted to the boarding gate and was the last one to board.

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