Ten best lounges

[Skyring]

Here is a listing of the world's ten best airport lounges. All impressive, but having visited three of them, I'm not that impressed with the reviewer's standards.

#1 is The Wing. Yes, it is big and impressive, and it has some really good features and I love it, but I wouldn't put it ahead of the the QF SYD Flounge, which is listed at #9 with "a 180 degree view of Sydney’s beautiful Botany Bay."

The reviewers seem to think that basic facilities, such as showers and free wifi, are worth going into rhapsodies over. If you are picking the world's ten best lounges, then they are ALL going to have this stuff.

What sets one lounge apart from another, in my eyes, is the harder to define sense of style. Virgin has style in bucketloads, or perhaps that should be "attitude", whereas British Air is rather stodgy and predictable. Comfortable, but unlikely to surprise. Cathay Pacific rates high with me because of their elegant simplicity, making flying almost an exercise in Eastern philosophy.

The Sydney Flounge is tops with me. The view, the service, the style. You are embraced into the experience of flying, and no, it's not the magnificent view of Botany Bay that enchants me here, it's sipping on an exquisite latte over a perfect breakfast with mighty airliners landing just beyond the huge glass windows and the skyline of Sydney in the distance.

Why couldn't Cathay Pacific capitalise on their dramatic location and even more varied and exotic birds?

And surely British Airways' Concorde lounges would rate a mention in this list?

[Homer]

I agree with your comments. While I haven't sampled most of the lounges on this list, I have been to the BA First lounges at both terminal 4 and terminal 5, and The Wing and the QF F lounge at SYD a few times and I would certainly rate the QF F lounge above the BA First lounges and even the beloved Wing because of its style, food/beverage offering and the service levels. The BA First lounges don't have the "wow" factor. Sure on paper (or, rather, online) the champagne bar and the view of terminal 5 sounds great but in practice it's a little bit of a yawn. The Wing is great but showing its age and the welcome, service and way they make you feel isn't up to the SYD QF F lounge experience IMHO.

[samh004]

Seems as though the reviewer hasn't been to all the lounges and tried them out. From the photos provided, it certainly seems that way, seeing as the SYD Flounge is just the entrance way photo, while the Thai lounge is an amateurish shot of someone having a drink.

I think a better list would be 10 best business lounges, then the 10 best first lounges. Although sometimes you can get into first lounges with status, other times you need a ticket (ala concorde room). Still, this mixture of lounges, ordered very strangely, makes no sense.

[farstar]

I can't remember seeing much of Botany Bay in The QF F lounge. The City yes but not the Bay.
Did he go to the F Lounge?

[cjg]

I can't remember any views of the Bay either. The city skyline in the distance, yes, but I don't recall any water views.

[munitalP]

From the far right of the Flounge there are slight views of the bay - however, the capturing views are by far the city views and would lead me to agree with other posters - I don't think the author has been into the SYD Flounge.

In my opinion, Galleries at LHR T5 is a great lounge

The best lounge in my opinion is just on the otherside of my kitchen - I don't spend enough time in either of them as I seem to either be stuck in a hotel or an airline lounge somewhere!

Mr!

[cosi]

Any lounge beats the Hong Kong QF/BA First class lounge!

[simongr]

Any lounge beats the Hong Kong QF/BA First class lounge!

I dont think you have been to the Dragon Air lounge in PEK then...

I am confused by the priority of the Admirals Club given that food and booze isnt free... I also have never seen that blue Bar in the F lounge at JFK...

[Mal]

I also have never seen that blue Bar in the F lounge at JFK...

Don't worry, I don't recognise it either... Then again, I don't recognise the seating in the supposed BA JFK lounge. I've been to the 4 oneWorld lounges, but havn't been to the rest of the 10.

[Ewok]

I've been to #'s 1, 3, 6, 7 and 9. All in the last few months. I agree with # 1 - I reckon The Wing is sensational, but would have the Sydney Flounge a close second, and ahead of the Air France Term 2 Lounge and Malaysian Golden Lounge.