Lounge Report 2014

Tag Archives for Lounge Report 2014.

Denied a Cabana at Cathay Pacific’s “The Wing” First Class Lounge

Must-read Earlier Installments: Singapore, Cathay, and Qantas First Class.. Some of the Best Meals of My Life, and a Tour of Hyatts in Bangkok, Singapore, and Sydney Inside the New Oneworld Lounge at LAX’s Tom Bradley International TerminalCathay Pacific First Class, Los Angeles – Hong Kong On arrival in Hong Kong you head to the nearest transit point where you show your connecting boarding pass and proceed through security. Laptop out, shoes stay on, there’s rarely much of a line. Once past the checkpoint you head up the escalator (or elevator, as you wish) to the departures level and on to your gate or lounge. Cathay Pacific’s flagship lounge is ‘The Wing’. For departing passengers originating in Hong Kong it’s just past immigration (turn left). It’s near the lowest numbered gates one through four. Hong…

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Inside the New Oneworld Lounge at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal

Must-read Earlier Installments: Singapore, Cathay, and Qantas First Class.. Some of the Best Meals of My Life, and a Tour of Hyatts in Bangkok, Singapore, and Sydney This was my first visit to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX since it was renovated, and boy what a difference. You notice it from the moment you step up curbside. It’s no longer entirely an entirely an embarassment (well, it’s still part of LAX). It’s modern and bright and far better organized. Ok, it’s still part of LAX. But it’s a huge improvement. I checked in and proceeded through security. Unfortunately there’s no PreCheck, but the nude-o-scope was backed up with passengers and so they allowed me to proceed through the metal detector only — no opt-out required. I was confronted by the array of shops…

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Sneak Peak: Inside the Pre-Opening of the San Francisco American Express Centurion Lounge

The new American Express Centurion Lounge San Francisco airport is ready and will open tomorrow (as was leaked last week). I had an opportunity to see the lounge last night and try the food since I was invited to the pre-opening party and dinner there. What American Express has created is a stylish, comfortable departure lounge with good food and drink. I actually think this is the most gorgeous, sexiest domestic lounge American Express has built to date. The entry is dramatic, the lighting is great. At ~ 8200 square feet it’s about 10% smaller than Dallas while substantially larger than New York LaGuardia. It features a kids room like Dallas and Las Vegas, and it has a shower. There’s no spa, but its ‘plus’ feature is a self-pour wine wall with real premium wines.…

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Review: American Airlines Admirals Club Buenos Aires

You’ll Also Want to Be Sure to Read: American Airlines Flagship Lounge, New York JFK American Airlines First Class, New York JFK – Buenos Aires Review: Park Hyatt Buenos Aires Eating Around Buenos Aires: Four Notable Meals to Consider In Search Of — and Forgetting — the Past in Buenos Aires Once checked in in the departures hall, and without a bag to check, I proceeded upstairs to clear formalities. Once you cross through passport control and security, you’ll head towards gate 9 — which is in the opposite direction from the American Airlines gates, but none are especially fare — and then head upstairs. American has built a new lounge, quite stylish, and I wanted to check it out. On the same level is the LAN lounge, and as a oneworld top tier member…

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Review: American Airlines Flagship Lounge JFK (And Bottom-line on the Rest of the First Class Lounges, Including the Secret One)

American continues to offer ‘Flagship Lounges’ or first class lounges in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York JFK, at London Heathrow. There are no longer Flagship Lounges in Dallas or Miami. The Dallas lounge still has the dedicated room, just walk into the Admirals Club in the A terminal and when you get upstairs and come out of the elevator you are facing the desk with reservations agents. Turn completely around, because right behind you is the room that used to be the Flagship Lounge. Almost no one is ever in it, it has separate restrooms, it’s great for quiet and privacy even when the rest of the lounge is busy. In Miami the Flagship Lounge closed, and didn’t re-open. My favorite flagship lounge is Los Angeles, I think the food offerings are pretty good and…

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American Express Centurion Lounge Las Vegas – the Original is Still Very Good

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don’t have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. I do not write about all credit cards that are available — instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). I’m a big fan of American Express Centurion lounges in US airports, which I get complimentary access to as a Platinum Card from American Express cardholder. I was in Las Vegas the past couple of days, and I stopped off in the lounge on arrival for a quick bit to eat and freshen up, and on departure for a meal so that I wouldn’t have to rely on…

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REVEALED: First Look Inside the Fantastic American Express Centurion Lounge at New York LaGuardia

American Express’ new Centurion Lounge at New York LaGuardia airport is ready and will open in a matter of days — the specific day is uncertain, although they promise “by mid-month.” I had an opportunity to see the lounge last night, though and try the food since I was invited to the pre-opening party and dinner there. So I flew up to New York for the night (4500 British Airways points each way for the US Airways Shuttle from DC, and cash and points at the Sheraton LaGuardia). What American Express has created is a stylish, comfortable departure lounge with good food and drink. The LaGuardia location is smaller than their other lounges — 5000 square feet compared to 8000 – 12000 elsewhere, including the new lounges under development. It’s the space that was available,…

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The Best Showers in Any Airport and Pretty Good Free Food, Too!

After arriving in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur in Cathay Pacific’s business class, I had about 3 hours in The Wing first class before my flight to New York. Previous trip report installments Introduction: Maldives and Malaysia in First Class, How I Booked It and What it Cost Etihad Lounge and First Class, Washington Dulles – Abu Dhabi Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport Etihad’s Abu Dhabi first class lounge, and business class Abu Dhabi – Male Maldivian Domestic Lounge, Flight, and Boat Transfer to the Park Hyatt Park Hyatt Hadahaa Maldives Boat Transfer, Maldivian Domestic Flight Kooddoo – Male, and Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Male – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Why Kuala Lumpur is One of My Favorite Food Cities Malaysia Airlines First Class Lounge, Kuala Lumpur and Cathay Pacific Business Class…

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Talking My Way into Malaysia’s First Class Lounge and Flying Cathay’s Business Class to Hong Kong

Previous trip report installments Introduction: Maldives and Malaysia in First Class, How I Booked It and What it Cost Etihad Lounge and First Class, Washington Dulles – Abu Dhabi Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport Etihad’s Abu Dhabi first class lounge, and business class Abu Dhabi – Male Maldivian Domestic Lounge, Flight, and Boat Transfer to the Park Hyatt Park Hyatt Hadahaa Maldives Boat Transfer, Maldivian Domestic Flight Kooddoo – Male, and Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Male – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Why Kuala Lumpur is One of My Favorite Food Cities I had a hotel car take me the hour’s drive back to the airport, in part because I didn’t have a sim card for internet and I wanted to work on the drive. An early morning in Kuala Lumpur is the…

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Etihad’s Abu Dhabi First Class Lounge and Business Class Service to the Maldives

Previous installments Introduction: Maldives and Malaysia in First Class, How I Booked It and What it Cost Etihad Lounge and First Class, Washington Dulles – Abu Dhabi Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport Even though I was staying right at the airport, and had already been checked in for my flight to Male (at Dulles, a day earlier, and just needed to re-check my bag) I left the hotel about 2 1/2 hours prior to my flight. I checked out at the front desk on the way out and asked them to email a folio to me. The Premier Inn doesn’t have the capability to do that inside their system, but the agent at the desk was kind enough to offer to scan the receipt and email it to me from her own account. I…

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