Lounge Report 2015

Tag Archives for Lounge Report 2015.

Review: Male Airport Lounge and (Alone In) Emirates First Class, Male – Colombo

by Gary Leff on May 16, 2015

May 16 2015

There’s a shared contract lounge at the Male airport, and it no longer offers access via Priority Pass. There’s little special about it, except for comfortable seating. I find the buffet something I’d rarely do anything other than skip (and indeed haven’t touched the food in four visits) and there’s no alcohol (by law). But it’s a lounge…

Some will find the nearby food options a more attractive place to sit, but the lounge does seem to have gotten its wifi act together.

After waiting around for the flight we wound up the only passengers in first class, and beneficiaries of full, extensive service for this very short hop on Emirates…

Review: Etihad’s New Business Class (and Temporary First Class) Lounge, Abu Dhabi

by Gary Leff on March 30, 2015

Here I review Etihad’s new business class lounge (with temporary first class section) in Abu Dhabi International Airport’s terminal 3. Previous installments: Introduction, overview, and costs Star Alliance first class and business class lounges, LAX Etihad First Class, Los Angles – Abu Dhabi.. the 3rd Longest Flight in the World! Premier Inn, Abu Dhabi International Airport In the morning, after leaving the Premier Inn across the street from the airport, we found our way to the terminal via the outside rather than underground walkway. It’s a bit quicker, you cross the street instead of winding around the underground passageways. I was pleased to be leaving from the newer terminal 3 today (there’s a departures board outside the hotel lobby). Not only that I’d be having an aircraft with lie flat business class for the four…

Review: LAX Star Alliance First Class Lounge & Business Class Lounge

by Gary Leff on March 21, 2015

I kicked off my relaxing trip to the Maldives with a first class award redemption on Etihad. The first flight was Los Angeles – Abu Dhabi, and I had Etihad’s chauffeur service pick me up at the Sheraton LAX. I realize that the Sheraton LAX has an airport shuttle, but the chauffeur service is complimentary and — though my recent visits the shuttle has been reliable, I have a history of waiting for shuttles to come by there that have been full. Utterly gratuitous I suppose, but coming clean — yes I did that. For DC departures I’ve had the car service (Empire CLS) ring me 2-3 days before. For this trip it was just one day prior. They’ll usually show up early to be absolutely sure they’re there on time for you. And indeed…

Review: American’s New 767 Lie Flat Business Class, Paris – New York JFK

by Gary Leff on January 21, 2015

Previous installments: Introduction: Paris for the Holidays, Saying Goodbye to American’s Old Business Class, and a Suite at the Park Hyatt Vendome American First Class Lounge Chicago O’Hare and Business Class, Chicago – Paris Park Hyatt Paris Vendome Executive Suite Avoiding Tourist Traps: Good Places to Eat Near the Eiffel Tower and Picasso Museum in Paris Where to Find the Best Macarons in the World The Neighborhood Meats, Cheeses, Breads, and Sweets of Paris Entering the Charles de Gaulle airport was bedlam, there was just a sea of people landside and they all seemed as though they were completely aware of each other, all walking in different directions while a good portion of them stopped and looked around. Travel can be very confusing but it seemed that a larger percentage of passengers than usual were…

Hacking My Way into an Airport Lounge for Free

by Gary Leff on January 17, 2015

Leaving Mobile, Alabama I decided to visit the Mobile Airport Authority Executive Lounge. That’s one readers of my lounge reviews might not have been expecting. Of course, I didn’t even realize that the Mobile, Alabama airport had a lounge. Let alone that it’s free, if you know how to access it. This is an airport-run lounge with a membership program. Annual membership is $50, and immediate family get in free with the member. Active duty military are free, too. And they sell guest passes for $10, although I have no idea how they sell these since the lounge itself is unmanned. They also offer Complimentary one-day pass for first visit. I don’t know about you, but I’m likely to find myself in Mobile, Alabama only once. After clearing security the lounge is on the left,…

Review: American First Class Lounge Chicago O’Hare and Business Class, Chicago – Paris

by Gary Leff on January 15, 2015

Previous installments: Introduction: Paris for the Holidays, Saying Goodbye to American’s Old Business Class, and a Suite at the Park Hyatt Vendome I’ve reviewed American’s Flagship first class lounges many times, such as Los Angeles, New York JFK, New York JFK, New York JFK, and Chicago O’Hare. So if you’re interested in more detail these previous reports will be of interest. I arrived at O’Hare with a 3 hour 15 minute connection, plenty of time to visit the small Flagship Lounge at the very end of the K concourse near gate K19. This lounge has seating, a bit of food, a self serve bar, restrooms, and fantastic staff. It’s pretty non-descript. But there’s sushi, as it doubles as the lounge for Japan Airlines. And there’s whipped cream, which I guess if you’ve been outside the…

Review: American Airlines “Flagship” First Class Lounge, Los Angeles

by Gary Leff on January 13, 2015

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 Terminal Cathay Pacific First Class, Los Angeles – Hong Kong Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Bangkok Grand Hyatt Bangkok: Suite, Club Lounge, and Facilities Thai Molecular Gastronomy at Sra Bua in Bangkok Getting Custom Tailored Suits Made in Bangkok at Empire Tailors Nahm at the Metropolitan: the Best Thai Food in Thailand? Thailand’s Iron Chef Cooks Ancient Recipes in a Deserted Top Notch Restaurant Eating The Best Local Thai Dishes in the Bangrak Neighborhood of Bangkok Louis Tavern CIP Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Bangkok-Singapore Grand…

Review: Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney

by Gary Leff on January 11, 2015

Inside the Exclusive Singapore Airline The Private Room First Class Lounge

by Gary Leff on January 5, 2015

Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class Bangkok – Singapore and Louis Tavern CIP Lounge

by Gary Leff on January 2, 2015

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 Terminal Cathay Pacific First Class, Los Angeles – Hong Kong Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Bangkok Grand Hyatt Bangkok: Suite, Club Lounge, and Facilities Thai Molecular Gastronomy at Sra Bua in Bangkok Getting Custom Tailored Suits Made in Bangkok at Empire Tailors Nahm at the Metropolitan: the Best Thai Food in Thailand? Thailand’s Iron Chef Cooks Ancient Recipes in a Deserted Top Notch Restaurant Eating The Best Local Thai Dishes in the Bangrak Neighborhood of Bangkok Cathay Pacific operates a number of ‘fifth freedom’ routes which start…