I'm over (most) lounges

[RooFlyer]

/rant

I'm sitting in the La Valette lounge at Malta International and I'm about to decamp into the terminal. I'm doing that more and more around the world.

Right now, the lounge is very crowded (hard to find seats). I got one, but the guy beside me is making gross noises while eating and also talking loudly on his phone and the person on the other side is talking goo-goo noises to someone, of course on the speaker. The Italians over there are having a very loud discussion and some where an infant is grizzling. The wait-people come by with their trolly and make incredible clattering noise. If I could move to another seat most of these would still be in play. There is a nice outside terrace, but its a hot day and too warm out there.

Many lounges I go to these days are crowded - Virgin lounges in MEL and BNE are usually zoos. QF MEL international; ANZ MEL. SQ lounges except for First and TPR. It was about midnight last time and although nearly empty, the cleaners made constant revolutions with their clattering trolly.

HBA QP. I don't think I need say anything? SYD QF First gets crowded and I've commented before how tatty some of the armchairs are.

The QR Al Morjan lounge was frequently a zoo and very difficult to get a shower, but at least they have remedied that with the monster North lounge.

General lack of charging points, almost everywhere.

Buffets subject to unhygienic practices, almost everywhere.

Trying to get the damn wifi to work - or having to give your life story to get connected.

Noisy and crowded in many/most cases.

Wines are usually cheap +/- nasty and coffee questionable.

LH Senator lounges are really pretty basic, as are even the upgraded AC lounges.

I travel business internationally, so will get fed and watered much better than what most lounges can offer (esp on QR), so that's another reason why I can abandon a lounge.

There are still lounges I can use with pleasure (and I don't mean be able to plonk down and have a cheap wine) - QR in LHR, DOH, SIN that I've been to; ADL dom expansion sounds nice; VA ADL is good too. AA's Flagship lounges are usually OK, if you go in with low expectations; I haven't been to the Chelsea etc types of their lounges. QF's SYD and MEL F lounges until they get crowded. And others.

But in general, I'm quite prepared not to use a lounge and sit or wander around the terminal - you can usually find a quiet spot and made a coffee or juice last a while.

/rant - but I'm serious about many lounges not worth attending.

 

[anat0l]

I think I get where you're coming (ranting) from.

Lounges have proliferated so much around the world, but it's all not necessarily been for the best. And with so many more ways that people can afford to get into a lounge (including, for example, premium fares being somewhat more accessible) and a diversifying demographic (including a whole range of behaviours), whatever objectives there were for lounges to offer those privileged (yes, it is a privilege, not a right) enough to access them are being diluted or lost.

It's then a bit of a vicious circle as operators see heavy foot traffic and don't recognise a need to keep improvements and upkeep ahead of the curve.

I think a lot of operators of lounges (including airlines) are still mostly mired in the idea that the average lounge user deserves a space that is merely separate from other passengers and minimal refreshments, and then have the nerve to call that as a chance to relax and be productive. They don't have the mindset that it is an experience and should be measured by the very puffery they use to market the space. They also probably underestimate the true patronage of a space, especially at peak travel times (including when irregular operations occur).

I know that it isn't necessarily practical for an airline to operate an outstation lounge at every single destination they fly to, but I think their thoughts of selecting a lounge at a destination are mostly a check-off exercise with little consideration to the experience. Even if a destination only has one CIP/VIP lounge and it is not great, airlines will just set up a contract with them and call it a day without thinking of their customers' experience. Sure, there may be some hamstringing here, e.g. airline forced by airport operator to use that lounge and not have any freedom to tailor the experience for their customers for a better overall experience (e.g. an airline can't make a makeshift VIP area at a gate or area in the terminal that includes waited services and food).

At the same time, in general, most of the world's airports have improved their terminals. They're largely more comfortable than decades ago, though they are replete with restaurants charging extortionate prices and retail that is very much in your face. I'm not sure about finding a quiet spot in all terminals, largely because some schlub has likely beaten you to those spots; ditto for the limited charging ports in good places.

Put all that together, and yeah, I could easily see why you would prefer to forgo the lounge and opt for the terminal instead.