I'm over (most) lounges

[Larko1]

Fixed it for you

Past experience suggests to me that some pax with status are even less capable of aiming or flushing. I sometimes wonder if such skills are another unannounced “benefit” to status, or simply an unannounced “enhancement”?

Or simply "CGAF"

 

[Justinf]

It’s been a few years, but last time I was there with not-work there were some interesting lower-volume options too. Main terminal dunnies were less queuey & no dirtier.

I kinda think, even as a not-so-frequent flyer, I do have a similar sentiment to @RooFlyer.
My introduction to lounges was first a workmate & then my wife having QF P, being in Sydney that meant their flagship lounge a bit over 10yrs ago. And although not EK’s fanciest lounge, still the AKL J lounge was pretty nice when we were on the first A380 of the day so it wasn’t that busy yet.

Now I’ve not even been to a lounge post-COVID, so if some lf the services have been cut back, that’s getting pretty sad in some places. And if a lounge doesn’t offer a quiet place to sit, doesn’t offer anything reasonable to eat or drink, doesn’t offer showers or a clean toilet you don’t have to queue for … then yeah I can see how just killing that time in the terminal might be somewhat more pleasant. Obviously it depends on the lounge too, in what limited experience I’ve had I’ve probably been to more lounges that didn’t offer anything beyond free very-cheap booze & a really limited choice of bad snacks, than those which offer more.

But one of a Tier 1 airline’s flagship lounges is probably still going to be a decent place to spend time.

International lounges are great for a midtrip shower.
Othwerwise I’d take them or leave them.
I just don’t find them relaxing in the slightest. So I hear you loud and clear.

 

[jastel]

Have just done my first big trip for a couple of years and used passes to get into the lounges.
Was amazed that there was a line for the toilets IN the lounges too.
Yes they were cleaner but still need some more.
A couple of showers in LHR and SIN were well needed before the flights.
Food was slop, I only found soup and noodles, the occasional nice desert thing was good.
I dont drink wine or coffee so no benefit there. One beer maybe....

The few European airports I visited had not much offerings outside the lounge either, only egg and mayo sandwiches, croisants or $$$$ fancy restaurants. Nothing in the middle.

The only decent airports I think is SIN and DXB, where you can actually get a choice of things to do.
Im sure there another few but I havent been there.

The good news is it now I am Gold again, and all you guys are not going in there again things might improve for me! Haha!

 

[Matt_01]

I lost interest in most lounges many years back however depending on the lounge they are still a good place to go if it is only to leave your stuff. I don’t mean just find a seat, leave your stuff there and piss-off back into the terminal. In many lounges the gate keepers are more than happy to put my rollie behind the counter when I asked if it would be ok as I would like to take a walk to stretch my legs. Japan is even easier as they have lockable cabinets you can leave your carry on in, further to this there are also areas you can leave your stuff unattended. I am happy with the second option as in Japan no one will normally touch or move your stuff, at times I wonder if the only reason the only reason the lockable cabinets exist are for the distrusting regions outside of Japan.

I tend to agree with @VPS comments around visiting lounges for the first time or not very often. Mrs&MissM get excited every time they go to a lounge and want to spend hours there, this logic I did not understand until MrsM once said ‘you do this week in week out, we don’t.’

The last comment I will make is my own blast from the past. When I was travelling and seemed to be in MEL on a weekly basis I sometimes stayed with a friend of mine. He is an AV geek (I am not) and we did not always see eye-to-eye. At some point he picked up on one of my posts and asked about abbreviation SG. I said it meant Scum Gold, he said call it what it is, it is a SeaGull club, I don’t think he half wrong.

 

[MonteCristo]

Depends on the lounges, and the particular airport you're at.

Sure, some lounges are pretty ... mid. The food and drink offerings are often meagre; the space is often small; seating can be limited at the best of times. No showers, or there are showers and there's a wait. The furnishings can be worn. Sometimes there are ... horror of horrors ... children.

Yet, out in the terminals, it can be a literal zoo. Tour groups. The encamped backpackers. It may be crowded, but there's still enough room for feral kids to zoom around. Food and drinks aren't provided. There's a million and one PA announcements. The terminal can also be dated, and I've rarely encountered a comfortable seat or bench at a terminal.

Generally, I'd prefer the lounge.

That said, some terminals are pretty great. Went to some airports in China last year that were modern, had a tonne of room, minimal people, and the people who were there were all civil. Generally a pleasant environment.

But even then, I'd still try a lounge if I had access. If only to scout it out.. See if I could get a quick shower if I was in transit or after a big day and had a long trip ahead. Also, to see if there was something appetising for a meal, snack, drink, or something to take with me for the flight if I thought I'd be left hungry.