What is the attraction of lounges?

[PaulST]

Call me weird, but I just love the ambience of airports. People travelling, boarding announcements, aircraft moving around the apron and taking off/landing. The lounges provide, as others have said, somewhere reasonably safe (I figure there's going to be less opportunistic crime given the selection bias of people with lounge access) and comfortable with food/drink provided and often a good view.

I've got my first ever QF F flight coming up in Sept (QF1) and I'll be getting to the airport around 6hrs early to take full advantage of breaky and lunch, the massage and I'll probably just walk around the terminal for an hour or two between meals. As I loose WP next month it'll also be my last opportunity for a while as my plan is to use QF points to test out other F products.

 

[Jacksond]

I paid for access to the Melbourne Virgin domestic lounge last January. Wasn't worth it as there were not many food choice available. Because it was holiday time, there were a lot of noisy kids and families running around. I was only going to Hobart (Amex free flight) anyway. Probably better food choices the terminal at that particular point in time as the lounge had just opened. I"ll skip it when I go to Hobart Next time. QR J to France coming up in September.

 

[Archphoto]

What happened with the HKG lounge and Jetstar Asia?
As far as I am aware, you have access to the QF HKG Lounge when flying Jetstar Asia (on Qantas status, and Qantas Club)

Being based in BKK, I used to fly to HKG on EK - they allowed access for quite a while but not long after the new lounge was up and running, they pulled the plug.
From memory, just prior to the QF lounge closing in BKK, only those flying BusinessMax were granted access for J* BKK-SIN, which was rather odd, as they didn't offer BusinessMax on that particular route at the time they changed the rules and I'm pretty sure it still doesn't have BMax even now. I do remember flying a final J* run about a week prior to the changes, and thinking I was going to miss the access when it ceased and I actually made sure to book J* on the return flight to ensure I could enjoy it one last time in SIN.

I will admit I haven't held QP for a number of years now as it simply isn't worth the outlay for the little I get in return. Additionally, as there is no QF lounge in BKK any longer, paying for lounge access is (for me) a moot point - 100% of my flights begin in BKK, yet I get 0% access there for the cash outlay.

OMMV - but for me, it's not worth my time or money, instead I'll pay up for individual lounge access when I'm flying Y, regardless of carrier and enjoy the CX lounge when I fly with them.

 

[Archphoto]

According to Qantas's own lounge access rules you should still be allowed access on jetstar https://www.qantas.com/travel/airli...-lounge-the-qantas-hong-kong-lounge/global/en

"Lounge access is only permitted in the port where Jetstar Business operates from.
No guest permitted."

Sadly, BKK-HKG doesn't have BMax and unless the MaxFare (BKK-SIN-HKG) = BMax, it isn't available on that route either. (The J* Asia website is woeful with regard to info!!)

I'm not saying it isn't worth the $$$ to everyone, just that in my geographic situation, paying for QP access is a pointless exercise for me.

 

[badseed]

As someone who flies Y almost exclusively on long-haul, a shower before an overnight flight can really ease the pain and get me to relax.

Especially if you invariably take midnight departures from Hong Kong for example, after checking-in in town at 10 in the morning, and exploring for the rest of the day out in the humidity.

It also means I'm not subjecting my fellow passengers crammed in beside me to sweaty BO. Win / Win situation really.

 

[daft009]

first few times in a lounge, i went crazy for food & alcohol.
that quickly got old

then it was the showers, oh how good is it to shower & brush teeth before a long haul flight.. never got old either

 

[JMEL]

Call me weird, but I just love the ambience of airports. People travelling, boarding announcements, aircraft moving around the apron and taking off/landing. The lounges provide, as others have said, somewhere reasonably safe (I figure there's going to be less opportunistic crime given the selection bias of people with lounge access) and comfortable with food/drink provided and often a good view.

I'm the same, so call me weird too! I've been flying a lot since I was a child (family circumstances), and one would think that this should have made me sick of airports a long time ago, but no - I've just grown to love planes and airports even more as an adult. Lounges just add that extra something to my time at each airport.

I figured that I may as well bank my points smartly and milk some perks out of them. As others have said, a good hot shower pre-flight or between flights will never get old. I also enjoy checking out the little local touches at different lounges around the world, such as saunas (looking at you, Finnair ), local food and booze, decor, etc. To me, it's all part of the travel experience.

Flying Tiger for the very first time this weekend...I think this will be the perfect litmus test for how much I value my lounges and perks, and I predict that I will emerge even more determined to retain my status :mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I haven't read all this thread so excuse if I'm largely just repeating other comments, but to me lounge access is only of value to FFers. If you fly a lot, especially out of the same terminals, the terminal can hold little attraction. The lounges themselves hold little attraction as well and do become boring but they usually offer somewhere to relax (especially good with flight delays), showers (for long haul), usually clean(ish) toilets, charging facilities which is important, along with the ubiquitous (or not) food and drink offering plus a selection of mags or newspapers. For infrequent flyers, the terminal experience is part of the trip, it has eateries and shops and viewing areas. It's very easy to enjoy the terminal if you're not there frequently.

Above all, lounge access offers choice. I regularly bypass the lounge (especially VA dom lounges) and just "people watch" out in the terminal. That can pass the time quite nicely as the one thing you can be sure of in an airport terminal, that being the whole gamut of people types, actions, inactions, idiosyncrasies etc. When that becomes boring, we can migrate to the lounge and count the thong wearers!

 

[Dr Ralph]

to me lounge access is only of value to FFers.

Could not disagree more.

To misquote Samuel Johnson 'When a man is tired of lounges, he is tired of life.'

 

[ermen]

But a non-FF's first/second experience in the lounge is usually "wow"

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Not sure what you been smokin' in them thar Papuan highlands swanny but I sure would like to try some!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Not sure what you been smokin' in them thar Papuan highlands swanny but I sure would like to try some!

But let's face it, the lounges you inhabit are not the lounges I endure!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

But let's face it, the lounges you inhabit are not the lounges I endure!

Seriously? You are familiar with lounges in China?

 

[leadman]

I'm quite surprised with the such varying thoughts and feeling for lounges. Certainly a lot of feeling and passion on one end and a care less factor on the other! Interesting......

 

[pauly7]

I'm quite surprised with the such varying thoughts and feeling for lounges. Certainly a lot of feeling and passion on one end and a care less factor on the other! Interesting......

Some of us are a bit jaded by excessive travel

 

[leadman]

Yes, after hitting 135,000 miles in the first 6 months and the next six doesn't look much better the only lounge i want at the moment is my one down in the "man-cave". At least i don't have to put headphones on and the Coopers Sparkling is always cold...... But its 4600 miles away

 

[Scarlett]

OP has obviously never been to MNL (NAIA terminal 2). Not really much on offer in the terminal (and you could say the same of the lounge for that matter)but at least the PR lounge had comfortable chairs, drinks, nibbles, clean bathroom facility and access to a shower.

 

[Simo]

OP has obviously never been to MNL (NAIA terminal 2). Not really much on offer in the terminal (and you could say the same of the lounge for that matter)but at least the PR lounge had comfortable chairs, drinks, nibbles, clean bathroom facility and access to a shower.

My lounge experiences in MNL IMHO rate about as high as a regional QP with the toilet in the main terminal.

 

[cambriamarsh]

My lounge experiences in MNL IMHO rate about as high as a regional QP with the toilet in the main terminal.

That was BA's EDI lounge a few years ago as well! I understand from Lord Hancock that it's a bit better now.

 

[Justinf]

Unless the bar is open and the circumstances are right (ie I don't have to drive at the end of the flight etc), I find very little in domestic lounges to get excited about. I rarely eat in the lounge and I only have one coffee a day.
International lounges are a bit different.