5 Of The World’s Best Business Class Hub Lounges

May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 ~ Alvin ~ 1 Comment

Over the past few years I’ve been incredibly lucky to try out quite a few business class products, and with that entailed going to their hub business class lounges as well. I’ve been to a range of lounges and come out with a variety of impressions, and find it such an exciting addition to the airport experience, especially when airlines put effort into it.

Last year I listed the top 10 things that I look for in an airline lounge. Many airline lounges I know feature a large number, if not all, of these features in their own quirky variations. The five lounges featured below all have at least a majority of these features.

Too many times over the past few years, I’ve come out of a lounge thinking “hmm, this could potentially be one of the best in the world”. I haven’t visited all the business class lounges that I believe would make this list, though I don’t have plans to visit any of them in the near future. For that reason, here are my five favourite business class hub lounges, and I’ll share lounges that I believe potentially make the list as well.

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Review: Asuka Lounge Osaka Kansai Airport

April 23, 2018April 27, 2018 ~ Alvin ~ Leave a comment

Introduction: Feaster Easter in Japan
Hong Kong Airlines Club Bauhinia Lounge Hong Kong Airport
Hong Kong Airlines Club Autus Lounge Hong Kong Airport
Hong Kong Airlines A330 Business Class Hong Kong to Osaka
Hilton Osaka Executive Suite
Yumesenkei Amahara Sumoto Wa-Yo Room
Yumesenkei Amahara Sumoto Dining
Asuka Lounge Osaka Kansai Airport
Hong Kong Airlines A330 Regional Business Class Osaka to Hong Kong

Our flight left Kansai Airport at 5:40 PM, so we spent the entire day near the Kansai region. We got to the airport at around 3 PM so we could deal with our car rental, and were checked in by 3:30 PM, where we were handed lounge invitations, as well as fast track cards for customs and immigration.

Hong Kong Airlines uses the Asuka Lounge at Kansai Airport, a contract lounge located near gate 5 (where our flight was departing). All of Kansai Airport’s gates require access by the Wing Shuttle, so after immigration I hopped on the train to the terminal station of the North Wing, where gates 4-11 are located.

The signage leading to the lounge is slightly misleading, since the lounge isn’t actually adjacent to gate 5. More accurately, it’s a right U-turn from the escalators down from the Wing Shuttle, around a minute-long walk from gate 5. The lounge is open to passengers flying United, Delta, Lufthansa, Sichuan Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

The exterior of the lounge featured a door with frosted glass.

Asuka Lounge Osaka Airport Exterior

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Review: British Airways Lounge Amsterdam

April 20, 2018 ~ Jason ~ Leave a comment

Introduction: Flying The Nordic Shortcut to Europe
Cathay Pacific 777 Business Class Hong Kong to Bangkok
Oriental Residence Bangkok
Finnair A350 Business Class Bangkok to Helsinki
Hilton Helsinki Airport
Finnair A321 Business Class Helsinki to Amsterdam
Hotel Des Indes The Hague
Hotel Le Royal Luxembourg
Sofitel Brussels Le Louise
Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht
British Airways Lounge Amsterdam
British Airways A321 Economy Class Amsterdam to London
My Bloomsbury London
Finnair A350 Business Class London to Helsinki
Finnair A350 Business Class Helsinki to Hong Kong

We arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport around 3 hours before departure and made a beeline for the British Airways counters. Since we were at the airport so early, there was barely anyone in line. Thanks to my oneworld Ruby status, I was able to use the Club Europe check-in counters.

British Airways Amsterdam Airport Check-In

We cleared immigration and security, which were both quick and efficient. We ended up in the terminal with around two hours to kill. We made a beeline for the British Airways lounge, which we had access to thanks to my mothers oneworld Sapphire status. However, to reach the lounge, we spent around 20 minutes wandering around trying to follow poor signage to the lounge.

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Review: Hong Kong Airlines Club Autus Lounge Hong Kong

April 6, 2018April 27, 2018 ~ Alvin ~ Leave a comment

Hong Kong Airlines opened Club Autus in September 2017 as their new flagship lounge to accommodate premium passengers on the airline’s flights, a majority of which were now departing out of the Midfield Concourse. I was under the impression that an autus was some sort of flower, though the closest thing I could find to the word shaping any sort of meaning was in an alternate form of the Latin word auctus, which is the perfect passive participle of the word augeō, which means “to augment” or “to expand”.

Regardless, Club Autus is located one floor above the departures hall of the Midfield Concourse, with an escalator leading up to it in the duty-free area of the departures hall.

Hong Kong Airlines Club Autus Lounge Hong Kong Exterior

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Review: Hong Kong Airlines Club Bauhinia Lounge Hong Kong

April 6, 2018April 27, 2018 ~ Alvin ~ 1 Comment

Hong Kong Airlines has two hub lounges in Hong Kong. Prior to September 2017 the only option was Club Bauhinia, which was Hong Kong Airlines’ only lounge. It was renovated a few years ago, though the lounge has a relatively small footprint, which the airline couldn’t do too much about (the lounge is sandwiched between Cathay Pacific’s The Cabin and The Bridge – The Cabin is closing soon, so I’m wondering if Hong Kong Airlines is looking to use that space to expand their lounge). Prior to September this was their flagship lounge, so all of Hong Kong Airlines’ flights were using this lounge for premium passengers and Fortune Wings (Hong Kong Airlines’ frequent flyer programme) elites.

In the meantime they’ve opened Club Autus, their new flagship lounge at the Midfield Terminal, which I’ll be reviewing in the next installment.

My parents wanted to spend the early afternoon in Hong Kong Airport shopping, due to the late afternoon departure time of our flight. So for our 5 PM flight, we arrived Hong Kong Airport at 1:30 PM. That was good news for me, since I’d have plenty of time to check out Hong Kong Airlines’ lounge offerings, given I’ve reviewed Cathay Pacific’s lounge offerings extensively.

We got to the Airport Express station at 12:30 PM, though unfortunately Hong Kong Airlines uses a single check-in counter at Hong Kong Station’s in-town check-in for all passengers (in contrast, Cathay Pacific uses eight check-in counters, with separate check-in counters for first class, business class and premium economy). The line was five parties deep and took 30 minutes, but we made it through, and the process of getting airside was smooth after that.

Club Bauhinia is located in the main terminal near gate 25, around a 5-10 minute walk from immigration.

Hong Kong Airlines Club Bauhinia Lounge Exterior

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Review: Qantas Business Class Lounge Sydney Airport

March 1, 2018 ~ Alvin ~ Leave a comment

Out of all the hub lounges I’ve been to, my three favourite business class lounges are Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at London Heathrow, Cathay Pacific’s The Pier Lounge Hong Kong, and Swiss’ Dock E Lounge in Zurich (more or less in that order, with Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan lounge being a fourth). While I’d love to write a post dedicated to what I believe are the world’s best business class lounges, I have a couple more to visit this year that I believe will make the list, so I’ll hold that off until later this year.

Off the top of my head, I knew Qantas’ lounge at Sydney Airport wouldn’t make the list. While Qantas has a famously good first class lounge, the business class lounge has long seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought, with reports being that it’s drab, crowded, and aging. Qantas is planning on refurbishing this lounge, and the new lounge will be fully completed by the end of 2019.

With my family, my bags and somewhat low expectations, I headed to Sydney Airport at 1 PM for our 4 PM flight.

Sydney Airport Check-in Hall

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Review: Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse C West

November 28, 2017December 13, 2017 ~ Alvin ~ Leave a comment

Introduction: To Bangkok For The Weekend
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Business Class Lounge Hong Kong
Thai Airways A330 Business Class Hong Kong to Bangkok
Park Hyatt Bangkok
Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse D
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge Bangkok
Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse E
EVA Air Lounge Bangkok
Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse C East
Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse C West
Thai Airways 747 Business Class Bangkok to Hong Kong

After visiting the East lounge, I thought my work would be bereft had I not rounded up my lounge visit by visiting the adjacent Concourse C West lounge. I went over to the other side of the hallway from the Concourse C East lounge, where the lounge was located.

Thai Airways Concourse C West Lounge Exterior

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Review: Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse C East

November 21, 2017December 13, 2017 ~ Alvin ~ Leave a comment

After a pleasant visit at the EVA Air Lounge Bangkok, it was time to head closer towards the gate to head towards our gate at Concourse C. Concourse C also has a couple of Thai Airways lounges, so I quickly made my way over so I’d have ample time to check them out and still be able to board first.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Main Concourse

While I knew there were two Royal Silk lounges, I wasn’t expecting them to be right across each other, which was interesting.

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Review: EVA Air Lounge Bangkok

November 10, 2017December 13, 2017 ~ Alvin ~ Leave a comment

The main destination of my lounge hop was EVA Air’s lounge near Concourse F, which I was excited to check out. EVA Air had just recently refurbished their lounge at Bangkok Airport, and I’d heard good things about it. The lounge is located at Concourse F, one floor below the general departures area.

EVA Air Lounge Bangkok Entrance

If this were a competition for Bangkok’s best lounge, EVA Air’s lounge would be by far the most try-hard out of all of them. The lounge’s exterior featured a wooden sliding door, with silver finishes (including a silver logo, as well as the word “lounge” being displayed with silver finishes too).

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Review: Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok BKK Concourse E

November 10, 2017December 13, 2017 ~ Alvin ~ 1 Comment

After a nice drink at the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, it was off to the EVA Air Lounge. On the way, however, I wanted to check out the Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge at Concourse E.

The entrance of the Royal Silk lounge is across the Royal Orchid lounge, which I didn’t realise I could access (I was under the impression that it was a first class lounge, though Thai Airways’ first class lounges are called “Royal First lounges”). I didn’t end up visiting the lounge, though it seems to be the best of all the Thai Airways business class lounges, so that’s a bummer. Thai Airways’ lounge entrances are rather dated and unimpressive, in my opinion.

Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Concourse E Entrance

I was admitted into the lounge and given another receipt-like WiFi code. The entrance to the lounge is standard for all of Thai Airways’ smaller lounges, consisting of drab carpets, a marble desk, and some garnishing orchids. In addition, there was a “no boarding announcement” sign (which I can appreciate due to the number of Thai Airways flights departing during peak rush hour), as well as the WiFi name.

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