Lounge with a view! From the deck of Premier Lounge at DPS.

Notes: After a week or two of total relaxation at Bali’s finest resorts, it’s not easy to just jam yourself into an economy seat for a forever-long transoceanic flight. The dull chaos of Bali’s main airport doesn’t help much either, so I grabbed my Priority Pass airport lounge card and slid into most recommended one here; the Premier Lounge run by JAS Airport Services. Inside I found a variety of seating from deep & comfortable loungers and sofas to firmer chairs surrounding small tables. There’s a little wear and tear here, but nothing that takes away from the lounge’s relative comfort or ambiance. Hop outside to the deck for a few extra minutes of Bali sunshine amidst speckles of Balinese statues and jet noise.

I suspect the reason that this lounge is widely considered the best at Ngurah Rai is the food. There are some limited entree selections, small salad bar, finger sandwiches, soups and a pretty hearty snack selection. The soft drink selection is lacking for those that want something other than Coke or Sprite, but You’ll find plenty of juices, teas and coffee drinks.

Wi-Fi: Yes/Complimentary. Connected workstations are also available.

Service: Easy, friendly check-in

Convenience to gate: Convenient low numbered gates, allow extra time as your gate number gets closer to double digits.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to justify the cost of a full lounge membership, I highly recommend joining. Premier Lounge also accepts premium class passengers flying several carriers including (but not limited to) China Airlines, Qantas and Cathay Pacific.

Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

A few additional food options if seaweed, rice and redbean are your thing.

Notes:  I love design. Thats why upon walking into the Korean Airlines KAL Business Class lounge at Tokyo Narita, I assumed that I’d just love it here. It’s a clean, bright lounge with a heavy dose of mod-luxury aesthetic. Expectations suddenly high, I checked in and began the bunny-hill slow series of disappointments. First, a majority of the seating is (at best) a little less than comfortable. The only exception is the small section of deeper, better cushioned chairs near the windows in the main area. Also, each personal area leaves little room to spread out and stow your carry-on luggage. Food is a disappointment here too. Tiny white bread finger sandwiches failed to do little more than absorb the abundance of caffeine from all the coffee I consumed on the flight in. There are a few other choices that put this on par with a US carrier domestic lounge, but the limited menu puts this KAL lounge at a disadvantage when compared with others nearby.

Wi-Fi: Yes/Complimentary with code obtained at front desk.

Service: Staff was friendly and made sure to point out that the lounge closes earlier than most (16:30). Our flight was to depart awhile after, so it was a nice courtesy to let us know before investing in the visit. Food attendant was very friendly too, but didn’t quite understand my request for decaffeinated coffee.

Convenience to gate: Convenient to Korean Air gates.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to use airport club rooms, I highly recommend joining.

Rating: 2 hops (of 5)

Plane watchers dream-view from The United Club at CLE.

Notes: There’s usually some anxiety involved in my choosing an airport lounge, but at Cleveland Hopkins it’s simple: Either check into the United Club or just grab a latte and find an unused gate. I opted for lounge living. Inside, the deep leather seating is comfortable and arranged to accommodate social groups or individual travelers. I’ve always been amused by the theater-style TV room found in many of these former Continental Presidents Clubs, filled with scotch-sipping businessmen watching cable news.

This late afternoon visit left me a little hungry. It’ll likely do the same for you unless you’ve got a higher tolerance for processed cheese and yogurt covered raisins. Drinks are plentiful and free. There’s a staffed bar with hall of fame rock theme and grown up beverages, juices and soda while coffee & tea are self-serve.

Wi-Fi: Yes/Complimentary.

Service: Bar staff was friendly and making small talk with patrons. Check in was rushed but smiley.

Convenience to gate: Depends. Convenient to most C gates but a little bit of a walk to those on other concourses. Allow a few extra minutes.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to use airport club rooms, I highly recommend joining. Per-visit passes are also available for this and tons of other lounges at GoSimply.

Rating: 3 hops (of 5)

Be careful. Things could get a little crazy in here. Self-Serve at AMS Servisair Menzies Lounge

Notes: Judging by the hordes of people pouring in and out of busy airline-specific lounges down the hall, I felt pretty good about my chances at this independently run club. Such gut feelings aren’t always right, but this time I was right on. I practically had full run of the place with the exception of a few early business travelers all tucked away in quiet corners. This gave me a chance to move around and really kick the tires on the joint, sitting in just about every type of chair and sampling a good number of snacks with a lesser-than-gluttonous hangover of carb excess.

Most everything seems less than a few years old here. The wear and tear seems light on this lounge giving it a fresh, welcoming feel. The cafe furniture felt a little wobbly but the deep leather chairs were almost too comfortable. (Set an alarm for your flight, just in case!) There were plenty of snacks set out and well stocked. No real “meal” items were to be seen, but then that might be expecting a bit much. Along with a pretty decent selection at the self-serve bar the food and drink here are just above average, I’d say.

Wi-Fi: Yes/Complimentary for 60 minutes throughout Schiphol.

Service: If you’re planning on napping horizontally in the lounge, forget about it. While very sweet checking people in at the desk, I saw the lounge agent scold a customer for using a couch as a bed. Whether this is good or bad service depends on what you define a lounge to be. Clean up and re-stocking of food-stuffs was prompt and the lounge was spotless.

Convenience to gate: This is a centrally located lounge. The airports website has a map feature with maps indicating how long a walk it is to different gates or airport landmarks.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to use airport club rooms, I highly recommend joining. Per-visit passes are also available for this and tons of other lounges at GoSimply.

Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

Airline/Club Name: Plaza Premium Lounge (Independent)
Location:YVR – Vancouver Int’l.
Terminal/Concourse:International Terminal
Get in! (support modhop):Priority Pass or GoSimply (for single visits).

Lounge around and take in a few arrivals and departures.

Notes: Lounges that aren’t tied to a specific airline are usually a gamble. I found this out visiting the Ambassador Lounge in Singapore’s Changi Airport that felt more like a hostel than a lounge. This was my first tiptoe back into an indie lounge since and it fared much better. While I did have some issues with the food and drink choices, I liked the variety of seating choices, views and the number of places to plug in my countless gadgets.

Wi-Fi: Yes/Complimentary.

Service: Check-in was friendly but a little slow. The gentleman at the counter seemed to be in charge of everything from restocking the food to cleaning up after the other zombified international travel bunch… So it took awhile for him to meet me at the front desk.  Balancing it all proved to be a smidge too much for the guy as the entree selections were restocked a little slower than I’d normally hope for…But it’s not like I was running back for seconds. Bland city.

Convenience to gate: Not far from most international gates. Should be a quick walk, but allow a few extra minutes for weaving around other travelers.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to use airport club rooms, I highly recommend joining. Per-visit passes are also available for this and tons of other lounges at GoSimply.

Rating: 3 hops (of 5)

Airline/Club Name: United Club (formerly Continental Presidents Club)
Location: LGA – New York LaGuardia
Terminal/Concourse: Central Terminal – Concourse A
Get in! (support modhop): Priority Pass

If there were ever an argument for overhead flourecent lighting...this would be it.

Notes: As airlines merge it’s hard to keep up with who has what and where, but at post time this is a Continental Presidents Club. Continental Airlines merger with United is just about complete but it’s unclear what the fate of this club location will be. For now it’s a dated, cave-dark vampire hideaway with booze and okay coffee. With few places to sit and not many places to recharge the laptop or phone, I’d easily take my pre-flight business down the hall to the legacy United Red Carpet Club that has better views, more space, more light, more outlets and a far better layout.

Wi-Fi: Yes/Complimentary.

Service: Check in was friendly and appeared to have a good rapport with Continental regulars. The bartender appeared to like to spend time gossiping at the front desk while keeping a wine-thirsty customer staring at the empty bar before he noticed and finally returned.

Convenience to gate: If you’re flying Continental or anything from Concourse A, it’s not too hard to get to your gate. The only exception being that you still have to get through security. Allow at least an extra 20 minutes before boarding time.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to use airport club rooms, I highly recommend joining. Presidents Club and United Red Carpet Club members have full access and reciprocal club access is granted between United/Continental and US Airways Clubs.

Rating: 1.5 hops (of 5)

Airline/Club Name: 4Deck Lounge (Independent)
Location: London Heathrow (LHR)
Terminal/Concourse: Terminal 4
**Lounge closed as of July 2011. Raw video posted for purposes of air travel geekery only.

Qantas A380 as seen from 4Deck Lounge.

Notes: My kind words in regards to the 4Deck Lounge at Heathrow are apparently too late as it’s ceased operations as of July 2011. In the interest of airport nostalgia, I’ve posted the raw video without commentary. Some brief comments about why I liked this lounge: The top-level observation deck was very cool for airplane loving nerds with uninterrupted views of multiple A380s, 747s and other various slithering aircraft in the distance during my visit. The mid level was peaceful and included a “Haven” for grown ups without kiddies. Snacks were good, service was non-existent or not great, furniture was weird, worn and dated but comfortable enough. Overall, not a bad spot if you were traveling on Delta or KLM thanks to it’s proximity to the airlines gates. A sad loss, but the Skyteam lounge  isn’t far away (See “How I got in” below).

Rating: 2.5 hops (of 5)…not that it matters.

How I got in: I gained access using Priority Pass  but as of this post, they no longer have an offering within terminal  (only terminals 1 & 3). The Skyteam lounge is the next-closest option if you’re flying first or business class same-day aboard an alliance airline. Here, SkyTeam suggests that the lounge is like Heaven with a champagne room:

http://youtu.be/wxSpQfnncI0

Airline/Club Name: Delta Sky Club
Location: LAX (Los Angeles, CA)
Terminal/Concourse: Terminal 5

Departures/Arrivals. Delta Sky Club at LAX.

Notes: This Delta Sky Club was remodeled in 2010 and is a remarkable improvement over it’s predecessor. The space is open, bright and provides a variety of seating options for any kind of group. There are quiet areas for those who need to get work done (or are just aren’t that social) and there’s the large main room that’s more active (and closer to the food). In regards to comfort, You’ll have a wide choice of seating from bar stools to large odd but cute cube chairs with high backs and sides (that seem more like artwork than furniture). Showers are available if you’d like to wash off the plane smell in between flights. You’ll also have a good view of the lounge from the check-in counter so you can see how crowded it is before bothering (this is particularly helpful if you pay per visit and don’t want to pay extra to be squished into a spot that’s more crowded than the terminal).

Wi-Fi: Yes/Free. Connect to T-Mobile HotSpot within the lounge and connect as member.

Service: The front desk was well staffed even this late at night to check people in (to the lounge) and help with reservations. No real smiles or warm welcome from the front desk, but I’m sure those were spent on the jillion passengers who stopped by at the beginning of their shift.. The crew stocking the snack/drink bar was fantastic. Nothing sat unattended to very long and cleanup was quick throughout.

Convenience to gate: Easy. The terminal is small and the lounge is airside (past security) so you don’t need to allow extra time in getting to your flight.

How I got in/Strategies: I paid $25  with my Delta branded American Express Card, giving me 1-time access (price is per-guest). If you don’t fly Delta more than once in  a calendar month, this is likely the way to go. If you’ll be flying Delta several times within a 30 day period, you have a $90 option that gives full member access to Sky Clubs and partner lounges. This option (as do all full memberships) also grants entry to your spouse or up to 2 guests over 21 years of age. Delta offers a range of options for yearly memberships, most notably the option to pay monthly (although slightly more expensive than paying for the entire year up front). Discounts are given to medallion (premium) frequent fliers.

Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

Airline/Club Name: United Red Carpet Club
Location: MSP (Minneapolis)
Terminal/Concourse: Terminal 1 (Lindburgh) / E Concourse
Get in! (support modhop): Priority Pass

Notes: The United Airlines Red Carpet Club at MSP is small. Likely the smallest lounge I’ve seen at least in recent travels. And while I’ve never been here when it’s crowded, I’m assured by United faithful that it can get pretty tight now and then. It’s recommended that you ask the gate agent if you’re coming up on a glut of United flights or busier times…It should be easy to see if the lounge is full if you just walk in.

Wi-Fi:Yes/Free. Accessed with either Red Carpet Member # or with PIN code issued at front desk.

United Express flight boarding at MSP

Service: The front desk agent seemed as if she were lost in the woods with nothing more than a basket of stale bread and crappy wine upon check-in. As it turns out that just about summarizes the service and the food situation in the lounge. She failed to mention that the lounge would be closing very shortly as the last United flight was boarding for the day. When I later asked why everyone was leaving she then mentioned that they close shortly after the final flight, despite what the hours on the United website told me. Something I would have LOVED to have known prior to wasting a Priority Pass visit on.

Convenience to gate: Easy if you’re flying United. A lot less easy if you’re flying from far-away gates, particularly those on the G or C concourses.

How I got in/Strategies: Priority Pass. If you’re not particularly loyal to a specific airline or don’t travel enough to use airport club rooms, I highly recommend joining. You can also access this room with annual Red Carpet Club memberships and by purchasing day-passes either online in-advance at United’s website for $39 or at the club upon your visit for $50 (prices are per-person). You may also use miles to enter the lounge, but at 7,000 I think it’s a bit steep.

Rating: 2 hops (of 5)