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My review of Sala VIP Joan Olivert, Valencia Airport
Valencia airport has only one lounge, which is shared by all airlines for their business class passengers as well as Priority Pass holders.
Sala VIP Joan Olivert is located near Gate 12 and easy to find.
The lounge is spacious, with comfy armchairs and enough power sockets.
There is a rest area with chaise lounges but temporarily closed.
By the rest area is a small business centre.
There is a kids club at the other end of the lounge.
And a buffet station at the centre.
A few hot food options are on offer, including pasta and roasted vegetables.
The spread, together with the alcoholic drinks, is very decent for a small lounge.
Sala VIP Joan Olivert is a small but solid lounge at the Valencia Airport, and you can access it with Priority Pass.
My review of the Falcon Gold Lounge, Bahrain
I’m flying Gulf Air for the first time and this article will look at the ground experience. Bahrain airport is located on an island in the north east of the country. In fact the island is so much nicer than the city centre that it almost feels like a resort itself.
The airport went through a major refurbishment in 2021 that cost over one billion dollars. The airport isn’t very big though. It’s got four entrances and Gulf Air premium passengers are invited to use Gate 1.
Gulf Air names their premium business class product Falcon Gold, and you can see this brand name everywhere.
You need to go sideways to find the check-in counters. I don’t think it’s a good design, as you couldn’t see which side is less busier.
After checking in you can use the two dedicated emigration desks, and then the fast track lanes for security check. Go up one level and you’ll see the Falcon Gold lounge!
There’s a business centre with desktops and printers for use to the right.
The lounge, although not huge or exclusive, has a modern design and is very new.
It is an open space on the mezzanine floor so overlooks the departure hall.
There’s a snack station at the centre of the lobby.
A mini cinema:
The bar is closed.
There are quite few entertainment activities though: foosball, pool, golf simulator and flight simulator!
Breakfast buffet:
And an egg station:
It is pretty much what you expect at a med-scale hotel in Bahrain, so not impressive. I think they used to offer a-la-carte dining and barista coffee before, but it’s no longer the case.
There’s a kids club too:
Gulf Air doesn’t have the best ground experience, and their Falcon Gold lounge has got nothing to write home about. Unless you want to try out their games, you don’t have to arrive early.
My review of BA’s Concorde Room, LHR T5
One of the main driving causes for my Bahrain trip was to try out BA’s Concorde Room. As it is only open to First Class passengers and Gold Guest List members, I haven’t had a chance to visit yet, and I need to change that.
BA’s First Wing is awesome, but sadly I’m saying goodbye to it as being downgraded to Silver 🙁
Through the First Wing you’ll see the Galleries First Lounge, keep on walking and exit on your left, and you’ll now see the Concorde Room.
I like the logo.
Once inside, well, it doesn’t feel much different to the Galleries First Lounge.
The bar is fine, but not as impressive as the ones at the Clubhouse and United Club. One big selling point though is the free-flowing Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, so arrive early if you are a fan!
As a proper first class lounge, there is a dining room (restaurant) where you can sit down and enjoy a meal.
I don’t find anything aspiring in the breakfast menu though. I found the lunch menu online as well and it’s a bit boring too.
The food is ok. Service is really slow though (and there aren’t many guests) so it might not work if you are in a hurry.
There is a terrace bar if you fancy more light.
Help yourself to the cheeseboard, charcuterie and drinks.
There are two cabana rooms but by reservation only so I didn’t bother to visit. From the pictures from online reports they look ok.
My first visit to the Concorde Room didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Like BA’s First Class cabin, there’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s nothing outstanding either. As I’m now a lowly Silver I will find myself at one of the Galleries lounge next time, but to be honest I don’t feel missing out.
My review of Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai Concourse B
I’m finally heading back to London after spending two nights by the airport at Dubai, and I’m really looking forward to the First Class Suite experience with Emirates!
Emirates owns the Terminal 3 of Dubai airport. There is a dedicated entrance for Business and First Class passengers, with totally separated facilities too – it feels like a VIP terminal within Terminal 3.
The moment I stepped out of the car, a porter came around to help me with my bags and accompanied me to the check-in desk. He stayed with me until I finished checking in.
Check-in area for First Class and Platinum passengers:
Check-in area for Business Class and Gold passengers:
With so many counters available I can’t imagine a queue is necessary at any given time.
After checking in, passing the security check and passport control should be a breeze – if they hadn’t somehow messed up my entry record and took half an hour to fix it…
Emirates has seven lounges at Terminal 3, three Business three First and one mixed. In terms of the First Class lounges, there is one at each concourse, and Concourse A has the most famous and largest one. You can even board from the lounge itself, as it occupies an entire floor of the terminal!
I didn’t do any homework however, and just headed to the nearest lounge I could find, which turns out to be the one at Concourse B.
I’m told about another lounge closer to my boarding gate (Concourse C), but advised to stay here as that one is a lot smaller. Terminal 3 is huge though, so be mindful of the time when it’s nearer boarding.
First Class passengers and Emirates Platinum members are invited to use the First Class Lounge. All Emirates members can also pay a discounted $250 rate (pre-tax) to enjoy it. There are also the Business Class Lounges and Marhaba Lounges (for Priority Pass and Dragonpass) which are decent enough.
The entrance reminds me the of Centurion Lounge at Hong Kong. There’s a small fountain behind the entrance.
It might be “small” compared to the Concourse A lounge, but it’s still huge by any other standard. It takes me more than 10 minutes to just walk around the lounge. You can see how many facilities they have here from the signpost.
A few more pictures as demonstration.
Many airlines, such as British Airways have been downgrading their lounge experience by removing the Spa service. Emirates have kept it instead.
The 15-minute complimentary message menu:
Quiet Room for relax and recharge.
The kids club is next door.
Bathroom:
Showers:
A nice wine display room:
The dining room is a must-visit. It is larger than many restaurants or airport lounges itself.
You can help yourself to the hot food buffet or desserts.
Hot food options are:
- Stir Fieds Bibimbap with Chicken
- Foul medames
- French toast
- Plain paratha
- Aloo mutter
Plus the traditional English breakfast. I tried some Bibimbap and wasn’t impressed.
A Japanese sushi counter:
If you’ve got time, don’t miss the full a-la-carte dining experience and the menu is here. Breakfast menu is extensive, and you can even order some All Day Lunch items such as a Wagyu burger!
I’m not sure my stomach can handle a burger or steak at 7am, so opt for the eggs benedict and sushi instead.
As you may have guessed from the presentation, they aren’t very tasty. The cappuccino I ordered isn’t barista-made either. Well I probably should have got Wagyu…
In summary, the lounge is huge and contains all sorts of facilities, so I would recommend to arrive early for a free massage and the dining experience. But aesthetically it doesn’t impress me – nothing really Wows me unlike the Al Mourjan Lounge at Doha.
My review of No.77 First Class Lounge, Shanghai Pudong
Shanghai is a city that you won’t miss when visiting China, and it is very likely that you’ll pass by the Pudong Airport, which in the main international travel hub of Shanghai. Despite having grown up close-ish to Shanghai, I haven’t travelled through Pudong many times and it is my first time flying an international route today.
Etihad Airways uses Terminal 2 of PVG, and contracts with the China Eastern First Class No. 77 Lounge. There is another No. 69 Lounge at Terminal 2, but words are it’s a lot worse.
The name may sound strange, but it is a very common way to name airport lounges in China. They are very often just called No. XX First Class Lounge, where XX is the nearest boarding gate. I find it not bad as locating the lounge is made super easy.
As you have guessed, China Eastern is the main sponsor of the lounge, although it’s also the contract lounge for dozens of other airlines. It is operated by Plaza Premium, which means you can enter for free with any Amex Platinum card.
My departure is in late December, and at this time China’s international travel is still pretty much non-existent. There are very few passengers in the lounge, and some areas are shut because of that.
There are some big sofas when you enter. This area is far from the dining area which makes it a lot quieter.
Going in, there are some open-plan rooms on the left, and armchairs on the right.
There’s a kitchen a buffet area at the very end of the lounge. The buffet is decent, with the following options available on the day:
- Braised beef with red wine
- Grilled fish with chillies
- Oyster mushrooms
- Fish tofu with Thai sauce
- Laoganma fried rice
- Pasta
- Buns
- Sour and spicy soup
- Sweet potato soup
Drinks and snacks:
China Eastern lounges are famous for their signature noodles, and I ordered one with high expectations. It turns out that they have outsourced catering to a third-party supplier at the moment unfortunately, and the noodles are very disappointing.
The No. 77 China Eastern First Class Lounge at Pudong Airport isn’t an outstanding lounge, but the catering is decent (and should have improved since China ended all the restrictions), and you can get in with an Amex Platinum card or DragonPass.
My review of the United Polaris Lounge, San Francisco
At the end of the U.S. west coast trip, I’m heading back to London from San Francisco. In sheer contrast to the abundance of lounges at LAX, SFO is almost barren. United is the only Star Alliance airline that has any lounge here, and the same awkwardness applies to Skyteam and Oneworld too.
I arrived at the airport three hours ahead to make sure I have enough time to review the United Polaris Lounge. As it is the only decent Star Alliance lounge at SFO, the entry rules are quite strict: only business and first class passengers on a long-haul Star Alliance flight are allowed.
If you are a Star Gold member but flying economy, sadly you can only visit the United Club, which is like an average dull lounge that you expect in this country. Interestingly, anecdotes from my readers suggest that you may be invited to the Polaris Lounge if you are under 21, as you cannot enter the United Club due to alcohol restrictions.
The lounge is huge, occupying two floors and measuring about 2,600 square metres. The ground floor is a very nice area itself, but usually pretty quiet as the main food offerings are on the upper floor.
The armchairs are probably one of, if not he best I’ve ever seen in any airline lounge. it is very wide, with a small side table and sockets included.
The views are nice.
Shower rooms, and the Quiet Suites for resting are also on the ground floor. However, make sure you reserve enough time to explore the upper floor!
Turn left for the business zone, which offers private booths for phone calls and video calls.
And there are more desks and sofas inside.
If you turn right, you will pass the very beautiful bar first. There’s no self-service so you have to order your drinks instead, just like a regular bar 🙂
And then you’ll enter the dining area.
The buffet options are:
- Lobster corn bisque
- Ginger lemongrass ramen bowl
- Roasted broccoli and cauliflower
- Dakjjim Korean chicken braised chicken
- Miso glazed cod
- Brown basmati rice
I’m impressed that they offer lobster soup! You may also notice that the majority of the cuisine are Asian, which I quite enjoy. There are even tofu and shitake mushrooms in the salad area.
I’m not particularly hungry, so just had a taste of a couple of dishes but they are nice. Don’t miss out on the Dining Room though, which gives you a full dining experience!
I came around at about 5 o’clock and was told of a waiting time of 30 minutes. Fortunately an empty table became available in just five minutes.
Here’s the menu:
I ordered a small plate (octopus) and a glass of cocktail.
To be honest, the octopus is not to my liking. But the food looks posh enough to be served in a fancy restaurant.
Finally, a picture of the bathroom:
When I was leaving for my flight, the upper floor started to become really crowded. As most flights to Europe depart in the evening, it’s hardly a surprise.
The United Polaris Lounge at SFO is the best Star Alliance lounge that I’ve ever been to, and it is definitely worth visiting when you have the chance.
My review of Qantas First Lounge, Los Angeles
My Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold) is expiring in a month’s time, and I’m glad to check off another Oneworld first lounge before then. After cruising in the LAX Oneworld Business Lounge, I’m trying out thr Qantas First Lounge which is just about 20 meters away.
As long as your Oneworld Emerald status is not from American or Alaska, you can access the lounge before your flight with any Oneworld airline.
Unlike the business lounge, the first lounge is one big block that’s square-shaped with no apparent segregation between different function areas. There are a few “sunloungers” on the left facing the interior of the building.
On the right-hand side there are arrays of one-seat sofas.
The lounge is fully open-plan, and I feel intimacy and cosiness are missing.
There are a few self-service stations for alcohol. It’s too early to drink so I didn’t pay attention to the wine choices.
The bar, dining zone and kitchen are at the end of the lounge.
Unlike in the business lounge, there’s no buffet here and you order from a menu instead.
I don’t find the menu appealing, and only ordered a pancake. They served it to my adjacent seat by mistake and I didn’t realise until half an hour later…
Lunch is available from 12pm, but my flight won’t wait for me. I searched online for the lunch menu afterwards, and it doesn’t look especially good either.
In contrast with the business lounge, I find the first lounge uninspiring and lacking in its own soul. Unless you really desire a proper dining experience with a menu to order from, I think the business lounge is a better option.
My review of Oneworld Business Lounge, Los Angeles
In my last post I briefly reviewed the Alaska Air Lounge, which as I had suspected had nothing to write home about. In just three minutes I started making my way to the Oneworld Business Lounge, and I’m really excited!
The Oneworld Business Lounge is located inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal. It’s connected to all other terminals airside though so it’s possible to visit it no matter which terminal you fly from. But from Terminal 2 or 3 you need to take a shuttle.
Alaska is based in Terminal 6, and it took me, a fast-walker a good ten minutes to reach the lounge. Terminal 4 is right next to Tom Bradley but all other terminals require a long connection.
It’s the first time I see a lounge named after the Oneworld alliance. You can see the names of Qantas, Cathay Pacific and British Airways inscribed on the wall which presumably are the main sponsors of the lounge. I’m surprised that American Airlines isn’t one of them.
As a reminder, you cannot access the lounge by being an elite member or flying business / first class with American or Alaska, with the exception of select long-haul flights. However, if you are a Sapphire or Emerald member with any other Oneworld airlines (in my case BA), you can enter the lounge as long as you are on a Oneworld flight.
A very long sofa is behind the entrance. On the left-hand side there’s a business area, with armchairs, hot desks and a printer.
The bar shares the same design with the one in Qantas Lounge at Heathrow. You can help yourself to the wines and beers, but champagne is not offered.
A nice, warm circular bar lounge is further down the aisle.
In the dining area there are many dining tables and buffet counters.
It’s about 10am so breakfast is served. In addition to the traditional English breakfast there are some unusual options such as noodles with cheese, red bean curry and ratatouille.
The biggest impression on me is how huge the lounge is. There are a lot of atrium-facing seats available if you fancy more light.
The best Oneworld airline lounge I’ve visited is the Al Mourjan Lounge at Doha, without any doubt. The Oneworld Business Lounge at LAX is probably the (not-so-close) second, beating Cathay’s The Wing at HKG and BA’s Galleries First at LHR.
If you depart from LAX and have sufficient time, skip the Alaska Lounge and Admirals Club and come straight to the Qantas lounge, as it’s at a totally different level!