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Airport lounges - the best and worst

We seem to have been consumed by politics for several weeks. There is nothing else on the box sometimes, and now we know the outcome, there still seems to be no end to this soap opera. So – time to go away.

I like travel. It probably stems from being starved of it as a kid. We used to get in the car and go to Devon, or if we were jolly lucky, somewhere in France.

No, I like to travel by air as I’ll be jetting off to a place that I wouldn’t go by car. Somewhere exotic perhaps where the language or indeed the script test ones ability to converse with the locals – ever tried finding your way around the Moscow underground system? The impossible cyrillic alphabet makes reading the station names into a very amusing game!

More likely though, is that I’ll be on business, which means that the destination is likely to be closer to home. Spain, Portugal, Middle East and the USA are the usual culprits.

Business travel is by it nature, usually a solo event. So to enjoy it, you need to be comfortable with your own time. I love my family dearly, but down time whilst travelling is fantastic. Airlines are increasingly insistent on requiring passengers to be at the airport a long time before the flight, so choice of airport (if you have one) can be important – no shops = very boring wait for the flight.

But most importantly, business travelers want a good lounge to while away the hours.

Airport lounges are often seen as the preserve of the rich, business traveler. Well, that’s not me! If you travel a lot, or in anything other than economy, the airline will probably give you a lounge pass when you check in. Alternatively, you can buy a Priority Pass card for about £250 a year which gives you unlimited access to lounges all over the World. Or you can just pay – many lounges will let anyone in for about £15.

Recent problems with a volcano 1200 miles away, airline strikes and simple delays are an inconvenience, but an airport lounge can supply a quiet spot to carry on ones work and sometimes quite a bit more…. Here are my best and worst lounges:

Best

The Clubhouse by Virgin Atlantic, London T3.
To be fair, you have to be travelling Upper Class (Business Class) to get in here, but it’s a belter – good bar serving champagne, restaurant with better food than on the plane, shoe cleaning, comprehensive computer facilities, a pool table, video games, hair cutting. It goes on and on. Plenty of space. A couple of hours aren’t really enough!

Dilmun Lounge – Bahrain
Consistently voted as one of the best in the Middle East, and with reason. Spotlessly kept with comfy seats and good selection of newspapers and magazines from around the World. Bahrain is often used as a stop-over, so the excellent showers are a big attraction. Good food and selection of wines (no fizz though).

Air France Salón – Charles de Gaulle 2c
I seem to find myself in this lounge quite a lot, and although it is often quite busy, it has certain coziness. Always seems to be plenty of champagne on the go – how French is that!

Dubai International Business Class Lounge
The locals rush to the bar – I rush to the food. The curry here is simply the best. You can’t find better anywhere in the airport. The booths give you good space to work too. Quite often very busy though.

And the Worst…..

Faro Blue Lounge
A miserable windowless pit. There’s nothing relaxing about this lounge. Grim selection of drinks and old sandwiches. Limited places to work. The gateway to the Algarve deserves better.

London Gatwick Aviance Lounge (North Terminal)
Another windowless dungeon. Horribly uncomfortable chairs. Food limited to crisps, nuts and cellophane wrapped cake – yuk. Good selection of magazines to take away though. I’ve often walked off with £20 worth for a long flight.

Cape Town International
Never a seat to be had. Enough said.

Nairobi First Class Lounge (Unit 1)
Despite its name, you don’t have to be travelling first class. This gets my vote as the worst airport lounge in the World. A true shocker. Worth avoiding at all costs (as is the whole airport frankly). Knackered sofas, a handful of out-of-date magazines and newspapers, poor selection of drinks and terrible food. One dial-up pc which is so slow, waves of impending violence swept over me. All capped by rude and uninterested staff.

Finally, the VERY BEST in the World. (And it’s ours!)

British Airways Concorde lounge at Heathrow’s T5.
This is proof that new airport design can work. The door to the lounge is about 40 feet from security. The lounge has masses of space to relax or work. There are little private dining booths where delicious meals are served. The bar serves decent champagne and perfect coffee. There are also hotel style bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms for longer stays. It is simply perfect. It’s just a shame that you have to be in possession of a first class ticket!!

James Wyatt

James Wyatt is the Senior Partner of Barton Wyatt UK and International – a family run business in Wentworth since 1965. He is a savvy property professional delivering a top class service to his discerning clients. Barton Wyatt specialize in Wentworth Estate homes and golf properties globally.

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