The Flying Critic

Singapore Airlines Lounge in TPE - Daily Travel Photo

Singapore Airlines Lounge in TPE

BA's Terraces Lounge at Milan (MXP) - Daily Travel Photo

British Airways' Terraces Lounge is my favorite lounge at MXP.

Flying United p.s. JFK-LAX Breakfast Flight Photo Review

Two weeks ago I flew JFK-LAX on United's premium service (p.s.).  It was a breakfast flight departing at 9:30am.

I sat in row 9, the emergency exit row with as much leg room as you could ever hope for on a commercial flight:

Once we finished our climb the flight attendants served breakfast:

After breakfast personal video players were distributed to first class and business class passengers:

Because the business class on United's p.s. flights are an international business class configuration the 757 feels spacious with everyone in business class spread out:

Before landing the flight attendants served a lunch/snack.  I ordered the chicken wrap:

Delta Crown Room Club in Phoenix - Daily Travel Photo

Delta closed this Crown Room Club on April 30, 2008.   It seems like an odd club to close. Northwest and Delta are the two largest airlines that use the north pier of Terminal 3 where the club was located.  Their merger website says that 2.8 million people fly Northwest and Delta to/from Arizona each year (most to/from Phoenix).  I guess that isn't enough people to justify a Crown Room Club.

KLM Amsterdam (AMS) Lounge

After my KLM PrivatAir flight from Houston (IAH) landed in Amsterdam (AMS) I went to the KLM lounge to wait for my KLM CityHopper flight to Geneva (GVA).

The lounge was crowded:

 

But I found a place to sit and relax:

Here are some pictures of the food and beverages in the lounge:

The lounge also has several computer terminals with free internet access.  You have to get a paper from a machine with an access code and it gives you ~30 minutes of computer time.

I think I would like the lounge when it is empty.  But when I was there it was full and noisy.  Except for the free drinks and snacks it wasn't much better than the rest of the airport.

Pictures of the Air France Lounge in Houston (IAH)

As promised, here are pictures of the Air France Lounge in Houston (IAH).  You can see why I was shocked that the old KLM lounge was still being used in January when this lounge was empty before my KLM PrivatAir flight.

There are several large seating areas with table space, power, snacks, and magazines at every seat:

There is a cafe area with tables and bar seating:

There is an extensive selection of self-serve drinks and snacks:

There is a business area with tables to use your laptops:

What is the worst airline lounge in the world?

Gary at View from the Wing asks what is the worst airline lounge in the world?  He offers the Alitalia Boticalli Lounge in Milan as a possible contender.  I agree that is an awful lounge.  It's even worse than the 20 year old KLM lounge that I posted about (and that has thankfully been replaced).

Here is a picture of the Boticalli Lounge in Milan from one of my several visit in 2006.  It reminds me of a bus terminal:

Another favorite lounge to hate is the US Airways Club Lounge in Phoenix between gates A19 and A21. 

It isn't that it lacks the normal US Airways Club snacks.  It's got them. It even has a bar. 

But it has almost no seating.  It is probably the smallest US Airways Club there is.  There are a couple tables and a few chairs.  Most of them face each other and there is no privacy.  And it is always crowded.  Usually there aren't open seats.  Kids and adults sit on the floor. 

Use the other US Airways Club lounges in Phoenix even if your flight leaves from the high A gate #s.

What other horrible lounges are out there?

KLM Lounge is Houston Has Been Closed and Replaced

I'm happy to report that the KLM lounge that I just posted about WAS closed and replaced by a new KLM Crown Lounge.  I visited the KLM lounge in January and this new lounge opened in March.  Thumbs up to KLM for getting rid of that horrid old lounge and opening a new one.

KLM Lounge in Houston (IAH) Should Be Closed

Some airline lounges are amazing.  Others are horrid.  Like the KLM lounge in Houston that I visited in January.  It is small and old.  It should be closed. 

Use the nice Air France lounge that is less than a minute away.  Between the SkyTeam lounge sharing rules and the fact that both KLM and Air France are wholly owned subsidiaries of Air France-KLM it makes no sense why this KLM lounge is still open.

If I only showed you this one photo of the lounge you might think it wasn't that bad:

This little back room is the best thing going for the lounge.

The main seating area is one narrow hallway with bench-like seats all facing each other:

Here is what some of these bench-like seats look like close up:

If you are hungry you better find somewhere else to eat.  The snacks were neither healthy nor abundant:

To recap: Avoid the KLM lounge in Houston.  Use the Air France lounge.  I will post pictures of the AF lounge tomorrow so you can see why (UPDATE: link added).

UPDATE: I'm happy to report I did some more research and found out that it WAS recently closed and has been replaced with a new lounge that looks much better.  What a difference two months can make.  I visited in January and they replaced it in March.  Still - I'm not sure why they had to do that when the Air France lounge was right next door.

Free wifi at United Airlines Red Carpet Clubs

For anyone who missed the announcements.  United Airlines is now providing free wifi in their Red Carpet Club airport lounges for club members and people traveling in international first and business class.

If you are a Red Carpet Club member, just enter your Red Carpet Club membership number (the number on your membership card, which is the same as your United Mileage Plus number) at the login page. 

If you are traveling in international first and business class, you need to ask the agents at the front of the club for a day pass card that has a code that you enter at the login page that gives you 24 hours of access.

If you are a Star Alliance Gold member who has access to the Red Carpet Club through your Star Alliance Gold membership, but you are not traveling in international business or first class, you still have to pay T-Mobile.

Virgin America expands lounge access policy

As pointed out at One Mile at a Time, Virgin America has opened up the ability for members of their frequent flyer program to pay $40 for a one-time pass to the Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouse (at participating locations). 

Prior to this change, you had to be flying in First Class on Virgin America to be able to pay the $40 for the one-time pass.  Because membership in their frequent flyer program is free, now anyone who joins can gain access.

I'd like to see Virgin America offer free Clubhouse access to First Class flyers while provided the pay for access passes for everyone else.  But I don't expect that to happen any time soon.  Why give it free when people will pay?  That's the question most US airlines are asking themselves these days.  Even Virgin America.

Video Tour of Singapore Airlines Terminal 3 SilverKris Business Class Lounge

Singapore Terminal 3 Silver Kris Business Class Lounge

Here are some pictures from my recent visit to the brand new Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Business Class Lounge in the new Terminal 3 at Singapore Changi Airport.  This is now my favorite Star Alliance Business Class lounge.

You don't have to be flying Singapore Airlines to use this lounge.  To access this lounge, you must be departing on a Star Alliance flight and be flying in Business or First class (but if you are flying in First Class you should use the First Class side of the lounge). I was flying Thai Business Class and used my Thai boarding pass to gain access to the lounge.