Skytrax reveals the top 10 independent airport lounges – two are at Heathrow

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• RN says:

  26 Jun26 June 04:32

  I have been to the two in Changi and although the decoration is nice, food and drink is underwhelming and they tend to get packed at certain times. This is specially so for the dnata lounge that services airlines like CX there.

• Sam G says:

  26 Jun26 June 06:34

  Yes, I really wouldn’t put SATS Changi on any list – nice enough for an hour but nothing “top 10” about it!

• Roger says:

  26 Jun26 June 07:17

  I am not even sure about the first rank here?
  Plaza Premium Lounge, Heathrow Terminal 2
  Visited last month on my way to NZ and it was fully packed.
  Was set on the same seating area pictured in front of the bar.
  Can’t fault staff for constantly refilling food and drinks items though.

  • Roger says:

    26 Jun26 June 07:19

    On my way to NZ we flew via BKK and stopped at Miracle lounges (tried three of them – 2 first class and one business class); which in my opinion were miles better.
    Much better shower facility and food and drinks.

• Chris says:

  26 Jun26 June 08:18

  Certainly seems biased to the larger airports. And I’d be very interested in the selection criteria.

  I’d have thought most independent lounge visitors would be leisure travellers as business pax much more likely to be in an airline lounge.

  My worldwide favourite is the one at Malta airport – the outside terrace is fantastic.

  • Gareth says:

    26 Jun26 June 08:31

    Hi Chris would you say the Malta lounge is worth the £15/person lounge club cost then? Flight at 8.50pm thanks

    • Polly says:

      26 Jun26 June 15:36

      Yes Gareth, def worth it…if you want early bite to eat pre flight and a couple of glasses of chilled white, it’s the place to be…wish more lounges worldwide had a terrace…very clever of the Maltese airport…and they get the weather to support it. Gorgeous island….

      • Anna says:

        26 Jun26 June 18:48

        Gibraltar has a terrace, but distinctly underwhelming food and drink. Great views of the rock though!

      • Mr(s) Entitled says:

        26 Jun26 June 21:12

        Marco Polo at Venice has a terrace overlooking the apron and runways. It also has fantastic Prosecco served in mammoth wine glasses and exceptional cold meats. Wonderful view and you can eat and drink your entry fee in no time. Great lounge.

    • Chris says:

      26 Jun26 June 20:56

      Would be value at £30 each.
      Obviously less value if it’s raining!!

  • Crafty says:

    26 Jun26 June 21:00

    Disappointed to hear that, as I’ve only ever been in about 3 lounges including the Malta one and loved it! Was hoping more would be like that!

• Leo says:

  26 Jun26 June 08:19

  I wasn’t that impressed by the No 1 at Gatwick South. They were refusing PP clients anyway – used my CX boarding pass to get in. It was busy not full. It was nowhere near as nice as the BA lounge. I agree that Aspire in T3 is nice enough. Both lounges benefit from being quite new. Does anyone have experience of the Virgin lounge situation in Hong Kong now they are using Plaza Premium lounge instead of their pen-friend?

  • Leo says:

    26 Jun26 June 08:21

    Pen-friend = own lounge. Great auto-correct mishaps of our time!

    • Rob says:

      26 Jun26 June 08:55

      I am in Gatwick tomorrow and I hoping to have a look at No 1 South.

      Norwegian uses it for its Premium pax (Anika was in there on Thursday) which, as their network grows, is presumably taking up quite a bit of capacity.

      • Leo says:

        26 Jun26 June 09:17

        Its perfectly okay. Suffered in comparison to the spanking new (that week) BA lounge maybe.

• Edmond Rose says:

  26 Jun26 June 08:25

  I am in no position to comment on Skytrax ratings of airport lounges as I don’t have enough experience of non-airline lounges, but over the years many people have pointed out a seeming lack of rigour and accuracy in Skytrax airline ratings and awards. Personally, I wouldn’t be guided by Skytrax. As others note here, it’s not clear what the selection criteria are.

• AmandaB says:

  26 Jun26 June 08:33

  Used the T2 Plaza Premium lounge last week. Very poor coffee.
  And why do people watch vidoes without headphones and use their phones on speaker to talk to their children? Or is it just me who wants a quiet visit? Grrrrrrrr

  • Boi says:

    26 Jun26 June 11:57

    Because it is much nicer and comforting for kids to see their parent on FaceTime/video rather than just voice talk. Sometimes we have to travel without our young kids and it’s hard enough.
    Why do people like privacy/quiet even in public places?! Grrrrr

    • Alan says:

      26 Jun26 June 11:59

      However that doesn’t stop you using headphones! I’ve no issue people making video calls, but why not plug in headphone so that the sound doesn’t boom around the whole room?

    • Crafty says:

      26 Jun26 June 21:02

      You really ought to use headphones though, it’s quite selfish not to.

• mark2 says:

  26 Jun26 June 09:58

  It seems like another meaningless list to me. How many people have visited enough lounges to make a valid judgment.
  On the subject of Centurion lounges, we visited the one in Seattle two weeks ago. It has just been enlarged from a Studio and was very impressive if not enormous. The food was very good and the two barmen very knowledgeable, in fact all the staff were very good..

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