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Bits: Priority Pass unveils lounges of the year, new easyJet routes from Southend

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News in brief:

Priority Pass unveils its lounges of the year

Airport lounge access card Priority Pass (free with American Express Platinum, or you can buy one separately) has unveiled its annual Lounge of the Year winners.

Based on votes cast by 72,000 Priority Pass members, the results are – to put it mildly – a little eclectic.

The overall winner is Club Kingston at Jamaica’s Kingston Norman Manley International Airport.  With, apparently, a decidedly Jamaican flair, the lounge features artwork and décor sourced from across the island, as well as local food and drink including traditional Jamaican patties and pea soup – all served to a gentle soundtrack of reggae music and with signature cocktails created by the resident bartender.

Closer to home, Tallinn Airport Business Lounge at the Lennart Meri Airport Tallin, Estonia has been crowned Best Lounge in Europe, closely followed by La Valette Club in Malta International Airport.  Tallinn’s Airport Business Lounge aims to live up to the airport’s promise of being ‘the world’s cosiest airport’.  Features include a massage chair and sleeping pods, a library where travellers can select an in-flight read, a curated selection of local food, beer, wine and spirits, a warming fireplace and an outdoor terrace.

The full list of winners is:

Global

  • Overall Winner: Club Kingston at Kingston Norman Manley International

Europe

  • Overall Winner: Tallinn Airport Business Lounge at Lennart Meri 
  • Highly Commended: La Valette Club at Malta International

Africa & Middle East

  • Overall Winner: Ahlan Business Class Lounge at Dubai International
  • Highly Commended: Dilmun Lounge at Bahrain International

Asia Pacific

  • Overall Winner: SATS Premier Lounge, T2 at Singapore Changi International
  • Highly Commended: Strata Lounge at Auckland International

North America

  • Overall Winner: Salon VIP Lounge at Québec Jean Lesage International
  • Highly Commended: The Club MCO at Orlando FL International

Latin America & The Caribbean

  • Highly Commended: Aeroportos VIP Club at Brasilia J. Kubitschek International

Best Business Facilities

  • Overall Winner: The Club MCO at Orlando FL International
  • Highly Commended: Ahlan Business Class Lounge at Dubai International

Best Quality of Refreshments

  • Overall Winner: Turkish Airlines Lounge Washington at Washington D.C. Dulles International
  • Highly Commended: VIP Lounge (East) at Guadalajara Miguel Hidalgo International

Best Attitude and Service from Lounge Staff

  • Winner: The Club BWI at Baltimore/Washington MD International
  • Highly Commended: Plaza Premium Lounge at Siem Reap Angkor International

easyJet adds four new routes from London Southend

easyJet has announced that it will open four new routes to Bordeaux, Prague, and Dubrovnik and Pula in Croatia from London Southend Airport in 2018.

Bordeaux will start on 25th July and operates three times a week. Prague starts on 27 July and will be twice weekly. The two Croatian routes (Dubrovnik, starts 28th July and Pula, starts 27th July and pictured above) will also operate twice weekly.

I had a day out at London Southend last year (read here) and was pleasantly surprised by what I found – if you work in the City or Canary Wharf, with easy access to the airport trains, it is worth considering.

Category

General

Comments (32)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • mark2 says:
    13 Dec13 December 14:29

    If you hold an Amex Platinum try the Centurion lounges https://www.thecenturionlounge.com/
    The one in Seattle was superb: no hot food, but excellent cold.

  • Jonathan says:
    13 Dec13 December 16:04

    Bit of advice please – I’m getting married next year and for the honeymoon have already used the BA 241 for return flights to KUL (business out and first back).

    We’ve got about 15 nights, 11 of which we’re in Langkawi and the initial 3 nights and last night in KUL. I was looking at the club rooms in the Mandarin Oriental, but the prices are sky high (£750 for B&B 3 nights). Can anyone recommend any other good hotels in KUL that may be nearer the £500 mark for the 3 nights?

    Thanks

    • CV3V says:
      13 Dec13 December 16:23

      General advice is that any 4 or 5 star hotel in KL should be very good value and provide good service. £750 for 3 nights B&B is way too high for KL. A number of posters like the Doubletree. My first ever stay in KL was at Traders, room options include a view of the Petronas towers which is stunning (you can also see the Mandarin Oriental!), hotel has a club floor, some great restaurants, and rooftop pool and sky bar. It is also adjacent to KLCC which includes a vast underground area with some cafes and walkways (= aircon) to the towers and to Bukit Bintang. The Intercontinental is also very good, and has a good Club Lounge. The JW Marriott is in a great shopping location, and has just been renovated, although the reviews of the new club lounge are mixed. I would avoid the main Hilton at the train station, as it was never the best of areas. Aim for Bukit Bintang or Petronas towers area.

      • Rob says:
        13 Dec13 December 16:24

        I think the Doubletree is still 10,000 Hilton points per night?

        • Genghis says:
          13 Dec13 December 16:35

          Yep. And we got a suite. Not a great hotel though IMO but a bargain for what we got.

      • Polly says:
        13 Dec13 December 17:10

        Also the Grand Millenium..club balcony (great if you smoke) faces petronas towers directly. Fab club food and drinks you really don’t need to eat out again later…Traders club fab too. Both would make a fuss of you if on honeymoon. They did for our anniversary. Pay around £125 a night. Breakfast buffet superb.

    • Axel Heyst says:
      13 Dec13 December 19:05

      As others suggest choose very near petronas tower or bukit bintang to enjoy kl.

      Btw – the queue for petronas tower tickets starts at 6am so by 8am you’ve lost out or gave a two hour wait. Its a tradition for the new husband to queue for the 2 tickets on his own and leave the new bride for a lie in.

    • Jonathan says:
      14 Dec14 December 06:40

      Thanks for all the replies

      • Crafty says:
        14 Dec14 December 08:58

        Hilton near the station is very nice in my opinion, especially if you request a park view.

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