Los Cabos International (SJD) Priority Pass Lounge (Terminal 2) Review

I have to be honest. When traveling through Mexico or the Caribbean I generally have very low expectations for Priority Pass lounges. Heck, even when I’m in the States the lounges are usually nothing too special.

However, the Priority Pass lounge at Los Cabos International (SJD) Terminal 2 was actually a nice surprise. It’s not your typical boring, small airport lounge that you might expect to find. Instead it’s actually a pretty cool and refreshing place to relax in (unless you need to visit the baño). In this article I will review my recent experience at the Los Cabos International Terminal VIP lounge and show you what you can expect.

Getting to the airport

We left the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Cabo after a great three night stay and then made our way toward Los Cabos International via a Chevrolet Suburban. The Hyatt Ziva originally picked us up in a Cadillac Escalade so this ride was not quite as fancy but still pretty luxurious.

The drive over to the airport from San Jose is very scenic and it was nice to have some views to admire along the way. It only took us about 20 minutes to get to the airport which was very nice. However, if you are coming from Cabo San Lucas, it will take closer to 35 to 40 minutes.

We pulled up to Terminal Two and then made our way to the American Airlines premium check-in and received our boarding pass. This flight was my lucky day and I was hit with the “quad” aka SSSS. If you don’t know about the dreaded SSSS, I suggest that you read my article here to find out more about it. (In the end, it wasn’t that bad but still — it’s just never a fun experience.)

The type of boarding pass that you don’t want.

Once we were issued our boarding passes we simply followed the signs to departures, up the escalator.

Once up on the second floor there was a sign pointing us towards the VIP lounge, which will be towards your left.

We were flying on July 4 and the terminal was pretty packed, so I was expecting to find a pretty full lounge. But lucky for us that would not necessarily be the case.

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Getting to the lounge

The terminal is pretty small and it only took us a couple of minutes to find our way toward the lounge which quickly became visible at the end of the terminal. The lounge has a really cool futuristic façade that is very different from an ordinary boring airport lounge.

You will know that you are at the right lounge because it is clearly marked “VIP Lounge.”

Check-in

There was no line at check in so we got in quickly using our Priority Pass membership that we get with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. We also have Priority Pass with the American Express Platinum Card but when traveling through airports we choose to use the pass from the Sapphire Reserve now since it offers access to the airport restaurants.

At the check-in desk there is a small journal where you can sign in and leave some comments and it sort of reminded me of being in the Lufthansa First Class Terminal (except not). I meant to leave some notes but I ended up forgetting.

Los Cabos International Priority Pass Lounge

The lounge has two different floors. On the bottom floor you will find a large counter/bar area where you can pick up food and get complementary alcohol served.

This lounge is a little bit fancy in that they actually have display of their food items so you can know what to expect. Not all of the foods looked that appetizing but I appreciated them keeping it real.

During our time at the lounge they were serving cereal, sandwiches, salad, toast, and a couple of other dishes and soups. They also had other snacks like fruit, cookies, and healthy vegetable snacks like celery.

I noticed right off the bat that there were outlets and USB ports in many of the seats which was really nice.

There were a few places to eat and some semi private areas to take a seat, although some of the areas felt a little cramped.

The bottom level had a decent amount of people in it so I wanted to go upstairs and check out what the second floor was all about. I’m very glad that I did and if you are ever at this lounge I highly recommend going upstairs.

You can get to the second floor via a small elevator or stairs. The stairs are quite narrow especially when trying to bring luggage up or down so sometimes there are bottlenecks. (If you have some large luggage, you are probably better off with the elevator.)

The second floor has an interesting mid century modern set up. There is a dining area that is just a really cool looking area. Again this lounge did not feel like your typical Priority Pass lounge which was refreshing. It was also nice just to see the crowds so thinned out on the second floor.

The food and snacks were pretty much the same that were offered on the bottom floor. Here’s a look at some of the items that they were serving.

I wasn’t too impressed with their sandwiches until I tried a fresh batch that they brought out (pictured below) which were much better. Still basic but much better.

Overall, I would say that the food selection was decent and enough to get you carried over until your flight but nothing special.

The upper deck had a lot of modern seating options.

While these modern seats did not have outlets in them you could find outlets randomly on the floor. I also thought that the lounge did a pretty good job of supplying tables for the seats.

And one thing that I like about this lounge is that it had great views of the surrounding mountains. Cabo really is just a beautiful place.

There was a section in the back of the lounge that I think was designed for families. Inside this room were two very large and comfy looking recliners.

The recliners looked very relaxing but that room also got very loud with kids running around so I’m not sure it was the best place to put recliners….

There were a number of TVs in the lounge playing Wimbledon and there were a few racks where you could pick up different types of literature.

Ultimately, we found a spot over by the windows that was pretty quiet and that’s where we settled.

The lounge also had a VIP area with some sofas lining the wall (that was only for reservations). There was also a business meeting room that was filled to the brim during my stay.

I do want to say that the crowds did start to pick up after we had been there for about an hour and a half. So I think this lounge can get quite busy but for the most part it was very low-key during most of our stay.

Dónde está el baño?

The biggest issue with this lounge is that the bathrooms were broken. Yes, the men’s and women’s bathroom on both floors were out of service during our entire stay.

This wasn’t that big of a deal for me because I was able to exit the lounge and go to the bathroom found directly next to the lounge. However the women’s bathroom right next door was also out of service and I saw many frustrating women trying to figure out where to go. This lounge also does not have any showers.

Final word

When traveling through Mexico or the Caribbean I usually have pretty low expectations for Priority Pass lounges. I found many of them to be very basic and small and often times extremely crowded and hot places I just don’t care to be. However, at this lounge was an exception to that.

It was a beautiful mid-century lounge that never got too packed and while the food wasn’t gourmet, there were some decent offerings. So if you are traveling through Cabo I think you should look forward to using your Priority Pass membership. I wouldn’t say to arrive super early just for the lounge but if you do like to arrive extra early, you’ll have a nice spot to relax in.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.

Air New Zealand International Lounge at Auckland (AKL) Review

After a fun few days exploring Auckland and the surrounding area, we were getting ready for the next major segment of our round the world trip back to the US from Sydney. But before making our way from Auckland to Sydney, we checked out the Air New Zealand International Lounge at Auckland Airport (AKL). Here’s a review of our early morning visit to the lounge, which was refurbished in 2015.

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Access to the Air New Zealand International Lounge

You can get access to the Air New Zealand International Lounge if you are: Airpoints Elite, Gold, Elite Partner and Koru members or if you are a business class passengers departing on Air New Zealand flights. Since we had booked Air New Zealand tickets with Aeroplan miles, we had access to the lounge.

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Getting to the lounge

After finishing up a five day stay at the Hilton Auckland, we made our way back to the Auckland Airport very early in the morning to return our rental vehicle to Avis before our flight over to Sydney. The lounge opens up at 4:30am and we were arriving just after opening.

We were supposed to fly the Air New Zealand Dreamliner over to Sydney but due to 787 engine issues our aircraft was swapped for a leased Hi Fly A340, which had an old Emirates cabin on the inside.

We still went through the check-in procedure for Air New Zealand though, which meant we were able to utilize the special check-in areas for premium passengers.

We were the only ones in the check-in area when we arrived (around 4:45am) and it was one of the sleekest and nicest check-in areas I’ve seen for business class check-in.

The Air New Zealand agent had us sit down in a little private section while he arranged for our bags to be checked and printed out our boarding pass. The seats were comfortable and even had wireless charging for our phones built into the side table.

After our luggage was taken care of, we were escorted to the fast track security line which we got through very quickly since there were hardly any other passengers in line. And then we navigated our way to the Air New Zealand International lounge.

After you get through security and customs, It’s pretty easy to find the lounge as you wind your way around the duty free shops and up the escalator to the lounge. There should be a couple of signs to guide you along the way.

We were among the first passengers to show up at the lounge and it was pretty empty for the first 20 to 30 minutes that we visited, although it did start to fill up pretty quickly after that.

As we first strolled through the lounge, I thought the aesthetics were very impressive. I could tell that there was a lot of seating and lots of different types of seats as the lounge has a capacity at 375 guests.

Air New Zealand International Lounge seating.

Some of the seats do have New Zealand outlets, you just have to be on the lookout for them.

It’s a very modern vibe throughout the lounge and really just well-done.

I really liked these benches built into the wall with some artwork and mood lighting.

I also really liked these chaise lounge seats that came with a decent amount of privacy and small tables.

The chaise lounge at the very end of the row would have been perfect for a nap/re-charging.

They have some areas that can function more like work stations, too.

We then made our way toward the very back of the lounge to check out an area that had some tarmac views and a lot of comfy seating. This area opens up as a covered outdoor terrace (with a retractable roof) which is an impressive feature though it remained closed during our visit. There’s also a fireplace so that the room can be opened up during the colder months.

Some of the seating was pretty interesting like these suspended chairs

This area definitely had an Amex Centurion vibe going on with all of the greenery hanging on the wall.

There wasn’t much going on outside given how early we were but the lounge really does has some great views for plane spotting.

The lounge had a pretty decent breakfast selection to choose from, which was set up in front of an impressive assembly of monitors. There’s also a theater area which I didn’t get a photograph of.

Air New Zealand International Lounge dining area.

They had a self-serve pancake machine along with all of the fixings for your pancakes. I believe that during busier times they have a chef who can prepare cooked to order meals but there was not a chef during our visit.

There was a variety of bread and a toaster available.

They had a variety of yogurts and fruit salads set up, as well.

Air New Zealand International Lounge breakfast.

They also had some whole fruits.

They also had a decent selection of pastries.

As for the hot items, they had scrambled eggs with chives, roast potatoes, and Italian breakfast sausages, all of which were pretty satisfying though the potatoes were by far the best item to me.

The also had some other dish with mushrooms and chickpeas but I didn’t try it out.

Overall, the food selections were pretty decent as was the quality of the food. I wouldn’t say it was the best I’ve had at a business class lounge but still quality enough to do the trick.

There’s a sleek cocktail/espresso bar area and in the morning it was mostly set up for water glasses and the ordering station for coffees.

Air New Zealand International Lounge bar.

One of my favorite parts to the lounge was the self-order tablet where you can customize your coffee order exactly as you’d like — you can even choose to have it in the lounge or take-a-way.

Air New Zealand International Lounge espresso bar.

Simply select your style of drink and then input your name and then the tablet will tell you when to expect your order.

The line to the tablet was short when I ordered but when we got ready to leave, the line started to get pretty long.

I went with a decaf cappuccino, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Air New Zealand International Lounge coffee bar.

They had a few juices to choose from like apple juice, orange juice, and tomato juice.

Air New Zealand International Lounge fruit juices.

There was also a coffee maker.

Air New Zealand International Lounge coffee.

And a decent selection of beers and sparkling wine to choose from.

Air New Zealand International Lounge drinks.

Air New Zealand International Lounge soda machine.

Air New Zealand International Lounge glassware.

Air New Zealand International Lounge magazine selection.

The bathrooms were nice and clean.

Air New Zealand International Lounge bathroom.

There are showers at the lounge, but I didn’t get a photo of them.

Where the **** is my wallet?

After getting all of my photos for the lounge and then enjoying the decaf cappuccino, we were getting ready to head to the gate… until I realized that I didn’t have my wallet in my pocket. I searched all through my bags and still couldn’t find it and that’s when it clicked that I’d left it in the Avis rental car.

At that point, I didn’t feel like I’d have enough time to run back to the rental car desks and make it back to the gate for departure. Since we had a somewhat tight connection in Sydney for our award flight on Virgin Atlantic to LAX, I didn’t want to risk missing that flight at all.

So we made our way to the gate and then had agents call the Avis desk to see if they could get it. But nobody would pick up the phone. We even called some of the nearby stores and they said nobody was attending the Avis desk.

This was the beginning of one of the most frustrating experiences I’d ever had with a rental car company, as it would take about six weeks to get my wallet back. I literally contacted every department within Avis over that time multiple times but Avis kept dropping the ball over and over again by doing things like cancelling my case file or assigning people to my case who were on sabbatical. It was downright infuriating at times.

Luckily, one worker in New Zealand finally took the initiative and sent it over on her own accord which I was extremely thankful for. When I received my wallet, all cards and cash were still intact, so I’ll give them props for that.

I definitely learned my lesson to make a complete sweep of every rental car before I turn it in. I think I’ll also be avoiding Avis in the future whenever I can.

Emirates first class?

Although it didn’t feel too great to be boarding a plane with a missing wallet, we were able to experience what I’m pretty sure is the old Emirates first class on an A340. The crew was ran by all Hi Fly crew members except for one Air New Zealand flight attendant.

My string of great luck was still going strong and it turns out that my seat didn’t work so I had to get bumped to business class. I got some vouchers out of it so I didn’t mind — I was just happy that our flight was going to be on time and that we’d be able to experience Virgin Australia for the first time.

Final word

The Air New Zealand International Lounge is a solid lounge. Aesthetically speaking, it’s beautiful and modern with plenty of different types of ways to relax depending on what you need to get done. the breakfast line-up was solid though not extraordinary in any way but I really loved the self-order coffee bar. My ultimate test for a good lounge is if it’s worth arriving early for and I would say that this is a lounge arriving a little early for.

Daniel Gillaspia

Amex Global Lounge Collection (List of Locations) [2020]

The Amex Global Lounge Collection might be one of the most valuable travel perks offered by any travel rewards credit card. But what exactly is the Amex Global Lounge Collection and what are the lounges that you get access to? This article will walk you through the different lounges you’ll get access to with this program and what you can expect at these lounge locations in terms of quality and experience.

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What is the Amex Global Lounge Collection?

The Amex Global Lounge Collection is a program that comes with the Amex Platinum Card (full review here) which provides you access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide. This is my favorite benefit of the Amex Platinum Card and it’s the main reason why I choose to hold on to the Amex Platinum Card (though there are plenty of other worthwhile benefits).

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Why is the Amex Global Lounge Collection special?

The Amex Global Lounge Collection is special because it’s the best airport lounge access offered by another any other credit card (at least in my opinion it is). Other credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve (and many other premium level travel rewards credit cards) offer only Priority Pass airport lounge access but the Amex Global Lounge Collection goes well beyond a Priority Pass membership.

If you’re a frequent traveler or just a traveler who desires to have nice lounges to enjoy when traveling then the Amex Global Lounge Collection could be just what you need.

I’ll discuss each of the different lounges that are part of the Amex Global Lounge Collection below.

Amex Centurion Lounges

Amex Centurion Lounges are fantastic because they are some of the best lounges in the U.S. These lounges usually feature modern decor with comfy seating, great cocktails and service, and decent hot food items along with showers. Some of these lounges even have spas. I’ll (almost) always choose a Centurion Lounge over a U.S. airline’s domestic lounge or another Priority Pass lounge.

There are two drawbacks to Centurion Lounges, though. The first is that they are only found in a limited number of airports (though they are rapidly expanding). The second is that overcrowding can be a real issue at some of these lounges (though Amex is slowly working to address the crowding issues in various ways).

Here are the locations where you can find these Centurion lounges:

Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Location: The Lounge is located at the intersection of Concourses D & E, mezzanine level.
- Hours: 5:30am to 10pm
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Location: Terminal D, opposite Gate D17 on the mezzanine
- Hours: 5:30am to 10pm
Intercontinental Houston Airport (IAH)
- Location: Terminal D, access via elevators near Gate D6
- Hours: 5:30am to 9pm
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- Location: Concourse D, opposite Gate D1)
- Hours: 5am to 11 pm
London Heathrow (LHR) [coming soon]
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Location: After clearing TSA in TBIT, walk towards the bridge to the Great Hall. Once there, immediately turn left and enter the elevator lobby. Take elevator from level four to level two where the lounge is straight ahead.
- Hours: 6:30am to 11 pm
Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Location: Concourse D, near Gate D12)
- Hours: 5am to 11 pm
New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Location: Terminal B, pre-security, on the upper level),
- Hours: Sunday – Friday 5:30 am to 8 pm, Saturday 5:30 am to 6:30 pm
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Location: second level at Terminal A-West, near gate A14)
- Hours: 5am to 9pm
Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
- Location: Terminal 4 across from Gate B22 on the upper level
- Hours: 5:30am to 10pm
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Location: Terminal 3, near Gate 74
- Hours: 5am to 11pm
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Location: Concourse B, opposite Gate B3
- Hours: 5am to 10pm
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Location: Terminal 1; take the escalator just before Gate 60
- Hours: 5:30am – 12:30am

You’ll also find International Centurion Lounges across the globe. These don’t always offer the same level of amenities and complimentary services and they also can be much smaller than standard Centurion Lounges. I recently visited the Centurion Lounge in Sydney, Australia and was not very impressed to tell you the truth.

Here are locations where you will find them:

Buenos Aires (EZE)
Delhi (DEL)
Mexico City (MEX), Monterrey (MTY), Toluca (TLC)
Mumbai (BOM)
São Paulo (GRU)
Sydney (SYD)

Priority Pass

The Platinum Card offers you Priority Pass lounge access, which is a network of over 1,000 airport lounges all around the world. You can search for Priority Pass lounge locations here.

With the Platinum Card, you’ll be able to bring in two guests with you into these lounges.

But note: access for Priority Pass members to these lounges is sometimes restricted during busy hours, so sometimes you won’t be given access to the lounge. Also, the guest policy can differ at certain lounges.

Priority Pass lounges differ in quality but many of them are great places to relax and enjoy complimentary wifi, food, drinks, and sometimes even showers and special nap areas.

I haven’t put my Priority Pass membership to use for domestic trips that much but for international trips I’ve gotten plenty of value from it. It’s especially nice when you can utilize an arrival lounge after a long international flight.

Priority Pass lounge in Cape Town, South Africa.

Delta Sky Club

To gain access to Delta Sky Clubs, you must be flying with Delta on that day. Unfortunately, guests are not complimentary and you’ll have to shell out $29 for each guest to come in to the lounge with you.

The good thing about the Platinum Card is authorized users are given this perk, so if your travel partner has a Platinum Card they can get in for free, too. To search for Delta Sky Club locations click here.

Plaza Premium Lounges

Card Members may bring up to 1 companion into Plaza Premium Lounges as complimentary guests. Plaza Premium lounges are common to find in certain parts of the world like Asia.

I recently visited a Plaza Premium lounge in TPE and thought it was a very cozy lounge with a pretty good selection of hot food items and comfy seating. You can often get access to these lounges with with Priority Pass but sometimes the Platinum Card may offer you more access (better hours, etc.). Here are the locations for the Plaza Premium Lounges.

Airspace lounges

The Platinum Card also offers access to Airspace lounges. There are currently only two of these lounges and they are found in Cleveland (CLE), and San Diego (SAN). The lounges offer basic snacks and drinks but as a Platinum cardmember, you’ll be given a $10 credit that you can use towards food and drinks, so that’s something. Entry would normally be about $35.

Escape Lounges

As one of the recent upgrades to the Platinum Card, it now offers access to Escape Lounges, too. Escape Lounges can be found at:

Bradley International Airport (BDL) (which is near Hartford, Connecticut)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Reno-Tahoe Airport (RNO)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)

There are also a few in the UK at London Stansted, Manchester, and East Midlands.

Entry to some of these would cost your $40-45 to enter these lounges so these were nice additions to the Platinum’s lounge network.

Additional lounge perks

The Platinum Card also offers lounge access to special events and locations which include the following locations:

Eurostar Business Premier Lounges (London St. Pancras, Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels Midi/Zuid, and Ebbsfleet International.
Virgin Australia lounge access when flying Virgin Australia
Centurion Suite at the Barclays Center (open for sporting and entertainment events)
Centurion Suite at the Staples Center (open for sporting events — no complimentary food or drinks)
Universal Studios lounges (Orlando and Hollywood)
Select Lufthansa airport lounges in the satellite area of T2 in Munich Airport and in Terminal 1 Concourse B of Frankfurt Airport through 10/31/19 (read more here)

Final word

The Amex Global Lounge Collection obtained through the Amex Platinum is one of the most valuable travel perks because it offers access to the most extensive network of lounges compared to to other similar credit cards.

Daniel Gillaspia

Priority Pass DCA Lounges Guide (Bracket Room, American Tap Room) [2020]

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is one of the most conveniently located airports in the the DC area. It makes easy coming and goings to and from the capital of the United States. Luckily, Priority Pass has you covered to fill your food cravings with two restaurant offerings.

In this article, I talk about Priority Pass options at DCA and what you can expect. I will also go over options beyond Priority Pass that might help frequent fliers access lounges across the nation.

What Priority Pass lounges are at DCA?

There are two Priority Pass restaurants at DCA:

Bracket Room – Terminal B
American Tap Room – Terminal C

Notice how there are no proper lounges available in any of the terminals at DCA. Luckily, most of the time Priority Pass restaurants are gonna fill you up with much better food than many Priority Pass lounges in the USA.

Down below, I go into more details about both Bracket Room and American Tap Room.

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How to get Priority Pass

You can get Priority Pass by purchasing a club membership but I always recommend considering credit cards that offer you a Priority Pass Select membership.

These cards would be cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Platinum Card from American Express. HOWEVER, some cards don’t offer Priority Pass restaurant access. That means, a card could advertise a Priority Pass Select membership, but without access to restaurants via your Priority Pass card.

Cards offered by American Express do not allow access to Priority Pass restaurants. However, cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve do allow Priority Pass restaurants.

DCA terminals

There are four terminals at DCA airport. Terminals A, B, B/C and C. Below is a list of airlines going out of each terminal.

Terminal A (Gates 1-9)

Air Canada
Frontier
Southwest

Terminal B (Gates 10-22)

Alaska
Delta
United

Terminal B/C (Gates 23-34)

American
JetBlue

Terminal C (Gates 35-45)

American

Getting between terminals at DCA

DCA is a tiny airport, with only 45 gates, you would have thought all the gates are accessible past security (aka airside), but that is incorrect. The only terminals that are connected are terminals B/C and C — gates 23-45 are all accessible airside. Terminal B (gates 10-22) and terminal A (gates 1-9) aren’t connected airside.

If you wished to go to other terminals from terminal A, you will need to exit and then go through security again to access other terminals.

However, don’t assume that a TSA agent will allow you to enter other terminals with a boarding pass for another airline in a separate terminal. Some TSA agents will deny you entry if you are departing from another terminal. For example, if you want to access Terminal B and you are flying Southwest out of Terminal A, you might be denied passage by a TSA agent.

Bracket Room – Terminal B

Location

Airside – after Security Control, turn right. The Bracket Room is located opposite Gate 12.

Hours

05:00 – 21:00 daily
Please note that the restaurant may exceed their seating limit at certain times of the day & access to the restaurant is at their sole discretion.

Conditions

Cardholders can use their lounge visit entitlement to receive $28 USD off the bill. Each time you receive the $28 deduction, it represents a single lounge visit within the Cardholder’s existing lounge.

If you bring along one guest they will also receive a discount so you’ll get a total $56 off your bill. Getting $56 off for a meal during an airport visit is a pretty great deal to me so while it’s not lounge access — this is actually a pretty sweet deal.

Only 1 card per visit per Cardholder will be accepted at point of registration.
To be eligible, Cardholders must present a valid card before placing an order.
The discount is non-transferable & cannot be exchanged for cash substitute or refund if the final bill is lower than $28 per person.
The cardholder is responsible for the balance if total final bill exceeds US$28 per person. Any remaining balance cannot be used towards gratuity.

What is the Bracket Room like?

The Bracket Room is a sports lounge eatery. There are dozens of TVs across the establishment that will cater to traveling sports fans that need to catch the game while they are on the go. If you want to grab a couple of drinks or bite to eat while watching the game, the Bracket Room would be ideal. However, for families with younger children, you might find the menu and atmosphere to be less kid friendly than other establishments.

What does the Bracket Room server?

Breakfast (omelette, eggs benedict, egg sandwich, waffles, etc.)
Wings
Tacos
Burgers
Chicken and waffles
Hot dogs
Greens
etc.

You can look at the full menu here.

As you can see, the Bracket Room offers a nice selection for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner, don’t expect anything more than standard bar food. For me, I would personally get either eggs benedict or chicken and waffles. The $28 credit per person (not including tip) can cover everything on the menu with a drink. If you just wanted drinks, you could easily get three different types of drinks covered by the credit.

If you ask me, it’s definitely not a bad deal.

American Tap Room – Terminal C

Location

Airside – after Security Control, near Gates 35-45.

Hours

05:00 – 22:00 Sunday – Friday
05:00 – 19:00 Saturday
Please note that the restaurant may exceed their seating limit at certain times of the day & access to the restaurant is at their sole discretion.

Each Priority Pass member and guest will get $28 off the bill.

If you bring two guests, cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve offer the member and two guests a discount, so you would be able to get $84 off the entire bill (excluding gratuity.)

Conditions

Cardholders can use their lounge visit entitlement to receive $28 USD off the bill. Each time you receive the $28 deduction, it represents a single lounge visit within the Cardholder’s existing lounge.
Only 1 card per visit per Cardholder will be accepted at point of registration.
To be eligible, Cardholders must present a valid card before placing an order.
The discount is non-transferable & cannot be exchanged for cash substitute or refund if the final bill is lower than $28 per person.
The cardholder is responsible for the balance if total final bill exceeds US$28 per person. Any remaining balance cannot be used towards gratuity.

What is the American Tap Room like?

The American Tap Room is a classic American restaurant that offers bar food with a selection of drinks. Compared to the Bracket Room, you won’t find many high quality options or breakfast food. Think of the American Tap Room to be the cheaper establishment of the two. However, if you’re in the mood for some beers, this is the Priority Pass restaurant to go.

It’s definitely less family friendly than the Bracket Room, but with very simple dishes, the kids will be happy while you watch the game on a TV.

What does the American Tap Room server?

Wings
Bavarian Pretzels
Greens
Sandwiches
Burgers
Limited breakfast items (Chicken and waffles, omelette)
etc.

As you can see, the options at American Tap Room are fairly limited for food. However, you can find that the alcohol menu is fairly bigger than the Bracket Room menu. If you had the option between the two Priority Pass restaurants to get hammered at, the American Tap Room will serve you better.

You can look at the full meny here.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Will Priority Pass get you into any lounges at DCA?

The short answer is no. Priority Pass will not get you into any lounges at DCA. However, I would argue that Priority Pass restaurants are better for foodies and drinkers.

You see, most airport lounges, especially in the United States, will offer some of the weakest buffets and drink selections. It’s sometimes like eating rabbit food as the offerings are small and cheap in quality that it wouldn’t be worth visiting a lounge for a meal. Restaurants offer legitimate meals and drinks made to order, not rabbit food.

At the restaurants above, you can actually eat a meal that will fill you up with extra credit for dessert or a drink… maybe two drinks, but it all depends on the items you order. Because it all depends on the items you order, this creates a more personalized experience for each customer.

I for one would rather go to a restaurant to eat a good meal or have a couple mixed drinks instead of going to a crowded lounge fighting for the weak buffet offerings.

Certain cards can get you into lounges at DCA

If you really wish to get into lounges at DCA, you will need to hold certain speciality credit cards flying certain airlines. Below I go over a few credit cards that can get you into lounges.

American Express Platinum

Hilton Honors Gold elite status
Marriott Gold Elite status
$200 Uber credit and $200 airline credit
5X on airfare and 5X on hotels booked through the Amex Travel portal
Priority Pass access for you and two guests (excludes restaurants)
Centurion lounges access for you and two guests
Delta Sky Club access when flying with Delta
TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry $100 credit
$550 Annual Fee

The Amex Platinum is one of the top cards out there for elite status. It comes equipped with elite status with Hilton and Marriott, lounge access to Priority Pass (excludes restaurants), Centurion, and Delta Sky Clubs. Other benefits like the Uber credit and airline credit can virtually make the annual fee go away.

So, if you are flying Delta Airlines, you can access Delta Sky Clubs with the Amex Platinum. Sky Clubs are great if you wish to relax or get some work done without a restaurant environment. When you aren’t in the mood to eat an entire meal, this is a great card.

Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard

Earn 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after spending $40,000 in eligible purchases that post to the cardmember’s account during a calendar year
Admirals Club access
Priority check-in, airport screening, and early boarding
First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries
Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit
2X miles on every American Airlines purchase
$450 annual fee

The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard is a unique card as it offers benefits like priority check-in, airport security, Admirals Club access, and early boarding. Those three alone are benefits of having elite status.

Similar to other cards, the card only allows access to Admiral Clubs when flying American Airlines. However, for frequent AA travelers, this card could make a world of difference in airports across the country.

Final word

Sometimes the best lounge experiences are at restaurants eating or drinking till you cannot anymore. However, if you wish to work, you might find the Priority Pass options at DCA to be lacking, especially for frequent DC travelers.

Steve Smith

Steve is a senior contributor for UponArriving and spends close to 300 nights a year in hotels while traveling the world and trying to eat as much as he can. Steve has spoken at summits like the FBZ Elite Summit in Austin. He holds top-tier elite status with almost every hotel program as a Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire, and GHA Black. Utilizing credit card points and miles, Steve takes over 100 flights per year while experiencing some of the top first class and business class cabin in the sky.

Plaza Premium Lounge TPE Terminal 1 Review

Plaza Premium Lounges have interested me for a while. Many of them are part of the Priority Pass lounge network and you can also get admission into them with the lounge access from the American Express Platinum Card. I’d heard somewhat mixed things about these lounges for a while, so I was excited to finally try one out and see how it measured up to other lounges. Here’s my review of the Plaza Premium Lounge at Terminal 1.

Plaza Premium Lounge access

I was given access to the Plaza Premium Lounge with my business class boarding pass for Thai Airways on the 777-200. That was an interesting experience on a pretty dated aircraft and you can read about that flight here.

After getting through security, I followed the VIP lounge signs and made my way over to where many of the lounges are located in Terminal 1.

There are four different Plaza Premium Lounges at TPE — two of them are in Terminal 1 and the other two are in Terminal 2. In this case, I was headed to the Plaza Premium Lounges in Zones C and D. These are located very close to each other as you can tell by the map below.

I made my way up the stairs to the fourth floor and first saw the Cathay Pacific lounge and then the entrance for the first Plaza Premium Lounge. This Plaza Premium Lounge was not open at the time, however and it had a sign pointing me (both ways), so I just kept walking down to to check out the other lounge and that’s the one I entered, which I believe was the Zone D lounge.

According to the map above, there’s also a Thai VIP Lounge but I don’t recall that being open when I visited.

Plaza Premium Lounge TPE (Terminal 1)

The Plaza Premium Lounge is a relatively small lounge but feels very cozy. When I entered, I went directly to the seating area on the left side of the lounge. There were several comfortable chairs there with tables that came with power outlets and lamps.

I really liked the homey vibe at the lounge and it was also nice that crowds were never an issue and I basically had an entire third of the lounge to myself.

Some of the seats have ottomans in front so you can really get comfortable on them. I also appreciated the coffee tables when working from the laptop.

Some of the seats had international outlets built in to the seat, along with USB ports so the seating was very functional.

I also noticed a reserved section that was completely empty. I thought I read something about being able to pay to reserve a spot in this section but I’m not sure how accurate that was.

Plaza Premium Lounge TPE reserved section.

The front area of the lounge has about ten little pods that you can work in or enjoy your meal in. These also have outlets in them. The set up reminded me of a miniature version the Korean Air First Class lounge. While these cubbies were not very tall and looked a little cramped, they did offer a fair amount of privacy.

Plaza Premium Lounge TPE semi-private pods.

There’s a partition in the middle of the lounge that divides the cubby area from the dining area.

Dining

After locking down a comfortable chair in the corner, I then ventured over to the dining area. The lounge offered a decent selection of hot dishes to choose from and they had items for Eastern and Western breakfasts. You can sit at one of the two tables for eight or at some of the tables on the perimeter of the dining room. There was a good flow of people in the dining area when I first arrived but it thinned out after about 30 minutes or so.

I thought the lounge offered a pretty decent variety of hot-food options. Here’s a look at the food offered for breakfast.

There were plenty of options for beverages including a soda machine, espresso, wine, beer, tea (with hot water machine).

There were also canned beverages but I didn’t know what they were.

They also had some snacks including cereal, nuts, cookies, and a couple of baskets of apples.

The bread was also popular with a lot of people.

Additional features

On either side of the lounge, there was a large tv with literature.

You could also find a screen with flight information.

I believe that this lounge did have a shower but I didn’t end up checking it out.

Final word

Overall, I’d say this was a pretty solid Priority Pass type of lounge. It had comfy seating areas, options for privacy, and a good variety of hot-food items, and not to mention pretty decent wifi. I loved that crowds weren’t an issue so I’d say this was a great lounge experience (considering what type of lounge this is).

Daniel Gillaspia

Lufthansa First Class Terminal Lounge Review [2019]

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal has always been on my bucket list of first class lounge experiences. I’ve always heard great things about it and I thought it was pretty cool that there’s an entire terminal dedicated to first class. On my recent flight from FRA to IAH in first class on the A380, I was able to experience the lounge for a few hours and here’s my review.

Getting to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal

It was the last day of my round the world trip and for my last night, I opted to use Hilton points for a free night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport. It’s a pretty basic hotel but what I loved is that the hotel is located within the airport so you don’t have to take any shuttle bus and can just head right into the airport.

My day started around 3 am with me waking up and getting things packed and ready to go. While ironing my outfit for the day and trying to avoid eating German gummies for breakfast, I got to catch a great sunrise over the Frankfurt skyline from the hotel’s 10th floor.

My round the world trip started out with an amazing sunset on my way to fly EVA business class on the 777 so it was only fitting that it end with an impressive sunrise.

View from the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport.

At about 5:00 am, I checked out the hotel and began the trek over to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, making my way through the ghost town of an airport which is always nice and relaxing.

I didn’t have a clue as to how to get to the terminal so I just started to make my way through the empty airport, looking for signs. I never saw any signs for the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, though.

Eventually, I did see signs for Lufthansa check-in for business class and first class and I followed those down an escalator.

I figured that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal might be near those or that at least some signs would point me in the right direction. But nope. After not finding any signs, I asked an airport agent where to go and he told me to head out the exit and turn left and that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal would be about 500m away.

I was really not looking forward to breaking a sweat carrying all my luggage over there but when I stepped outside I was reminded that I was in Frankfurt Germany where, unlike Houston, the morning temperature was in the mid 60s.

Sweating wasn’t going to be a problem, but I’d be lying if I said I still didn’t at least contemplate hiring a taxi to take me to the terminal.

Enjoying the cool morning, I made my way down a sidewalk and through a couple of pathways and then I finally saw the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. I immediately started to get excited.

First sight of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal.

That excitement was curbed (as was I) when I made my way to the door of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal and realized it wouldn’t be opened for another fifteen minutes. So I just hung out and enjoyed the fresh air until eventually a couple of the Lufthansa staff members opened the door and welcomed me in.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal entrance.

One thing I like about LH F, they know how to brand their first class product. You see it all over the lounge exterior, the first class cabin, and on the memorabilia. First class doesn’t always feel as special as Lufthansa makes it feel.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal check-in and security

Once the doors were unlocked I entered into the bottom floor lobby and was led into an elevator.

We then took the lift up to the main lobby of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal where the three check-in desks were.

From the first second I was greeted by the agents, I was impressed with their first class treatment. Throughout the entire stay at the terminal the staff would be attentive, personable, and just a joy to be around — they really added value to the experience.

I believe this lobby area is where you’ll enter if you get dropped off by a vehicle and that they will also take your baggage from you there. Since I didn’t have my boarding pass yet, they worked on getting me that and then they took my passport and told me that I wouldn’t get it back until just before departure. That was a little odd but a small price to pay.

They explained to me that I’d have to wait a couple of minutes for the security station to open. So I just sat and relaxed in the lobby, checking out the sights and listening to some music pumping from the sound system.

After only a minute or two, an agent led me to the security station, where I was the only one in line (for the first 20 minutes I’d have the lounge all to myself). I took out my laptop and then walked through the metal detector. Because of heightened screening for US flights, I also had to remove my shoes and then was subject to a very thorough pat down.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal security.

But it was over before I knew it and then I was led towards the lounge. There’s a duty free store right past security but it was closed that early and I never went back to check it out. Just before you enter the lounge, there’s also a well-lit trophy case proudly showcasing multiple generations of the famous Lufthansa First Class rubber ducks.

Lufthansa First Class rubber duck collection.

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal

As soon as you enter the terminal you will see a large collection of literature and magazines to read on the left. Their collection is very extensive so you can probably find something that you are interested in.

Next to the entrance is the magnificent bar area.

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal bar is one of the most impressive first class lounge bars that I have come across. You can have a seat at the bar or at the counter in front of the bar which has a chess board to keep you occupied.

You can also find a guest book on this counter to sign. People left all kinds of different messages and even drawings in the book, and you’ll probably find the signatures of miles and points bloggers and YouTubers throughout the book.

I really liked how sleek the look of the bar is.

The bar at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is known for its extensive drink selection, which includes over 130 different kinds of whisky. They even offer a whisky tasting service.

Also, if you are in the mood for gummy bears there are several containers that are organized by color. A little OCD but I liked the look of it.

Since I don’t currently drink I opted for a mocktail. I’m not sure what was in the drink other than different types of fruit juices. I got about 70% through with it and still couldn’t decide if I loved it or hated it due to the odd and unfamiliar flavors, but I appreciated them whipping up something with no alcohol.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal dining

The dining area at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is relatively small but it is elegantly put together. This area is divided up by a couple of partitions that allow you a little bit of privacy when dining which is nice and they have a no talking on the phone policy which I think is great.

You can choose between à la carte items off the menu or simply make your own plate with their extensive buffet. I did a little bit of both.

First, I tried out the breakfast buffet items. There was a lot to choose from including things like:

Eggs
Bacon
Sausage
Hash browns
Nutella crepes
Waffles
Cheeses
Deli meats
Cereals
Yogurts
Pretzels
Breads
Pastries

The breakfast selection was pretty much what you’d find at a five-star hotel that knows how to put on a great breakfast, so I was very impressed by it.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal breakfast.

Everything that I tried was high-quality. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the bacon and the crepes were simply amazing. But I didn’t want to go too hard on the buffet to save room for later so I ended up just trying a little bit.

I did come back about two hours later to try something off the menu. I ordered eggs Benedict and a waffle but was informed that items like the waffles were to just be taken off the buffet. I was slightly disappointed since it’s hard to beat a fresh waffle but I decided to just go with the eggs Benedict.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal breakfast view.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal breakfast menu.

The order promptly came out after only a few minutes and the eggs Benedict was delicious. I think the hollandaise sauce had something special in it because it had a strong flavor I’m not used to tasting, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. But it was very delicious.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal seating

There is a lot of seating throughout the lounge and you can find a number of small living room type setups in different sections of the lounge. These areas, which are great for groups, have chairs and sofas that are set up around a coffee table where you can find things like nuts and dried fruits to snack on.

There are also a couple of places for you to hang up your garments.

I preferred to relax in the “easy chairs.” These were lining the windows and were very comfortable.

In the middle of the lounge you can find the concierge desk which can assist you with all things related to your flight.

The concierge desk is to the left in the photo.

While most things were great in the lounge, I did have a couple of complaints.

The first is that there were no outlets suited for international/US use and no adapters either. I had misplaced my adapter at some point during the trip and I was a bit surprised the lounge didn’t have at least one US power adapter to use.

Another drawback to the lounge is that there are no true privacy areas (aside from the quiet rooms below that are very limited in quantity). All of the seating is out in the open. Sometimes it’s nice to just get cozy in a private little cubby and feel cut-off from the crowds (or the world) and that really is not a possibility there.

Also, there are very limited views that are not ideal for plane spotting. Below are what the views look like from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. As you can tell, they are nothing special.

Maybe it was a little early for plane spotting but I don’t recall seeing much in the sky.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal quiet rooms

Lufthansa First Class Terminal has two quiet rooms with day beds (I just call them nap rooms). These can be reserved and occupied for up to three hours which is double the time allowed with the Day Suites at The Pier in Hong Kong.

The rooms are spacious and nice but I would not put them above the rooms found at the Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Qatar. There are far more rooms at that lounge and you can stay in them longer (up to six hours), not to mention the fact that they have private showers and TVs. Still, these quiet rooms would be great for a layover.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal quiet room.

There are also four shower rooms that you can use in the back of the lounge.

The shower rooms are very nice and one of the rooms even has a bathtub you can relax in. Unfortunately, that bathtub was occupied every time I wanted to get photos of it so I was not able to get any.

To reserve a shower or bathtub room simply head to the desk with the ducks and the bell and ring it to get attention. Someone will probably pop out very quickly to greet you if they aren’t already at the desk. By the way, don’t forget to take your duck before leaving!

Cigar lounge

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal has a cigar lounge like some other first-class lounges. This lounge within a lounge has glass walls and the furniture is similar to that found in throughout the lounge.

Interestingly, the cigar lounge does not provide cigars so you will have to bring your own which is a departure from the Etihad First Class Lounge.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal cigar lounge.

There is a bar within the cigar lounge which was stocked pretty well.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal cigar lounge bar.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal massage chairs

At the end of the lounge there are three special massage chairs that you can relax in. This is one of the few areas of the lounge where you can get some privacy so if you’re looking to relax, you might want to try out one of these massage chairs.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal Bathrooms

The bathrooms in the lounge are very nice and well-kept. There are several different private stalls that you can enter in each stall has a toilet as well as a urinal. You can also find a shoe shiner.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal Chauffeur service

One thing that the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is known for is the personal chauffeur service. It is a pretty sweet perk and basically you get dropped off directly to the aircraft on the tarmac. And they don’t just use any old vehicle to do this — in many cases you are transported in a Porsche. It’s a short ride but it is a pretty sweet feeling to get dropped off in a Porsche.

When you arrive at the lounge or sometime shortly after, an agent should explain what time to expect to be taken down to the vehicles. In my case, it was right when boarding was scheduled. We went down the elevator and arrived at the waiting lobby.

This is where you’ll get your passport back from passport control, which could take a couple of minutes depending on how things are going. In my case, I took a seat for about three to four minutes while I waited for them to process everything.

Finally, I was informed that another passenger would be riding with me and when he finally came down we made our way through the doors where the vehicles were parked. Sharing the Porsche was a little bit of a letdown in large part because it meant trying to get photographs without another passenger in them as we boarded.

It was pretty cool to see a line-up of Porches waiting for us.

We then loaded into the Porsche and then made our way to the A380, which only took about two minutes.

After arriving, we took a large elevator up to the boarding level.

There were some people boarding through the jet bridge (I assumed business class passengers) and then we turned left into the first class cabin and the Lufthansa first class experience began!

Final word

Overall, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal is a solid first class experience. In my opinion it has the following features that stand out:

Exclusivity factor and ability to avoid public security lines/passport control
Fantastic in-lounge service
Great bar and solid dining
Cool cigar lounge
Nice nap rooms and shower facilities
Porsche chauffeur service

The only things I wasn’t crazy about were:

Lack of privacy
Lack of views for plane spotting

Daniel Gillaspia

Asiana A380 First Class Enclosed Suites Review (JFK to ICN) [2019]

Crossing the Pacific ocean is a long journey no matter how much you love to fly. Like most people, I prefer longer flights when it’s comfy and this Asiana first class flight delivered in the comfort department and also came with the added benefit of a wonderfully delicious dining experience in a suite with a door.

In this review, from New York (JFK) to Seoul (ICN) on their A380, I will go over one of the most underrated first class products as it provides some of the best food you might try on a plane with a private seat.

Booking Asiana first class

Asiana Routes

Asiana has only two first class routes from Incheon Seoul – ICN to North America.

Sadly, Asiana is re-naming their first class to business suites September 1, 2019. What we know is, Asiana business suites will be business class service and catering with the first class seat.

New York (JFK)
Los Angeles (LAX)

Asiana does service other cities that have two class configurations with economy and business class.

Chicago (ORD)
San Francisco (SFO)
Seattle (SEA)
Honolulu (HNL)

Asiana Points, miles and fees

I ended up booking my Asiana first class seat using Avianca LifeMiles when there was an award redemption sale.

Normally it costs 90,000 LifeMiles for a one-way award flight, but because of the sale, I was able to redeem the seat for 72,000 LifeMiles and $30.60 in fees one-way in first class on Asiana.

LifeMiles transfers from Amex Membership Rewards or Citi ThankYou Points (and now Capital One). Plus, LifeMiles runs many promotions for buying miles on the cheap, which I ended up doing because I didn’t want to transfer points and instead pay for this flight because of the promotion.

JFK Lounge

I ended up going to Delta Sky Club – Terminal 4 – after my arrival from Detroit (DTW) to finish up some work.

Asiana uses Swiss business class lounge. Swiss’ lounge is very tiny and offering nothing special. It’s still better than the gate with a quiet section, but the lounge closes about 30 minutes before boarding. This means you are kicked out of the lounge.

Because it’s so busy in the lounge, I opted out to take pictures of the lounge itself. Sorry.

Boarding

I have no pictures of the boarding process or the complete mess it was at the gate. So, I will do my best to describe the limited amount of space that is given at the gate for all the passengers for the A380.

The seating area at the gate is just not enough. Most people had to sit at other gates or stand. There isn’t enough room for economy and business class lines. JFK or Asiana needs to have a better gate to accommodate this A380!

Also, during boarding economy and first board through the same most forward door. Meaning, all the economy passengers will walk through the first class cabin. Luckily the flight attendants offered to close your suite’s door while economy passengers walk to their seat.

Asiana first class seat

The first class cabin is a 3 row 1-2-1 configuration on the lower deck of the A380. These seats are considered as an enclosed suite. The seat itself will remind you of a lounge chair with the feature of going into a fully lie-flat position for bed-mode.

The seat features storage compartments all along the left side with the tray table. There is floor storage under the ottoman.

When it comes to first class seats, these are standard as they are comparable to Garuda Indonesia first class but better than Lufthansa first class as Asiana picked a more private design with a door. However, colors used for the cabin and seat are very boring, but that doesn’t mean I was bored flying this superb seat.

The seat itself was clean with minimum wear and tear. All surfaces of the seat felt clean and I didn’t think about taking out my wet wipes to clean the surfaces or walls of the suite.

Asiana first class seat 3A (wide angle lens)

The suite is not fully-enclosed, but high enough where someone has to purposely lean over to actually see into the suite. I am 5’10” (178 cm) and when I visited the lavatory I couldn’t see into the suites. The blind like slats in the suite doors cannot be seen through from the aisle side, but from the seat, you can only see the floor as they are angled down.

As you can see the middle seats have a divider that goes down for taxiing, take-off, and landing, but it can go up during the flight if you wish.

What makes these seats wonderful is the fact they support two-person dining. This allows someone to sit at the other end of the tray table and dine with someone else they desire. Sadly, I couldn’t test it out as I was flying alone but would love to as Asiana has a wonderful dining experience.

I find these seats very private with the door open or closed as you cannot see person or seat across the aisle. The great thing about this seat is the fact that it doesn’t limit you from talking to your seatmate if you’re seated in the middle and it still allows you to see out of all the windows if you’re seated at a window seat.

Waiting at the seat were Bose headphones, a Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit, two pillows (one in plastic, and a blanket). Once I got settled into my seat, a crew member came over asking what I wanted to drink that is non-alcohol as they want to not pay taxes on alcohol in the US. The crew also made some small talk and went over the flight time, and even closing the doors of suites as we waited to be pushed back from the gate.

I asked for water as they didn’t have my first choice, which is watermelon juice. I got the water with some warm mixed nuts and immigration forms.

Water and warm mixed nuts as my pre-departure beverage

The crew came around again with two sizes of men’s PJs. I chose M size, which is medium. I found the PJs nice and still use them to this day, but there are no pockets.

You might have noticed, but there was no wifi card or talk about free wifi for first class passengers. It’s because Asiana doesn’t have wifi onboard. For a 12 hour flight, you might expect wifi, but on this flight, there isn’t any wifi.

You can control everything about your suite from the lighting to the seat position. It’s easy to move and customize or select one of the presets available.

During boarding, I went ahead and filmed a mini seat tour trying to show everything about the seat.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjDI7tQrNPY[/embedyt]

Asiana first class dining

Dining on Asiana makes your mouth water. No, there isn’t a huge menu like Emirates or Singapore book the cook, but with its somewhat limited menu makes for amazing quality in food compared to the former that I mentioned.

I would say it’s comparable to ANA when it comes to quality, but in some areas, it really shines.

The lunch menu reads as followed:

Note that snack is actually the “breakfast” menu.

The beverage menu reads as followed:

Once I ordered my meal, I chose the Korean set, one of the lovely flight attendants came over with a warm towel and then a few minutes later came to set the table.

If you don’t care for traditional Korean food, you can switch any of the items you desire, so you can mix and match the food. Since I chose to keep the Korean set as it is, I got 3 starters, plus caviar.

The first starter was ginko nut and dried date. The ginko nuts were not for me, but I do like dates and enjoyed half of this starter.

Asiana first class ginko nut and dried date starter

Then came the caviar, which is my favorite part of any first class flight. The caviar presentation is very classic with lots of onions. Notice there is a mother of pearl spoon and the size of caviar. It was a good size. I ended up pairing it with both champagnes which are Barns de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs and Laurent Perrier Brut. I prefer the Rothschild over Laurent as Laurent reminds me of sparkling wine.

Notice the lovely red rose that they gave me. 🙂

Asiana first class table setting with rose

After the caviar course, I got turnip vegetable rolls, which is the second starter item.

It tasted fresh and love the tomato carved out for sauce that goes on the rolls. This was my favorite starter after the caviar.

Asiana first class turnip vegetable roll

For the last starter, I got Korean pumpkin porridge ‘hobakjuk’. I am not a fan of porridge or pumpkin, but this pumpkin porridge was actually decent.

Asiana first class Korean pumpkin porridge ‘hobakjuk’

Then it was time for the main course, the most exciting part of the whole meal, and it was brought on a huge tray. Bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi. There were so many side dishes that made me so happy that I was returning to Korea.

In short, the bibimbap was very yummy and definitely worth the whole plane ride as it was just massive. The only complaint I have is the level of spiciness. The gochujang wasn’t spicy and I had to ask for more and they brought a ton for me.

A flight attendant did offer to make the bibimbap for me, but I like to mix it myself so I declined her offer.

It was so massive I had to stand up to take pictures of the whole tray. Actually, it was very hard to take pictures of the bibimbap as it was massive, so I am sorry for poorly framed photos.

Asiana first class bibimbap and beef short rib bulgalbi

For dessert, there was yummy bean jelly with chestnut that I loved. The sweet rice cake was good, but it’s just too chewy. I only had the strawberry and pineapple, both tasted sweet.

Asiana first class bean jelly with chestnut, deep-fried sweet rice cake, and fruit

After the meal, I had a nice 8 hours of sleep and woke up slightly hungry. So, I asked if it’s alright to eat breakfast now. The flight attendant said of course and took my order. I did ask for my caviar, but they said there isn’t anymore. I then tried to order off the “lunch” menu, the same menu that I ordered off at the beginning of the flight, but the flight attendant said the food isn’t fresh anymore so it’s not available.

Therefore, I ordered off the western menu from the snack menu, which is technically breakfast on this flight. At first, I got a hot towel and some ginseng tea.

For the appetizer, I got marinated shrimp prosciutto. I am not a fan of prosciutto, so I skipped that and only ate the shrimp. The shrimp with the greens was yummy and a good way to start the meal.

Asiana first class marinated shrimp and prosciutto

Next up was the main course and I ordered a wonderful beef brochette served with teriyaki sauce, vegetables, and steamed rice. It was cooked just right with lots of flavors that made my mouth water while eating it.

It was neat to see the beef on skewers too and the flight attendant offered me gochujang.

Last, but not least, for dessert, I got a yummy fruit tart and some more ginseng tea.

Asiana first class fruit tart and ginseng tea

Overall, the whole dining experience tasted great. Even though they have no wifi, I would fly Asiana again for all of the food.

Asiana first class service

The service on my flight was wonderful. The flight attendants didn’t waste time calling me by name, but they seemed to like to be onboard working. They offered many things making sure I was happy, but it wasn’t just me as they did it with every other person in the cabin.

It was sad to leave the flight as they were so nice, but it just makes me want to fly Asiana first class again.

In contrast, I flew Asiana economy a year before this flight and enjoyed it as well because of the flight attendants.

Asiana first class bed

A fully lie-flat bed flying will always be my favorite seat on a plane. With the doors shut, it is great to not see people walk by when you sleep. No, it’s not as private as Emirates new 777 first class, which is my favorite first class seat I have tried to date. However, Asiana offers nice bedding, two pillows, with a thin mattress pad.

I slept about 8 hours on this flight. I found the cabin slightly cold sometimes, but I like it warmer than most people.

To make the bed, just ask one of the flight attendants and they will make it for you. During that time, you can brush your teeth and change into the PJs they gave you for a nice nights sleep.

The only negative about the bed is the thin mattress pad. It was still comfy and I liked it, but if you prefer plush, you might be a little disappointed with the mattress pad they put down. It’s still softer than Singapore first class seats in bed mode, but not as soft as Emirates first class beds, it’s a good in-between product. Otherwise, the bed is good with lots of room and privacy.

Me in Asiana first class bed with the seat belt on

Asiana first class bed (wide angle lens)

Final word

I love to travel for food and Asiana first class catered some of the best food I have had on a plane. Even though the flight didn’t have wifi, I enjoyed it more than my Cathay Pacific first class flight that didn’t have wifi as well.

Overall, I cannot wait to fly Asiana first class again and hope I can share the dining experience with someone else. I just hope when Asiana changes their first class to business suites that they keep everything the same, but we will have to wait and see when they rebrand first class to business suites on September 1, 2019.

Steve Smith

Lufthansa Business Lounge Detroit DTW Review (Priority Pass)

Finally! Detroit Metro Wayne airport has a Priority Pass lounge! The Lufthansa Business Lounge in the North Terminal is Detroit’s first Priority Pass lounge, which was especially needed for the North Terminal.

While the much better beautifully designed McNamara terminal had 4 Sky Clubs and excellent shops, the North Terminal only had the Lufthansa Business and Senator Lounge which was only accessible via Star Alliance Gold status.

So, when Priority Pass added the Lufthansa Business Lounge to its network on October 15, 2018, I had to visit it to share my experience.

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Priority Pass

The Priority Pass network is over 1,100 lounges and restaurants in airports around the world. These lounges can vary dramatically in their size and quality, but generally, you can expect to find a comfortable place to relax with snacks and drinks and free wifi.

Priority Pass membership can be bought, but Priority Pass Select membership comes with many credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum Card only to name a few. The guest policy is a little different depending on the card that you hold, but generally, you can expect to bring in two guests with you into these lounges.

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge hours

The Priority Pass hours are:

Monday – Saturday: 5:00 – 18:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 18:30.

However, Priority Pass cardholders cannot access the Lufthansa Business Lounge between the hours of 13:00 and 16:00 every day.

The regular hours for Star Alliance Gold, Star Alliance international business/first, and Royal Jordanian business can access the lounge between the hours of 5:00 – 19:30 Monday – Saturday and 11:00 – 19:30 Sunday.

Regular lounge hours are different from Priority Pass hours

DTW Lufthansa Lounge location

Lufthansa Business Lounge is in the North Terminal, which undoubtedly is the ugly empty feeling terminal compared to the McNamara terminal at DTW. If you’re not flying a SkyTeam airline out of DTW, then your flight will be out of the North Terminal.

Sadly, you cannot navigate between terminals past the security check-point. So, if you’re in McNamara terminal, you won’t have access to the North Terminal or vice versa. However, I never once wanted to go to the North Terminal which I actively avoid since the McNamara terminal is far superior for shops, lounges, food, and design.

The Lufthansa Business Lounge is easy to get to once you’ve passed security. Once you pass through security, you will head towards gates D7, and you will find that the lounge is before D7 and after D8. There are a few moving walkways that make it a more leisurely walk, but there is no ExpressTram like the McNamara terminal.

Once passed security you are greeted with flight information displays and gate D18

Moving walkways make it easier and faster to walk to the lounge

The Lufthansa Business Lounge experience

About 5:45 in the morning I made my way passed gate D8, and I arrived at the entrance of the Lufthansa Business and Senator Lounge at DTW dressed in the signature yellow and gray colors of Lufthansa, making the lounge stand out and easy to spot.

When entering the lounge, the first thing I noticed was the small entrance where the lonely lounge attendant sat at the standard office desk without a smile asking if I was using Priority Pass. I smiled and said yes I am using Priority Pass along with a good morning. I pulled out my phone, she scanned it, and then I signed. She didn’t ask for my boarding pass but probably didn’t ask because it was so early and no flights have arrived for the day.

She seems tired, and I wasn’t bothered by it, but it sucks to be greeted by someone that shows how much they don’t want to be there. Yes, it’s very early in the morning, but the TSA agents I interacted with 5 minutes ago were smiling and so cheerful. Throughout my brief visit to the lounge, she never cracked a smile.

I walked a few feet and made my way into the Business Lounge past a magazine and newspapers display on the left. I should mention that the Business Lounge was the only side open since the Senator Lounge I believe only opens up later on in the day. Do note, the Senator Lounge is on the right side and is accessible to Star Alliance Gold members.

Maganize and newspaper display in the DTW Lufthansa Lounge lobby

The lounge isn’t big and just one room consisting of dining style seating, high top seating, lounge chairs seating, and work carrels.

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge dining room

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge chair seating

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge work carrels

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge work carrels in the foreground and the dining room in the background

The lounge is tiny and very exposed anywhere you sit. Lounge chairs are set up where you face and sit next to someone without any dividers besides a small side table. The work carrels aren’t that useful being on the smaller side and right next to the bathrooms. In general, there wasn’t one place in the lounge that felt secluded or private, even with eight people in the lounge it didn’t feel secluded.

The lack of workspace is noticeable. For proper workspaces, you can either work in the dining room or at the work carrels. The sad thing is the lack of outlets is another issue. There are a few scattered and one at each work carrel, but the outlets aren’t consistent throughout the rest of the lounge. While this is better than working in the terminal, I still think some variety when it comes to workspaces and seating is needed.

At least the lounge chairs are kind of comfy.

They have a nice scale model of Lufthansa 747-400 that they fly to Detroit painted in their old livery and a small wall of clocks displaying different time zones in the back of the lounge by the bathrooms and the work carrels. I love when model planes are in lounges, especially ones that are huge. 🙂

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge scale model of their 747-400

Right next to the scale model of the 747-400, you will see the bathrooms. The men’s bathroom was clean during my visit but didn’t have any special amenities besides facial tissues. Neither the Business or Senator side of the lounge have showers.

There aren’t any great views besides the yellow bus (Spirit) planes at gate D8. The only windows that allowed a view outside were right next to the buffet. Otherwise, for views of the apron and runway are somewhat limited for some plane spotting.

One great thing about the lounge is the silence. During my visit the lounge was very quiet and having a calm environment is fantastic.

Food and drink options

Since I was at the lounge very early, the food options were somewhat limited. I didn’t find this an issue since it was a light continental style option of food like cereal, yogurt, bagel, and fruit.

They have a mini fridge filled with soft drinks, the self-service bar, coffee machine, sparkling and non-sparkling water available. They don’t stock tiny little water bottles, so the water comes from liter bottles of it right next to the alcohol.

The glassware is actually glass, with a cool Lufthansa logo on it, and plateware were actually reusable plates. Each table had real flowers, and the nice thing about the tables was the fact they were clean during my visit. Touches like proper tableware and flowers are nice to see in domestic lounges.

However, don’t expect to go crazy eating lots of food.

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge buffet and self-service bar

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge buffet and self-service coffee machine

DTW Lufthansa Business Lounge table view with real flowers, which is a nice touch

I ended up having a plain bagel, which is the only type of bagel they had. I ended up toasting it. When another guy and I was toasting my bagel, a line started to form to toast bagels. I guess the bagel is the only appealing thing?

The coffee machine was a little confusing. All the labels say decaf, but the decaf cylinder that is labeled decaf that holds the coffee beans wasn’t filled while the espresso beans cylinder was filled. So, I am guessing the label is wrong, or they filled the espresso cylinder with decaf. I am not sure, but in the end, it made a crummy cappuccino.

During my 20ish minutes in the lounge, the lonely lounge attendant walked around picking up any dishes and garbage left. She also refreshed some of the food at the buffet and replaced one of the empty liters of water.

Final word

Detroit finally has a Priority Pass Lounge! It’s undoubtedly great for North Terminal passengers that don’t hold Star Alliance Gold Status or not flying international first/business class. While it is an excellent addition for DTW North Terminal passengers, I still think the lounge is just okay.

I wouldn’t arrive early at the airport to access the Lufthansa Business Lounge. I love visiting lounges that offer places that are semi-private or secluded like the United Polaris lounge or even Sky Clubs for that matter, but the Lufthansa Business Lounge feels like an office break room.

Steve Smith

Conrad Maldives Lounge at Malé International Airport Review (MLE)

The Conrad Maldives has a lounge at Male airport located on the second floor of the Trans Maldivian Airlines terminal. It’s claimed to the largest in the country and it definitely surprised me during my recent stay at the lounge. Here’s a review of the Conrad Maldives Lounge at Malé International Airport Seaplane Terminal (MLE).

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The journey

This segment of our journey started off in Paris where we we stayed two nights at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, which was an interesting experience since the service left a bit to be desired for us. We then made our way to the Qatar first/business lounge at CDG, which was a fantastic premium lounge.

We then flew out first class on the Qatar A380 from Paris to Doha on what was a great first class flight. After arriving in Doha, we got to experience the amazing Al Safwa First Class Lounge, a lounge that should be on every serious flyer’s bucket list.

Then we made our way on the Qatar A350 down to the Maldives on what was a pretty solid business class flight.

Arriving at Malé International Airport

Once we arrived at Malé International Airport t we didn’t have a lot of time to go get through immigration and to check our bags for our flight over to the Conrad Maldives, which is located on South Ari Atoll on Rangali Island, about a 30 minute flight on a seaplane.

This would my be first seaplane experience so I was very interested in seeing how it would feel.

It was a little hectic once we approached the check-in desk for Trans Maldivian Airlines but there was a Conrad staff member there who helped assist us with the check-in process.

Since we had so much luggage we had to pony up for the luggage fees.

The sea plane luggage allowance is 25 kg per person plus 5 kg of hand luggage and the maximum weight is 32 kg per piece of luggage. Any excess baggage costs $5 per 1 kg per way (plus taxes). Since this was our round the world trip, we ended up paying a couple of hundred dollars in baggage fees, which was a bit of a drag but we knew what we were getting into.

But once we got that figured out and paid for our luggage (roundtrip), we were ushered to a van that would take us to the terminal where the Conrad lounge was.

It was a nice little drive over to the terminal and us two were the only ones in the van.

The road was literally right next to the ocean and waves splashed onto the road which was slightly unnerving to watch for someone who has lived through one too many hurricanes.

Watching the ocean splash onto the road.

We then arrived to the terminal and were helped out of the van by the Conrad staff member.

Admission to the lounge

Admission into the lounge is complimentary from 7am to 5pm.

However, you do have to pay to enter depending on the time of your visit. From 5pm to 11pm, you’ll have to $85 per adult and $42.50 per child under 12 and these prices subject to 10% service charge and T-GST. Read more here.

Entering the lounge

I had very low expectations for the lounge and envisioned it being on par with some of the lower quality Priority Pass lounges that I had visited in the past. However, that was not the case at all.

We were led up to the check-in desk and the staff member helping us out handled all of our check-in and then told us that it would be up to an hour for our flight to depart. It was a little unclear to me how they handled choosing which flight you board.

Some of the flights are straight shots to the resort while others have stops at other resorts. If you don’t want to have a stop (and add on about 15 minutes to your trip), you can probably try to request to be put on a straight shot though there’s no guarantee that will work.

At this point, I’d been awake for a very long time and I was very ready to get over to the resort but one hour wasn’t a bad wait time.

The lounge was much more spacious and elegant than I had imagined,

with plenty of seating options. I’m not sure if the lounge every truly gets packed but there were only a few other patrons during our visit (which admittedly did come later in the day).

Conrad Maldives Lounge — Lots of seating options.

There were some really cool day-beds that looked out to the view.

The view was somewhat limited due to construction so it wasn’t the greatest but you could see out to some of the sea planes and the air traffic tower.

The somewhat restricted view from the lounge.

There were some additional seating areas as well.

There was even an area for families and kids.

There was a decent selection of food and drinks to choose from at the lounge. There were plenty of water bottles and sodas to take and a lot of sandwiches and other hot food items.

The cheese sandwiches and cheese and tomato sandwiches were a bit plain for my liking but at that point I was just looking to put something into my belly. I did really enjoyed the fried rolls they had at the lounge. Not sure what was in them but they hit the spot.

Overall, if you’re trying to appease your appetite before you head over to the island, the lounge should easily have what you’re looking for.

The bathroom

The bathroom was very nice and there was a really nice hotel-quality shower in there as well, which I assume you need to inquire with the front desk before using. The bathroom was also surprisingly the coldest part of the lounge. I’d forgotten to take out some shorts from my luggage before I checked them in so I had been walking around in khaki pants in the humid Maldives and so stepping into that bathroom felt heavenly.

Complimentary massages

One cool thing about the lounge is they offer a complimentary neck or shoulder massage for you while you wait. They can also explain to you more about the spa treatment services available at the hotel so if you have any questions be sure to raise those.

Wifi

The free wifi in the lounge was pretty solid and reliable.

Boarding

After waiting a while in the lounge we were approached by a staff member that our plane was ready for us and they ushered us over to the waiting room in the terminal. We sat there for about 10 minutes until it was time to get outside and board the seaplane.

Everything was ran smoothly and before I knew it we were off to the Maldives and checking in to our retreat water villa.

Final word

The Conrad Lounge at MLE is actually a very nice lounge. It’s a beautiful area to relax in and there’s some decent food and drink options to help hold you over as you prepare for your short seaplane journey over to the resort. Being able to relax in this lounge was a huge relief for me as I was very tired.

Daniel Gillaspia

Etihad Airways A330 First Class Review (MLE to AUH)

The Etihad Airways first class on the A330 is a great one. While many people talk amore about the Etihad Apartment (and understandably so) these first class suites still have a lot to offer and are some of the best first class seats in my opinion. Here’s a review of our recent experience flying first class on the A330 from the Maldives to Abu Dhabi.

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Booking

This flight was part of a two-flight segment from MLE to LHR.

We booked this flight with 62,500 AA miles and only about $65 in fees. AA considers Male to be in the same region as the Middle East so this is a sweet spot and definitely one of the best redemptions for this route. Availability for these awards seats was also pretty good, though we booked almost 9 months out.

This segment was toward the end of our 2018 round the world trip and were flying from MLE->AUH on this A330 and then from AUH->LHR on the Etihad Apartment on the A380. We’d then have a layover at LHR until hopping on a flight to Rome on British Airways.

MLE lounges

We finished up our 3-night stay in a Retreat Water Villa at the Conrad Maldives and headed to MLE for the flight to Abu Dhabi. We visited two lounges at MLE one of which is open to Priority Pass members.

The first lounge is the Wellness lounge which is located landside. This is a very small lounge but it’s a great lounge to relax in while you’re waiting for the check-in and security to open up for your flight. You’ll find seats with outlets, some small snacks, and a very relaxing room which connects to a massage area. It didn’t get packed during our visit but it certainly would’t take much a crowd to fill this lounge up.

Once check-in opened op, we made our way to the Etihad check-in desk where there was a very long line of passengers waiting to check in. The good news is that this was the economy line and the line for first class check-in was empty. We weren’t dressed particularly nice when we checked in, so we got some funny looks from people in line who probably thought we were lost/confused as we passed them up to the first class desk.

After going through security, we made our way to the Leeli Lounge, which is a much more impressive airport lounge. It’s much bigger and had ample seating along with some decent food and drink options. We were able to grab a section of the lounge which acted like our own little private area, which was very nice.

The first class cabin

We boarded the first class cabin and noticed that there were no other passengers in first class as we made our way down the aisle. Although the first class cabin has two aisles, the aisles reminded me of the Etihad Apartment.

The first class cabin on the A330 has eight suites which can each be fully enclosed and has a circular mood light above the middle suites. While it’s not quite the same level of elegance as the Etihad Apartment cabin on the A380, it’s still a fantastic looking cabin.

The Etihad first class cabin on the A330.

The suite

Brad and I booked the front middle suite and I have to say that I’m a huge fan of these shared suites. With the partition lowered, the suite felt very spacious and still very private. While I don’t think that having a fully enclosed suite is necessary for a great first class experience, it certainly adds a nice dimension to your flight experience.

For couples (who like to enjoy visit with each other during the flight), this is definitely one of the best first class suites.

The Etihad first class suite on the A330.

With the partition up, you can maintain some privacy from the person sharing your suite although the partition doesn’t go up to the top of the suite.

Even with the suite doors open, you still have tons of privacy from your neighbors as you can tell from the photo below. This is another strong point of these suites, as some other first class cabins leave you a bit exposed to your neighbors. With these suites, your head space and foot space remain private even with the suite door wide open. It reminded me a lot of the Emirates first class suites on the A380.

The window suites look great as well. We probably would have gone with window suites for the view but since we were departing so late and arriving at night, there weren’t any views we’d be missing out on. But if you really want maximum privacy, the window suites are usually always the way to go.

I found the nice leather seats to be pretty comfortable even though they did seem a bit worn.

There’s a large ottoman/seat for your feet with plenty of space for your feet underneath their TV screens.

There’s a screen with easy seat and light controls on the side of your seat which are very convenient to access. One advantage that this seat has over the Etihad Apartment’s seat is that you can recline it as far as you’d like. So if you’re the type of traveler who likes staying put in one seat and not hopping onto a “bed,” you might prefer this seat.

There’s an ultra-soft blanket waiting for you on your seat.

The headphones aren’t quite Bose but I still thought they were decent quality.

There’s a compartment with conveniently located power outlets and hookups for other electronics as well. This is also where the in-flight entertainment controller is stored.

I wasn’t sure what type of amenity kit we’d get since this was a shorter flight but the amenity kit came fully loaded.

As you can see, it came with lip balm, various moisturizers, dental pack, shaving pack, and a comb.

The seat controls are very straight forward. You can choose different reclining positions and even enjoy a seat massager.

You can also customize the lighting within the suite for reading, dining etc. I really liked the lighting within the suite whenever the cabin lights were dimmed.

There’s a nice closet space built in to the suite so you can keep your garments wrinkle-free.

There’s a storage compartment with water bottles and some snacks in next to the middle partition. I believe that on the 787 Dreamliner these compartments are chilled but that was not the case on the A330.

Right next to that little compartment is where the large tray table pops out of.

Etihad first class dining

At the time of boarding, they started us off with a glass of water and a glass of champagne along with some tasty dates and a hot towel. The service from the very beginning was top-notch and honestly better than what I experienced on our Etihad Apartment flight that followed this one.

The dining experience began with a serving of appetizers, including olives. These were nice but had Etihad served caviar at this point I think it would’ve added a lot to the experience. I think Etihad now serves caviar in first class on the A380 but not on the A330.

They then served us Charles Heidsieck, which we both enjoyed.

After the appetizers, the crew set our table and delivered a serving of fresh breads.

Next came the Arabic appetizers, which were fantastic.

Next came out the main dish which was, chicken biryani. I’ve tried a number of first class dishes and I’ve had dinner on the Etihad Apartment on a couple of flights but this chicken biryani dish may have been the best dish I’ve ever had on a plane. It was just perfect and full of flavor and a bit of spice. I haven’t been too impressed with Etihad dining over the past few years but this was just fantastic.

Then dessert came out which was on the plain side for me as I just chose to go with some ice cream.

Brad went with the apple and raisin crumble which looked much more tasty and interesting than my selection.

The bedding

These suites offer a lot of sleeping space once you flatten out the seat. Since this was a short flight, I didn’t get the full bedding put on the seat, so I’m not sure how comfortable that bedding would be.

The seat extends out to the ottoman and fits pretty evenly with it so even if you are very tall, you should have plenty of space for your legs since you’ll have 6-foot 8-inches worth of space.

The suites are very private when the doors are closed. I didn’t feel claustrophobic at all and with the middle partition down, it reminded me of the Etihad Apartment with so much private space.

One of the things that I loved the most about the suite was that it came with proper air vents. Too many first class suites can be very warm with no way to control the air within your suite. These air vents allowed me to keep the suite comfortably cool as I relaxed. This is such an oversight in some cabins but I was very happy that the A330 first class suites came equipped with these.

Here’s one more view of what it looked like inside the cabin.

Lavatory

The lavatory on the A330 is subpar compared to the one on the A380 which is much more spacious and comes with a shower. There are some lotions and things you can use to freshen up if you’d like but that’t about it.

Final word

This first class flight was terrific. The service and dining were on-point and the suites are extremely private and comfortable. While the Etihad Apartment is obviously the more iconic first class cabin on Etihad, I think that these suites are still some of the best first class seats in the sky and in some ways better since you can control your climate better and can sit directly across from your partner if you want.

Daniel Gillaspia

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