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AUSTRALIA 2020 | Airport lounges in Paris, Zurich, Bangkok, Sydney and Singapore

Posted by Timothy on

After literally years of planning, we travelled to Australia to visit Sydney, to cruise to the Pacific Ocean territories of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji and to hop over to Melbourne. The year was 2020 and it was just before the pandemic.

Danny had planned a very nice itinerary to get to Sydney, starting in Paris Charles De Gaulle and flying to Zurich, Bangkok and Sydney and flying via Singapore on the return journey. The trip involved seven flights, including Sydney – Melbourne, and eleven, yes 11!, lounges

Lounge access is a major perk of flying business class. And as luxury queens, keen flyers and bloggers we visited as many airport lounges as we could.

Danny reviewed them extensively.

Diversity

Airport lounges come in all forms, designs, shapes and levels of quality. The Star Alliance Lounge in Paris CDG is for instance very standard. Semi-cosy interior design, nice food and drinks offering, nice seats, WiFi. Lufthansa Business Lounge in CDG had no windows and felt like a temporary container area.  

The Swiss Business Lounge at Zurich E-gates has not only the very nice Swiss livery and design, the food is great and it features a viewing platform on the apron. Wow! 

Hop

Bangkok is Thai Airways‘ HQ so it has more than one lounge. Besides the usual amenities of food, seats and Wifi and being able to avoid the madding crowd of the terminal. But the Royal Orchid Spa offers a massage. That’s a nice local touch.

In Bangkok we did some lounge hopping. The EVA Air Lounge stood out as it has this disco feel. Fancy a dance before your flight.

Always check which lounges you have access to and don’t be afraid to hop from one lounge to another.

Going home

At Sydney Airport, the Air New Zealand Lounge had really nice food, even better than Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge. But they didn’t really stand out.

Neither did the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge at Singapore Terminal 2. But it had a nice shower. That lounge is memorable for starting to see people wearing face masks and looking angrily when someone coughed. The COVID-19 pandemic was about to gain real steam.  

Nothing of sorts at the Swiss Business Class Lounge Terminal A at Zurich Airport. Instead an incredible shower facility and a comprehensive buffet. 

Lounges really are a perk of flying business class.