Thailand has become a very popular holiday destination for Europeans, even if it is an 11-hour flight away from almost anywhere in Europe. Until now it hasn’t been a priority for me but needing an escape from snow and freezing temperatures, I decided it was about time.

I was able to secure a business class reward ticket with Thai Airways from Brussels, which wasn’t easy during Christmas holiday. The return trip set me back 82,500 SAS EuroBonus points and an American Express Companion Ticket.

Since I had plenty of time on the ground in Brussels, I had the chance to visit both The Loft and The Suite lounges before departure

• Lounge review: The Loft by Brussels Airlines and Lexus
• Lounge review: The Suite at Brussels Airport

Boarding

I arrive at the gate a few minutes ahead of scheduled boarding time. The line for priority boarding seems to equal the amount of business class seats on the Airbus A350. This isn’t surprising, since it’s Christmas Holiday for most of Europe and probably not many business travelers.

I boarded through the front door where I was greeted by two friendly flight attendants who point my to my seat 19K.

Cabin and seat

Thai Airways Airbus A350-900 business class cabin has eight rows in staggered 1-2-1 configuration with a total of 32 seats.

If you’re traveling solo, I would recommend the window seats and the rows where the seat is closer to the window. These seats offer the best view out the window and the most privacy. Similarly, for couples my choice would be the center section “honeymoon” rows where you are close to you travel companion while retaining privacy. The other rows are preferable if you’re traveling solo and unable to get a window seat or just want some space between you and your travel companion. These seats are however close to aisle and offer less privacy.

Already waiting in my seat was the bedding and a basic Lacoste amenity kit. The slippers are a bit of a tight fit. The seats are very comfortable while seated, but slightly cramped for my 6’2” when converted to a bed.

My Airbus A350-900 is just over two years old. As a result, the interior is fresh and modern, and I like the bright purple colors of the cabin.

The entertainment system TV screen is crisp and clear, and the remote and seat controls are responsive and easy to use. The electrical outlet is near the floor in front of you, while the USB outlets is under the TV. WiFi is on the expensive side with $35 for 500MB and $60 for unlimited data. Buying smaller packages doesn’t really make sense as background services or apps on your laptop or smartphone with consume your data in no time.

Food and beverage

As soon as everyone is seated, I was offered a glass of Champagne. I was even offered a refill when the flight attendant came back to take my food order.

As soon as the fasten seatbelt sign is switched off after take-off, I was served another glass of Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel along with some nuts. The crew immediately starts to prepare the meal service and a few minutes later, my starter was served. The first course consists of Parma Ham, Creame Cheese and Roasted Scallops. It’s very good, although maybe not spectacular. The wine I have chosen, Chateau Tour Prignac 2016, is also very good and I stick to it throughout the meal.

For the main course I have chosen the Samrab Thai with green curry beef, deep-fried crab meat, soup, rice and stir-fried pickled turnip with eggs. I really enjoyed the dish and it was definitely the culinary highlight of the trip.

I was then offered a cheese plate which wasn’t on the menu before I had chocolate cream for dessert. Neither cheese plate nor the dessert was bad, but not very exciting either. I had a Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12YO single malt scotch whisky with the desert.

For breakfast I go with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, bread, fruits and yoghurt. A solid, wholesome breakfast.

Thai Airways delivers a perfectly fine business class meal, although there is room for improvement. The cheese plate and desert are uninspiring, the presentation is simple, and everything is served on trays. The service is extremely efficient, perhaps a bit too much as it feels a bit robotic and impersonal. The crew is however, always smiling, friendly and helpful.

Thai Airways Business Class

Thai Airways delivered in line with my expectations. It’s not quite on the same level as Singapore Airlines or Qatar Airways, but not at all bad. The Airbus A350 is a fantastic aircraft and I like the cabin and seats, although a bit cramped. The food and service are good, but not spectacular. Entertainment system and Wifi were good as well, but a bit expensive.

All in all, I’m happy with my flight and I would gladly fly Thai Airways business class again.

The post Thai Airways Airbus A350 Business Class from Brussels to Bangkok appeared first on InsideFlyer.

First Class is only offered by Qatar Airways on their Airbus A380 and selected routes in the Middle East. In other words, free admission to Al Safwa First Class Lounge is for the privileged few. The lounge can however accommodate far more guests than there are First Class seats available with Qatar Airways. Therefore, the airline started selling lounge access for their business class passengers last year. Recently, Qatar Airways also started offering their top tier Privilege Club members access when traveling in business class.

• Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge
• Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Buying access to Al Safwa First Class Lounge as a business class passenger will cost you 600 Qatari rials, or around $165 USD. That’s actually a reasonable price and in my opinion, well worth it for a long layover.

First impressions

The Al Safwa First Class Lounge is located between A and B gates above the shops in the departure area. To get to the lounge, take the escalator to level 3 above the security check in the transfer area. My last visit here was just after they opened for paying customers and I had to wait at the front desk for several minutes before the staff could find someone who knew how to charge the lounge access. This time however, everything went smooth.

Al Safwa is impressive and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The lounge is huge! It’s almost the same size as Al Mourjan, but the minimalist interior and open areas makes it seem even bigger. I feel like I’m in a crossover between a luxury hotel and a museum. The design is inspired by Doha’s iconic Museum of Islamic Art, with sandstone and marble details. The main hall and hallways have several art installations on loan from the museum.

Seating for 500 guests

The centerpiece of the lounge is a huge water installation that looks like a fountain. However, it’s not really a fountain, but rather a pond with a transparent tube with water flowing down from the ceiling. The light is reflected from the water onto the walls across the room. The main hall has different types of seating, open and fully private, for groups or solo travelers. It might not look that way as the seats are scattered over such a huge area, but the lounge has a total seating capacity for more than 500 guests. And we seem to be the only guests.

Most seats have a power outlet and a small monitor that displays airport and flight information.

There’s also a separate cigar and smoking lounge.

Catching up on some work during your stay? The business center offers private offices with iMacs for everyone.

The restrooms are first-class too, of course.

Restaurant and sushi bar

At the heart of the lounge is the huge bar and main restaurant. The restaurant offers a la carte dining only, but the extensive menu has something for everyone. There’s no buffet as you will usually find in any airport lounge. The kitchen is partially open towards the restaurant. You can watch your food being prepared while enjoying a drink.

We were only in the lounge during breakfast service, but long enough to try both the middle eastern and western offerings of the menu.

The bar has a far more extensive selection than what you will find in Al Mourjan and the champagne is upgraded as well. The Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut 2006 turned out to be a great pairing with our breakfast.

There’s also a snack and sushi bar, but it was closed during our stay.

Spa and private duty-free shopping

The Al Safwa First Class Lounge also has its own duty-free shop. If you’re traveling in First Class you may appreciate being able to do your shopping in peace and quiet. Here you will find a selection of items from shops in the departure hall, from jewelry to fragrances and cigarettes.

The Qspa features nine treatment rooms with jacuzzi, relaxation room and a rich selection of treatments to choose from. The spa treatments are, however, not included with the entrance fee.

Family section and playrooms

If you’re traveling with your family, the family section of Al Safwa First Class Lounge offers private living rooms, media room and playrooms for children of all ages. The family section has three separate playrooms for children aged 0 – 5 years, 5 – 10 years and 10 – 15 years (and above).

Sleep rooms

The Al Safwa First Class Lounge has 12 sleeping rooms, four of which are double rooms. The rooms are like basic hotel rooms with comfortable beds and a bathroom.

Why $165 for lounge access is a bargain

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge is arguably among the best first class lounges in the world. The hard product is second to none, the service is both professional and personal, and the food and beverage is first-class. In my opinion, free admission to Al Safwa is one of the main reasons for chasing Platinum tier in Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

Paying $165 for lounge access when you’re in business class may not seem like a great deal. Considering what you get, however, it’s definitely worth it for a long layover in my opinion. For instance, a room at the Oryx Airport Hotel will set you back at least $250. What’s more, they will charge you extra for champagne and food. For a shorter stay Al Mourjan is a great business lounge. For my next eight-hour layover, however, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase access to Al Safwa again.

More lounge reviews

• Air China First Class Lounge, Beijing Airport Terminal 3
• Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge
• The Suite at Brussels Airport
• The Loft by Brussels Airlines and Lexus

The post Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge appeared first on InsideFlyer.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is relatively small hotel brand operating in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. They currently have three hotels in Colombo, including the five-star Cinnamon Grand Colombo. I have dined at a few of the many restaurants at this property before, but this is my first stay at the hotel.

Location

The Cinnamon Grand is the largest of the Cinnamon hotels in Colombo. It has more than 500 rooms and suites spread across multiple buildings. The hotel is located Galle Road in walking distance of Galle Face, the Seema Malakaya Temple and various bars, restaurants, shopping malls and other hotels.

Personally, I prefer the location of this hotel over Mövenpick.

Travel time to and from the airport is 45 – 60 minutes by car.

First impressions

After going through security check at the entrance we find our self in a nice and spacious hotel lobby. The interior is elegant and luxurious, but the place still has a relaxed atmosphere.

We arrive at hotel at 11 in the morning. At the reception, we are informed that our room are ready for check-in. Since we have booked executive rooms, we are told to wait for a butler who will take us to the executive floors and check us in at the lounge.

Check-in is fast and efficient, and we get comprehensive information of the facilities of our rooms and the hotel.

Executive Room

The Executive rooms are located on the 8^th to 10^th floor of the main building. My room has a view of Galle Road and the roof top pool of the building where the spa and fitness center are located.

The room is approximately 350 square feet and looks clean and fresh, and is furnished with a king size bed, a sofa and a desk. On the right hand when you enter the room, there’s coffee machine and a fully stocked minibar.

As a welcoming gift I receive a fruit platter and a bottle of red wine.

WiFi works well by Sri Lankan standards, with speeds from 5 – 10 Mbps. The desk also has a network outlet as well two USB outlets for charging. I was able to use the electrical outlets without an adaptor.

The bathroom is quite specious and has a separate shower and bathtub. If you have forgotten your toiletries at home, there’s no need to worry. The bathroom is fully equipped with the essential amenities.

Food and beverage at Cinnamon Grand Colombo

The Cinnamon Grand Colombo have a total of 18 restaurant, cafes and bars. Here you will find food from all corners of the world, finer pastries and well-crafted drinks, wine and beer.

As you probably won’t have time to do them all during your stay, I’d like to highlight the Chinese restaurant Tao as one of my absolute favorites.

Room service is excellent with a comprehensive menu put together from the many restaurant offerings of the hotel. Prices are fair and delivery is usually quick.

The only real disappointment would be the noodles restaurants, which is also the breakfast restaurant at Cinnamon Grand. It was cramped and noisy, both during breakfast and in the evening. Thankfully, you can enjoy a nice breakfast at the lounge as an executive guest.

Executive Lounge

The Cinnamon Grand Colombo has a nice executive lounge on the 8^th floor overlooking the backyard pool area and the city.

The lounge serves a great buffet for breakfast and high tea. Happy hour is from 6pm to 8pm with free drinks and decent buffet. Snacks are available on request until midnight. There’s very little you miss out on by having your breakfast here, rather than the Noodles restaurant.

The amazing lounge staff offers great service, making sure your glass is never empty. Don’t be surprised if Mr. Saldin will remember your preferred drinks already after the first evening.

Amenities

The Cinnamon Grand Colombo offers two swimming pools. The backyard pool with the Breeze Bar right next to it is by far the most beautiful.

The largest and best equipped fitness center is also open to members who are not staying at the hotel and can be quite busy during peak hours. There’s also a smaller fitness center in the main building. It’s not as well equipped as the big one, but at least you don’t have to fight for the equipment.

The hotel also has two tennis courts. The staff can even arrange for someone to play with you if you’re traveling solo.

Asagna Spa is located in the same building as the main fitness center. Spa treatments are slightly more expensive than what you can find outside of the hotel. Nevertheless, it’s still quite inexpensive.

Booking

The room was booked through Expedia and the average rate was around $160 USD. For this stay I was rewarded a total of 2,728 Expedia Rewards Points.

The Cinnamon Grand Colombo Hotel

I really enjoyed my stay at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. The location is great in my opinion and the hotel has all amenities required for longer stays. The rooms are clean, fresh and well-equipped and the executive lounge is very good. You get great value and food, drinks and other services are reasonably priced.

Photos by the auther unless otherwise specified. Cover photo by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.

The post Executive Room at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo appeared first on InsideFlyer.

Barely two weeks ago, Qatar Airways announced that Privilege Club members would be offered a tier status extension of up to six months. The extension period would be based on the membership anniversary date for each member.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club just announced that they would extend membership tiers even further. The rules are simple – all Silver, Gold and Platinum member with tier status ending before January 31^st, 2021 will have their member benefits extended by 12 months. This also applies to members who have been downgraded after February 9^th.

The new membership tiers will be awarded as early as April 1^st, 2020.

Improved flexibility for Qcredits

A lot of Gold and Platinum members have been unhappy with lack of flexibility for their Qcredits. With travel activity being significantly reduced, members have feared that they wouldn’t be able to spend their Qcredits before they expire. Good news – your Qcredits will now be valid for 24 months. What’s more, Qatar Airways is also making them refundable, no matter how you choose to use them.

Your updated Qcredits balance will be available April 1^st, 2020.

You can find more information on the Privilege Club website.

Make the most from your member benefits

When you’re flying with Qatar Airways you will earn Qmiles and Qpoints in the Privilege Club loyalty program. With Qpoints you will be able to reach higher membership levels in Privilege Club, while Qmiles allow you to redeem new flights. How many points you earn depends on your ticket class and Privilege Club membership level. The Privilege Club Qcalculator is a great tool to find out how many points and miles you will earn on your trip. If you’re not a member of Privilege Club, you can sign up here.

Don’t forget to read our Ultimate Guide to Qatar Airways Privilege Club to make the most from your member benefits!

The post Qatar Airways Privilege Club extends tier status by one year appeared first on InsideFlyer.

To be honest, Air China wasn’t at the top of my list, but finding any kind of last-minute reward availability from Europe to Thailand during Christmas is an almost impossible task. At this point I was happy with not flying economy class. It’s no secret that Air China doesn’t have the best reputation, but I’ve also seen some good reviews in the past. So I decide to take one for the team and take the journey with an open mind.

The return trip set me back 112,500 SAS EuroBonus Points and an SAS American Express Companion Ticket.

Boarding

My expectations weren’t high to begin with. The underwhelming Air China First Class Lounge didn’t make them any higher. After a ground experience where time seemed to stand still, I’m eager to board my flight. I know my flight is delayed, but I still arrive at the gate early to make sure I have time to take photos of the cabin.

When I get to the gate, I find myself at the end of an already long line for priority boarding. There is no separate line for first class boarding, and I have to wait in line with elite members and business class passengers. This may sound like a mere trifle, but the Boeing 747-8 is a huge aircraft.

Once the boarding process starts, it’s quite effective and a few minutes later I’m finally onboard. I’m greeted by a smiling flight attendant who shows me the way to my seat.

Cabin and seat

The cabin layout of Air China’s Boeing 747-8 is different from what you find in the same aircraft from Lufthansa. Lufthansa has their first class in the nose of the aircraft, while Air China has five rows of business class in the front of the aircraft. It would probably be hard to fit the huge Air first class seats in the nose of the aircraft. Air China’s decision makes sense and it doesn’t really bother me. As an upside you avoid the noise from the nose gear during take-off and landing. It’s also nice to be reminded of what the wing of an aircraft looks like from inside the plane.

I must admit I’m an Airbus guy at heart, but I still know how to appreciate the latest version of Queen of the Skies.

There are three rows of first class in a 1-2-1 configuration, for a total of 12 seats. The cabin itself feels nice and spacious. The color palette is neutral with a bit of accent from the orange pillows and headrests.

The seats are huge with five windows per seat row. The seats are very comfortable and feel a bit more private than Lufthansa First Class. It’s a bit surprising that Air China didn’t choose to install closable doors, but it doesn’t bother me. Apart from the overhead bins, the seat also offers some storage compartments and a small closet. The middle seats have a retractable divider, so you retain your privacy if you’re travelling solo.

Pre-departure

After settling in and stowing my carry-on, another smiling and friendly flight attendant came by to offer me slippers, pajamas, menus and newspapers. I don’t usually read newspapers, but I decide to make an exception for a chance to browse through China Daily. Waiting by my seat is also a L’Occitane amenity kit, noise cancelling headphones with a small flower decoration and personal hand-written greeting card from the crew. I love the small details like the flowers and the hand-written greeting card. It makes product feel more exclusive and the service more personal.

I’m also offered a hot towel and a choice of water and orange juice to drink. Boldly requesting a glass of champagne instead, I was told that I would have to wait another 5 to 10 minutes. I was never offered an explanation as to why, but as soon as the last passenger was on board, the flight attendant came back with my pre-departure champagne. I was even offered a refill before pushing back.

The inflight entertainment system is modern and responsive, with a crisp 26-inch TV and user-friendly remote. Given the distance from the seat to the TV, the screen could have been even larger. I usually bring my own entertainment, but the IFE seem to have decent selection of Hollywood movies and international content.

Food and beverage

As soon as the seatbelt sign is switched the crew starts preparing for the first meal service. Air China offers dine on demand, but it seems all five passengers have opted to have their meal right away. This is probably where I had the lowest expectations of Air China. A friend of mine who have traveled with Air China before even said “seats are great but bring a sandwich” before my flight. I’m happy to say I disagree with him.

My table is set, and the dishes are served one by one. It seems like it will never end. I though I was supposed to choose from the menu, but I’m apparently only supposed to choose the main course. Apart from the main couse, the entire menu is served. You will certainly not starve in Air China First Class.

The food doesn’t quite reach first class standards, but it’s well above your average business class meal. I’ve selected the crispy duck as the main course which together with the caviar and the desert are the culinary highlights of my flight. The same goes for the wine selection. It would be great for business class, but in first class it leaves some room for improvement.

After the huge meal I’m ready to get some sleep and I go to the restroom to change to my pajamas. When the leaving the restroom the flight attendant is waiting to take my clothes and tuck them neatly away in my personal closet.

It’s nice to see the cabin crew restock and clean the surfaces of the restroom before and after every visit.

While I was changing, the flight attendant had already made up my bed. Both the bedding and the bed itself is comfortable and spacious enough for my 6’2” body.

Lunch time

After a good five hours of sleep, I wake up just in time for the second meal. I’m not really hungry yet but for the sake of doing a complete review I decided to have a go at it.

The lunch meal is good, but still not first class.

Air China First Class

I really enjoyed my Air China First Class experience and I cannot understand why the airline has such an abysmal reputation. I wouldn’t hesitate to fly with them again. The seats are comfortable and spacious, and the service was great. The food and beverage have room for improvement, but with some minor adjustments Air China would have highly competitive first class product. The most disappointing part was undoubtedly the ground experience. Priority boarding for first class passengers would be nice and the lounge leaves much to be desired.

The post Pleasent surprise – Air China First Class Boeing 747-8 from Beijing to Frankfurt appeared first on InsideFlyer.

Washington is in a state of emergency due to the accelerating spread of COVID-19. Until a week ago, the Seattle area had the most confirmed cases of covid-19 in the entire United States. To ensure the well-being of employees, their families and the local community, Boeing has decided to temporarily halt all activity at their Puget Area facilities

“This necessary step protects our employees and the communities where they work and live,” said Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun. “We continue to work closely with public health officials. We’re in contact with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders who are affected by this temporary suspension. We regret the difficulty this will cause them, as well as our employees, but it’s vital to maintain health and safety for all those who support our products and services, and to assist in the national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19” Calhoun added.

50,000 employees are affected

Boeing’s two facilities in Everett north of Seatlle and Renton in the south, employ a total of 50,000 people. The Everett facility manufactures components and assembles the larger 787 and 777 aircrafts. The Renton plant manufactures the 737, employs around 10,000 people. Since the 737MAX grounding, Boeing has transferred most of its Resources to other areas.

Photos by Boeing

The post Boeing to temporarily suspend operations in Seattle area appeared first on InsideFlyer.

Starting next week, Emirates will suspend most passenger traffic until further notice.  The airline will still retain its cargo operations. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Emirates and dnata have been adapting operations in line with regulatory directives as well as travel demand.

UPDATE: At the time of Publishing the original article, Emirates had released a statement saying the airline woild suspend all passenger flights. The airline later released a revised statement saying that some flights will be retained. Having received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers, Emirates will continue to operate passenger and cargo flights to the following countries and territories until further notice, as long as borders remain open, and there is demand: the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada. The situation remains dynamic, and travellers can check flight status on emirates.com.

His highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group has issued the following statement:

“The world has literally gone into quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is an unprecedented crisis situation in terms of breadth and scale: geographically, as well as from a health, social, and economic standpoint. Until January 2020, the Emirates Group was doing well against our current financial year targets. But COVID-19 has brought all that to a sudden and painful halt over the past 6 weeks.

Cost reductions and temporary reduction of basic salary

The Emirates Group has undertaken a series of measures to contain costs. All non-essential recruitment and consultancy work is put on hold, and employees are encouraged to take paid or unpaid leave. The airline is also working with suppliers to cut costs and improve efficiency.

Except for junior level employees, Emirates Group Employees will have their basic salaries temporarily reduced. Most employees will see reductions ranging from 25% to 50% for three months. Presidents of Emirates and dnata, will take a 100% basic salary cut for three months.

“Rather than ask employees to leave the business, we chose to implement a temporary basic salary cut as we want to protect our workforce and keep our talented and skilled people, as much as possible. We want to avoid cutting jobs. When demand picks up again, we also want to be able to quickly ramp up and resume services for our customers.

“The Emirates Group has strong liquidity, with a healthy cash position but it is prudent that it take steps to reduce costs at this time. Emirates remains committed to serving its markets and looks forward to resuming a normal flight schedule as soon as that is permitted by the relevant authorities.”

The post UPDATED: Emirates temporarily suspends MOST passenger operations appeared first on InsideFlyer.

Spending your miles can often be even harder than earning them in the first place. The airlines are constantly coming up with new ways for us to earn miles through everything from credit card spend to grocery shopping. When it comes to spending the miles, however, the same airlines are far less helpful. Enter SeatSpy, the latest reward availability search engine to enter the market.

SeatSpy makes it easier than ever to find reward availability with Air France, British Airways, KLM and Virgin Atlantic. SeatSpy is by no means the first reward search engine to market, but it’s one of the easiest, fastest and most user-friendly we’ve seen so far.

SeatSpy is currently in beta version, but you can start using it right away. It’s even completely free to use for the time being.

Reward flight availability search

SeatSpy offers two different ways of searching for reward flights.

The first option is to search for availability between two specific airports or cities. With just one click SeatSpy will give you all available flights for the next year. You can also narrow your search to only return specific cabins, one way or return flights, and only flights with a minimum number of available seats. For British Airways, SeatSpy will also tell you which flights are Peak Fare and Off-Peak Fare.

Fixed dates, but don’t really care where you’re going? SeatSpy can also give you all available destination within a specified date range. In the example below, I’ve searched for any available destination in First Class with British Airways from March 1^st to May 31^st.

Create alerts

If you cannot find availability for your desired dates or destinations, you can use SeatSpy to create alerts that will notify you when seats become available. What I really like about the alert feature is that you can specify a range of dates and multiple cabins within a single alert. With other search engines, you often have to create alerts for every single flight and cabin.

Hassle-free reward flights search with SeatSpy

SeatSpy is arguably one of the best reward flight search engines we have seen so far. Although it’s still in beta and not officially launched, it works surprisingly well. It’s fast and easy to use, and for now, completely free of charge.

Cover photo: Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA

The post SeatSpy: reward flight availability search made easy! appeared first on InsideFlyer.

First Class for everyone! A unique feature of the Air China First Class Lounge at Beijing Capital International Airport is that it’s open to Priority Pass members. As far as I know, this is one of the very few international first class lounges you can access with priority pass. Of course, the lounge is also open to Air China First Class passengers and Phoenix Miles Gold and Platinum Card holders.

I didn’t have high expectations for this lounge, but to be fair it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

First impressions

It’s still pretty quiet when I arrive at Beijing Airport at 5AM. After a somewhat confusing immigration and security check I found my way to the lounge, which is located on the upper level next gate E20. It’s quiet at the lounge reception desk as well. After scanning my boarding pass, I’m allowed to enter the lounge.

The Air China First Class Lounge in Beijing is by no means as fancy and polished as other first class lounges. It’s quite basic and more like your average business class lounge in terms of interior and furnishing. The furniture looks slightly different from reviews I’ve read in advance, and seems to have been upgraded recently. The lounge area is quite large with tons of seating, consisting mostly of rows of seats with tables in between.

The lounge is open towards departure hall. It can get quite noisy when traffic picks up during peak hours.

Food and beverage

Since I was going be stuck here for a while, I had the opportunity to sample both the breakfast and lunch offerings. The quality of the food is actually not bad. If you like Chinese food you should have no trouble finding something that suits your taste. Both the breakfast and lunch buffet offers a decent selection of hot dishes, but the lunch offering is slightly more extensive. You can also have salad, bread, simple maki rolls and noodles cooked to order. It’s really not first class, but for a businesss lounge this wouldn’t be bad at all.

The beverage selection however would hardly pass as business class standard. The non-alcholic offering is limited to Coca Cola, Sprite, Schweppes, juice and water. If you want beer or wine, there are two different local beers available and wine from China Great Wall Wine Company. Again, neither the beer nor the wine is horrible. I can also understand their desire to offer local products, but this is supposed to be international first class and there is nothing first class about it.

The bar in the dining area leaves much to be desired. There’s not much to choose from and what’s available isn’t exactly to shelf.

There are also a few snack bars with coffee, soft drinks, packaged snacks and fruit.

Amenities

This is where the Air China First Class Lounge really falls short. Coming from a red-eye flight from Bangkok I haven’t had much sleep and I’m really craving for a nap before my next flight. However, I cannot find the nap rooms the lounge is supposed to have. Trying to ask the lounge staff doesn’t help me either, as I cannot find anyone who speaks English. The lounge seating is comfortable enough for sitting in, but not suitable for resting your eyes. I suspect the nap rooms might be closed for renovation, because so are the showers and restrooms. The nearest restrooms are actually near gate 17, which is quite a distance away from the lounge.

The lounge has an entertainment room, but it seems to be out of service as well. There’s a wide selection of newspapers and magazines available, but if you’re not fluent in Chinese there’s not much to choose from.

Internet is as you might suspect extremely limited. Forget about Google and Facebook. Instant messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram are blocked as well. Not even my VPN service in super obfuscated mode is able to penetrate the great firewall of China. The public WiFi will even disconnects me for trying.

Air China First Class Lounge – Beijing Capital International Airport

I find it a bit hard to rate the Air China First Class Lounge. As a Priority Pass lounge, it’s probably one of the better ones I’ve visited. It wouldn’t be bad as a business class lounge either. But I’m holding a first class ticket with Air China and there is nothing first class about this lounge. The food is average and the beverage selection is poor. The amenities you expect to find at an international first class lounge are closed, out of service or simply not there to begin with.

The lounge isn’t bad, but it doesn’t even come close in comparison to the first class lounges of airlines like Lufthansa or Qatar Airways.

The post Review: Air China First Class Lounge, Beijing Airport appeared first on InsideFlyer.

In recent year we have seen airlines move towards offering their premium lounges for business class travelers only, regardless of membership tier. This is understandable and fair in my opinion. It is from these customers the airlines make their money. I have visited Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge before, but this this time I had set aside plenty of time to experience everything the lounge has to offer.

• Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Hamad International Airport opened just six years ago, and it still looks spotless. The airport is frequently rated as one of the best airports in the world.

First impressions

Al Mourjan Business Lounge is located between A and B gates above the shops in the departure area. To get to the lounge, take the escalator to level 3 above the security check in the transfer area. Your boarding card is checked for eligibility to access the lounge at the bottom of the escalator. You are then checked in at the reception desk outside the lounge.

The lounge is open to business and first class travelers with Qatar Airways or a oneworld member airline, but if you are in Doha, you most likely got here by Qatar Airways. Your frequent flyer card will not get you in here, regardless of membership tier. Oneworld elite member traveling in economy class will have to make do with the regular business class and first class lounges.

You can’t help but be impressed when you enter the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. With more than 100,000 square feet of floor this is biggest airport lounge I’ve ever seen with a good margin. It’s probably also the most stunning lounge I’ve ever seen. The design and the quality of furniture and finishes with marble surfaces, glass and dark wood gives an immediate sense of luxury. Still, it feels modern and not too flashy.

Seating for more than 1,000 guests

The main floor area alone is equivalent to ten Olympic swimming pools. The entire lounge has enough seating to accommodate more than 1,000 guests. The dimensions of this lounge are hard to describe, you just have to experience it yourself.

To the right as you enter is a small “pond”. Small fountains periodically emit a small spray of water which creates rings on the surface. The gentle sound of water helps to give the lounge a relaxed atmosphere. In this area you will also find private recliners where you can relax. There is also smoking lounge on the opposite side of the pond.

Various types of comfortable seating is scattered around the open area of the main floor. For families or groups traveling together, there also seating units the offer more privacy. Most seat have a power outlet and a small monitor that displays airport and flight information.

The main floor also has a separate business center with additional seating, recliner cubicles, desks, workstations and a meeting room.

Family rooms, quiet rooms and showers

For longer layovers, the Al Mourjan Business Lounge also offers a quiet area with private alcoves. The alcoves are furnished with a comfortable sofa, recliner and a TV. Perfect if you feel like taking a nap or just want some private space between your flights. Here you can also have a shower in the nice and clean shower rooms. Be aware that there may be a waiting list for showers and alcoves during the peak hours, so be sure to book a slot as soon as you get there.

Qatar Airways has acknowledged that business class travel is no longer just for business travelers. The Al Mourjan Business Lounge offers great facilities for families with family rooms, nursing rooms, changing rooms and playrooms that will keep children (and adults) occupied for hours.

Dining

The Al Mourjan Business Lounge offers two dining options.

On the second level, above the pond and the amazing chandelier, you will find the buffet restaurant. The bar at the center of the restaurant offers a decent selection of wines, beer and cocktails, as well as brut and rose champagne. The wine selection is similar to what is offered on Qatar Airways flights in business class, which is not a bad thing at all.

The restaurant has three separate buffets. A vegetarian buffet, a buffet that also offers meat and seafood and dessert buffet (highly recommended). The quality of the food is good, and you should have no problem finding something you like here. Especially if you enjoy Middle Eastern food. Although there is plenty of seating in the main room of the restaurant, it can be crowded during peak hours. The restaurant also has a large family section with even more seating and VIP room for specially invited guests.

In the other end of the lounge there is a slightly smaller a la carte deli serving sandwiches and other small dishes. The restaurant is surprisingly quiet despite it’s high ceilings, and one of the highlights of the lounge in my opinion. The soundproofing towards the large open area outside is really impressive.

The evening menu was served in both restaurants during our stay. Breakfast starts at 3.30 am and lasts until 11am. There are at least 15 employees at work in the restaurants at any one time, up to 25 during peak hours. The menus are changed every 15 days.

Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge

This lounge is arguably the most impressive business class lounge I’ve ever visited. With the stunning architecture and furnishing, great showers, delicious food and well-prepared drinks, the lounge itself is a destination when traveling with Qatar Airways. The lounge can be crowded during peaks, but it’s not unbearable.

The post Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge appeared first on InsideFlyer.