Are Airport Lounges Worth the Money? Paid Lounges vs Airline Lounges!

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@Halfwayto100 7 ай бұрын

We normally fly from LHR and love the T5B lounge and the Galleries South early morning is lovely and quite quiet too. We were so pleasantly surprised at how good the LGW South lounge was recently. Even though it was quite busy, it was spacious and as you said, well zoned. No trouble finding seats. Must mention the BA Linate lounge which was excellent too. Great video 🥂

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, and you make a good point about time of day, passenger numbers can make a huge difference to how a lounge feels and I think that is the mark of a good lounge, even when it's busy you still feel relaxed in it.

@calebcuthbert2420 4 ай бұрын

At Edinburgh I like the plaza premium lounge. Not bad proper coffee great views of the runway and you can get in with priority pass. Went to the BA lounge recently and was very much underwhelmed considering how many BA flights leave Edinburgh daily

@mygreygapyear 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment and support, I'd agree with you in Edinburgh, I think the BA offering was just soup and sandwiches there, the pancake maker is always a hit next door 😊

@RyandLoz 5 ай бұрын

Hey brother, just came across your channel through on KZbin suggested videos - the recent first class ‘hack’ video. Love your story, so glad you started to see the world instead of what 99% of people would of done following a redundancy - the wrong decision. Congrats on the channel success so far! Hope to bump paths some day, maybe through one of your hack videos, I’ll be on the same first class at a discounted price 🫡

@mygreygapyear 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for your kind comments, be great if we crossed paths, best of luck with your travels.

@robchambers326 2 ай бұрын

Visited the Templehoff lounge in Berlin last weekend, it's a smallish space but has decent seating and a good selection of food and drinks. The wife and I had the mushroom stroganoff which was lovely, for an Englishman it also had decent tea too. For me the best bit is it has its own border control just outside the exit door, literally 5 mins to the C gates. The worst lounge we have visited is the BA/oneworld in Las Vegas, poky, very busy and not great food. The staff were great though.

@mygreygapyear 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment and for sharing your experiences. I haven't had mushroom stroganoff for years, I used to have it quite often many years ago. Ah the nostalgia. I am hoping to get to the USA and to Las Vegas so I'll remember not to arrive to early at the airport.

@red.guevarra 7 ай бұрын

I had a 10-hour (yes, TEN!) connection in Chicago in early April, where I arrived in the morning and onward flight was at night. United offered to add a day pass to my ticket for $40, and being a day pass it included unlimited hopping from one United Club to another at any airport ALL DAY LONG, if I wanted to. Or I could just stay put at their best-rated location at O'Hare Airport, which is Concourse C. Doing the maths on $40, that's at least my breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and dinner buffet for just $13.33 each, and even less if I add brunch and afternoon tea to the equation (at $8.00 per buffet meal). It was then that I decided I no longer needed to pursue Star Alliance status; United and their a la carte add-on's, whether it's lounge access and/or cabin upgrade, are perfect for my occasional needs. POOOKE!!!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment 10 hours is a long time in an airport, especially if they're waking hours. $40 for a lounge day pass is great value. I've got a United round trip booked in later in the year to New York in Premium Economy. I'm hoping to upgrade one leg to Business (ideally the return), but the initial offer was $1,400 per flight, which is a hard no. Do you have any experience with upgrading united flights? Thanks Phil

@Julian-ck6lf 6 ай бұрын

Great video, definitely not snobby at all an airline lounge requiring business or status will always be a nicer experience, and as you say there can be some great offerings in the main terminal, love caviar house alway make a beeline if available pricey of course but travelling should be enjoyable! 😊

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I tried caviar for the first time the other day, loved it, and I might try Caviar House next time I'm there.

@jimmyjames6492 6 ай бұрын

Airline lounges are definitely worth it IMO. Some are better than others but overall worth the annual fee of a credit card for entry. Thanks for the info + video!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment, I agree that if you have it as part of a credit card or other annual fee then it can be worth it, certainly I have a priority pass with my credit card.

@gb46phk 7 ай бұрын

Best lounges I’ve been to are Cathay, Qantas & Qatar in a number of places. HKG, SIN & LHR T3. BA CCR in T5 probably the best.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Totally agree on Qantas and Qatar lounges. They really do go the extra mile, I hope they properly spank BA (on price) when I go into them. Will experience my first Cathay lounge in a week or two, can't wait. Thanks Phil

@andywalsh8761 7 ай бұрын

Great video, Phil and I really enjoy all your content! Have to disagree with your view of the BA Lounge at LGW (based on one visit in October '23). It was rammed with people, determined to get their money's worth. B Gates at LHR T5 is a way, way better experience (based on multiple visits). I've held a Priority Pass with Amex Platinum for about 15 years and it's pretty galling how the value it provides is diminishing. As a solo flyer, it works reasonably well but with the family of 4, it's pretty much useless in any UK airport unless you pay a supplement to pre-book. Side note - Priority Pass Lounge in Madrid (MAD) Spain is absolutely superb. Has an outside terrace with sun loungers overlooking the apron!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments, I am hearing lots of issues with getting access to paid lounges, particularly at peak times, and to charge for booking to use the product you've already paid for is a joke. Am now looking forward to trying out the lounges at the lounge in MAD on an upcoming trip. Thanks Phil

@shinydoc 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Phil, really love your videos. I have a real hobby horse when it comes to lounges! Unfortunately, I have yet to try Airline lounges, but I do have a subscription to paid lounges. What I really object to, and it seems to only affect UK, is that if you don’t pay to book, you regularly cannot get in! It’s like having a gym membership and then having to pay every time you want to use the gym!! I have complained to No1 Lounges many, many times and suggested they implement a fee, refundable if you turn up or cancel in a sensible time. It always falls on deaf ears as they make more money from people paying the full fee and keeping those that have a membership away!! I have been in the Heathrow T5 No1/Club Aspire Lounge many times and was faced with cold food that was supposed to be hot. I was given a Bailey’s and Ice and I had to ask again, please can I have some Bailey’s with my ice, and that was after having to wait 15mins for the bartender to arrive! Just given up complaining to No1 now, they're just not interested My experience with membership/paid lounges abroad could not be different and I have usually been very happy in comparison. I think it’s like everything else, us Brits just get taken for a ride every time!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments, I think the gym membership is an excellent analogy, because gyms would reach capacity if about 10% of members all arrived at the same time. And that is the issue with the lounges in the UK, and their solution is to charge a £5 booking fee. Which is crazy in my view.

@JettTyler17 6 ай бұрын

I love the BA Galleries Lounges at London Heathrow & Gatwick. The Edinburgh & Glasgow ones are nice enough from my visits. With the Gatwick No.1 Lounge (South Terminal at least) you can enter for as little as £28 (for 2 hours) if you pay for that with priority security from a podium on the day, it does go up slightly for 3 & 4 hours, but a long enough stay can make it worth while.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience Jett, very much appreciated as always.

@richardstreet7518 7 ай бұрын

Great vlog. I like the BA lounge in Edinburgh- particularly the range of single malts!! Usually get pies after probably 4.30. I rarely bother with paid lounges... just go to pret and sneak off to a hidey hole somewhere. If you have time the T3 lounge shuffle is fun!! Qantas and Cathay particularly...

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I'm looking forward to the day when I finally get to do the terminal 3 "lounge crawl". I think I need some rules to make the video interesting though, like must drink 1 glass of champagne in each one... Thoughts? I agree with you on the Qantas lounges, about to try my first Cathay lounge in a couple of weeks in Hong Kong. Thanks Phil

@timlewistcf 7 ай бұрын

The reason I ended up going down the BA Status rabbit hole (first finding Matt's Planet's channel and then you) was because I actually paid for the full Priority Pass subscription not long before Covid and found it to be generally a total waste of money. In the US especially the lounges you can access are very often full or unavailable. The T5 priority pass lounge I went to was so busy I had to perch somewhere to eat the food from the buffet as there were no seats available. While BA lounges can be busy they are never THAT busy... I have been told by someone I know who lived in Bali that Priority Pass lounges work really well in Asia though, so it might be just a US/UK thing but having Oneworld status with access to lounges is much better value. While it's a larger investment than paying £377 for an annual priority pass membership you can earn it by flying to places you were going to go anyway, in probably a higher class of travel for between £1000-£1600 including all the pleasure of a business class flight and potentially get 2 years of lounge access.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments Tim, I have a priority pass which has given me some kind of access in every airport I've been to although I haven't tried Heathrow T5 or the US yet. I did go into 2 lounges (both paid/independent lounges) in Bali and they were both upstairs and very hot. I had access to one as a Oneworld Emerald, flying with Qantas, and the other was on the priority pass, the priority pass lounge was the better lounge. Thanks Phil

@peterbrown6224 6 ай бұрын

Some smaller airline lounges are so disappointing that you should eat before setting off to the airport. FRA in T2, for example. Knowing this in advance makes all the difference. You can't go past the flagship lounges like CCR/HKG/SIN/SYD/HEL etc.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Definitely knowing if the airline has a lounge or if it's using a paid lounge in replacement, is an advantage. Oneworld hubs are definitely the best, Heathrow (obviously) and I've been in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur. Flying out of Hong Kong on Monday #excited!

@katecampbell6847 6 ай бұрын

Loving your videos, Phil. After a number of years with BA silver status I’m not going to retain it next year as I don’t fly enough - but I collect a lot of Avios flying home to the UK from the US as well as spending on my BA Visa (Amex/BA only for UK market) so will knock off club flights with avois and companion voucher etc and get the lounge through that. Sorted! Oh and I love the Edinburgh lounge too but shame about the car park views 😂

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind comments, it means so much, I'm also glad you like the view from the Edinburgh Lounge. I did hear one lady say with surprise that she could see her car! (I parked in long stay, so I couldn't see my trusty astra) Thanks Phil

@jamieopulence 7 ай бұрын

My experience of lounges in general is not so good in busy airports like Heathrow, JFK etc. I lost count how many laps of BA Heathrow Terminal 5 looking for a seat. I much prefer to find a closed gate with no passengers and plop myself on a bench and watch some youtube vids while waiting for my boarding time. Some lounges like Jeddah and Bangkok, have been amazing. Hit and miss for me

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, much appreciated.

@alanwheeler3696 7 ай бұрын

I’ll throw in my favourite budget paid lounge. It’s the EasyJet lounge at Gatwick. Ok I was there virtually at its opening but was there about 90 minutes and it remained pretty quiet. For for not much over £20 per person I felt it was great value. Still had some self serve alcohol and food was reasonable.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I had no idea EasyJet had its own lounge, that I have to try.

@oliverbatt3559 7 ай бұрын

Another excellent video, Phil. I've never paid (well, at least not yet) for lounge access, so I can't personally compare the airline lounges to their non-airline competitors. I've generally found the airline / status lounges I've used to be good. The only lounge I've found disappointing was not technically an airline / status lounge, but the airlines had a deal with it to allow business-class passengers to access it and that was the Pearl Lounge in departures at Marrakesh. The decor felt cheap rather than premium and this combined with the cluttered feel to the place let the ambience down. The food and drinks options were also very basic. I've no idea if the other Pearl Assist lounges are in the same mould or if this is just an unloved lounge at what they consider something of a backwater airport. Re. Bombay Sapphire gin. It's a popular gin that I think could be placed at the mid-market level but, personally, I can't stand it - I find its aftertaste unpleasant. And whilst my go-to gin is Hendrick's, I would much prefer something from the cheap end of the market (like Gordon's) over Bombay Sapphire. In fact, despite a G&T being my drink of choice, I would have something completely different if Bombay was all that was on offer as the gin. It's not even the taste of spices I dislike as I'm a big fan of Opihr. If I was stocking a bar with a few different gins, I would include Bombay Sapphire to cater to its following, but it would not be my choice if I could only place one gin on the counter.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your kind comments Oliver, much appreciated. I've been to a lounge in Marrakesh (very possibly the Pearl) and it was exactly as you describe with poor food choices, which is a shame as the airport is actually a rather nice space as I recall. Re Gin: I've arrived at Vodka tonic as a refreshing dry drink quite late in life and I want to get into gin but every time I try it in a lounge I end up not drinking it. A bottle of Hendriks and some Fever Tree tonic it is! If I still don't like it then I know that I am not going to get into gin 😀 Thanks Phil

@oliverbatt3559 6 ай бұрын

@@mygreygapyear Yes, I agree with your view of Marrakesh airport. Good luck on the G&T. Report back to let us know how you get on!

@DPWestMids-u3c 7 ай бұрын

Port + Stilton = Food of the Gods + less “Riff-Raff” = airline lounges every time Nice report Phil. David.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your kind comments David, I love stilton and port but seem to only buy it for myself at Christmas. I once worked for a chef who insisted we all addressed the stilton correctly as "Stilton, King of Cheeses!".

@zeldacarr6320 7 ай бұрын

I prefer airline lounges, the first class Qantas lounge in Sydney is amazing! I have used paid lounges in some of the smaller European airports using my One World status and know that I would have been very disappointed if I had paid for them! Great vlog!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your kind comments and for sharing your views. I agree with you, the Oneworld lounges in European airports that I've visited offered poor value. Thanks and welcome, Phil

@TravelSignal 6 ай бұрын

Nice overview. I have a Dragon pass as part of my credit card, which gives half price paid entry. But I'm not sure even then I'd get my money's worth. Maybe a couple of G&Ts, but that's it! No status currently but I've flown C a few times and my favourite Oneworld lounge has to be Sala Velasquez in Madrid. I did have Star Gold for a while, and the Swiss Gold lounge at Geneva was ok, but really not much different from the Silver.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comments, I've had someone else tell me that the priority pass lounge in Madrid has sun loungers on a terrace, Madrid really is a mecca for a lounge crawl maybe this year 😀

@TravelSignal 6 ай бұрын

@@mygreygapyear I'm not sure where the PP lounge is, but Velasquez is in the T4 satellite (where BA fly from ;) ) Madrid is great for short widebodies, the IB A350 (and occasional BA 777) to London, as well as the now ceased Latam 5th freedom to Frankfurt.

@ukdavepianoman 7 ай бұрын

Very interesting review. 3-2 AET is quite close and your review does raise interesting questions. I guess for people who don't travel much, paid lounges is a good option. For frequent flyers I'd say the airline lounges are preferable. I've only used 2-3 paid lounges and they were ok; small, busy but at least we got in. Nothing beats the quality of Cathay Pacific/Qantas business lounges at the major hubs....but I've also been in OneWorld lounges in Europe which are very ordinary. Funny comment about the "goooorgeous view of the car park" at Edinburgh!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment and your support Dave, someone who shares my sense of humour. I am getting lots of thumbs up for the Cathay and Qantas lounges and I agree with you about poor Oneworld lounges in Europe, the rules seems to be not to arrive to early at the airport. Thanks Phil

@NatalieBudgets 6 ай бұрын

Definitely would say Gatwick beats Heathrow for Lounges. I managed to squeak into the South First Lounge (I was exceedingly tired after a horrific day of delays and changes of airports due to a storm so they felt sorry for me!!) The lounge is really lovely, but what made it was the very delightful and helpful staff! T5 main Business Lounges are becoming so overcrowded these days, so ifyou have time, get down to the B Gates lounge which can be quieter!

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the tip with the B gate lounge in terminal 5, I tried it the other day and it was quieter. I was flying from the B gates (fortunately) but I didn't realise that if you are flying from the A gates and you're in the B lounge then you have to walk back through the tunnel. Something I want to do one day, Thanks again, Phil

@Stephen-Steven-Stephens 5 ай бұрын

Fly PE and pay for the lounge is the way to go for me on a budget..

@mygreygapyear 5 ай бұрын

Great tip, PE had a slow start with lots of reviewers bagging it, but it's taken off now.

@dscott8799 7 ай бұрын

To me lounge access isn't that important though I do enjoy the shower facilities at the Cathay lounge at LHR. For me status is more about getting that coveted upgrade and priority check-in/boarding.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, much appreciated, I do love a cheeky upgrade.

@scottstravel6179 7 ай бұрын

I personally have never paid for a lounge, and to be honest, probably wouldn't fork out £30-£40 for 2-3 hours and a bit of basic food and a Coke or two. Easier to pop to Boots or somewhere for a £4.50 meal deal ;) Was at an Admiral's Club in Chicago and I'm sure they quoted a gentleman $79.99 for entry (not sure if Flagship or the general lounge) - I would be wanting to down my body weight in champagne at the very least for that amount! Did visit LHR T5A Galleries South yesterday, and whilst crowded, but not to the point where seats weren't available, I thought the food offerings in there were pretty good. Had pie, mash and some thick "80's school style" gravy from a metal jug, which hit the spot. Followed up with a decent slice of fruit cake. Some Indian bits and pieces appeared later which were very nice.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, much appreciated. Although I access the paid lounges with a priority pass I do tend to agree with you that £30 is poor value and $80 is crazy. I was in the T5A South Business and T5B lounge on the 28th filming. The T5A ran out of carrot cake to the disgust of one passenger 😀, which I'd got that interaction on video.

@Joe-lb8qn 3 ай бұрын

Coming late to this but I think you are spot on, i wsa in LA earlier this year with a couple hours to kill before my >>business class

@nezbrun872 6 ай бұрын

JAL Lounges top tip: always go for the Japanese Curry. You can thank me later! Amex Centurion lounges: all overrated IMO, and all too often overcrowded, but at least I can get a Last Word cocktail at the one in Heathrow T3, the only airline lounge I've ever found in the world with the ingredients to do so.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment and the tip on the Japanese curry, don't think I'll rush back to Frankfurt to try it, but it's another experience to add to the list. Thanks Phil

@matthewmulholland5586 5 ай бұрын

Should try Belfast......it's terrible

@mygreygapyear 5 ай бұрын

I'm sure I will one day

@richhoward3305 7 ай бұрын

I did the plaza premium at Edinburgh and it had amazing airport apron reviews. Heathrow T3 has loads of lounges Cathy is amazing .. Qantas is great.. The concord and T5 is lovely N1 at Birmingham is awful Belfast Aspire is great and just remodelled..

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Rich, I haven't flown out of Heathrow Terminal 3 yet but I am looking forward to doing the classic "Lounge Crawl" when I do. I agree with you about Qantas, I've had good experiences in their lounges.

@morgy1916 6 ай бұрын

Good video

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, hope you found it useful.

@boy01boy 3 ай бұрын

Hi, I'm booking my first ever business class flight from LGW or Heathrow to India. All the food, drinks and facilities... are they included as part of your ticket price or are they extra on top of your ticket expense ?

@Joe-lb8qn 3 ай бұрын

All included.

@mygreygapyear 3 ай бұрын

@boy01boy Joe is correct, thank you @Joe-lb8qn for replying, appreciated.

@paullewis2413 6 ай бұрын

My usual long haul departs from LHR T4 and they have a Plaza Premium Lounge which is quite pathetic. That appears to be the only option. However because I fly Business I don’t need to get to the airport hours before departure (T4 not as busy as T3) so won’t be using this sub standard lounge again.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I found the plaza lounge to be "ok" (instant coffee not withstanding) but I wouldn't pay cash to go in. Before I started down the points and status game , in Terminal 4, I used to sit in Carluccio's. It was always quiet and we'd both have a drink and meal and while away the couple of hours in comfort.

@dexadrinepancake 6 ай бұрын

The worst airline lounge I have visited was the Air France in Buenos Aires. I think it has closed down which is no loss to anyone. There are several pay lounges used by airlines which have been way below expectations including that used by PAL while MNL is being refurbished and an abominable pit at SCL.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the warnings, I almost want a visit to Santiago now just to see this lounge :). It really can't be worse than the "lounge" in Catania.

@BT-qr1yb 7 ай бұрын

Useful, thanks.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

You're very welcome 😀

@charliebrown5 7 ай бұрын

Thank You ✈️

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

You're welcome Charlie, my pleasure

@calumcaxy 7 ай бұрын

Hi, great video again. Dewer's is terrible, best to avoid :)

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your kind comment and advice about Dewer's.

@HaiderAlDelfi 7 ай бұрын

“Hi I am Phil and I am one hot bear 🥰”

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

😂😂😂 It's quite the ego trip reading your comments each week.

@HaiderAlDelfi 6 ай бұрын

@@mygreygapyear well you deserve every compliment ☺️

@yellowa4725 7 ай бұрын

Now that companies are giving away lounge access when you book a holiday paid lounges are going to become over subscribed. Obviously that's good for the lounge companies, but it'll put others off.

@mygreygapyear 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I agree, I was tempted to show a clip in this video of the lad on holiday with his parents with a rubber ring around his waist piling food onto his plate to demonstrate my "riff raff" point. Sharing a lounge with that family would remove the calm that I like in a lounge.