RTW Roundup: Best of airline lounge eats
Best variety: Air New Zealand Koru Clubs
I visited more Koru Clubs than any other lounge (5 in total), and each one had its own menu. Not only that, the larger lounges had an ever-changing menu of items. You could be sitting in the lounge for an hour and a half over lunch time, and the buffet spread would change two or three times!
AKL: (left) potato fritata and salad, iced cafe latte prepared by a dedicated barista, blueberry muffin. After the lounge attendant announced that my flight was delayed, I tried the brandied panna cotta with port wine figs (top right), and when my flight was further delayed I tried the pumpkin soup with croutons, and sundried tomato pasta salad (bottom right).
SYD: (right) loved the pancake making machine! (left) In addition to pancakes, scrambled eggs on toast, roasted tomatoes, and a variety of desserts were available for breakfast, like the mocha cream parfait. Also had a glass of vitamin juice.
Most gourmet: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounges
Even in the smallest lounges, SilverKris Lounges always have a great selection of "real food" that never fail to surprise and delight.
BKK (left), assemble-your-own Hainan chicken rice, pumpkin in coconut soup dessert, and coconut water from a real young coconut. SIN (right), cold soba, wintermelon and pork soup, and clear dessert soup with jelly cubes.
Best hors d'oeuvres: Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounges
In addition to the plates of fruit on offer, the Royal Silk lounges had plate after plate of small finger food, often quite indulgent.
BKK serving area (left), (right, counterclockwise from left): spinach pie, stirfried noodles, deep fried toast with minced chicken, green tea bun stuffed with red bean paste, mushroom quiche.
Most abundant spread: United Airlines Red Carpet Club (GRU)
I visited the Red Carpet Club in Sao Paulo (GRU) after arriving from the US around 9am, so I was practically the only passenger in the lounge since the outbound flights weren't departing until 9pm at the earliest. Yet there was still this huge spread, seemingly all for me! Sadly, I predict that when TAM enters the Star Alliance this fall, this Red Carpet Club will close in favor of consolidating with the TAM lounge.
(left) The untouched buffet line. (right) toast in a package, omelette square, papaya slice, peppered ham, guava, kiwi, triple decker sandwich, cookie, tomato, lettuce, cheese sandwich, roll filled with cheese and mushroom. Not shown is this awesome coconut cake.
Best for all passengers: Bangkok Airways Boutique Lounges
The Boutique Lounges are unique in the industry because they're actually open to economy class passengers, for free! And yet the food is still better than what you'll find in the membership-only domestic lounges in the US.
On this visit to the BKK lounge, chicken salad tea sandwiches, pineapple danish, brownies, and popcorn were on offer. There are also a machines that dispense iced tea and coffee.
Widest variety of baked goods: Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge (IST)
Turkish people love their carbs. In addition to "real" dinner food like roast turkey, there were more bread, crackers, and cookies than you could eat in a week.
(Left, clockwise from top left): herbed bun filled with cheese and turkey, brown roll filled with cheese, orange and apple juice, cherry juice, tomato soup, turnover pastry, twisted bread stick, braised mushrooms, roast turkey.
The Rest
- United Airlines Red Carpet Clubs in the US: the food selection seems to be improving vs. previous visits, but it's still mainly crudite, cheese, crackers, and cookies.
- South African Airways Baobab Lounges: A great selection of fruit juices, but other than packaged muffins and cookies, you had to ask at the counter for a white bread sandwich.
