Five airline lounge trends we hope to see in 2024

As we emerge into 2024 and airlines continue their post-pandemic growth with record profits seen by many, the race to invest into the passenger experience begins. While cabin programs can take several years to manifest, the quickest and easiest way to win over market share for the lucrative business class segment, is to reimagine the…

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New bar concept ‘Intervals’ in Hong Kong by Plaza Premium challenges existing lounge offerings

If you’ve travelled through Hong Kong recently, you might have stumbled across a new bar situated atop of the Sky Bridge connecting HKIA’s satellite terminal. Dubbed ‘Intervals’ It’s Plaza Premium Group’s new bar offering, is set to offer “a remarkable culinary journey,” states the press release. “Passengers passing through Hong Kong can now indulge in…

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Etihad gives sneak peek of upgraded new lounge offering in Abu Dhabi’s Terminal A

Etihad Airways has just given a sneak peek of its new flagship premium lounges at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s much awaited “Terminal A”. Etihad inaugurated the new terminal on October 31st with a special one off flight before introducing a full transition to the Terminal which should be complete by the 14th November. Etihad’s impressive new…

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Brussels Airlines new ‘African’ Sunrise Lounge in Brussels Airport is a quietly elegant addition

As from today, Brussels Airlines’ long-haul business class passengers travelling to Sub-Saharan Africa can enjoy a fully renovated Sunrise Lounge in the T-zone of Brussels Airport. With, among others, more seating, more sleeping comfort and a larger variety of quality food and drinks, the Belgian home carrier has responded to some of the apparent needs…

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Air France continues to elevate ground product with new SFO lounge

Air France has continued its lounge renovation programme with a brand new lounge located at gate A of the international terminal at San Francisco airport, in the United States. The upgrade isn’t just skin deep though; the lounge is larger, with new spaces and more services, including a new dining offering to keep passengers fed…

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ITA Airways unveils ‘The Hangar’, its third new lounge in Rome

Last week saw ITA Airways inaugurate its brand new Hangar Lounge. The lounge has been designed to put Italy front and centre, acting as an ‘ambassador of Italian excellence in the world’ working with some of Italy’s most iconic brands. Entirely ‘Made in Italy’, the Hangar has been designed by the branding agency Robilant Associati…

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SWISS redesigns and reopens Non-Schengen lounge in Zurich’s D gates

On the coattails of the latest interior refresh for the European carrier, SWISS has just reopened its Non-Schengen Lounge in Zurich Airport’s Terminal D. Extending over 650 square metres, the fully refurbished lounge offers travellers a comfortable retreat with appealing views of the airport’s apron activity and the Alps beyond. The additional lounge will be…

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United opens new Club lounge in Chicago

As the first in a series of United Club locations to open in 2023, United has officially opened its new United Club lounge in Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 1, close to gate C10. Not to be confused with United’s Polaris lounges, the Club lounge is home to a range of new additions designed to elevate the…

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Plaza Premium lounge opens in Orlando’s New Terminal C

Plaza Premium might be new to the US, but that doesn’t mean it is coming to the market tentatively. The group’s brand new Plaza Premium Lounge at Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a flagship product in virtually every regard, from space, design through to the range of facilities on offer. The state-of-the-art Plaza Premium Lounge,…

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Air France continues to refresh lounge footprint with brand new Munich space

Last week saw Air France unveil its fully redesigned lounge in Terminal 1 at Munich-Franz Josef Strauss international airport in Germany. While other airlines have been closing their ground products across the globe, Air France is one of the few carriers bucking the trend with upgraded and refreshed spaces. Dedicated to Air France, KLM and…

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Delta’s Terminal 3 ‘Sky Way’ at LAX including new Sky Club is now open

A staggering 18 months ahead of schedule, the doors to the ‘Delta Sky Way’ at LAX is now open to customers. And when LAX customers visit the new Delta terminal, they’ll have more than just a streamlined check-in experience and new designer facilities to look forward to. The new Delta Sky Club at LAX, located on the…

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Stepping through the door. What Virgin Australia’s new invitation-only ‘Beyond’ lounge has to offer

The new incarnation of Virgin Australia has continued its previous tradition of offering a very special lounge to its most prestigious guests. Today saw the curtain lift on the airline’s long-awaited invitation-only private ‘Beyond Lounges’ in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, reserved for corporate partners, some high-status Velocity Frequent Flyer members and key opinion leaders throughout…

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LATAM further elevates ground product in Santiago, Chile

LATAM took a fairly surprising (and welcome) decision to completely revamp its still fairly modern signature ground product in Santiago de Chile, which only opened back in 2015. The brand-new LATAM Lounge has just opened its doors for its preferred passengers and LATAM’s partner airline members, including while waiting for their flight. The new space,…

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Take a flight before you fly – with Turkish Airlines

If you’ve been in Turkish Airlines‘ business class lounge in Istanbul over the past few days, then you might be forgiven for thinking that Batman had parked one of is many vehicles in the lounge. However, this futuristic new machine, dubbed ‘Hezarfen’ is actually a flight simulator with a difference. Combining modern technology with inspiration…

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Plaza Premium opens two new lounges in Toronto Pearson International Airport

Plaza Premium has continued its expansion in The Americas with two new lounges, open in Toronto’s main International Airport, YYZ. As well as a pre-departures ‘Concept’ lounge, situated in Terminal 1, the pay-for lounge company has created an impressive new Landmark lounge in the departures area of Terminal 3. The Concept lounge offers a convenient…

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Virgin Australia reveals updated Melbourne lounge

It’s been a pretty big day for Australia, with international borders opened, Qantas starting the relaunch of its international network and also the day domestically Victoria-New South Wales borders have re-opened. To celebrate, rival Virgin Australia has given us a look at what its refurbished Melbourne Lounge will look like and unveiled a new and…

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American Express opens new Centurion Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 3

With today’s announcement, American Express opens yet another Centurion Lounge this year, at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Located in Terminal 3. This will be the brand’s first Centurion Lounge in Europe but American Express’ third Centurion Lounge to open this year. It’s no small lounge either. Spanning over 7,000 square feet (650 square meters), the…

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Plaza Premium expands footprint in UK by taking over Virgin Atlantic’s Gatwick lounge

It might look familiar, but that’s for good reason. Plaza Premium Group has just opened its latest lounge at London Gatwick Airport, taking over the space that was originally a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. This take-over reinforces the Group’s strategic presence in the United Kingdom and increases its foothold across the rest of Europe to six…

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Air France opens Jouin Manku designed lounge for CDG’s Schengen travellers

Air France has just opened an exciting new lounge space dedicated to Business Class travellers and Flying Blue Elite Plus members travelling through the airline’s short and medium-haul Schengen network. It’s no small affair, as this lounge is one of the airline’s largest, with a surface area of no less than 3,000 sq. m. catering to 570 seats…

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Air France unveils brand new lounge at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport

Today saw the opening of the fully redesigned Air France lounge at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. In association with the Plaza Premium Group, the airline now offers its Business and Flying Blue Elite Plus customers a large, elegant and welcoming space, in an iteration of the new ground product design for Air France.…

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Delta opens new Sky Club in Fort Lauderdale, one of the first to re-introduce hot food options

Today marks the opening of Delta’s brand new Delta Sky Club situated in Terminal 2 of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It is part of a multi-year multi-million dollar renovation project at the airport. The space is clearly designed for a post-COVID world, with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows with runway views, thoughtful interior touches and artwork from…

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British Airways swaps spas for sleep pods, but was it the right decision?

British Airways recently announced the retirement of its Elemis spas, one of the crowning unique features of their Heathrow lounges. Taking their place and replacing the older business centres – in a bid to offer something to passengers – is the new ’Forty Winks’ nap lounge, featuring power nap sleep pods. The new pods are…

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Virgin Australia launches new Adelaide Lounge with new brand image

The aviation landscape in Australia may have shifted quite dramatically over the past few months, with new regional entrant Rex looking to take on Qantas on the main Melbourne – Sydney shuttle route and Virgin Australia re-emerging as a mid market carrier, and there’s even talk that Qantas isn’t taking project Sunrise off the table…

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Gulf Air moves home to its brand new terminal in Bahrain, with new ground experience

Gulf Air today moved its operations to the brand new terminal in Bahrain’s International Airport in Manama. The new terminal couldn’t be more different than its predecessor, as it is awash with light thanks to its huge picture windows and high ceilings. With the new terminal, comes new ground experiences for passengers, including brand new…

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Sky-high ambitions. Will airport roofs see greater utilisation post-Covid?

Throughout 2020, we’ve seen the great efforts airlines have made to quickly adapt the passenger experience from check-in all the way through to onboard. However, airports across the world have also had to play a part in enhancing social distancing and help space out the flow of passengers throughout terminals and gate areas. Luckily, both…

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WestJet opens new ‘Elevation’ lounge in Calgary. A Flagship lounge aimed at cementing the airline’s design credentials

WestJet might not be the first brand that comes to mind when announcing a new Flagship lounge considering its half-dozen fleet of long-haul aircraft. But the airline is certainly looking to craft a niche for itself as the airline of choice for Canadian travellers. Dubbed ‘Elevation’, WestJet’s new lounge in Calgary spans more than 9,300…

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Sharjah receives new Premium Lounge, brought to life by JPA Design

As travel starts to comeback to the UAE, Sharjah’s airport has opened its newly designed Premium Lounge, which will cater to all passengers either with a suitable lounge programme, or by payment on entry. The lounge is just one element in a 4,000 square metre extension. The extensive refurbishment of the lounge features a paired…

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American Express opens 13th lounge in JFK’s Terminal 4

American Express has just opened its new lounge in JFK, and with more than 15,000 square feet behind its doors, the new space is the largest Centurion Lounge yet and the first with two floors to explore. Naturally, because of the current travel climate, it hasn’t opened quite as the designers had originally envisaged it,…

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Delta welcomes first guests in Salt Lake City’s brand new Sky Club

With Salt Lake City International Airport recently opening its latest terminal, Delta – the largest of airlines operating from SLC – has also opened its largest Delta Sky Club with guests able to enjoy the new space from today. Covering just over 28,000 square feet, the new Club celebrates the area’s famous mountainous landscape while…

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Plaza Premium opens very first lounge in the USA, situated in DFW’s E Terminal

Plaza Premium has just opened its latest and first lounge in the US, situated in Dallas Fort Worth. The lounge joins the brand’s meet and greet ‘Allways’ service that has been in operation in Dallas for the past year. While it’s the first in the USA, it’s the brand’s 18th lounge in the Americas, joining…

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