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Airline lounge standards improve as competition increases and Qatar Airways set to create new Quality benchmark
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It is generally accepted that one of the worst elements of air travel today is the airport "experience",
and in many respects what was once a battle for supremacy of the skies as airlines sought to attract
passengers has turned into more tactical movements and changes being directed at the ground experience.
At the front end of the aircraft, these changes have largely been targeted at First and Business class
passengers. Complementary chauffeur services to and from the airport, exclusive, segregated check-in
facilities, fast-track immigration and security clearance, priority boarding and deplaning, faster
baggage clearance - oh, and of course the airline lounge facilities.
Gone are the days when an airline lounge could offer a self-serve beverage counter, some newspapers,
peanuts and packeted biscuits. At least amongst the worlds' leading airlines that is a situation where
quality standards have moved a long way in recent years.
Cathay Pacific took advantage of it's move to the new Hong Kong Int'l Airport in 1998 to create First and Business
class lounge standards that were to become the quality benchmark of the time - their lounge The Wing being the
recipient of many Awards in the past 8 years.
As with any industry, the competition looked on with envy for some time before creating lounge facilities that not
only rivalled Cathay Pacific, but took quality leadership one step further.
British Airways installed Molton Brown spa facilities in their London Heathrow and New York lounges -
Emirates extended
and improved facilities in their Dubai Int'l Airport lounges, together with an ambitious programme of opening their own
lounge facilities across their key network airports - Virgin Atlantic opened their new Clubhouse facility at London's Heathrow
airport offering a spa pool, a multiscreen style cinema and a hair salon.
Gulf Air opened a top quality First / Business class lounge facility at its home base in Bahrain. In Asia,
Malaysia Airlines
used the opportunity of its move to the new KLIA Airport to create luxury lounge facilities, as did
Asiana Airlines at the new
Seoul Incheon Airport - the spur of a new airport enabling new standards to be established.
Most recently, Thai Airways move into the new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport has enabled the airline to create luxurious new First
and Business class lounges, together with much improved Premium check in facilities.
"Each of these airline lounges has sought to capitalise on a specific strength of the airline" said Edward Plaisted of Skytrax.
"From luxury shower and washroom facilities, through to self-contained bedrooms, these airlines have sought to make the airport
experience more comfortable. In-lounge dining has moved on from self-serve sandwiches, and customers can in many cases enjoy a full
4 course meal before they board their flight".
"Lufthansa set new benchmarks when they opened their exclusive First Class terminal in Frankfurt, and whilst the service may have some
shortcomings, this does represent a considerable improvement to their final product quality" added Plaisted.
"South African Airways is another airline that has concentrated much effort on lounge service improvement in recent years, and is now
amongst the top 5 worldwide for total quality of product and service delivered in their lounges at Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Qatar Airways set to create new benchmark in Airport service for Premium customers
With their new US$90 million Premium Terminal at Doha Int'l Airport set to open in less than 2 weeks,
Qatar Airways "is set to create an entirely
new quality benchmark for First and Business class passenger service in the airport environment" said Edward Plaisted of Skytrax.
A self-contained 2 storey building, the whole concept is designed to emulate a quality level that is reminiscent of a 5 Star hotel
rather than an airport terminal - "applicable however for a 5 Star airline!" added Plaisted.
"Over the years we have witnessed and evaluated standards of hundreds of airline lounges around the world, but never seen such a
well planned and luxurious lounge facility. Every possible amenity and service that a customer could want is available in this
Premium terminal, and with their emphasis upon service excellence, this is clearly going to be the world's leading lounge
experience."
The Premium terminal facilities include:
Self-service check-in kiosks for passengers with hand baggage
Dedicated e-gates to speed up immigration formalities
Separate First and Business Class check-in lounge facilities
Dedicated First and Business Class lounges, each with their own dining areas
Dedicated Duty-free shopping area of 1,000sq metres
Spa, jacuzzi and sauna facilities
Massage treatments
Shower and wash rooms
Private bedrooms for transit passengers
Children's play area and nursery
Conference room and meeting rooms
Business centre with secretarial services
Free Internet access stations and full lounge WiFi service
Prayer rooms for men and women
Medical centre
Five exclusive boarding gates
An integral part of the design is an atrium and water feature in the centre of the building
16th November 2006
Press and Media enquiries should be directed to:
Mr Peter Miller
Director Marketing - SKYTRAX
Email : miller@airlinequality.com
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