airport lounge

Airport Lounge Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, JFK (New York) Terminal 4

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I have found ourselves in JFK’s Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse a few times over the last year. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse quickly became our favorite stop at JFK (when we can get in), so here is a post on the lounge at JFK (in follow up to my posts on the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses at Newark (New Jersey) and Johannesburg (South Africa)).  Located in JFK’s Terminal 4, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is found in the A Gate area, near Gates A4 and A5, on the second floor of the terminal. The entrance is manned with a little checkin desk, and staff really does not like to admit those seeking entry on a card (Capital One, AmEx Platinum, Priority Pass, etc. – the access cards varies frequently). We have found they are much more likely to get in if you are nice to them!  We’ve also asked when it may be open to card holders and if we can come back at that time with success. Once granted access, we simply presented my Capital One X Venture card and our boarding passes and we were in!

Walking into the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK.

Continue reading →

Airport Lounge Review: Salon Vallee De Mai, Mahé (Seychelles) International Airport

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I had a little over an hour to kill in the Mahé airport when flying back from the Seychelles to Abu Dhabi (and eventually to New York). The Salon Vallee De Mai Lounge in the Mahé airport offers complimentary entrance to Priority Pass members, so we went in for an adult beverage. This is my review of the Salon Vallee De Mai lounge (as of November 2022).

The Seychelles just before we left to fly home = (

THE SPACE

The Salon Vallee De Mai lounge is located on the second floor of the Mahé airport, up a short flight of stairs across from the Takamaka Rum bar. The entrance is quite pretty and keeps with the “tropical island” theme, which follows throughout the lounge.  As you will read below, while some areas were lacking in the lounge, the decor was not one of them. From the ceiling to the tables and chairs, I was definitely getting “tropical vacay” vibes – too bad we were leaving!  The check-in lady was lovely and answered all of our questions.  Once inside, the lounge opens up into a large room scattered with tables and chairs spread throughout. The ones on the right side have great plane views!

Continue reading →

Hotel Review: Abu Dhabi Airport Hotel T1 International Departures

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Flying back from the Seychelles last November, Dan and I had an overnight layover in Abu Dhabi. Due to the flight times (arriving around 9:30 PM and leaving the next morning around 10:00 AM), we decided to stay in a hotel near the airport to get some sleep prior to our flight home. Turns out that the Abu Dhabi airport has its own hotel in Terminal 1, so we booked a room there for the night. This is my review of that room and hotel.

Back in the Seychelles. We were sad to leave!

LOCATION OF THE AIRPORT HOTEL

The Abu Dhabi Airport Hotel T1 International Departures hotel is located in Abu Dhabi Terminal 1. It’s easy to find and connected to the Al Dhabi Lounge. Terminal 1 is connected to Terminal 3 and travelers can walk between the two terminals without going through security – easy peasy. The walk takes about 10 minutes, maybe longer with mobility issues.

Dan waiting to get into the lounge next to the hotel. There was a line due to the crowds in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Continue reading →

Dueling Priority Pass Lounges at the Athens, Greece

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

When Dan and I visited Greece last summer, we spent a fair amount of time in Athens’ Schengen terminal, flying from Athens to Rhodes and then from Rhodes to Athens to Milos. For Priority Pass members, the Schengen terminal has two lounge options, neither of which are fantastic: Goldair Handling CIP Lounge and Skyserv Melina Merkouri Lounge. Of the two, I slightly preferred Goldair for drinks and food and Skyserv for the space. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return to either, but for free it was fine to wait out our layovers. This article details our experience in both.

So excited to be back!

Continue reading →

Bonus Lounge Review: American Express Centurion Suite, US Open Tennis Tournament (New York)!

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Monday night I finally got to experience the American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York! It was so much fun and great for American Express Centurion or Platinum card holders. This article shares my experience at the American Express Centurion Suite!

THE LOCATION AND OPEN HOURS

The American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open is located on the second floor of the Louis Armstrong stadium, directly above the Wilson store. You do not need to enter the Louis Armstrong stadium to access the lounge, nor do you need tickets to the Louis Armstrong stadium to access the Centurion Suite, making it convenient for those with tickets to the larger Arthur Ashe stadium. The Centurion Suite is open from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM August 29 – September 7, with the last reservation being around 7:30 PM. Note – if you have evening tickets to the US Open, you cannot access the grounds, and thus the Centurion Suite, until 6:00 PM (meaning you are limited on what reservation you can make).

There she is – the American Express Centurion Suite!

Continue reading →