As 2022 draws to a close, it is time for my annual “Top 10” series. Here, I’ll look back on the top 10 airline lounges I visited in 2022.
Note, this is not my all-time “top 10” list, but only my “top 10” list of lounges I visited this year.
10. Air France Lounge 2F Paris (CDG)
I’m not a huge fan of the food and drink offerings in this lounge, but I include it on my top 10 list because I think it is one of the most beautiful lounges in the world. I love the 1960’s design and grand staircase.
> Read More: Air France Lounge 2F Paris Review
9. United Club Fly Lounge Denver (DEN)
United’s new grab-and-go lounge in Denver with barista-made coffee is an excellent innovation for United and a lounge concept I hope we will see in more United hub cities.
> Read More: United Airlines Opens A Practical, Petite, Pleasant New Lounge In Denver
8. SWISS Alpine Lounge
I had one of my best breakfasts of the year in this lounge – I also find it a beautiful space with wood accents and style that represent exactly how I would design a house, if I was starting from scratch.
(Review is coming…)
7. KLM Lounge 52 Amsterdam (AMS)
This is a massive lounge, but a beautiful space with decent food and barista-made coffee. The café upstairs is my favorite part of the lounge and much more quiet than the downstairs during busier hours of the day.
> Read More: KLM Crown Lounge 52 Amsterdam (Intercontinental) Review
6. JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita (NRT)
I spent several hours here prior to my Qatar Airways flight to Doha and loved the atmosphere of the lounge. Sushi is not exactly my thing, but I’m trying…
> Read More: JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita Review [this is an old review – an updated review is coming]
5. Air Canada Café Toronto (YYZ)
I love this concept – high-quality coffee, cold-pressed juices, and fresh-squeezed orange juice in a beautiful setting. United’s Club Fly lounge is great, but this is the gold standard.
> Read More: Air Canada Café Toronto Pearson Review
4. United Airlines Polaris Lounges (LAX, EWR, IAD, ORD, SFO)
I suppose I am cheating here by lumping five lounges into one (I did not visit the Houston lounge this year), but the network of United Polaris lounges never fail to impress and offer a great incentive to fly United AIrlines.
Read all of my Polaris lounge reviews here.
3. Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge Doha (DOH)
I concede that this lounge gets crowded, but I enjoyed a pair of truly delicious meals here this week. The a la carte menu and buffet in this lounge is superb and absolutely worth showing up early for.
> Read More: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge Doha Review
2. Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge Doha (DOH)
Qatar Airways’ first class lounge remains an architectural delight and offers a great menu of food and drink worthy of its first class designation.
> Read More: Qatar Airways First Class “Al Safwa” Lounge Doha Review
1. Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt (FRA)
For many years, this lounge has topped my list, and does so again this year. I love this lounge, the staff here, and look forward to every visit. This year, I was thankful to visit on two occasions. Not only is the food and service great (not to mention the ducks), but I love being driven to my plane.
> Read More: Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt Review
What was your favorite airline lounge in 2022?
No new Delta lounge at LAX?
I did consider it and loved that lounge and the taco bar. My problem: huge crowds on both visits. Always packed. It does receive an honorable mention here.
So are you saying the United Club Fly Lounge Denver (DEN) is nit crowded? I think it all depends on the time of the day you go to each lounge.
Sure, but I was there for three hours and people just came and went – it never got crowded. But I fully stipulate this list is highly subjective.
Admittedly, I tend to feel UA is one step better than a LCC, so I maybe harsher on UA than others.
With that said DL lounges are eons better than the UA Fly Lounge which is gas station quality grab and go.
The sandwich I grabbed was a soggy mess that I ended up throwing away.
I get it you like UA and it is a great concept for a lounge but the execution is very UA which is to say one step above an LCC.
I think the UA Fly Lounge is a great lounge. I spent three hours there a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon, even during the busy flight bank period, and for portions of it I had the lounge totally to myself. Over that period, a lot of people came through, but they came in, grabbed some food, and left. It’s an efficient concept and a great complement to the traditional airline lounge concept.
I do really like the LAX Delta lounge, but the crowds plus the Starbucks Coffee were turnoffs for me – but I realize that (and this entire list) are purely subjective.
No surprises at your number one choice but you really need to get to CDG and the Air France La Premiere lounge, everything about it make Lufthansa Europe’s number two where First is concerned.
FWIW, while I would rate some Qatar lounges highly, I wouldn’t rate the barns at Doha at all, way too big, way too impersonal and naff.
I do love the Air France Lounge and hope to return in 2023:
https://liveandletsfly.com/air-france-la-premiere-first-class-lounge-paris-review/
What happened to QANTAS first class lounge at LAX?
One of my favorites in the wold, but sadly I have not visited it in 2022. I plan to visit many times in 2023. We’ll see..
I personally find the Qantas lounge so overrated at LAX. No planes to see and terrible shower stalls. A meh in my personal book.
My favorite lounge visit in 2023 was to the LH lounge in I think the b gates area at Munich. The lh staff member manning the entrance covered her eyes to let my family of five in lollll.
I think that is a pretty good list. I realize that is only the ones you visited this year, but I would add the LHR and IAD Concorde Rooms. I think the BA lounges in LHR are all pretty good. The LH Senator lounges at FRA and MUC are also good. And I think most of the AF business class lounges at CDG are pretty comparable.
What about the Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul and the Emirates Lounge in Dubai? They lay out amazing feasts and have great service and a wonderful atmosphere. Just my opinion
Love them both but did not visit them this year.
No Turkish Business Lounge IST ?
I didn’t visit it this year (flew into Istanbul twice on Turkish Airlines, but not out of Istanbul).
Can we start a petition to give Denver a Polaris lounge?
Be my guest. I’ll sign it!
Polaris over JAL F…no accounting for taste. Objectively, the space at NRT is tired and can get crowded but quality of food and aspects of service are miles above anything in North America (in my view). JAL remains one of my favorite J class experiences overall so I tend to enter the lounge already in a happy place.
Taste is subjective. Subjectively, I also liked the JAL F lounge – I thought the space on the upper floor was very nice.
My top choice is the A3 lounge in SKG, just for the direct boarding. Runner up would be the SAA lounge in JNB, massively positive surprise as I certainly hadn’t been expecting much from an airline returning from the brink of virtual extinction. I did have some amazing drinks (niche whisky, it may even have been German) in one of the LH Senator lounges in Germany, but not enough to make me love the clinical space.
The AMS 52 lounge was by far the biggest disappointment – the bar closed at 17:00, the drinks selection is dire and the barman had been instructed by management to serve vermouth in 25ml measures (the only time I have ever come across a 25ml serve for vermouth or fortified wine), the food mostly consisted of cheap carbohydrate-filled rubbish, and the icing on the cake was the mouse running across the floor (fabulous feature for a facility with self-service food). They even had pineapple on display with clear labelling that guests were not allowed to cut/eat it! I think you should go back for another review, as I had been looking forward to visiting the lounge and had high expectations having read your review!
Whilst the AENA lounges at Barajas are okay-ish at best, the Iberia lounge in T4 (Dali – Schengen side) is superb!
The Emirates first class lounge at DXB is the most amazing lounge I have been in. Massive space, gourmet food and it even has its own duty free shops. That and flying first class on the Emirates A380 was about the best airline experience I have had in 30+ years of traveling.
I like it too, except for the open indoor smoking area right next to the dining area.
Amex and capital 1 lounges are crowded and are filled with trailer trash .
Have you ever been to Istanbul and their 796 people lounge? It’s my favorite. Incredible.
How can the Turkish Airline lounge in IST not make the list?
Have you read the other comments? I did not visit it this year.
Oman Air First and Business Lounge at Muscat is at the top of my list.
Went to 6-7 lounges in 2022, best was the pearl lounge, Bahrain airport. Huge space, many different rooms. Was there at 1am and the chefs were making fresh skewers of meat and fish, Food was amazing couldn’t resist.
I believe tbey are making a kids area as well.
Bar was nice, felt like a cozy hotel bar.