I’d argue the best business class lounge operated by a European airline is the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at London Heathrow. There are also some good business class lounges in Europe operated by non-European airlines, like the Etihad Lounge at London Heathrow.
However, I’d say the second best business class lounge in Europe operated by a European airline is the Air Serbia Premium Lounge at Belgrade Airport. Perhaps part of the reason I was impressed so much was because I had low expectations coming in, both of the airport and the airline.
Over the summer, Air Serbia began flying between Belgrade and New York, and Tiffany and I had the chance to take the flight yesterday. I didn’t know what to expect, though I certainly expected “the Etihad effect,” given that Etihad is notorious for aligning “their” airlines, and they’re a shareholder in Air Serbia.
While I’ll have a separate post with my initial impressions of the Air Serbia flight, and will also eventually have a much more detailed trip report, I first wanted to share my impressions of the Air Serbia Lounge at Belgrade Airport. Damn, it’s nice!
Air Serbia has a small fleet with just 10 A319/A320 aircraft and one A330 (along with some props), so they don’t have many premium passengers. As a result, the lounge was nice and quiet. It had a more traditional area with comfortable leather seats, and then also a dining area.
The lounge had the best coffee-based beverage I had during my time in Belgrade (I found Serbian wine and brandy to be great, while the coffee left a lot to be desired).
In terms of food, there was a nice buffet with high quality food, as well as an a la carte option.
That’s very impressive, in my opinion. On top of that, service was extremely attentive, with servers constantly roaming to see if anyone wanted anything.
This lounge provides a quiet environment from which to work with fast Wi-Fi, excellent coffee, attentive service, and a la carte dining. There aren’t many business class lounges that deliver on all those fronts.
While there are some lounges where I come in with high expectations, it’s always nice to be pleasantly surprised, like I was by this lounge.
What do you think is the best business class lounge run by a European airline, perhaps with the exception of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse?
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