I’m an airline product geek, and I like to keep an updated list of what I consider to be the world’s best business class seats, the world’s best first class airlines, the world’s best first class lounges, etc. In this post I wanted to share my updated ranking of the world’s best first class lounges.
First, I wanted to talk briefly about my methodology for ranking first class airline lounges, and then I’ll get into my rankings, with an explanation of each.
In this post:
Why you should trust OMAAT lounge reviews
Hopefully I don’t have to explain this to regular OMAAT readers, but I feel like this is worth mentioning for those who aren’t regular readers…
All the time I see media outlets ranking first class lounges, though they’re almost always just going off stock media images and how airlines describe their lounges, rather than actual firsthand experience.
Why should you trust OMAAT lounge reviews?
- I pay for all of my own flights, either with cash or miles
- I’ve visited virtually every first class lounge in the world, most several times, so have lots of context for what makes a great lounge (there’s one exception at the moment, as I’ll note below)
- I don’t have any sort of financial relationship with any airline
- This is my passion, I’ve been reviewing airlines for over 15 years, I’ve written hundreds of airport lounge reviews, and have logged millions of miles
There aren’t many sites that can say all of the above, and in the case of some other rating agencies (like Skytrax), I certainly wish we’d see a bit more transparency regarding the financial relationship they have with the airlines they rank.
My methodology for ranking first class lounges
Let me emphasize that my rankings are entirely subjective, and that’s by design. One of the challenges with reviewing airline lounges is that everyone is looking for different things.
Some airline lounges have bedrooms that are almost like hotel rooms. That’s valuable if you have a long layover, but worthless if you have a short layover. Meanwhile other lounges have top notch food, but that’s of limited use if you’re between long haul flights and aren’t hungry. Other lounges can save you time getting through security and to the plane, but it depends on the circumstances.
I’m going to try and balance the above amenities, though you can shift around which lounge is best based on what you value the most. I’m not saying anyone’s rankings should be in the same order as mine, though I think most people can at least agree with my general list of the top lounges.
Let me also note that I’m only putting one lounge from each airline on the list, even if that carrier has multiple great lounges.
The world’s 10 best first class airline lounges
With the above out of the way, below are what I consider to be the 10 best first class airport lounges, starting with the best.
1. Air France First Class Lounge Paris (CDG)
The Air France First Class Lounge Paris is the best first class ground experience in the world, in my opinion. Air France’s first class really is the whole package, because the inflight experience is spectacular as well.
If you’re connecting in Paris, you’ll be picked up at your plane and driven to the first class lounge, and then later on will be driven from the first class lounge to your connecting flight.
There’s so much to love about the Air France first class lounge, though my favorite thing is probably the restaurant, which has an Alain Ducasse menu. In my experience it’s the best food offered in any airline lounge in the world. It’s not just that the food quality is excellent, but the service and presentation are equally good.
There’s not a first class ground experience in the world that’s as seamless and has as much attention to detail. It doesn’t matter whether you’re originating in Paris or connecting, Air France has thought of all the details.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Air France first class same day, or select business class passengers can buy access to the lounge for 650EUR.
2. Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt (FRA)
Rather than just offering a great first class lounge, Lufthansa has taken it to the next level with its First Class Terminal. This allows you to skip the main terminal at Frankfurt Airport altogether, and instead drive right up to the First Class Terminal, and then be driven to your plane when your flight is ready to board. All formalities, including check-in, security, and immigration, are handled in the lounge.
The lounge itself is beautiful, with attentive service, a great restaurant with a buffet and a la carte dining, a cigar bar, nap rooms, and collectible rubber duckies.
As an aviation geek my favorite part is being driven across the apron to the plane. This is one of the few situations where I hope my plane is parked as far from the terminal as possible. 😉
Why doesn’t Lufthansa get the number one spot? Because the experience is inconsistent. It’s fantastic if you’re originating in Frankfurt, but if you’re just in transit, the experience isn’t nearly as seamless.
The only time you’ll be picked up from your flight by car is if you’re arriving at a remote stand. Otherwise you’ll potentially have to walk thousands of steps and navigate your own way through the maze which is Frankfurt Airport. The horror. 😉 If connecting, I actually prefer the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Lufthansa or SWISS first class same day, or Miles & More HON Circle members can use the lounge when flying a Lufthansa Group airline same day, regardless of the class of service.
3. SWISS First Class Lounge Zurich (ZRH)
The SWISS First Class Lounge Zurich is spectacular, and features a gorgeous design.
In addition to service throughout the lounge, the SWISS lounge has an excellent restaurant, and after the Air France lounge I’d say it’s probably my favorite restaurant in an airport lounge.
But there are two other features that make this lounge exceptional. The first is that the lounge has private bedrooms for those with long layovers. The beds are as comfortable as the ones you’d find in top hotels, not to mention the bedroom has a view of the tarmac and runways, which made me not want to sleep.
Furthermore, the lounge has a large terrace with views of the gates. In summer they’ll even have ice cream out there for guests to enjoy.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Lufthansa or SWISS first class same day, or Miles & More HON Circle members can use the lounge when flying a Lufthansa Group airline same day, regardless of the class of service.
4. Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class Lounge Hong Kong (HKG)
In terms of design, Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge in Hong Kong is one of my two favorite lounges. The lounge is designed in a way that makes you feel like you’re in a really swanky hotel or even home, rather than at an airport.
The Pier also has a good restaurant with a la carte dining.
On top of that, the lounge has private rooms where you can relax, or just watch planes pass by outside.
Guests also receive a complimentary 10 minute foot massage, which is a nice teaser.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying oneworld first class same day, or oneworld Emerald members can use the lounge in conjunction with a same day oneworld ticket, regardless of destination or class.
5. Qantas First Lounge Sydney (SYD)
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney nails all the basics. The lounge is physically stunning and spacious, with lots of natural light and panoramic views.
I love the food in Qantas first class lounges. The menu is designed by Neil Perry of Rockpool Bar & Grill, and my favorite is the salt & pepper squid (though nothing on the menu will disappoint).
On top of that, passengers receive a complimentary 20 minute spa treatment, with the choice between a facial or massage.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying oneworld first class same day, or oneworld Emerald members can use the lounge in conjunction with a same day oneworld ticket.
6. Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha (DOH)
The Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge feels sort of like a museum. The ceilings are probably 40 feet tall, and there’s so much space. Not everyone will love the minimalist and industrial design, but personally I do. While many other lounges feel crowded, this one feels empty no matter how full it actually is, due to the sheer size of the space.
The lounge also has a restaurant with solid food, though not quite to the level you’d find in the Air France or SWISS lounges. One other feature I love about the lounge is that it offers private bedrooms for passengers with long layovers, and I’d say these are the second best airport bedrooms after those in the SWISS lounge.
The lounge also has a spa including a jacuzzi, though use of the spa comes at a cost. Still, it’s nice to have access to such amenities.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Qatar Airways first class same day (regional first class flights are eligible), or it’s possible to buy access to the lounge for 600QAR (~165USD) per person when flying Qatar Airways business class.
7. Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi (AUH)
The Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi is well designed, with a restaurant, gym (which none of the other lounges have), and plenty of space for relaxing.
The food in the lounge is actually restaurant quality, which you don’t find in many lounges. Not only is the food very good, but the wine list is very good as well, and the lounge also has a proper bar.
The lounge doesn’t have any proper nap rooms, but does have a relaxation area with seats that recline a bit.
Still, this is an all around very solid lounge.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Etihad first class same day, or be an Etihad Guest Platinum member traveling same day on Etihad. Furthermore, it’s possible to buy access to this lounge, at the cost of $150-180, depending on how long you’re staying.
8. Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai (DXB)
Th Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai is more of a concourse than a lounge. That’s because the lounge literally spans the entire length of the terminal. On one hand that’s super impressive. You have a lounge that’s tens of thousands of square feet, and at times there will only be a few guests.
The lounge also has a restaurant with a la carte dining, a cigar bar, a spa with complimentary 15 minute treatments, and more. One other awesome feature is that you can board your flight directly through the lounge, assuming your flight departs from the “A” Concourse.
The problem? The lounge is so big that it actually feels incredibly sterile and unwelcoming. You feel like you’re sitting in a terminal rather than in a top first class lounge. The lounge doesn’t have an intimate and residential-feeling design, like you’d find in Cathay Pacific’s lounge, for example.
This is probably the first time in history that a lounge being too big has been a complaint.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Emirates first class same day, or be an Emirates Skywards Platinum member. Furthermore, you can buy access to this lounge, at the cost of $250 if traveling in economy or at the cost of $150 if traveling in business class.
9. Singapore Airlines Private Room Singapore (SIN)
The Singapore Airlines Private Room is the one lounge on this list that I haven’t visited. I did visit the old lounge, but a new version of the lounge opened in 2022, and I’m hoping to check it out soon (and honestly it might move higher on my list once I see it firsthand).
This lounge features plenty of space for relaxing, a dining area with excellent food, and it even has nap rooms, which is a new feature that didn’t exist in the previous version of the lounge. And of course since this is Singapore Airlines, the service is very good.
Unfortunately Singapore Airlines’ ground service otherwise leaves a bit to be desired, as there’s nothing more to it. Given that security is at each individual gate, it sure would be nice if Singapore Airlines escorted first class passengers to the gate and allowed them to jump the queue, as you’ll find with some other top first class ground experiences.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Singapore Airlines Suites or first class same day.
10. Oman Air First Class Lounge Muscat (MCT)
The Oman Air First Class Lounge Muscat has to be one of the best “boutique” first class lounges in the world. The carrier only has a few aircraft with first class, so this is truly a very exclusive lounge.
In addition to the cool design, the lounge has attentive service, a la carte dining, and a spa in the business class section where you can get a treatment.
How to access this lounge: You must be flying Oman Air first class same day.
Bottom line
Most people dread having time to kill time at the airport, though the above lounges make spending time at an airport a pleasure. From enjoying a restaurant quality meal, to being driven to your plane in a luxury car, to getting a private bedroom that makes you feel like you’re in a hotel, to enjoying a pampering spa treatment, these lounges have it all.
I’d like to emphasize that I think anyone would be reasonable to think that the above lounges should be in a different order, but hopefully this is at least a useful list in terms of the 10 all-around best first class airline lounges.
I’m curious to hear what OMAAT readers make of my rankings! Are there any other lounges that should have been on the list?
Ben, you are not alone in using grammar error vocabulary [I admit that you can find numerous examples of others making the same mistake]. As a retired professor of research methods may I point out that to study research methods is a process described as methodology (Greek ology meaning the study of). A procedure for conducting a study or analysis is a (particular) method. Proper research procedures are appropriately described or titled as a "method."...
Ben, you are not alone in using grammar error vocabulary [I admit that you can find numerous examples of others making the same mistake]. As a retired professor of research methods may I point out that to study research methods is a process described as methodology (Greek ology meaning the study of). A procedure for conducting a study or analysis is a (particular) method. Proper research procedures are appropriately described or titled as a "method." Calling the same as a methodology is not only inaccurate (misappropriate) use of the term but might be considered by actual scholars as a rhetorical attempt at instilling some level of credibility of the research procedures (while simultaneously demonstrating ignorance of the same) and may therefore actually be disregarded. BTW I do enjoy reading many of your posts. Bob Chandler PhD.
@Ben I’d place the new Singapore lounge at 4th, ahead of Cathay and Qantas. It is an outstanding experience and probably only lacks car service to the plane.
Look forward to you reviewing this soon.
Ben, it would be cool if you could also review premium airport VIP lounges/terminals like Heathrow VIP, PS (update LAX and also visit the new ATL in Aug), Fattal VIP Terminal in TLV, etc. Would be interesting to see in comparison to these top lounges on this list.
Hey @Lucky, I have an first class award ticket for Lufthansa that leaves FRA at night to EZE. If I bought a economy ticket to fly from ZRH to FRA for that afternoon, would I be able to use the Swiss first class lounge that morning? Thanks!
@Nicolas, If you would get your Head out of your "S" you may see, there are plenty of Fresh Fruits & vegetables being grown in Qatar, Oman and other countries in the Desert. even Abu Dhabi has Fresh Local Produce. Go look at major Super Markets in Doha, UAE,etc and you will see the Labels where each Item was grown.
By the way, they do Hire Chefs & Cooks from European Countries like Italy...
@Nicolas, If you would get your Head out of your "S" you may see, there are plenty of Fresh Fruits & vegetables being grown in Qatar, Oman and other countries in the Desert. even Abu Dhabi has Fresh Local Produce. Go look at major Super Markets in Doha, UAE,etc and you will see the Labels where each Item was grown.
By the way, they do Hire Chefs & Cooks from European Countries like Italy & France at The Major Hotels in the Middle East, who specialize in their Fields. I have met Saus Chefs from France/Italy at the Wadorf Astoria in Dubai. Breakfast Items there are Mostly FRESH Grown Locally.
I like it how no one is even attempting to claim that the Concorde room should be on this list
I did. Look several comments down.
Concorde room is trash tho for first class
Try SQ First Class on Singapore to Jakarta, 30.5k Krisflyer miles and you get Private Room access departing Singapore. I came in the same morning after a connecting flight so got both breakfast & dinner in that lounge. Food was even better than before the pandemic, too!
Love the gym option when I get the chance.
It always makes me wonder why don't more lounges have gyms. You can offer up a change of clothes for guest. You can do a quick run and get nice and burned up a bit before having the huge amount of calories that they stuff you with on the plane.
Most of the time you arrive about 1.5-2 hrs ahead of the flight so...
Love the gym option when I get the chance.
It always makes me wonder why don't more lounges have gyms. You can offer up a change of clothes for guest. You can do a quick run and get nice and burned up a bit before having the huge amount of calories that they stuff you with on the plane.
Most of the time you arrive about 1.5-2 hrs ahead of the flight so definitely sufficient time for a 45min to an hr run. I am in no way a fitness junky, and it's because I'm not that I have to burn some calories before being offered so much food.
Also flew through DXB recently and the FC Lounges were disappointing. Yes, huge and so much to do and eat, but the lounge I first went to was understaffed. And the second one I went to just by my gate had smoking upstairs which meant I smelled smoke while seated in non-smoking. Food and beverage were an A.
thanks for the list!
i recently flew through FRA and loved the FCT. a friend suggested that I ask for a ride to the FCLounge and they obliged with a Porsche Cayenne. I much prefer the Lounge to the Terminal as you can watch all sorts of planes coming through. Same menu, super nice people and views of 747s, what’s not to like. I’d give the Lounge a slightly higher ranking over the Terminal because of the views.
I get that these are subjective but the only reason you rank Emirates so low (even with free spa treatments and easy access to gates) is that it is big? I wish there were more details on food at the a la carte area, service, etc so I could better understand it. You mentioned food several times in the higher ranked choices and it helped me understand why you liked those ratings so much, especially...
I get that these are subjective but the only reason you rank Emirates so low (even with free spa treatments and easy access to gates) is that it is big? I wish there were more details on food at the a la carte area, service, etc so I could better understand it. You mentioned food several times in the higher ranked choices and it helped me understand why you liked those ratings so much, especially since I have been to several of them and not been terribly impressed with service etc myself.
SIN has a First Class Check-In completely separate from the others, also with it's own Immigration. The new lounge is nicer than the old one, but nothing more alas. Same goes for ZRH, including Security.
LHR Concorde Room? Its ambiance is far nicer than the cafeteria-style look-and-feel that some lounges listed have. Separately, regarding airlines that provide ramp transfers, ramp transfers are part of the *ground* experience but are not features of lounges.
I second the Concorde Room for classic if a bit dated ambiance. Beats flashy nouveau riche any day in my opinion.
In terms of overall experience, the Concorde Room definitely doesn't deserve to be in the Top 10. Top 15 maybe, but certainly not Top 10.
Sitting in the Concorde room eating strawberries and cream, watching Wimbledon and drinking Krug and Pimm's waiting for your delayed JFK flight on Concorde was a treat that can never be forgotten.
“This is my passion, I’ve been reviewing airlines for over 15 years, I’ve written hundreds of airport lounge reviews, and have logged millions of miles“
Ben what’s your million miler number with American ?
Porsche ride is not guaranteed w LH. I was stuffed into a Mercedes van w at least 4 passengers. When I complained onboard fa didn't do shit.
Make sure there will be a Porsche waiting for you and make them wait on you until final boarding. At the last minute you go downstairs and bring a cigar and a glass of scotch for the ride. Either you paid $7,000 for a ticket or used credit card points. It shows.
FA cannot see cash vs miles.
@Matrix;
Be sure, they can! And they will.
at least on LH Group they absolutely cannot. On the paper report they get at flight briefing it doesn't show anything other than status. So they might infer that no status in F means points/miles booking, but that is all.
@Matrix;
Sure they do at LH. They even know my birthday as everytime I fly on my birthday they give me a bottle of wine.
I would put FRA in first, followed by MUC and ZRH. CDG is also awesome, but the Airport on itself destroy anything coming after, just like LHR.
MUC is just stunning in all it's perspectives, heck what a great Airport.
Emirates Dubai is lit. It’s the size of a supermarket.
@D3
Don't get your reaction... The Dubai First Class Lounge is great but in my opinion not to compare with FRA, MUC or ZRH. Just like anything in Dubai.
Maybe you should shop in another supermarket. :-)
A couple of access additions, the Emirates first lounge can also be accessed by Qantas Platinum card holders thanks to the QF/EK alliance.
Additionally the Etihad first lounge can also be accessed by those with Virgin Australia Platinum status flying Etihad same day.
All the top lounges are in Western Europe.
Asian and Middle Eastern lounges rank lower with food as an explicit factor.
This is white privilege and in-group favoritism.
Yeah! And the American lounges are even off the list (LOL)
Well, the author is European (white) and loves Europe. What did you expect?
But, I'm surprised Thai Airways is not on this list. They also drive you to your gate or flight. Check-in services are top-notch. If your destination is Bangkok, then they will get your luggage and escort you out of the airport. Also, the lounge provides free one-hour massages. Food is excellent as well. You can dine at a table (Euro-style) or order from your private rooms.
@ Yui -- Unless I'm missing something, the Thai Airways first class lounge and spa have been permanently closed, and now another Thai Airways lounge just has a separate section for first class passengers? I used to rank the lounge as one of the best in the world, but took it off the list since it doesn't seem to be reopening.
I am not sure where did you get the impression that the difference is because of food♂️. The higher ranking lounges usually have more comprehensive experiences such as meet and greet at the plane, drive from plane to lounge, and/or boarder control and security in lounge. Whereas the Asian and middle eastern lounges lack these amenities. I tried the Air France first class before and it was pretty impressive. They have someone meet you at...
I am not sure where did you get the impression that the difference is because of food♂️. The higher ranking lounges usually have more comprehensive experiences such as meet and greet at the plane, drive from plane to lounge, and/or boarder control and security in lounge. Whereas the Asian and middle eastern lounges lack these amenities. I tried the Air France first class before and it was pretty impressive. They have someone meet you at the plane and take you down an elevator in the jet bridge and load you into a BMW. Customer and security check are also done at the lounge so it was very privileged as you said.
@Alinsfca
A BMW at Paris? You must be joking. They only use French cars.
You must be confusing with Germany.
It’s a Cayenne e-hybrid Porsche. Chauffeur service to/from the airport is usually a Mercedes.
@Nelson the joke is on you. Yes, it was a few years back and it was a BMW. Why on earth you think they would only use French car at the airport??
@Alinsfca;
Called French chauvenism. That must be quite a time ago. I never had any other car than a French on at CDG.
French cars would ruin the luxury experience. Air France understands BMW beats anything France can manufacture
@Husch
Nah, the contradiction of many great Asian airlines (like JAL, ANA, and Korean) is that they have great first class products in the sky, but not as good as the other airlines as far as the ground experience goes.
How is that favoritism?
Half of good food is ingredients, the other half is technique.
Let's just talk about the middle East, nothing is growing in the middle East apart from a few fruits, there is no grass, no forest, no animals, no sea food.
So you won't have handpicked market fresh product there you have in Paris, Tokyo or even Frankfurt. It's not like there are wineyards in dubai or that they...
How is that favoritism?
Half of good food is ingredients, the other half is technique.
Let's just talk about the middle East, nothing is growing in the middle East apart from a few fruits, there is no grass, no forest, no animals, no sea food.
So you won't have handpicked market fresh product there you have in Paris, Tokyo or even Frankfurt. It's not like there are wineyards in dubai or that they can even produce their own decent oysters and caviar as their water is too hot. So for ingredients, the best they can do is import and that means your selection will be more limited and not as fresh.
When it comes to technique, there is no traditional culture of fine dining in the middle east, keep in mind those people were poor nomads until the 70s and had very simple food, we are talking about fried food, lamb, bread and rice. While if you look at Japan, France and Italy, some restaurants have been open continuously since the 15th century, that means they have been perfected over 6 centuries....
So the best they can and usually do is hire a French / Italian / Danish / Japanese / Chinese /... chef, and import everything.
You're equating the Arabian Peninsula with the entire Middle East, which is just wrong. The Levant area rivals Europe and Asia in terms of cuisine.
@Nicolas,
Partly right but I think you need to spend some more time in the ME.
Even in Paris they don't have handpicked anything (like you mentioned).
No Seafood in the ME?? Have you been there? No grass? Last week I played golf in Dubai and as far as I remember it was on grass. They have even snow in Dubai.
I love the comment about snow in Dubai . Seriously they have had snow in the RAK mountains. "Forests" are 50 metres each side of the highway and each tree has a hose.
Omani shrimp is to die for. My mouth is drooling.
The grass is not plastic but the maintenance is astronomical. Sheraton back course is fun.
They started growing vegetables in the 90s but originally quality was very poor and most got ploughed under. I'm sure the quality has improved massively.
@ Azamaraal;
They have an indoor snow slope in the Dubai Mall.
True the maintenance for grass is astronomical, but as money is not an issue there...they do desalination.
What a BS. As an Asian who has been to half the lounges listed here, I could attest the top F experiences on ground are in Europe. They really now how to look after exclusive guests.
On the other hand, soft product on board is generally exceptional on Asian carriers.
Agree. There are some great lounges in Asia, too.