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British Airways opens its newly refurbished Geneva lounge
British Airways has today unveiled the latest in its lounge developments, re-opening the newly refurbished lounge in Geneva. The lounge has undergone significant refurbishment and follows a new design concept for the airline, which debuted in 2018 in Rome.
The space has been extended to 327 square metres to allow for designated areas that are designed to meet different customer needs.
The feature lobby bar has been placed in the centre of the space, ideal for socialising. A tempting display of spirits, beers and soft drinks are available together with a selection of fine wines. Prosecco is available throughout the lounge for guests to help themselves to. If you are in the mood for a beer, a brand-new craft beer room has been created, with draft beer taps featuring BrewDog Punk IPA and Indie Pale Ale. This is similar to the JFK Club lounge which you can read my review of here. I’m not much of a beer drinker but I like the concept for something a little different.
A peaceful, separate seating area with a mix of armchairs, banquette seating and power outlets is available for those who wish to work or recharge their gadgets ahead of their journey.
New catering offers an enhanced dining menu of grilled paninis, continental cheeses, fresh fruit, soups and hot main dishes. A selection of sweets, cakes and biscuits are available throughout the day to accompany a coffee from one of the two newly installed barista units.
Zoned areas in the lounge will enable guests to choose what area they would like to relax in depending on their mood, with a music system and bespoke playlist. I noticed that they were playing music in the BA Galleries First lounge at Heathrow T5 on my last visit. If I was on holiday or not trying to work it would be enjoyable. I have to say when I was trying to work I found it quite irritating, even though it was of the Swing, ‘Rat Pack’ style. Lighting has been planned by zone and is dimmable to reflect the time of day.
Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “We know the difference our lounges make to our customers and we’re delighted to present the next step in our significant customer investment with the refurbished Geneva lounge.
“Every detail has been carefully considered and we’ve created a space to meet our customers’ needs – whether they want to relax with a hot meal, enjoy a drink at the lobby bar or explore some craft ales, the new lounge is guaranteed to please pre-flight.”
Qantas First class Singapore lounge opens
Qantas has launched the First Class lounge in Singapore in a quiet opening which will be accessible to customers flying First class with Qantas or holding Emerald status with oneworld. The proper launch is 2 December when the press will be invited to an official opening (our invitation seems to be lost in the post…). In the meantime, you can now access the lounge if you are eligible. It is about a 10-minute walk from the BA lounge in Changi Airport’s Terminal 1. It is situated near outdoor swimming pool and Aerotel. Paul and I were impressed with the temporary area for First class Qantas passengers when we flew with them recently.
The lounge features two bars, one is more of a traditional cocktail bar, and then there is another bar in the dining area. I like the sound of the cocktail bar’s offering. Alongside proper French champagne, they will offer traditional and unique cocktails inspired by Singapore, like a Calamansi Mojito. Also available will be Australian beer and wine.
By the reception area are ten shower suites with LaGaia Unedited First spa products. Everything has been considered to make a traveller comfortable on a long journey such as blue LED lighting panels will assist travellers to get their body clocks in the right time zone.
Like the other Qantas First lounges, there is an elegant dining area with the menu by Rockpool.
Luckily, the Qantas First lounge favourite, salt and pepper squid features.
