Have a flight or a layover at JFK Airport? Check out the Wingtips Lounge.
The Wingtips Lounge is located post-TSA security checkpoint in Terminal 4. Once you past security, make a right and the lounge is located approximately 100 yards down the hall and on the left.
Priority Pass cardmembers can access the lounge for free. Be aware that Priority Pass entry is at the lounge's discretion. They have the right to turn guests away if the lounge is at capacity.
Premium credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card from American Express offer Priority Pass for free. Remember to activate Priority Pass to receive the card. Each credit card also has a different additional guest policy — check with your benefits administrator for details.
Important: Due to capacity concerns, the Wingtips Lounge at JFK may have a blackout period from 5:00 PM-1:00 AM daily.
Other network members who can access the lounge:
• Lounge Club
• Diner’s Club
• DragonPass
• LoungeKey
• LoungeBuddy
If you're not a Priority Pass member or part of the above networks, day passes are available for purchase for $50. Day passes are valid for up to 4 hours from time of entry.
Wingtips offers a limited selection of food and beverage items.
The fruit rack needed to be refilled. There was also a self-serve snack bar.
A limited selection of wine and liquor are available, along with soda and juice for mixers.
We visited around 4 pm in the afternoon and a limited breakfast spread was still available.
Three different varieties of food were available.
The salad bar needed to be refilled.
The lounge was packed and seating was limited. There's an area with a view of the runway that was occupied (only 5 chairs available).
The Wingtips Lounge is good if you want a comfortable seat and free alcohol. I personally wouldn't pay $50 to access the lounge because the food seemed unappetizing. If you're paying out of pocket for the day pass, save your money and buy food at the food court.
Timberline Steaks & Grille at the Denver International Airport was recently added to the Priority Pass restaurant network, so we had to visit on our recent trip.
Timberline Steaks & Grille is located after security in Concourse C near the center core on the left. Seating is limited, and you may be turned away at certain times if the restaurant is busy.
The restaurant offers a wide range of soups, salads, burgers, and steaks. Check out their full menu here.
Hours of operation:
06:00 - 22:00 Sunday - Friday
06:00 – 21:00 Saturday
Bonus: Check-in with Yelp and get a free beer.
Be sure to let your server know when you sit down that you're using a Priority Pass card. A manager will come to your table with the Priority Pass card reader and swipe your card. You'll receive $28 off the bill per person. For example, if you visit with one guest, you'll receive a total of $56 off the bill.
$28 will cover a decent meal, plus drinks. Steaks are a few more dollars, but I'm fine with paying a few bucks for a good quality steak! The $28 cannot be used for gratuities.
Pro-tip: You can use your Priority Pass at the restaurant once every two hours.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Below are images of the breakfast menu:
We visited during the afternoon and enjoyed a nice 12 oz ribeye steak. View the full lunch and dinner menu here.
The steak was well marbled, full of flavor, and came with two sides. Retail price: $30.
The steaks exceeded our expectations for airport food. It was cooked perfectly with a crust and topped with garlic butter.
Our final total, not including gratuity, was $8.16 for two ribeye steaks! The Priority Pass discount was done in an odd way (-$4 + -$24), but the discount tallied up to $56 off the total bill.
As luck would have it, our flight was delayed by 25 minutes so we headed back to Timberline Steaks & Grille to enjoy a drink. Below are images of their dessert and bar menu.
We didn't use the whole $56 credit, so the bill came out as an overpayment of $18.84. Again, gratuity is NOT included, so be sure to leave a tip!
The Plaza Premium Lounge in the Transborder Terminal is available to passengers who have a flight to the United States. Vancouver International Airport has five Plaza Premium Lounges, one in each terminal. The USA Departures is by far the worst one.
The Plaza Premium Lounge (USA Departures) is located after the security checkpoint for US Transborder Departures (Gates E), across from Gate E87.
The Plaza Premium Lounges are in the Priority Pass network. Anyone with a Priority Pass may enter the lounge.
If you don't have a Priority Pass, below are the rates (subject to change, check their website for most up to date info):
Complimentary food and drinks are available. The buffet setup usually consists of one hot entree and a side. When we visited, the complimentary hot food bar consisted of minestrone soup, sweet and sour pork, and white rice. The trays are almost empty because we visited 30 minutes before closing.
The lounge also features a small complimentary cold food bar which consists of sandwiches, salads, and cheese.
A limited selection of complimentary soda.
A self-serve alcohol bar is available after 11 AM. Beer is available upon request.
The lounge itself is relatively small compared to it's counter parts in the Vancouver International Airport. There are a few nooks for privacy, and the lounge can seat up to 60 people.
The seats near the window have a view of the arrivals hall.
The United Polaris Lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) opens on April 30, 2018. We were lucky enough to snag a few United MileagePlus Exclusive tickets to experience the lounge before it officially opens.
The United Polaris Lounge is located in the SFO International Terminal, right past security near Gate G92.
Access to the United Polaris lounge is restricted to passengers traveling in the following cabins:
You must have a same-day boarding pass to access the lounge.
The first level of the lounge includes an impressive library area with (real!) books, seating, and a hydration station.
There are plenty of seats, and the chairs are comfortable. Each seat is accompanied by charging outlets. I'm impressed by the overall design aesthetic of the lounge.
If you walk to the back, you'll find quiet rooms for napping, shower suites, and restrooms.
There are five quiet rooms available on a first come, first serve basis. Each quiet room includes a Saks Fifth Avenue pillow, a speaker for tranquil noise, water, slippers, chocolate, ear plugs, eye mask, and essential oil. If the room is too bright, you can adjust the curtains and lighting.
There are eight shower suites available on a first come, first serve basis. Each suite comes with amenities like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and towels.
The towels are from Saks Fifth Avenue.
Take the escalators up to level 2 to experience the bar, dining area, the buffet spread, customer service, phone booths, and the studio.
The customer service area is available to assist with your flight.
There are 3 quiet work rooms available.
Various types of lounge seating is available.
The area leading up to The Studio is one of my favorite places in the lounge for the views of the runway.
The Studio can be transformed into an event space and host an additional buffet spread.
Check out the view behind me. If you like watching planes, this is the perfect spot.
The bar features cocktails inspired by the Bay Area, including the Mai Tai and Pisco Punch. All drinks are complimentary.
There's a diverse list of spirit and wine offerings.
Below is the Mai Tai (L) and the Paper Plane (R).
The bistro-like buffet features a DIY ramen bar, hot food, salads, and desserts.
The Dining Room is a full service restaurant with complimentary food. If you plan on enjoying a full 3-course menu, be sure to reserve at least one hour to eat.
For starters, we had the crab bisque and the shrimp cakes. Both were delicious, highly recommend! The crab bisque had real crab lumps, and the shrimp cakes were nice and crispy.
For the entree, get the hand-cut pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragout. The quality of the pasta was superb, and you could taste the freshness of the noodles. It's something you would expect if you dined at a high-end Italian restaurant. Serioulsy, you won't regret it.
The cioppino is San Francisco-style with fish, mussels, and shrimp.
The United Polaris burger comes with an egg, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a side of chips.
The katsu bento box comes with rice, egg rolls, and a salad.
For dessert, we had the tiramisu and profiterole.
Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport (HKG) has two lounges in Terminal 1 and one in Terminal 2 in Arrivals. This post will cover the two Plaza Premium Lounges in Terminal 1.
There are two Plaza Premium Lounges that are located airside past security:
The Plaza Premium lounges are in the Priority Pass network.
Most premium travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card from American Express come with Priority Pass Select. Depending on your credit card benefits, you may be allowed to take yourself and two guests into the lounge for free.
Other cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card give you access to 10 Priority Pass tickets per year (when you enroll in the benefit).
Always check your card benefits guide if you are unsure.
Watch the video below for a tour of both lounges.
Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong Airport is one of my favorite lounges. The posh design reminds me of a five star hotel than an airport lounge.
The Pier, First is located in Hong Kong International Airport on Level 6, Terminal 1, near Gate 63.
Take the escalators down to find the lounge entrance.
Who can access the lounge:
Once you enter the lounge, there’s a long tranquil hallway that leads to The Retreat, the Dining Room, and all the other areas.
Find daily periodicals here along with various lounge seating options.
There’s also a full service bar and plenty of seats.
If you’re looking to unwind and relax before your flight, head straight to The Retreat. Here you’ll find showers, day suites, and massages. All of the services are complimentary and on a first come, first serve basis. The wait list for the massage was 2.5 hours long when we visited.
Watch the video below to learn more about The Retreat.
The Dining Room is a full service restaurant to enjoy a drink or a meal before your flight.
Below are pictures of the food and drink menus. Items worth trying on the food menu:
Overall, I prefer The Pier is my favorite Cathay Pacific First Class lounge in HKG since it was less crowded, the food menu and quality was better, and the customer service was amazing. Can’t wait to visit again!
One of my favorite airport lounges is the “secret” arrival lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. I say secret because even though it’s listed in the Priority Pass app, most people are unaware of where the arrival lounge is.
The arrival lounge is located in the basement of T2.
Go through immigration, pick up your luggage, and exit to the arrival hall. Head towards Terminal 2 (landside) and follow the signs to public transportation and the lounge. Take the escalators down, and the Plaza Premium Lounge will be on your left.
Anyone with a Priority Pass card can access the lounge. Priority Pass Select is a complimentary benefit that comes with most premium travel credit cards. You must have the physical Priority Pass card with you; the credit card will not grant you access.
Be sure to check your credit card benefit guide to see if the card you hold charges an entrance fee and if you have a guest allowance.
The lounge features a wide range of food including salads, hot entrees, desserts, and a noodle bar.
Most Plaza Premium lounges in Asia feature a noodle bar, and the ones in Hong Kong have fish ball noodle soup.
Various salad and hot food items are also available.
Complimentary sandwiches, desserts, soft drinks, tea, and water can be found the fridge.
The lounge itself is small compared to the air side Plaza Premium lounges. Seating is limited, and it can get packed.
Computers are available to use on a first come, first serve basis.
