Over-the-Top First-Class Lounge Perks

In a recent post, we introduced you to some of the most decadent, over-the-top luxuries in international first class, from in-flight showers to stand-up bars to a private butler. But the perks of flying first class extend beyond the actual flight. Many international airlines offer separate lounges at their hub airports reserved exclusively for their highest-paying customers. And as you may expect, those places offer luxury services unheard of in business-class lounges, not to mention membership-based lounges available through programs like Priority Pass and Lounge Club. The days of watery soups, cheese cubes and domestic beers are over — unless you’ve found yourself in an Admirals Club or a Delta SkyClub, in which case we can’t help you.

Here are the 10 most indulgent services available at the world’s top airport lounges.

Private Rooms

Let’s say you have a six-hour layover before your next flight. What better way to pass the time than a quick nap? Fortunately, several airport lounges offer private rooms where you can nod off for a few hours in your own bed. Among the many lounges that offer such rooms are Lufthansa's first-class lounge in Munich, SwissAir’s First Lounge E in Zurich, British Airways’ The Concorde Room at Heathrow and Qatar Airways’ massive new Al Safwa First Lounge in Doha.

At The Wing, First, Cathay Pacific’s newest first-class lounge in Hong Kong, each of the five temperature-controlled private rooms includes a large bathtub and rain shower, a daybed and a working area — it’s like your own apartment at the airport. The spaces are outfitted with duvets, pillows, luxury toiletries, bathrobes and towels; attendants will even iron your clothes while you’re sleeping.

Full-service Restaurants

Sure, you can get food from a buffet at virtually any lounge. But if you want a gourmet meal cooked to order by a chef and served to your table by an actual waiter, well, that’s something you’ll only find at the finest first-class lounges, like Air France’s La Première lounge at Charles de Gaulle Airport, which offers a menu and wine list selected by master chef Alain Ducasse, or Qantas’ Sydney lounge, where you can order from a menu designed by Australian chef and restaurateur Neil Perry.

Wine Cellars

Any first-class lounge worth the name will have an impressive wine list, but the terminal-length Emirates Airlines lounge in Dubai goes above and beyond, offering access to the Le Clos Wine Cellar, staffed by expert sommeliers who can guide you to the perfect vintage. The SwissAir lounge in Zurich offers a wine humidor and a Champagne bar, while Cathay Pacific’s The Wing, First contents itself with a Champagne bar.

Cigar Bars

For some people, there’s no better way to enjoy that glass of wine or premium whiskey than by firing up a Cuban — they’re legal outside of the U.S., remember. And despite the well-known health risks, more and more first-class lounges seem to be including cigar bars, including Etihad, Emirates, Qatar and Lufthansa.

Water Bar

Don’t think airlines have completely forgotten the teetotalers out there. Lufthansa’s first-class terminal in Frankfurt — that’s right, there’s a dedicated first-class terminal — offers a water bar stocked with the finest bottled spring waters from around the world.

Full-Service Spas

After you’ve had a nap, eaten dinner and enjoyed a postprandial drink, you may be ready to hit the spa. Fortunately, nearly every first-class lounge offers at least a handful of services. As always, though, a few stand head and shoulders above the rest. Thai Airways’ first-class lounge in Bangkok provides access to the Royal Orchid Spa, where passengers can get an hourlong full-body massage, while Air France offers a 30-minute spa treatment at Charles de Gaulle, and Qantas gives passengers a choice between a 20-minute facial or massage in Sydney. At Etihad’s First Class Lounge and Spa in Doha men can get a shave, and women can have their nails done. The Elemis spa, available to British Airways passengers at Heathrow, offers everything from a men’s shave to manicures to brow shaping. Cathay Pacific's The Pier, First in Hong Kong features massages and an in-house spa. And if you’re feeling lazy, you can just relax with a glass of Krug Champagne in a hot tub at Qatar’s Al Safwa First Lounge.

Trained Nannies

Of course, parents need something to occupy their children while they enjoy all these luxuries, and first-class lounges haven’t forgotten about the little ones. Etihad’s Abu Dhabi lounge takes the prize by staffing its playroom with nannies trained at Bath’s Norland College, the same place that trains the nannies who look after Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Many first-class lounges offer similar play areas, including Lufthansa’s first-class terminal in Frankfurt, which provides rubber duckies to children for their baths, and Malaysia Airlines, which offers a selection of children’s art supplies at its Golden Lounge in Kuala Lumpur.

Media Rooms

Virgin Atlantic operates Clubhouse lounges at 10 airports around the world, but its flagship is undoubtedly the lounge at London Heathrow, which offers a game room known as The Den equipped with a pool table and a wide array of video games and films for every age and interest. (Note: Certain areas of the Clubhouse may be closed until a renovation is completed later this spring.) Qatar’s Al Safwa lounge includes a foosball set and plenty of video games, including a racing game where you sit in a replica of Qatar Airways’ F1 car.

Libraries

If video games aren’t quite your style, several lounges offer their passengers access to curated libraries. Qantas’ Sydney lounge includes a well-stocked collection of fiction and nonfiction, while Lufthansa’s first-class terminal in Frankfurt boasts a library of travel books from German publisher DuMont, and Air France provides a selection of art books. For younger readers, Qatar’s Al Safwa lounge includes a kids’ room outfitted with shelves full of children’s books.

Original Artwork

Many first-class lounges are adorned with blue-chip art, including the Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) lounge in Copenhagen, which features a sculpture by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge at Changi Airport features work by local artists, and ancient artifacts from the Museum of Islamic Art are on display in glass cases at Qatar’s Al Safwa lounge.