Best airport lounges in the world

Let’s be frank: for all their baubles, the world’s best airline lounges are still just very fancy waiting rooms. Yet they attract such avid interest from the world’s #avgeeks (myself included) and can often be the reason why a big-spending customer chooses one airline over another. Working as a travel journalist, I’ve experienced many lounges over the years, from the abysmal to the wonderful, many of which I’ve listed below.

I also have a soft spot for lounges that meaningfully, imaginatively or playfully express something of their home country or the destination in which they’re situated. It just seems right, for example, that Finnair’s Platinum Wing lounge in Helsinki should include a sauna, or that a September visit to Lufthansa’s business-class lounge in Heathrow would include a cutesy Oktoberfest-themed buffet display, complete with pillow pretzels and big bowls of Bavarian Weisswurst sausages.

Of course, there are other elements that you hope to find all over. A switched-on team who can provide immediate assistance is invaluable if a problem comes up or you’ve missed a connection. There’s nothing more restorative than enjoying a proper shower and drying off with fluffy towels during a long layover. For parents, letting kids burn off energy in a playroom can make the subsequent flight much more pleasant.

With innovative lounges opening all the time, a definitive list of the world’s best airline lounges will never be static, but there are several deciding factors and places to look.

Priority Pass grants access to some of the world’s most premium airport lounges, with a range of memberships available aimed at occasional, regular, and frequent travellers. The results of the inaugural Priority Pass Excellence Awards were announced in March 2024, designed to highlight world-leading lounges and experiences. The lounges are judged on 379,966 member ratings and reviews across a wide range of criteria, including quality of facilities, customer service, food and beverage selection and overall satisfaction.

The overall winner in 2024 is Vienna Lounge, Terminal 1, Vienna Airport, Austria. Other winners include:

Overall Global Winner: Vienna Lounge, Terminal 1, Vienna Airport, Austria
Asia Pacific Winner: Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club, Terminal 1, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong
Europe Winner: Vienna Lounge, Terminal 1, Vienna Airport, Austria
Latin America and the Caribbean Winner: Advantage VIP Lounge, Curitiba Afonso Pena International, Brazil
Middle East and Africa Winner: Petra Lounge, Amman Queen Alia International Airport, Jordan
North America Winner: VIP Lounge Aguascalientes, Jesus Teran Peredo International, Mexico