I haven’t been to many first class lounges in my time. BWI has a great lounge for all in Airspace. But what about other lounges? What are their amenities? I was very happy to be hosted by EVA Airways and was able to use their First Class (Royal Laurel Class) lounge — which they share with JAL Air — at JFK airport in New York. Before heading in, I had to peek at all the glamorous shops beside it, like Bulgari, Hermes, Mont Blanc and the duty-free shop, all open late.
EVA Airway’s Royal Laurel Class area has a business lounge, but one of the rules is no sales talk. So, that’s a little different than BWI. There’s also a quiet (no cell phones) snack lounge which you just know I had to avail myself. They have an upscale magazine rack with sports car magazines, travel magazines and other selections.
The bar and snacks are help yourself, with a nice selection of cocktail fixings, including Campari. They serve several super-local wines, right from Long Island, including a nice, crisp white wine. That does give you a sense of place. There are also plenty of non-alcoholic beverages, including Asian iced teas, sodas, juices and a cappucchino machine.
For food, they have cup of noodles type offerings, as well as finger sandwiches. I saw tuna and cold cuts; the tuna looked best to me. There were cornichons, green olives and tomatoes garnishing them. There was a selection of Tillamook cheeses in the cooler, Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies and a gorgeous fresh fruit tray with papayas, pineapple, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.
The leather lounge chairs are comfy and there’s free WiFi. The lounge really does entice you to fly Royal Laurel Class!
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 