As I mentioned, the lounge is very thoughtfully split up into many different smaller areas which helps to make the massive lounge feel cozier and to designate spaces for different activities. Both of The Pier lounges have stunning woodwork and comfortable and stylish furniture which really makes the space feel rich and inviting. 

There are several different eating spaces throughout the lounge, each offering different types of food. The Food Hall is found directly behind you once you've checked in at the front desk and offers a selection of hot and cold items which will be served to you by attendants behind the counter. The Food Hall offered panini, breads, pizza, hot dishes, fruit and desserts, with a few other small items and beverages in the small refrigerators along the left and right side of the hall. There was also a coffee cart in the room to serve specialty coffee drinks.

We were greeted at the entrance desk by an agent, who offered to give us a tour of the lounge once she saw that we were flying in first class. She explained the services and facilities available, and apologized that there was no first class lounge and that the lounge may get crowded. As a consolation, she explained that they had cordoned off a section for first class passengers, and dropped us off there.

The first class area didn't look any different from the rest of the lounge, but it was behind a rope, so I guess that made it special. One disadvantage is that there weren't many power outlets in this section - we were lucky to snag one of the few sets of seats that had a nearby plug. A waiter came by to ask whether we wanted anything to drink, and I ordered a sparkling water.

Guest Reviewer: Chris

An avid traveler and obsessive points and miles hound, Chris is my travel buddy extraordinaire. I love him for his enthusiasm, his sense of adventure, and his many lounge access credit cards. Hope you enjoy his perspective! ​

Review: Qatar Airways Business Class BLR-DOH
Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge
Review: Qatar Airways Business Class DOH-LAX
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On my way back from India, I had a short connection at Hamad International Airport in Doha. Because I was flying Qatar Airways Business Class, I had access to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, where I was able to stop by for a quick visit.

While I normally have access to Oneworld first class lounges thanks to my American Airlines Executive Platinum status, Qatar Airways has made an exception to the Oneworld rules for their two best lounges. The Al Mourjan Business Lounge is only accessible to business class passengers (or first class, presumably), and the newly-opened Al Safwa First Class Lounge is only accessible to those traveling in first class. Oneworld elites who aren't traveling in premium cabins are relegated to the Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge and Qatar Airways First Class Lounge, which aren't nearly as good, and are ironically named given that they cater to elites flying in economy. Super confusing, right?

Anyway, after clearing security, I found myself in a large atrium with a giant teddy bear, who seemed to be in an unfortunate situation: a lamp had been inserted through its back and was shining a blinding light into its eyes. Apparently it's a world-famous sculpture that was bought by a member of the Qatari royal family for $6.8 million USD. It's definitely an odd piece of art to put in an airport, but I have to admit I kind of liked it.

There are plenty of signs showing the way to the Al Mourjan lounge, but they all seemed to point in different directions. Eventually I gave up and asked somebody, and they pointed me toward an escalator going up. There was a woman checking boarding passes at the bottom of the escalator, and after she accepted mine, I made my way to the lounge entrance one level up. I headed to an open desk, showed my boarding pass again, and was quickly admitted into the lounge.

My first impression of the lounge was that it was humongous. You should take this next statement with a grain of salt given that I'm a computer nerd who's never stepped foot on one, but It must have been the size of a football field. It's also quite sleek and futuristic-looking. It spans two floors, and there's a large pool of water on the lower level (though I don't think it's meant for swimming).

I didn't have much time to sit and relax since my next flight was boarding in under half an hour, so I decided to explore the lounge and take a few pictures. There were a lot of people in the lounge, but there was so much seating and open space that I can't imagine it would ever feel "full".

Back in March, I wrote about how to book partner award flights on Etihad Airways.  We originally booked First Apartments both to Abu Dhabi from London and from Abu Dhabi back to London over the Thanksgiving holiday, but unfortunately, the airplane for our flight from London was switched from an A380 (which has First Apartments) to an A340 (which has Etihad's standard First Class). The airplane switch was somewhat devastating, but at least we will still experience the Apartments on our way home. We planned a whirlwind luxury long weekend in Dubai around these flights and I'll be covering all the details in upcoming posts. 

Review: British Airways Club World SFO - LHR
Review: LHR Etihad Airways First & Business Class Lounge
Review: Etihad Airways First Class LHR - AUH
Review: Park Hyatt Dubai
​Review: Afternoon Tea at At.mosphere Burj Khalifa
​Review: Burj al Arab Part I: One Bedroom Suite
Review: Burj al Arab Part II: Grounds and Amenities​
Review: AUH Etihad Airways Premium Lounge 
​Review: Etihad Airways First Apartments AUH - LHR 
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Etihad flies out of London Heathrow Terminal 4. We arrived at Heathrow about 5.5 hours prior to our flight to Abu Dhabi after flying in on British Airways from San Francisco, so we had a bit of time to kill before being able to check in for our Etihad flight. Luckily, Etihad allows check in 4 hours prior to the flight, so we didn't have to wait an extremely long time. Check in was fairly quick, since we were first in line and off we were to the lounge. Once we cleared security, we headed towards gate A10, which the Etihad First and Business Class lounge is located across from. 

Review: American Airlines Business Class LAX - PVG 
Review: PVG Cathay Pacific Lounge 
Review: Dragonair Business Class PVG - HKG 
Review: Andaz Xintiandi Shanghai
Review: Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Review: Hyatt Regency Suzhou


I fly out of Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) on a pretty regular basis these days (5 times in the past year and counting) and since I'm flying Business on either American or Cathay Pacific/DragonAir, I receive access to the Cathay Pacific Lounge. The lounge can be found near gate 68 after you make it through security in Terminal 2. You'll see plenty of signs for the lounge and will take an escalator up one level to get to the entrance. 

Upon entering the lounge, you'll notice a long main hallway with seating to your left, along with a small kitchen area, another seating area, and a "business center" with computers available for use. When the hallway comes to an end, the lounge opens up to reveal another kitchen area and a large open seating area which is all open to the terminal below. I find the roof of the terminal to be rather impressive, but that's really where the feeling ends. The lounge is usually quite crowded and this day was no exception. It can be tough to find a seat, but it's even tougher to find one next to an outlet and it's nearly impossible to find one next to an outlet that actually works! 

The food is unfortunately not the best that I've seen in Cathay lounges and as such, I've never actually eaten anything in the lounge. I also rarely find myself drinking anything, but you'll find a selection of hot and cold items available, including noodles, sandwiches, fruit, instant noodles and some small dessert. Drinks are serve yourself and include soft drinks, juices, wine, and liquor.

There is wifi in the lounge, but remember that you are in China, and you won't be able to get anything beyond the great firewall, so it's essentially useless. If you decide to use it, the password, as always for Cathay lounges, is "cathay1234" and you'll find that posted throughout the lounge. 

The lounge is a bit of a nicer place to sit than the terminal while waiting for your flight, but it's really not much to write home about.