• Introduction
• Check-in: British Airways Galleries Lounge, Mumbai
• Check-in: Clipper Lounge First Class, Mumbai
• Airborne: Flight CX 750 (BOM-BKK), Cathay Pacific, Economy
• Millennium Hilton Hotel, Bangkok
• Around Bangkok
• Hilton Hotel, Pattaya
• Around Pattaya
• Radisson Suites, Bangkok
• Check-in: Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge, Bangkok
• Check-in: British Airways/Qantas First Class Lounge, Bangkok
• Check-in: Cathay Pacific First & Business Class Lounge, Bangkok
• Airborne: Flight CX 709 (BKK-BOM), Cathay Pacific, Economy
• Conclusion

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Update: New Lounge as of February 2014 is covered here.

I must be over 40 trips old to the Clipper Lounge in Mumbai Airport’s International terminal, however, I’ve almost always used the business class section of the lounge all the time. Reason being, I’ve never flown First Class from Mumbai (there are hardly any first class flights from Mumbai in the first place…)  and hence never got to the other side of this wall.

When we were done at the British Airways lounge in Mumbai, we still had about 3 hours to kill before we got to our flight. So, we proceeded to the Clipper Lounge next door, which I’ve written about earlier. However, with the oneworld Emerald tier, Cathay Pacific directed me to the First Class section of the lounge, which was a new one for me and my brother.

Like you know, the Clipper Lounge is a third-party contract lounge, however if you are not flying Air India, Emirates or British Airways (all of which have their own lounges in Mumbai), this is perhaps going to be the default lounge option for your airline. I am very amused that Jet Airways, which proclaims Mumbai to be its hub, does not have a lounge of its own here, since it operates quite a few flights with business class service from Mumbai.

Entrance

Airline list

On entering the lounge and presenting our lounge coupon, we were directed to the right side of the lounge, which is a special section only open to first class passengers. I was a fan, instantaneously. It was small, could accommodate at best 10-12 passengers in one time, but it was so much better and quieter than the main section where most of the visitors are directed. And yes, there were no chairs around here, but only recliners, so you could use them as your personal couch or a little bed and catch a nap if you please. Water bottles were already provided for at each side-table, so you already had the bare necessities laid out if you needed to zone out as soon as you got into the lounge.

Lounge Seating

When I arrived at the lounge, it was empty and it was just the both of us (me and my brother), so we took the seat in front of the only television around here and started channel flipping for a while . A while later, when another gentleman arrived, we did finally settle on which channel to watch (since midnight TV programming is all so boring…)

The lounge staff here was attentive yet out of sight most of the times. All the organisation of food and drinks was displayed well enough for self-service, but the staff would keep doing the rounds every 15-20 minutes and somehow would get a hang of you if you needed something. At other times, they’d leave you alone and not interfere with your business.

While I had already eaten at the BA lounge, I managed to snap some quick pictures of the food and bar area. There were sandwiches (vegetarian as well as non-), rolls, dessert helpings and gravy and rice for those who preferred a substantial portion. On the drinks offering, apart from the standard full chiller of soft-drinks and juices, the lounge offered a selection of alcohol, wine and beer and champagne. I walked over to the main section, and noticed that there were more snack options available there (like Indian snacks, more finger food and instant cup noodles), so I guess it is always a good idea to pop in there and see if you’d like something from the business section, and either fetch it yourself or ask the staff to get it for you and serve by your seat.

Food & Drinks

I settled with a glass of champagne brought to me by the butler, while my brother settled with some single malt on ice.

Drinks

While I was trying to still wrap up some work, I was too tired after a long day at work and then I just decided to shut my laptop. I watched some TV and did managed to catch some sleep for maybe 30-40 minutes on the comfortable seats. Once I woke up, I tried to work again but the free airport wifi was too slow so I did not make much headway with my intention. As I headed to the toilet, I also noticed this lounge had a solitary rainshower as well, but I do not know if they provided towels and amenities, and I did not bother to ask since I was certainly not heading into the shower at 4 AM.

Shower area

Boarding for my flight was supposed to start at about 4:55 AM for a 5:20 departure, but I was getting restless so we proceeded to the gate at about 4:30 AM, walking through the restaurants and duty-free, etc. to make sure we were not way ahead of time at our gate (which was 4-5 minutes away).

Related Posts:

• British Airways Galleries Lounge, Mumbai CSI Airport Terminal 2
• Clipper Lounge, Mumbai CSI Airport Terminal 2

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