London: The Menzies Aviation Shongololo Lounge, Johannesburg, South Africa, is today celebrating victory in the prestigious Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards. The lounge has won the Africa & Middle East Regional Award 2012, voted for by the members of Priority Pass, the world’s largest independent airport lounge access program.
Jonathan French, head of brand, Priority Pass, says: “Priority Pass members are frequent travellers who certainly know a thing or two about travel and have high expectations of the lounges. The quality of lounges in the Africa & Middle East region is very high, so this award is a great achievement for the Menzies Aviation Shongololo Lounge. We are very proud to offer this outstanding facility to Priority Pass members.”
Mr Forsyth Black, senior vice president Africa for Menzies Aviation, says: “We are delighted Menzies Aviation's Shongololo Lounge has received this prestigious Priority Pass award. The Shongololo Lounge showcases the very best of African luxury and hospitality and we're proud to show we compare so favourably against stiff competition.”
The Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards, established in 2005, are designed to recognise service excellence amongst the lounges in the Priority Pass programme. The Menzies Aviation Shongololo Lounge was singled out for honour amongst approximately 80 other airport lounges in the Africa & Middle East region. With the award based on more than 40,000 ratings made by Priority Pass members from around the world, the lounge was nominated for its modern African design, ‘first-class atmosphere’ and the attentiveness of its hospitality team, whose members are hand-picked for their personable nature and customer focus.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Priority Pass has millions of members worldwide. The programme provides frequent travellers with airport lounge access, irrespective of their class of travel, airline flown or existing membership of an airline loyalty programme. Founded in 1992 with 55 lounges in 49 countries, Priority Pass today offers access to more than 1,500+ airport lounges in over 600 cities in more than 145 countries.
There were a total of nine winners in the Priority Pass 2012 Lounge of the Year Awards:
Global Award: Swiss-Lounge, Basel-Mulhouse
Regional Awards:
Europe Swiss Lounge, Basel-Mulhouse (global winner)
North America Alaska Airlines Board Room, Seattle
Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) American Admirals Club, Rio
Africa/Middle East Menzies Aviation Shongololo Lounge, Johannesburg
Asia Pacific Travelers’ Lounge, Hong Kong – East Hall
Best Staff: The Yorkshire Premier Lounge, Leeds Bradford
Best Refreshments: Dilmun Lounge, Bahrain
Best Business Facilities: No.1 Gatwick, North Terminal, London Gatwick