London: The Swiss Lounge at Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport, Switzerland, is today celebrating victory in the prestigious Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards. The lounge has been named best in the world by members of Priority Pass, the world’s largest independent airport lounge access program.
Announcing the results, Jonathan French, head of brand, Priority Pass, said: “As we celebrate over 20 years of offering Priority Pass to global travellers, we are delighted to present this award to the Swiss Lounge and congratulate them on this excellent achievement. They have consistently delivered an outstanding experience and have distinguished themselves ahead of over 1,500+ worthy competitors in the eyes of our members. Priority Pass members, who are the world’s most frequent travellers, expect high levels of quality, innovation, customer service and business acumen from their service providers. This award is a true reflection of those accomplishments.”
Daniela Schädler, station manager, Swiss-Lounge Basel-Mulhouse commented: “Our customers are obviously happy with the services provided by our Service and Welcome Desk Staff - the lounge ambiance, openness and architecture plays an important role too. Our lounge guests have reflected their satisfaction with the service we offer with their vote, which we are very thankful for.”
Schädler continues: “Besides continuous improvement, our main goal at Swiss-Lounge is to maintain a high standard of quality while being competitive in such a demanding and ever changing industry. Listening to our customers and making adequate and appropriate changes to accommodate their needs ultimately leads to achieving the customer satisfaction we aim for. This award is proof that we are moving in the right direction and we are delighted to receive it.”
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 Swiss Lounge was singled out for honour amongst more than 1,500+ other airport lounges globally, and with the award based on over 40,000 ratings made by Priority Pass members from around the world - discerning, frequent travellers who know a thing or two about travel - this accolade has come from an impeccable source.
The spacious Swiss Lounge was nominated for its size, design and exclusive atmosphere. With a vast glass dome allowing natural light to flood in, the ambience is designed specifically with relaxation in mind. There are 200 seats and 40 places at the bar spread over 1,700 square metres. The lounge also has showers available. The Business Centre, with dedicated space to work, has an eCorner with internet, computers and W-LAN. Hot and cold buffet snacks are offered with an extensive selection of drinks. VIP guests are received in a separate VIP area.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Priority Pass has millions of members worldwide. The program provides frequent travellers with airport lounge access, irrespective of their class of travel, airline flown or existing membership in an airline loyalty program. 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.
Previous winners of the Priority Pass Global Lounge of the Year Award include the Continental President’s Club in Houston, USA, the SUMAQ VIP Lounge in Jorge Chavez International Airport, Lima and the Finnair Lounge in Helsinki.
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