Today I’m comparing the Primeclass Lounge and Aspire Lounge at Zurich Airport (in the international E Gates). Both of these lounges are accessible either through paying up front or for free with Priority Pass or other lounge membership schemes. I happened to be here fo a short layover so hopped between the lounges to see which is best. Both of these lounges are very similar and both have fantastic outdoor terraces with runway views. But the Primeclass Lounge costs 50 CHF (£45) whilst the Aspire lounge is a more affordable 36 CHF (£32). So is that price difference worth it? Read my Primeclass vs Aspire Lounge article to find out!
Primeclass Lounge
The Primeclass Lounge is the larger of the two I’ll be covering today. It costs 50 CHF for standard entry though is included for free if you’re flying with. thefollowing airlines:
- Qatar Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- American Airlines
- Aeroflot
- El Al Airlines
- Oman Air
- Delta Airlines
Or you can access for free with Priority Pass, Dragon Pass, and a few more lounge schemes I’d never heard of like LoungeMe and LoungePair.
Seating
The Primeclass Lounge is much larger than the Aspire Lounge and has some really nice seats. I would say they tend towards form over function, so arent’ the comfiest the world. But that being said there are plenty of seats and they are all clean. They have capacity of 134 people according to their website. You can get lounge chairs, desk chairs, dining tables and sofas.
Most of the seats in this lounge are a nice leather with hight backs for a small bit of extra privacy. As you can see below most of the seats are well spaced so even if the lounge was full it wouldn’t feel overly crowded.
If you want to charge your devices then many of. thetables have these handy sockets with several power and USB ports. Though many of the seats didn’t have any within easy reach so choose where you sit carefull. There were also dedicated desks if you want to get really stuck in to some work. But they don’t have any privacy so you’ll be sitting side by side with other people if it’s busy.
Food & Drink
Starting off with the drink offering and it’s not bad. Of course there’s a coffee machine plus tea bags if you fancy that. They also have takeaway cups which I appreciate as it means you can take a drink to go. There is also a bar with some spirits and wine. Not a huge selection but it is self-serve at least and there are bottles of chilled Heineken if you want beer.
However, they do fall short when it comes to soft drinks. If you want stuff like coke, sprite or even water they just have large 2l bottles to discourage people taking them with them. That’s annoying as I usually like to take a water bottle with me onto my flight but I couldn’t do that here. There was also a large dispenser that was suposed to be filled with orange juice and flavoured water but it was completely empty.
There are a few cold salad options with several dressings (picture below). It’s nothing to get excited about and apart from that there was a small basket of bread, some ham and cheese, some sort of desert mousse, and a few bar snacks. A pretty uninspired selection if I’m honest and definitely the weakest part of the lounge experience here. It’s quite surprising as this is one of the more premium-feeling lounges I’ve visited. The food selection is well below average though.
The hot food options was literally just some plain rice and the below breaded fish, as well as some hote soup. I’m not sure if there’s usually more on offer as there was lot’s of empty counter space. But when we were there at least, options were limited.
Extras
There is a free to use shower and some bathrooms at this lounge. Though I didn’t use either. That’s a standard offering but much better than the Aspire Lounge which doesn’t even have toilets, let alone a shower.
My favourite thing about this lounge is the outdoor terrace with panoramic views of the aircraft and main runways. It does get pretty loud but being able to see Airbus A340s and Boeing 777s (to name a few) takeoff from close up is epic.
There is also comfortable seating out here so you can settle down with a drink and some food to relax. Plus the staff come out regularly to clear tables.
Aspire Lounge
You can book the Aspire Lounge online here for £32 per adult or £16 per child. And like the Primeclass Lounge entry is free for those with Priority Pass or Dragon Pass. The lounge is located on the top floor of the satellite terminal, pretty much exactly in the middle. And whilst this lounge and the Primeclass lounge are right next door to each other. They’re only accessible from seperate staircases/lifts so you can’t walk quickly between them.
Seating
The Aspire Lounge is quite a lot smaller than the Primeclass Lounge so it was much fuller when we visited. There are a variety of seating options. From lounge chairs, semi-private sofas, outdoor seats and a dining area. Overall the seats looks comfortable and were in good condition. I just wasn’t able to sit on any as they were all full (there was space outside, it was a bit too hot though).
The lounge was also kept neat and tidy with staff regularly going around and clearing dirty dishes and sanitising tables. We sat in the dining area as that was the only place we could get a table and it was nice. Especially the jazzy floor. Overall this lounge is a nice place to be. It’s just let down by lack of space.
Food
Food options at the Aspire Lounge are even more limited than the Primeclass. Below you can see everything on offer. From left to right there is some hot soup, two hot options (chicken and pasta if I remember correctly), a very small selection of bread and some basic salads. Of course, being Zurich, one of the salad options was potato salad which actually tasted pretty good.
Your drink selection is a bit better though. There are several bottles of white, red and rose wine plus some prosecco. There were also some bottles of spirit, beer and soft drinks. Though soft drinks were only in large communal bottles rather than personal bottles you can take away. And lastly, a coffee machine and tea bags round out the selection.
I went for a very haphazard plate of potato salad and creamy pasta, with some gummy bears and marble cake for desert. It was fine (and the marble cake was great actually), but the choices were so limited there wasn’t anything else I fancied.
Extras
Facilities-wise the Aspire Lounge is also basic, like the Primeclass. There is a good selection of magazines by the entrance if you want something to read. But that’s about it… Both lounges score big points for decor and style, but not much else.
Once again the outdoor terrace is fantastic with some amazing views of planes taking off and taxiing by. The seating out here is comfortable too. So if you can handle the loud aircraft sound it’s a great place to sit. Especially in the summer when the weather is good like it was when I visited. The Aspire Lounge doesn’t have quite as large a terrace as the Primeclass Lounge though. It is only on one side rather than both, but it does overlook the main runway so views are still good.
Which is Best?
When it comes to comparing the Primeclass vs Aspire Lounge, there’s not most difference but I think the Primeclass Lounge edges it out overall. It just feels more spacious and has better seating options. Plus the seats in the Primeclass lounge are better spaced so it doesn’t feel like you’re sitting on top of people. That being said both lounges feel modern and well decorated. And both lounges have an amazing outdoor terrace with seating and runway views, probably my favourite thing about them.
Food options in both are very limited and of a similar level so there isn’t much difference there. Finally, neither of these lounges have toilets (let alone showers) so be prepared to venture outside the lounge if you need the loo. If you have free access, like I did through Priority Pass, then both are absolutely worth a visit. Though neither has the facilities for a long layover. I you’re paying to enter I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, unless you want to do some plane spotting. Neither lounge offers enough to make it worth the price in my opinion.
More from me…
If you enjoyed this Primeclass vs Aspire Lounge post, please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:
- Malaysia Airlines Economy A350-900 – Great food on a 13 hour flight
- No1 Lounge at London Gatwick South – Surprisingly good
- Singapore Airlines Economy from London to Singapore – As Good as People Say?
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