Lounge: The Club SJC A15, Terminal A, Mineta San Jose International Airport

Date of visit: Februrary 7, 2020

Rating: A15: 4 stars out of 5; A8: 3.5

Pros: Wide array of seating options, nice shower

Cons: Crowded on a Friday afternoon, sparse hot buffet selection

Gate A15

This is the larger of the two clubs.

Lounge: №1 Lounge, South Terminal, London Gatwick Airport

Date of visit: March 12, 2020

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Pros: Bright main area, variety of seating options, wide assortment on menu, well-maintained amenities

Cons: None

Lounge: Sky Lounge (Schengen), Terminal 3, Vienna International Airport

Date of visit: Sep 28, 2019

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Pros: Delicious hot buffet, shower, comfortable enclosed work area

Cons: Prone to crowding

Note: Non-Schengen lounge is 3 stars out of 5

America’s favorite TV quiz show “Jeopardy!” made headlines in 2019, its 35th season. First, there was host Alex Trebek’s announcement that he was battling stage 4 cancer. Then came James Holzhauer’s revolutionary $2 million run. I followed these stories eagerly, because I’ve been a fan for virtually all of my life. The show has been nightly appointment viewing since the first grade, when it was on TV at dinnertime. After two decades of playing along from home, I tried out for the show — and made it. I appeared on three episodes and was champion twice. The events of this…

Lounge: Airport Lounge World, Module B, Terminal 1, Munich Franz-Josef Strauss Airport

Date of visit: May 14, 2019

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Pros: Bright and airy space with comfortable seating, nice buffet and beverages, amenities galore

Cons: Far from Lufthansa flights

Note for Lufthansa passengers: if your layover is 90 minutes or longer, you can make a short stop at Airport Lounge World in Terminal 1 and return to Terminal 2 in time for your flight. Take the connector bus from T2, which stops at gates H17 and G83 and drops you off at T1 gate C08. Bus…

Lounge: Star Alliance, Terminal 1, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Date of visit: May 14, 2019

Rating: First floor: 4 stars out of 5; Second floor: 4.5 stars

Pros: Sleek interior, flavorful cold cuts and cheeses, good beverage selection

Cons: Middling warm buffet, crowded (on the first floor)

This is the tale of two lounges. The first floor provides comfortable seating, but it is chronically in short supply. Same goes for the buffet: for the last hour, of my visit some premium offerings like smoked salmon were completely gone. Head up the backstairs and you arrive to a whole new (spacious) world.

First floor

Lounge: Primeclass Lounge, Gates E, Zurich Airport

Date of visit: May 2, 2019

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Pros: Stylish and spacious interior, comfortable exterior space, top-notch food and beverage selections

Cons: Eventually you have to leave (to board your flight)

This is my first five-star lounge review. I popped into Primeclass for a short layover after an overnight flight from San Francisco. My connecting flight ended up being delayed one hour. Instead of disappointment, I felt joy as it afforded me more time to enjoy Primeclass’ first-class experience.

Lounge: Aspire, Terminal B, Zurich Airport

Date of visit: May 3, 2019

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Pros: Stylish and well-maintained interior

Cons: Limited seating

I had a short stay at this lounge before a 7:30 AM flight. Just enough time to pop a mini-baguette sandwich into my mouth and gulp down a cappuccino. I hope to return — and sample their lunch and dinner offerings.