Cover Victor Chan is vice president of global airline lounges in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa for Sodexo Live
Victor Chan is vice president of global airline lounges in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa for Sodexo Live
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Airport lounges are evolving. Victor Chan of Sodexo Live—which operates over 100 lounges around the world—shares how they're become an increasingly important part of the travel experience
Victor Chan took his first flight when he was just four months old. “I think I can still remember my dad smoking in the emergency exit aisle,” he says. Chan didn’t know it then, but travel would eventually become a central part of his world—from his previous role in travel retail at Heinemann Asia Pacific, to his current role as vice president of global airline lounges in Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa for Sodexo Live—which operates over 100 airport lounges, including for airlines like Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Emirates.
“Every opportunity I've taken on—whether professional or personal—has to be tied to my passion. I remember my first interview with Sodexo, I said that airline lounges were my third space: a place where I spent the most time after my home and work,” says Chan, who in his role acts a hospitality partner some of the world's most esteemed airlines to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
“When I look at the Airport ecosystem, lounges are the most visible, exciting and fastest growing non-aeronautical driver. And who doesn’t want to be paid while sitting in a beautiful lounge overlooking the tarmac, enjoying a collaboration from a Michelin-star restaurant and sipping on vintage champagne after a massage?”
He’s not wrong. I spoke with Chan to understand why airport lounges are becoming an increasingly important part of travel— whether that's through creating a sense of place, serving authentic local flavours or providing thoughtful amenities.
Above Airport lounges are increasingly sources of pride for both the airport and the airlines
Airport lounges are increasingly sources of pride for both the airport and the airlines
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What, in your opinion, separates a good airport lounge and a great airport lounge?
It’s whether a lounge and its team has the DNA of hospitality. Hospitality shows up not just in the design of a great lounge, giving you an immediate sense of place, but also the cheerfulness of our team members that prepare your shower and steam your blazer. It's also in the amenities you didn’t even know you needed…like that hair gel and extra face cleanser at 6am after a redeye from New York.
The best lounges in the world consider the guest experience from the moment you check in to the last sip of champagne—we are not going up against the airport’s food court, but rather some of the best five star hotels in the world, which our guests have just checked out of.
That's a good way to put it—that airport lounges are an extension of a traveller's five-star holiday experience. What are some amenities or services in your lounges people might not know about, but should?
For me, it’s about the food. Some passengers don’t even know that different lounges, even within the same airline at the same airport, will have different food offerings.
One of my favourite aspects of hidden lounge amenities and services are in what I called “dead zones”. These spaces are tucked away, so airlines try to activate them. I have experienced a golf simulator, Japanese massage chairs that were more useful than some of my exes and even a small aviation museum dedicated to die-cast steel models of airplanes from a bygone era.
My tip is to explore a lounge like you would your friend’s home…we’ve designed them in a way for you to have a sense of discovery, surprise and delight.
The best lounges in the world consider the guest experience from the moment you check in to the last sip of champagne—we are not going up against the airport’s food court, but rather some of the best five star hotels in the world, which our guests have just checked out of.
What new innovations are being applied to airport lounges to, in your words, "surprise and delight"?
When I travel, the innovations that I’m seeing are the ones that challenge what’s possible “airside” (past security). I have had the privilege of eating in a lounge’s sushi bar in Tokyo with two dedicated Edomae-style masters.
I’ve taken a quick 35-minute run on a treadmill in Delhi, and also had a beer in a lounge’s sauna in Helsinki. The best innovations are when airlines try to offer something different. But this means taking care of the basics as well—whether guests are travelling for leisure, business or a mix of both, we need to be able to create elevated spaces for them to do that.
No wonder more people are using airport lounges than ever.
After working for nearly a decade in travel retail and also being both a One World Emerald and Star Alliance Gold member for over ten years, I’ve seen— and have been a part of—the evolution of passenger behaviour. It has changed drastically.
First, we are now firmly in an experience economy. That means with every dollar spent, guests are looking for an experience, no matter the product. I’ve seen passengers now choosing not to buy that night repair serum, and instead using that money to get into an airport lounge which creates a halo effect for their journey.
The second factor, quite simply, is that lounges have levelled up. Airlines no longer just fly people from point A to point B—they are lifestyle brands, and they are truly the flag carriers of their home countries. Just like an embassy or consulate embodies the spirit and best of a place, so do our lounges. And people want to be a part of that energy.
Finally, we are seeing new entrants to the lounge business, including banks that offer a fresh premium perspective of hospitality such as speakeasy bars and spas.
Above Airport lounges are "levelling up" by way of dining, wellness experiences and thoughtful amenities
Airport lounges are "levelling up" by way of dining, wellness experiences and thoughtful amenities
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Finally, what are some key trends you’re noticing in the airport lounges space?
Premiumisation: As the in-flight experience continues to improve thanks to better technology, longer routes and higher expectations of passengers, there is a positive pressure on lounges to do the same.
Storytelling: Not so long ago, lounges were in the basement of airports or tucked away in dark areas. Now, they are sources of pride for both the airport and the airlines. They’re also a source of returning guest satisfaction. This month, one of our lounges won several awards for service from the Hong Kong Airport Authority.
Sense of place: Lounges are no longer waiting rooms with a buffet. They are about giving the final impression of a city or country to the passenger. Whether that’s in the details of the design, sensory elements like smell, and of course, the food. Locality and regionality is both king and queen.
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Coco Marett is a writer and editor who grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne. She currently heads the travel section for Tatler Asia, and manages the Tatler Travel account on Instagram. She is known for her features on unique, under-the-radar properties and destinations. She's also known for her in-depth interviews that paint a refreshingly candid portrait of influential figures across various industries —from artists to political figures, CEOs to celebrity chefs. Follow her on Instagram @cocomarett
