With the winter semester coming to an end, AU students may be planning on a graduation trip or a vacation to end the school year on a high note.  As a traveler and a foodie, one of the best recommendations a friend once had for me was to sign up for airport lounge passes.  Prior to this, I remember waiting for my flights sitting next to a mysterious entrance leading to an upscale lounge.  Often I wondered what on earth people need a luxury seating area for.  That was until I discovered the lounges first-hand and bought into the obsession with them.  Airport lounges are the perfect asylums for weary travellers.  Particularly for foodies.  The selection of all-you-can-dines vary greatly and is highly dependent on the city you’re visiting.  While I used to dread the lengthy layovers, I now look forward to every layover because I can rely on boundless grubbing at these lounges.  Here are a handful of my favorite airport lounges.

Vancouver Plaza Premium lounge ★★★★☆

• Ambience: I was blown away by the overall design of the lounge.  The spiral staircase leading to the lounge made a lasting impression on me and built plenty of hype for the buffet stations.
• Food: This lounge featured scrambled eggs, toast and hot soup. There is also made to order items like vermicelli soup.

Montreal Air Canada Lounge ★★☆☆☆

• Ambience: This lounge was fairly crowded even during an off-travel season like in February
• Food: Mediocre food included cold salads and hot soup. Nothing out of the ordinary or impressive about this lounge.  However, if you’re a big fan of self-serve booze, this place has it covered.

Edmonton International Plaza Premium Lounge ★★★★☆

• Ambience: The anticipation of leaving Edmonton always made me look forward to the lounge at the Edmonton International Airport. Unlike the busier airports, the lounge at this airport is always quiet and offers spacious room for visitors to move about.
• Food: Depending on your destination, there are two Plaza Premium lounges available. The lounge for domestic flights often offers my favorite breakfasts and snacks.

Hong Kong Airport Plaza Premium Lounge ★★★★★

• Ambience: despite the busy atmosphere of this lounge, it was well designed and cozy with plush armchairs that are close to the dining area
• Food: The a la carte items from this menu ranged from your own udon to ramen or Taiwanese noodle soup. I was blown away by the service, the diversity of menu and beverage items.

Phoenix Airport Plaza Premium Lounge ★★★☆☆

• Ambience: the quiet lounge has an open view of the Arizona desert. However, besides the panoramic window, the interior design is mediocre at best
• Food: The warm buffet-style food made up for the lack of atmosphere. There was plenty to choose from including multi-ethnic cuisines such as stir fry and rice.