Which lounge to choose at Malpensa: Club SEA or Lufthansa

In Terminal 2 the choice is already made: there is the Alda Merini Classic Lounge, right after security. It opens before all the other Club SEA lounges at the airport and is therefore the reference for those with a dawn flight. You get in with Priority Pass, but for a limited time: it is a stop before boarding more than a place to spend the morning.At Terminal 1 the first question is whether the flight is Schengen or non-Schengen. In the Schengen area there are the Monteverdi Classic Lounge, accessible with Priority Pass and with a limited stay, and the Lufthansa Lounge in Departures A, in front of the Dmail shop. The latter serves Lufthansa Group flights to Schengen destinations: you get in with the American Express Global Lounge Collection or by buying entry with a Lufthansa boarding pass, and inside there is a real Italian-style bar designed for the aperitivo. Those departing for a non-Schengen destination find different levels. The Montale Exclusive Lounge, in the north satellite, accepts Priority Pass only with advance booking and offers paid extra services: those who turn up without having booked risk being left outside. The Gae Aulenti Premium Lounge, in boarding area B near gates B50-B58, is the Premium level of Club SEA: it has showers, a small private room and a space for meditation, and entry is bought for a fee. There remains the Pergolesi Classic Lounge, also in Terminal 1 and accessible with Priority Pass for a limited time. The Classic lounges are the natural choice for those with a lounge card and a short wait. For a long wait, or to freshen up before a long flight, the showers and the meditation space of the Gae Aulenti are a good reason to pay for entry. One last piece of advice concerns time. The time limit on stays at the Classic lounges with Priority Pass means that, if you arrive at the airport very early, it is better to go into the lounge later, when boarding approaches. And the booking for the Montale should be made before leaving home, not in front of the lounge door. Those flying with the Lufthansa Group to the Schengen area can instead keep their boarding pass at hand, which is the key to buying entry.

At Malpensa you choose a lounge in successive steps. First the terminal: at T2 there is the Alda Merini, the first to open among the Club SEA lounges. Then, at Terminal 1, the zone: Schengen for the Monteverdi and the Lufthansa Lounge, non-Schengen for the Montale and the Gae Aulenti. Finally the type of access: with Priority Pass the Classic lounges for a short stop or the Montale by booking, with a Lufthansa flight the airline's lounge, and for showers and a longer wait the paid entry of the Gae Aulenti.