Star Alliance’s Los Angeles airport lounge has won the title of North America’s Leading Airport Lounge for the fourth year running at the World Travel Awards 2023. The award was announced at the Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony held on the picturesque island of Saint Lucia on August 26, 2023. Commenting on the win, Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias said: “At Star Alliance, we are all about making air travel more stress-free and frictionless. Lounges play a vital role in enhancing the airport journey, and our Star Alliance LAX lounge has been at the front of the pack since it first opened. We are delighted that once again, it has been named one of the best in the business.” “My thanks go out to the dedicated team that keeps our LAX lounge running in tip-top shape from morning to night, as well as to our Star Alliance member carriers for working with us to make this lounge a success for so many years.” The Star Alliance Los Angeles airport lounge is one of the world’s very best airport lounges, and consistently wins prestigious industry awards each year. Most recently, it was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance Lounge by Skytrax in June 2023. Boasting an outdoor terrace with firepits, a water wall and panoramic runway views towards the Hollywood Hills, the sprawling 18,000 square foot lounge captivates with cool Californian charm during the day, and transforms into a vibrant space as evening falls. For those preferring a peaceful moment before their flight, the lounge offers numerous areas to relax, work and dine as they wish. The World Travel Awards acknowledge and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. It was established in 1993 and is recognised as one of the most prestigious award programmes in travel and tourism.<br/>
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Amid ongoing delays in a high-profile merger between South Korea’s top two air carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, some market watchers are speculating that strategic investors are preparing for a possible third-party buyout of Asiana. Private equity funds are reportedly releasing requests for proposals to interested parties regarding the 1.8t won ($1.3b) Korean Air-Asiana deal to solicit responses, according to some investors. The requests come amid delays in the deal due to international authorities’ antitrust concerns. "It is possible that with foreign antitrust regulators stalling to make decisions regarding the (Korean Air-Asiana) deal, and with the deal having dragged for more than three years, some investors are looking for their chances to weigh in," said an official from a private equity fund on the condition of anonymity. If such a large-scale deal falls out, investors will need to make quick responses, and it is possible that they are making preparations in advance (for such a case)," he said. The nation’s seventh-largest conglomerate Hanwha Group is rumored to be another player behind the scenes, currently gauging its foray into the Korean Air-Asiana deal. In July, Hanwha Group reportedly contacted Pan Ocean -- a shipping company and a subsidiary of Korean agri-food giant Harim Holdings -- to offer a buyout of its stake in Hanjin Kal, the holding company of Hanjin Group. Hankin Kal maintains oversight of its subsidiaries, including Korean Air. Currently, Pan Ocean holds a 5.85% stake in Hanjin Kal, while Hanjin Kal owns a 26.13% stake in Korean Air.<br/>