We don’t need to be cosmopolitans to feel that we share one world. We travel across borders and time zones carrying the same fundamental need: to arrive somewhere and feel, even briefly, at home. Mei Mei Song, Brand and Product Transformation Director at Plaza Premium Group, has built a career around making that possible. She spoke with Lara Palmer about airports, innovation, and the business her father started from a personal frustration.
Lara Palmer: What does your Dubai lounge offer travellers?
Mei Mei Song: A proper meal — a la carte service after check-in. When you’re transiting, you shouldn’t have to rush. You can take calls, meet colleagues, book a meeting room. Dubai is a hub that many people pass through with long layovers. We want them to use that time rather than waste it. LP: What makes Plaza Premium different from other airport lounges? MMS: The most important distinction is that our arrival lounge is open to everyone — no boarding pass required. Friends, family, business contacts can all come in. We’ve built a co-working concept with services that go well beyond sitting and waiting: visa assistance, tax support, meeting pods. LP: Tell us about the mission — Making Travel Better Together. MMS: It started with my father twenty-five years ago. He flew business class for work and appreciated those comforts. But when he travelled for his own business, those privileges disappeared. He wanted independent lounge access and couldn’t find it, so he created it. It wasn’t easy — people told him there wasn’t room for the idea. He persisted and built something global. Travel has changed enormously since then. We added nap rooms, massage rooms, hair care. Every new service came from listening. LP: Who is the soul of Plaza Premium? MMS: My brother and I are the second generation. We both started as receptionists, unknown to guests. Our focus now is digitalisation and sustainability, but the commitment underneath hasn’t changed. We want to make travel better.