Abu Dhabi Airport Priority Pass Lounge Review.
WARNING. This lounge is closed permanently, as is the entire old terminal, now all operations have moved to the new [...]
WARNING. This lounge is closed permanently, as is the entire old terminal, now all operations moved to the new, state-of-the-art Terminal A And there's a new lounge and it's huge, you can read the Pearl Lounge review here.
Contrary to what you might think, Abu Dhabi airport, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and Etihad's main hub, it is not immense and not even remotely comparable to that of neighboring Dubai.
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The airport has only two terminals: the first one, the historical one, is beautiful, has truly iconic architecture; the second is newer and more impersonal, and this is where the emirates' national airline flights mainly depart from. Between the two terminals is the commercial area and the food court, but again we are light years away from what you find not only in Dubai but in all the other airports in the area.
The number of lounges is also greatly reduced. In fact, there are only Etihad lounges. Terminal 3, the new terminal, houses the main lounge and the one dedicated to flights departing for the United States. As well as the arrival lounge for passengers arriving in Abu Dhabi. The dedicated lounge for first class passengers was also recently reopened, partly because A380s were reactivated, the only ones to offer the most exclusive cabin In the EY fleet.
There are two other lounges in Terminal 1, one also owned by Etihad designed to serve passengers departing from this terminal, and the Al Dhabi Lounge that is the subject of this review, which is in fact the hub for all other airline passengers.
Location
The lounge is perhaps the easiest to find since the is located just past the security checkpoint, on the left. Whether you are in transit or boarding from Abu Dhabi, this waiting room is definitely the easiest to reach and is located on the second floor.
Access
If you travel business class with any carrier, obviously excluding Etihad which has its own lounges, you have access to this lounge. The lounge participates in the Priority Pass network, on some sites (such as the official airport site) you will still find some reference to the lounge as belonging to the Premium Plaza network, but this is no longer the case. This means that. PP card holders can access and, depending on the level, they can be accompanied by other passengers free of charge. Finally, it is possible to gain access for a fee that varies depending on the time of stay. The departure time of the flight is calculated as a reference.
Priority Pass card is free of charge for all holders of the American Express Platinum, but also the holders of Gold Card can enjoy, of the basic subscription And two free admissions each year.
The cost varies between 50 and 90 euros, and from what I have seen it is definitely not worth the expense.
Finally, it is also accessible to elite status holders of the various companies. In the days of Alitalia and code-share with Etihad, holders of the Freccia Alata Plus level, who flew EY economy, had access to the business lounges. Those who had the lower level, i.e. Winged Arrow, had access to this lounge with a coach class ticket. ITA Airways also has a code share agreement, and it is easy for Volare members to fall into the same situation, provided the status is recognized by the Emirates carrier.
The lounge
The hall is large, but not immense, let's say it is suitable for the traffic at this airport, which is definitely small compared to Dubai's. It is also distinctly smaller than the one in Muscat. The lounge consists of many rooms and lounges of various sizes. As soon as you enter, a long hallway leads up to the buffet area and main bar.
The style of furniture is essential, or rather it has no real soul, it is a waiting room that could be in Frankfurt as in Buenos Aires, it has no distinctive elements except for the gastronomic proposal.
The bar area is nice and the staff goes out of their way to accommodate all guest requests. The cleanliness of this lounge is impeccable, as soon as a passenger gets up a couple of attendants immediately arrive to clean and sanitize the seat, the table, the seat.
There are some areas with sofas, but not real lounging areas. It is also true that if it is not very crowded, it is easy to find a nook where you can rest without being disturbed.
The farther you get from the area where the food is served, the calmer you can be. Without forgetting to set the alarm clock, because if you fall asleep you will end up stuck in the desert.
There is also a second buffet/bar area that leads to other lounges. During my visit, it was desolately deserted, as was most of the lounge.
Cute cubicles/beehives to isolate yourself in case of a crowded lounge, also good for working due to the presence of a small table and power outlets. Power outlets found just about everywhere and great free wi-fi.
Among the facilities available were obviously showers, a massage area that was closed, however. A smoking area and other rooms designed for various uses: from families to a room to pray.
Food & Beverage
The choice is somewhere between a buffet and table service. In fact, part of the offering is self-service, while for hot dishes you can choose from a menu that changes depending on the time of day.
Very interesting idea of ready-made and individually packaged portions, convenient and safe.
I wasn't very hungry, but a rice dish that was good and so beautiful to look at, I didn't let it pass me by.
In conclusion
There is no alternative: either eat this soup or wait for the plane at the gate. Of course, it is definitely not worth the expense, but if you have Priority Pass it is a comfortable place to wait for your flight. The only real flaw is that it is inside the airport and has no view, so no source of natural light.
Pro
- Clean
- Spacious
Against
- He has no sight