Primeclass Business Lounge Review - Prime Service?
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Riga Airport is a pleasant place to connect between flights. The airport is small which gives connecting passengers an advantage - only a small amount of time is enough to walk from one gate to another. However, if you have a long layover, there is a nice lounge at the airport where you can relax before the journey continues. Read our Primeclass Business Lounge Review.
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Riga Airport
Latvia is a country in the Baltics. Riga, the country's capital is not just a popular weekend destination for Europeans but is also a favourite connecting point for thousands of airBaltic's passengers. Riga Airport is the main airport of Latvia and in addition to being airBaltic's hub, many other famous airlines operate their flights there. For example, Ryanair and Norwegian have affordable tickets to Riga from multiple European cities.
AirBaltic serves especially passengers from the Nordics, Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. Usually, there is a need to connect between flights in Riga. Connections times are typically short but sometimes, the layover may last many hours. That is why a high-quality airport lounge is vital in Riga. Luckily, Riga Airport has a nice lounge whose services suit well connecting and departing passengers.
Primeclass Business Lounge
Primesclass Business Lounge is the only lounge at Riga Airport. It serves airline customers and passengers who possess certain lounge membership programs. The lounge is maintained by TAV Operation Services Latvia.
Primeclass Business Lounge has more than 100 comfortable seats and it offers an opportunity to enjoy a decent meal before flying out from Riga Airport. There is also a bar with a wide range of alcoholic beverages. You can also have hot drinks such as tea, coffee and various refreshing drinks. The lounge has its toilets and a shower facility.
Private Suites
Primeclass Business Lounge has a few private rooms with a bed to be rented for an extra price. Suites are a solution for passengers seeking a quick place to rest more privately between long journeys. We haven't booked the suites on our previous lounge visit so we can't rate them.
Location
Primeclass Business Lounge is near the gates in wing B on the upper floor from the departing flights' area. Reaching the lounge takes only a few minutes after completing the security check. The signs to the lounge at the airport are clear. Because there is only one lounge in the entire Riga Airport, following the lounge signs is easy.
After a lounge visit, walking to the gates in wing B takes only a few minutes more. Gates in wing C are a little further but only about five minutes is enough to reach them. However, if you are flying out from the Schengen area, you need to clear passport control which will take a little more. Hence, consider this matter when planning to visit Primeclass Business Lounge.
You can follow your flight status on the information screens in the lounge.
Opening Hours
Currenly, Primeclass Business Lounge is open from 6:00 to 23:00. However, hours may vary according to flight schedule. We appreciate such wide opening hours because most lounges close too early at many airports.
Access Methods
Almost every airline operating in Riga invites their business and first-class passengers to this lounge. The reason is simple: there are no other lounges at Riga Airport. Even the country's national carrier, airBaltic doesn't have its airport lounge at Riga Airport.
Primeclass Business Lounge welcomes also members of Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey. Even though the lounge serves different groups of passengers, it has never been crowded during our visits.
Walk-in Rate
Walk-in rate to the lounge is expensive: about 50€. Instead of paying this high fee, we recommend buying a more affordable voucher from Lounge Pass. The voucher entitles you to a lounge visit which you'll buy at a cheaper rate and it can also be cancelled free of charge if your travel plans change. Another advantage of purchasing a voucher in advance is that pre-purchased lounge pass guarantees you entry to the lounge also during busy hours. That is why we prefer and highly recommend using lounge passes instead of paying walk-in prices at airport lounges.
Our Visits
We have visited Primeclass Business Lounge multiple times. Our last visit was in December 2022 when we accessed the lounge by using our LoungeKey membership.
Our LoungeKey membership came together with Curve Metal Card.
It was interesting to see that many things in the lounge remained the same in recent years. We do not see this as a problem because the lounge has been then of good quality and it still is. Why change something good?
There are many ways to access airport lounges.
- Infrequent travellers may book lounge visits on Lounge Pass.
- Frequent travellers may benefit from a lounge membership. Read our Priority Pass review.
You will find more helpful information from our lounge guide.
Rating
We rate the Primeclass Business Lounge based on our latest lounge visit.
Location
We give 5 stars for the lounge's perfect location - the lounge is near the gates. Primeclass Business Lounge can easily be found after the security control and reaching the gates after a visit is fast. Only passengers who are flying out from the Schengen area need to reserve a little more time. The majority of travellers fly to Schengen destinations so the location is very practical.
Services
In addition to the peaceful atmosphere and food and drinks, the lounge has other useful services. There are a few well-working Wi-Fi and magazines. The lounge has toilets and a shower so there is no need to rush out to visit a restroom. For an extra fee, visitors can book a suite.
Comfiness
The lounge is peaceful and it has a simple but relaxing decoration. There is a lot of space and a nice view outside to the tarmac. Planes potters would surely love the lounge for this reason.
Peacefulness is one of the most important things in airport lounges and that is something that Primeclass Business Lounge offers well. The chairs are also comfortable for sitting even longer time.
As a nice extra, the lounge serves ice cream. This is a special treat to tired passengers, especially to sweet cravers. Not so many lounges are serving ice cream.
Food and Drinks
The lounge has better food and drink selection than many other European airport lounges.
During our last visit, the lounge offered cold snacks and also warm food. Warm meals included tasty salmon soup, rice, meatballs and steamed vegetables. Warm food is not self-evident so it is always a welcoming surprise.
The drink selection was perfect. There were hot and cold drinks. Juices were available and soft drinks could be taken from a fridge. The lounge has also a self-service bar from where you can take beer, cider, and wine and sparkling wine and strong spirits.
Customer Service
Customer service is the weakest point of the lounge. When we arrived, we got purely the minimum service level. Not any extra words were said. For example, at Escape Lounge at London Stansted airport, customers are given an introduction to the lounge's services when they arrive.
Overall Rating
We rate Primeclass Business Lounge as a 4-star lounge. With better customer service, we could give half a star more.
Common Questions
- How many lounges are there at Riga Airport?
- There is only one lounge, the Primeclass Business Lounge.
- Where is Primeclass Business Lounge at Riga Airport?
- It is located near wing B after the security check.
- What services does Primeclass Business Lounge offer?
- The lounge offers, for example, food, drinks, Wi-Fi, toilets and a shower.
- Does Primeclass Business Lounge serve alcohol?
- Yes, it does.
- Does Primeclass Business Lounge serve food?
- Yes, it does serve warm and cold food.
- How long does it take to reach the gates after a lounge visit?
- It takes only a few minutes but a passenger should reserve some extra time for passport control if needed.
- How much does it cost to visit Primeclass Business Lounge?
- We recommend buying access from Lounge Pass for about 35 euros. The walk-in rate is a lot more expensive, about 50€.
- Is Primeclass Business Lounge good?
- Yes, it is. We recommend trying it yourself.
Bottom Line
If you are wondering whether to fly via Riga, we can guarantee Riga is a good connection point. One great reason for connecting at Riga Airport is the existence of the lone airport lounge, Primeclass Business Lounge. The lounge gives good value for money and it is not too crowded having plenty of comfortable seats. With small money, you can make your connection at Riga Aiport more pleasant.
Primeclass Business Lounge is suitable for travellers visiting Riga either for pleasure or business. We recommend arriving at the airport a few hours earlier to enjoy the services of the lounge. Delicious warm meals, tasty drinks and a peaceful atmosphere is waiting for you at the lounge. Of course, ice cream will surely make children and tired passengers happy.
Have you visited Primeclass Business Lounge? Comment your experiences!
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