Lounge Review: Berlin Airport Club
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Berlin Airport Club Lounge in Terminal A
Berlin Airport Club Lounge or BerlinAirportClub as it is written on the airport's website is the public lounge in the Terminal A of Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL). This lounge is operated by 4S GroundLogistis GmbH.
Location and Opening Hours
Berlin Airport Club Lounge is located on Level 2 in the Terminal A of Berlin-Tegel Airport before security controls. Berlin-Tegel is not an ordinary airport because every gate in Terminal A has its security control just before the boarding area. This kind of layout makes it impossible to have a lounge after the security controls.
The lounge is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 6:45 AM to 9:00 PM and on Sundays from 7:45 to 9:00 PM.
Parking Area View
Even a bad lounge can become great if there is a fascinating view of the tarmac. Unfortunately, the view from Berlin Airport Club is to the parking area and nothing is interesting to see. The view is different from the view from the C Lounge of Terminal C. Luckily, a good view is seldom a major motivator to visit a lounge instead, most people are looking for a relaxing atmosphere at the airport.
Access Methods
Berlin Airport Club accepts Priority Pass, Dragonpass, Lounge Key, Lounge Club, Lounge Pass and Diners Club International memberships. Also, a few airlines are inviting business and first-class passengers to this lounge.
As mentioned earlier, Berlin Airport Club is a small lounge but the lounge still accepts walk-in guests based on capacity. You can pay the entry fee at the front desk. However, we recommend placing a pre-booking on Lounge Pass to secure your entry time since capacity runs out easily. The pre-booking price is about 30 euros.
One Man Show during Our Visit
This small lounge was not busy when we came in at about 5 PM. For this reason, we thought at first that maybe that's why the lounge was manned by only one staff doing the receptionist's task, while also cleaning the tables and refilling the food trays and drinks. As the lounge staff mostly does some tasks in front of his computer, he was not able to monitor well on time if there was a need for a refill of food and drink kinds of stuff.
Our Rating
Easiness to Find the Lounge
The lounge is located before security checks which are to be blamed on TXL's old layout. There are escalators to Level 2 from the main hall. You can also take an elevator from the pharmacy to the second level of the airport. The lounge is right above the customs.
It is easy to get lost in Berlin-Tegel Airport. Make sure that you are in Terminal A. Find the main hall (no gates there). In the main hall, signs to the lounges are quite well visible.
The lounge may be easy to find but its location is still bad. Reaching gates after the lounge visit takes a lot of time because you need first to find your gate and then proceed to the security check there.
Services in the Lounge
This is the only Priority Pass Lounge we have visited that has only one person working. We got in with a usual greeting in English but the staff was reserved, unfriendly and inattentive to the needs of the lounge visitors. Oftentimes, incoming customers were almost doing the cleanup of tables themselves for there were no other free places to sit in. As a consequence of the lone staff having to do everything, there were often people waiting for quite a while to book in. We noticed some people who left after doing a quick check while the staff was not around at the reception desk. Also, many times, one had to ask the staff to refill drinks and food as he was keeping himself busy with a phone at his desk.
The lounge has minimal seating and most are hard chairs around small tables. You might get lucky and get a soft one. There are no toilets or showers in the lounge. WiFi is available.
The lounge had a TV that was turned off during our visit. There was also a flight information screen. Unfortunately, only a few sockets were available to charge devices.
Food and Drinks
We can't praise the catering either. It was below the average level we have seen in other lounges.
There were warm sausages and meatballs. In addition to the warm foods, tomatoes, yoghurt, cake, cookies, chips and hard candies were available. There were also a few toasts but the staff stopped preparing more of them after they were consumed.
The drink selection was better. There were many kinds of strong spirits and wine. Soft drinks and beer bottles were in the fridge. Juice and coffee were also available but the special coffee machine was broken.
Overall Rating
Berlin-Tegel Airport's layout sets many restrictions. In Terminal A, the lounge is located before the security checks which is not a good location at all! The airport is also running out of space hence the lounge has small premises. A small lounge does not have enough income and they can keep only one staff working which dramatically affects the service quality. These cons combined with simple catering gave this lounge quite a low rating.
Unfortunately, you have no other choices in Terminal A if you have not been invited by an airline to their lounge. Still, visiting Berlin Airport Club Lounge is better than the terminal if you prefer a peaceful place to relax. You just have to lower your expectations towards this lounge.
Another Lounge in the Terminal C
There is another lounge called C-Lounge in the Terminal C. We have written a separate review of it. The lounge is better and much more suitable for people departing from Terminal C.
How to Access Lounges?
- Infrequent traveller may book lounge visits on Lounge Pass.
- Frequent traveller may benefit from a lounge membership. Read our Priority Pass review.
- Budget traveller may bid for a lounge visit. Read more about LoungePair.
You will find more helpful information from our lounge guide.
Bottom Line
If you are wondering whether to visit Berlin Airport Club Lounge, the decision is not easy. Don't expect that the lounge has the quality you may have seen in other lounges. With the right level of expectations, the lounge can give you a nice visit: a peaceful atmosphere, light snacks and drinks.
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