Feeble excuse time– I was in China for the past two weeks, and had predictably erratic VPN access. WordPress loaded, but would not post anything. Nevertheless, let’s see how the Primeclass Lounge Ankara stacks up.
Given the ongoing situation in Persian Gulf, to get from Berlin to Beijing, I worked out the following routing:
Berlin BER to Istanbul SAW to Ankara ESB to Tashkent TAS to Urumqi URC to Tianjin TSN, then high-speed rail to Beijing.
Of course, there are Urumqi to Beijing flights, but dealing with Tianjin is much more low-key.
On that note, I could also say that Ankara Esenboğa Airport is the low-key alternative to leaving from Istanbul. Food and souvenir are no better, that’s for damn sure, and it’s way inconvenient to downtown Ankara, but for a layover, it’s easy-peasy. It helps that the lounge isn’t so far from any one gate, as opposed to the long and crowded walks at IST.
To access the Primeclass Lounge Ankara, it is on the mezzanine level, i.e. an escalator ride up from passport control. Fortunately, the lounge is in operation 24 hours a day.
When I entered, the agent mentioned that I had a maximum of three hours per stay; however, as there weren’t many other guests, and there was a changing of the guard, it didn’t seem to matter.
Since it’s not a big space, its large windows help it feel less cramped.
Personnel weren’t always around to shush patrons and their speaker phones; in other words, don’t expect the quietest place for a sit. But it was fine for me, as I whipped out the ol’ headphones, and dug into the lounge buffet.
Granted, it’s no buffet at Istanbul’s IGA Lounge (IST), another Priority Pass option, but there were meat, vegetables, starches, desserts, and drinks, as well as a shelving unit that kept peanuts and cashews at a nice warm temperature.
Ultimately, the Primeclass Lounge Ankara isn’t a bad place to spend a couple of hours, just try not to do it when flying with AJet (formerly AnadoluJet); their service is quite dour.
Oh, and one other thing, when you’re flying with any Turkish airline, don’t stand up until you reach the gate– you’ve been warned.
Leave a Reply