Where is it?
The TAAG Lounge is located airside in the international transit hall after security control and passport control. The transit hall is small and the lounge is hard to miss. The entrance is located next to the cafe.
How do I get in?
A ticket with TAAG in business class or first class will get you in as well as having a top-tier card in the frequent flyer program of TAAG called Umbi Umbi.
What’s it like?
For an airport like Luanda the lounge is actually not bad at all. It is tidy and well-maintained and has a modern design.
The lounge is divided into two sections, a business class section and a first class section. The business class area is the first section after entering the lounge, just by the reception desk, while the first class area is located inside the business class lounge connected by a small corridor.
The business class lounge has a light design in mostly grey, beige and brown with plenty of sofas and armchairs.
The first class lounge has a completely different design in white, red and brown. It has a far more modern feel to it and feels more international. It is just as large as the business class lounge but gets far fewer guests.
There are several different seating areas in the first class lounge with comfortable sofas and armchairs.
Although there is a small desk in the corridor between two lounges where technically someone could be sitting, checking who actually enters the first class lounge, in practice no one does it. So you can freely move between the two lounges. And there is not much difference between the two anyway except that the first class lounge has a slightly nicer design and gets fewer guests as many passengers choose to stay in the business lounge. Also since there is no buffet area in the first class lounge you need to get all your food and drinks from the buffet area in the business class lounge anyway.
Food and drinks
The small self-service buffet is located in the business class lounge, to the right of the reception desk. As mentioned there is no buffet area in the first class section.
The food selection probably varies depending on the time of the day. I visited the lounge in the morning when they offered typical breakfast items such as sandwiches, pastries, fresh fruits and yoghurt. I do not know what they serve in the afternoons and evenings.
The drinks selection includes beer, wine and soft drinks, fruit juices, coffee and tea. And interestingly they do have spirits, in miniature bottles. Probably one of the few lounges in the world with miniature bottles of spirits on offer as they are very easy for passengers to bring from the lounge.
Facilities
Restrooms are located inside the lounge and there also seemed to be showers available.
Free wireless internet is available (the password is available on a sign at the reception desk) and there is also a small business centre. Newspapers and magazines are also available
Final impression
For an African airport like Luanda the lounge is not bad at all. The lounge is well-maintained and there is a reasonable selection of food and drinks. Just too bad they do not run the first class side as a proper first class lounge when they actually have one.
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