Most frequent flyers tend to enjoy spending some time in an airport lounge before the flight, relaxing with something to drink while waiting for boarding to start, away from the buzzling transit hall. But is there anything better than enjoying that drink on an outdoor terrace on a beautiful summer’s day?
In fact more airport lounges than you may think do offer an outdoor terrace. Here are seven European airport lounges where you can enjoy a drink in the sun.
Tallinn Airport Business Lounge, Tallinn Lennart Meri airport
Tallinn may not be the busiest of airports and there is just one airport lounge. But the Tallinn Airport Business Lounge is actually not bad for a small regional airport and it does have a surprisingly pleasant outdoor terrace with tables and sun umbrellas.
There will not be that much action on the apron, mostly some Nordica Embraers and an occasional Ryanair aircraft, but you will get to enjoy the sun. And there is a full bar available in the lounge with beer, wine and spirits.
Read the full lounge review here!
C-Lounge, Berlin Tegel, Terminal C
This used to be the Air Berlin Weltbürger Lounge but after Air Berlin went bankrupt the lounge was made into a third-party lounge and is now called C-Lounge, after the name of the terminal. And this is good news since the lounge has a decent outdoor terrace, and it is still there.
The lounge actually consists of three different floors with the outdoor terrace located on the top floor. You will not see as much action as during the Air Berlin days but you will see a fair number of Easyjet aircrafts passing. The view overlooks the apron at terminal C but also a taxiway which is often used by aircrafts parked at the other terminals when aircrafts take off from the east. Beer and wine are available from the self-service buffet on the ground floor.
Read the full lounge review here!
Lufthansa First Class Lounge, Munich, Satellite building
Not the easiest lounge to get access to as it requires a ticket in first class with Lufthansa (or on Swiss via Zürich) or a HON Circle card in the Miles & More program. A first class ticket on another Star Alliance carrier will not get you in.
But if you do manage to get access you have two Lufthansa first class lounges to choose between and the one in the satellite building has a very nice outdoor terrace with a fantastic view of the apron and the runways. And needless to say there will be a long drink list to order from.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge, Hamburg
This is probably the most famous lounge in Europe with an outdoor terrace, the Lufthansa Senator Lounge in Hamburg. To get in here you need to have a Miles & More Senator card or a Star Alliance Gold card and you need to travel the same day on Lufthansa or another member airline in Star Alliance. Just a business class ticket (without a gold card) will not get you in.
But if you do have access this is probably the best one of them all. The outdoor terrace stretches the entire length of the lounge so there are plenty of tables and you have a completely unobstructed view of the terminal, the apron and both runways. You will not miss a single aircraft taking off or landing and you are free to bring any drinks from the self-service bar in the lounge.
KLM non-Schengen Crown Lounge, Amsterdam Schiphol
The new non-Schengen Crown Lounge, which opened in late 2018, has many excellent facilities but also an outdoor terrace. It is located on the upper floor of the lounge and the door is next to the Blue Bar.
It is not the largest of terraces and the view is somewhat limited. The outdoor terrace overlooks the apron and the gates at Concourses E and F and there is also a limited view of one of the runways. But you are free to bring any drinks from the bar outside and as you probably know Schiphol is not exactly a quiet airport. There will be some action.
Skyview Lounge, Basel EuroAirport
The Skyview Lounge in Basel is a gem of an airport lounge. This is a great lounge in virtually every aspect and it is really a shame that few airlines fly to and from Basel as the lounge is well below its capacity. It was constructed back in the days when Swissair/Crossair had a hub at the airport and there were many business travellers and frequent flyers passing through the airport.
There is a very spacious outdoor terrace outside the circular-shaped main lounge. You will get to enjoy the sunshine and there are plenty of tables, but the view is somewhat limited and of course Basel is not the busiest of airports nowadays. Also, at least according to the signs, you are not allowed to bring any drinks outside.
Read the full lounge review here!
Marco Polo Club Lounge, Venice
The main third-party lounge at Venice airport in Italy is called the Marco Polo Club and it is a surprisingly good lounge with a nice interior, a nice selection of food, drinks and snacks and even an indoor garden.
And there is an outdoor terrace as well. It is certainly not the largest of terraces, but it is there, right next to the indoor garden, so you will be able to enjoy the sunshine and a view of the apron. And with Venice getting increasingly popular as a tourist destination there will be some action on the apron.
Be the first to comment