Rarely do business class lounges across the globe get or deserve so much attention. Used primarily to putting one’s feet up while waiting to board a flight, these are nothing more than comfortable resting places for the long haul flyer. Frequent flyers to destinations in Europe and the Gulf countries may even be used to seeing chic and understated, but lounges rarely, if ever, get past the practical.
But when I walk in to the business class lounge at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport and I find myself having second thoughts about these pre-conceived notions.
The business class lounge here is a destination in itself. As I enter the lounge, I see something that I am unlikely to spot in any other business class lounge across the globe – a billiards table placed in the middle of a library for a quick game before you catch your next flight.
The library at the lounge is stocked with close to 400 books on a range of topics. I could easily spend an hour or more browsing through. Just a word of caution though: don’t try to walk away with a book, they are all security bar coded. The other thing which sets this lounge apart is that at one end of the spacious lounge is a piano, so you can practice your music skills here as well and perhaps also entertain the others in the lounge.
Done up in typical Turkish architecture with two Turkish trees strategically placed in the middle, the lounge provides an interesting peek into Turkish culture. What adds to this impression is that just before you enter the lounge is the old bazaar section at the airport.
For those who are in transit or who were not fortunate enough to visit Turkey's bustling markets, the lounge bazaar has everything Turkish. You can buy an evil eye charm or pack your travel bags with exotic Turkish spices, olive oil, Baklava (traditional Turkish sweets), Turkish liquor and trinkets. At the entrance is also authentic hand-swirled Turkish ice-creams.
For foodies and especially those with a sweet tooth, the lounge is a veritable paradise. One end of the lounge has a small section where you can bite into a variety of olives, right next to it is a section serving Turkish delights including vegetarian options rolled into a sort of pita bread.
This is not all. In perhaps another first, the centre of the business class lounge has a hot kitchen serving Turkish-style meatballs and marinated chicken fillet with rice and veggies, which can be garnished with a variety of spices. The hot corner provides a range of breakfast options in the morning and also serves piping hot lunch and dinner.
Walk around the hot kitchen and you can try out a variety of Turkish coffees (in small, beautifully coloured cups) or Turkish tea in special glasses. There is also some special homemade Turkish lemonade on offer.
I walk into the newsroom which keeps all passengers up to date with live news feeds from various news networks around the world. Now, that might not be new but passengers can also pick up headsets and translate the news from various channels to a language that they are familiar with. This space also has an aerial map charting the Turkish air space and displaying live updates of what is happening in the skies above.
As any seasoned traveller would expect, the lounge also has shower rooms and four suites which are available for premium passengers to use free of charge. These are mostly passengers taking long haul flights across the Pacific or to the Far East. “We do lie in the middle of Europe so this is essential for long haul passengers who have about four to seven hours in between flights,” explains the concierge who takes care of the lounge and the sleeping rooms.
A business centre and a meeting room equipped with all necessary technical equipment including WLAN internet. So, in case you wanted to deal with some business back home while waiting to board a flight, this is the place to hang out at.
Private relaxation rooms, massage chairs, separate prayer rooms for men and women as well as showers with special toiletry kits, a play room for children and a private infant room are some of the other facilities which make the lounge an experience to enjoy.
Now that's what I'd call flying in style.