SkyTeam opens its seventh alliance lounge at Istanbul's new airport

Set within the lofty halls of Istanbul's newest airport, SkyTeam's seventh dedicated branded lounge worldwide is now open for business.

Coincidentally, seven SkyTeam airlines will also call this lounge home: namely, Aeroflot, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia and TAROM.

Mix of seating at the new SkyTeam Lounge, Istanbul.

Located in the West Wing on Level H, the open space spans 582 sqm and can comfortably seat 145 passengers. SkyTeam claims that the lounge will "never feel crowded, even at its busiest," but travellers will be the judge.

It's open 24 hours a day and passengers can expect the usual SkyTeam Lounge amenities including showers, a variety of seating, free WiFi and of course, plenty to eat and drink.

Restrooms, showers and plenty of charging ports at the SkyTeam Lounge, Istanbul.

Freshly cooked Turkish pide is prepared on-demand at the live cooking station, while the buffet has a mix of European dishes, snacks and mezze. Soft drinks, traditional teas and coffees are served – for something stronger, there are also spirits and wines sourced from local Turkish vineyards.

Buffet food at the new SkyTeam Lounge, Istanbul.

The lounge also features a "statement reception area", plenty of LED lighting, an eclectic mix of furniture and living moss walls, to keep with the airport's theme of bright and open spaces. It's not a space or design that's very conducive to sleep, but rather somewhere to refresh and recharge.

Entrance to the new SkyTeam Lounge, Istanbul.

In line with the alliance's usual policies, SkyTeam first and business class customers, along with SkyTeam Elite Plus frequent flyers, will have access to the lounge. It's not yet known if other travellers, such as Priority Pass members, will also be admitted, as SkyTeam offers at its London lounge.

SkyTeam will follow this with its eighth branded lounge in Santiago de Chile in early 2020: slightly delayed from its planned 2019 opening, with other existing SkyTeam Lounges found in major capitals worldwide including Sydney, Hong Kong, London and Beijing, among others.

Meanwhile, rival alliance Oneworld is yet to open its first own-branded space, having pushed back its first branded lounge until late 2020, in a location yet to be determined.

Read: Oneworld pushes back opening of its own branded lounges

Also read: The evolution of alliance lounges

Brandon Loo

Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.