I wasn’t sure what to expect from TAP Air Portugal’s flag ship lounge at Lisbon airport – due to the bargain basement fare I had paid for a business class ticket. I was pleasantly surprised by the stylish lounge, nicely separated spaces and good food on offer. The lounge compares well to other European Business Class lounges and makes for a great place to spend your time before or between flights!
The TAP Premium Lounge is located in Terminal 1, the Schengen area of the airport and one level above the main departure area. It’s well signed and you’ll reach it via an escalator or elevator and at the end of the hall way, allowing you to look down into the terminal.
The the Air Portugal Lounge is available to business class passengers on TAP Air Portugal and StarAlliance carriers, as well as StarAlliance Gold members traveling on alliance flights. Check in was quick and friendly.
Past the reception desk, you’ll enter the main area of the lounge, with long rows of black, padded benches, small white side tables and green accents. It’s pretty stylish, reasonably comfortable and functional to hang out, read or browse your devices. You’ll find power outlets between the seats. You have a view of the airfield from here, too.
To the right is a bar with staff serving drinks including beer, wine and cocktails. The shape, lighting and nice bar stools all look pretty stylish as well, one of the nicer bar areas I’ve seen in airline lounges. It was ready to serve on my afternoon visit, but (understandably) not staffed during another, early morning departure.
In the back is a nice round space with padded bench seating along the wall, padded chairs and small tables. It’s not as private as the 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 seating you’ll find in many other lounges, but it does accommodate large numbers of people in different size groups easily.
On the other end of the lounge is the food buffet and bistro area.
You have long buffets offering self-serve drinks, from hot coffee and tea, soft drinks to beer and wine. Additional long buffet tables serve snacks as well as hot dishes. During breakfast, there was a good selection of cold cuts, cheese, bread and pastries as well as eggs and meats. My favorite were the cheese tarts Portugal is known for – and they were much better than I’d expect at an airport!
In addition to these main spaces, there is a small kids room, a business center with some privacy to get work done, as well as access to PCs and printer and a calmer rest area.
In the toilet area, you’ll also have access to showers, which I didn’t try out due to my schedule.
I found the TAP Air Portugal Lisbon Lounge to be almost empty on my morning departure, but crowded during my afternoon flight when many international flights to the Americas leave. Even in the latter case, I was able to find seating, was able to use the fast internet and found the food to be replenished quickly, so anybody was able to get a snack and drinks.
If you are departing to a non-Schengen destination, make sure to leave the lounge with plenty of time to spare – you’ll have to go through immigration and security on your way to the gate!
Bottomline: The TAP Air Portugal Premium Lounge in Lisbon Airport was a pleasant surprise – it’s stylish, well spaced and offers better food than more expensive European airlines. If you are traveling on TAP Air Portugal in Business Class or as a StarAlliance Gold member, it’s something to look forward to! It is a competitive offering compared to other full-service airlines in the transatlantic market and another reason to consider TAP Air Portugal for your flights!