After an unexpected delay to close out our trip across Asia and a day at the nearby Hilton, it was finally time for us to head home. Prior to our FlyDubai flight to Dubai (DXB), we stopped by the IGA Lounge at Istanbul Airport (IST) which is the contract lounge for many of the carriers serving the airport.
IGA Lounge Istanbul Location
The IGA Lounge at the new Istanbul Airport is located airside in the main terminal area. After clearing security follow signs towards the A, B, and C Gates. The lounge is located one level up from the concourse on the lefthand side and is clearly marked.
Escalators and elevators are available to take passengers up to the lounge entrance. At the top, you’ll see the Yotel Air Hotel directly ahead and the entrance to the IGA Lounge will be on your right.
IGA Lounge Istanbul Hours of Operation
The IGA Lounge Istanbul is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This is no surprise given the wide variety of routes served from the airport.
IGA Lounge Istanbul Entry Requirements
The IGA Lounge is the primary lounge at Istanbul Airport not affiliated with a specific carrier (Turkish Airlines operates their own, large lounge at the airport). It is the contract lounge for many of the carriers serving Istanbul and can be accesses in a variety of different ways.
The lounge is a member of Priority Pass, which many premium travel credit cards have access to. Multiple airlines use this lounge as their contract lounge for premium cabin and elite passengers, which is how we entered, and access to the lounge can also be purchased through the IGA website with prices ranging between 45 and 90 Euro depending on age.
We accessed the lounge thanks to our FlyDubai Business Class tickets, which also allowed us to skip the queue of other guests waiting to enter. This priority queue is available to IGA Passholders, along with First and Business Class passengers.
After a quick scan of our boarding passes we were welcomed into the lounge.
IGA Lounge Istanbul Layout
The IGA Lounge in Istanbul is absolutely massive, measuring roughly 55,000 square feet. It has seating for up to 650 guests and is laid out in an “H” shape. You enter the lounge on the lefthand side and pass through a long hallway which has bathrooms, a duty free shop, luggage storage, and even a baby grand piano. A map of the lounge is located in the hallway to assist with navigation.
Thankfully the piano was roped off so we didn’t have any impromptu performances.
Staying on this side of the lounge you’ll find a relaxation area, bar, pool room (the table kind not the water kind) and a business center. There are also tons of windows that overlook the ramp which let in plenty of natural light.
The bar itself was surrounded by plenty of seating and was nice and bright during our visit. This is one of two bars that are available in the lounge, the other being located on the terrace inside the terminal.
In the center of the lounge you’ll find the buffet (which I’ll cover in depth below) as well as a prayer room, baby care room, bathrooms, and showers.
The far side of the lounge is divided into multiple terraces that overlook the concourse below. There is a variety of different seating options available in this area as well as a secondary bar and buffet space on the lower terrace level.
The lounge is expansive but there are a few different seating areas that provide some privacy for guests.
While it doesn’t have any outdoor views, the terrace seating felt the most open thanks to its open air design which overlooked the concourse below.
While the lounge was quite busy during our visit, there is a secondary terrace space, listed on the lounge map as a “Coffee Break Area” which was secluded and empty. If you’re visiting the lounge looking to get some rest and relaxation, head over to this area.
IGA Lounge Istanbul Food and Beverage
The lounge has two buffet areas for guests to use. The primary one is located on the main level at the center of the lounge. There are two buffet counters in the primary lounge area as well as a made to order station that was serving a Turkish style flatbread when we visited. Unfortunately, the flatbreads were made to order and the stand could only serve a limited number of them per hour so we had to pass on those.
The buffet had a decent variety of Turkish style cuisine though it was mostly vegetable focused with limited meat options.
Water stations and beverage coolers are located throughout the lounge for guests in search of non-alcoholic beverage options.
A secondary buffet is located on the terrace and, while smaller, it serves the same cuisine as the primary buffet on the main level.
I wouldn’t call the food options in this lounge robust but, since we were getting fed dinner on our flight to Dubai, we were just snacking a bit anyway. The few items we did have were quite good.
In addition to the bar on the main level, the terrace also had a bar with a variety of complimentary beverages on offer.
Overall, I wouldn’t go into this lounge expecting a full meal, but the food and beverage items on offer were more than sufficient to fill up before our flight.
Atmosphere
While the lounge was busy, thanks to the sheer size of the space it was easy for us to find a place to hang out. We managed to get a pair of chairs that overlooked the terrace and the terminal below.
I wouldn’t say that this is a calm space, its a massive, open-air, contract lounge in one of the world’s busiest airports, but it still provided us with a place to hang out and relax before our flight.
ATX Jr. also decided that this visit was when he wanted to learn to stand up for the first time on his own, so I was grateful for the extra space near the terrace as we were able to let him climb and crawl without disturbing anyone.
Summary
While this isn’t a top tier lounge, as far as contract lounges go things don’t get much better than the IGA Lounge in Istanbul. The space has plenty of seating and space to spread out, allowing passengers the opportunity to rest and recharge before their flight.
On my next trip through Istanbul I’m hoping to visit the Turkish Airlines lounge but, I would happily visit this lounge again in the future.
Whereas the main buffet area gets a little nutty at times, even at peak times the seating has certainly been ample.
The usual suspects who take up three seats each are no match for the vastness of the IGA Lounge.
Nice review!