After a couple of days in Belgium it was time to continue on to the main event, Italy! First we had to get there which involved my first trip on an ITA Airways A320neo. We headed off to Brussels Airport and spent the time before our flight in the Diamond Lounge. There are two separate Diamond Lounges at Brussels Airport, one in Terminal A serving Schengen flights and another in Terminal B which serves Non-Schengen flights so be sure to check your boarding pass to determine which one you’re going to have access to.
Location
The Diamond Lounge in Terminal A is located after security near gate A42. To reach the lounge, clear security and follow the signs for the A and T gates. Once through the Duty Free maze and into the concourse, turn right and head towards gate A42. Opposite of the gate, next to a juice stand, is a small hallway that leads to the interior of the terminal. This area is currently under construction so look closely for the signs.
Use the elevator to head up a level and, once you’re at the top, you’ll see a sign for the Diamond Lounge to the right. The entrance to the lounge will be at the end of a long hallway.
Hours of Operation
The lounge is currently open from 4:30a to 9:00p, covering the vast majority of Schengen departures.
Entry Requirements
The Diamond Lounge is accessible to a number of airline elite passengers including Air Europa, Iberia, ITA Airways, KLM, and more. The lounge is also accessible to Priority Pass Select members, including American Express Platinum cardholders. Day passes can also be purchased starting at $32 per person.
Layout
Upon entry, the reception desk is placed behind some sliding glass doors. To the right is a seating area with a couple of chairs and departure monitors located above.
From there, the lounge spreads out in an upside down L shape, with a smaller area to the left and the remainder of the lounge off to the right.
To the left, there was a decent sized seating area, separated into two parts, with a mix of café tables and some lounge chairs.
Along the rear wall of the lounge was a long bar with great views out over the cargo ramp. We grabbed a couple of seats here.
To the right of the entry was the buffet, with some additional seating further down.
In the back corner of the lounge, there was some additional seating with interior windows overlooking the concourse below.
Just past the seating overlooking the concourse was a short hallway leading to the restrooms. The restrooms were nicely appointed and clean, with full floor to ceiling doors on the restroom stalls.
The overall layout of the lounge flowed well and had plenty of space to accommodate the morning departure bank.
Food and Beverage
After dropping our bags at the table I headed off to explore the buffet. While Priority Pass lounges in the United States aren’t anything special, I’ve found that the ones abroad typically have much better food and beverage options and the Diamond Lounge was no different.
The main buffet featured a variety of breakfast options. First was a selection of sliced deli meat and a salad bar.
Next, there were two hot dishes, featuring turkey bacon and beans in a tomato sauce. While I’m a fan of beans, it still seems strange for me to see them served with breakfast.
In addition to the turkey bacon and beans, there was a serving dish that also had pre-made omelets along with a selection of bread.
Opposite of the hot food selection was a center island that had a selection of fresh pastries, cereal, fruit, nuts and crackers.
Finally, along the wall, there was a U shaped counter that had a variety of drinks available. There was an espresso machine that made a variety of caffeinated beverages.
There was also a full, self-service bar that had a variety of liquor available along with three beers on draft (Leffe Brown, Leffe Blonde, and Stella Artois).
If the draft beers don’t suit you, there was also a large cooler with a variety of bottled beer and soda available.
My favorite part of the bar area was the DIY mimosa bar that featured a variety of juices, along with prosecco and some chilled wines. Milk and a election of muffins were also available.
Atmosphere
I grabbed a croissant, some deli meat, and a mimosa and took a seat at the bar top overlooking the ramp. While the lounge was busy, it stayed relatively quiet during our visit. As an AvGeek, I really appreciated the views of the cargo ramp and departure runway and I passed the time watching planes taxi and takeoff around the airport. These operations had a few unique planes, including multiple Air Belgium freighters, and I even caught a departing 747.
Before leaving to catch our flight to Rome, I made one more pass through the buffet for another croissant along with some deli meat and gummy frogs. Honestly, I grabbed the frogs for Mrs. ATX Jetsetter but she was less excited about them compared to me.
Summary
The Diamond Lounge in Brussels Airport’s Terminal A is far from a world class Business Class lounge. However, the food and beverage selection, along with the views, are above average and it was a very pleasant space to kill time before our flight. While I wouldn’t arrive early to visit the lounge, it was a more than adequate space and gave us a great respite from the bustling terminal below.
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