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I recently flew out of Dublin Airport Terminal 2 on an Aer Lingus flight to Bourgas in Bulgaria. I’ve flown this route at least once a year for several years now, and always use the executive lounge. As you can see from the board below, as well as being a walk-in independent lounge, it is also used by several airlines that don’t have their own lounge at Dublin. It’s open daily from 5am to 10:30 pm.
Eagles eyes will notice that Lounge Club and Priority Pass are both accepted here. Free Priority Pass membership comes with the American Express Platinum card. I recently took out the American Express gold card, and it comes with a Lounge Club card that has 2 complimentary visits on it. So this was the card I used here. You can also pay €19.95 to access the executive lounge.
Lounge Seating and Layout
As you can see from the following pictures, the lounge is brightly lit with a double height ceiling and a range of seating. The lounge has its own toilet facilities accessible without having to leave the area, as well as a separate baby changing room.
Floor to ceiling windows give an abundance of natural lighting. It’s a pity that the external infrastructure of the terminal results in a quite obstructed view of the apron and runway.
There are no announcements in the lounge, which helps make a tranquil environment. However if you want an even quieter atmosphere, there is a dedicated quiet room with 4 comfortable leather chairs, that has glass doors to separate you from the rest of the executive lounge. It features its own departure screen so you don’t have to keep popping back out to check the screens. There is also a separate business area that has a couple of PCs for internet access. I didn’t get the chance to snap a picture as there was someone in there at the time.
Food and Beverages
The food options definitely come under the heading of “snacks”. The sole hot option is soup. There’s a good selection of freshly made good quality sandwiches, along with some biscuits, cheese, crisps, nuts and various bread options. On the other side of the kitchen area is the drinks counter. Red and white wine are available, and a small carousel provides 4 optics with various spirits. Cans of beer are cooled in the fridge along with a standard assortment of soft drinks. There is a coffee machine, and tea is of course also available.
The lounge is no more that 5 mins walk to the closest gates, so it really is quite convenient to departing flights.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve probably used this lounge on a dozen+ occasions. It’s certainly not the most opulent lounge, but it does offer a tranquil start to a journey. If you have access via priority pass/lounge pass/ dragon pass, it is certainly a fine place to pass a bit of time with a few drinks in a quiet environment. I’ve never been during peak times, so I can’t say if it gets crowded. I’ve always had “free” access” but I think it has enough plus points to be worth €19.95.
Hi Ian,
Have you ever experienced the Varna airport special lounge, your not missing anything! Stick to Bourgas..?
No, I’ve never been to Varna airport.
Mind you BOJ doesn’t have any lounge at all.
Oh, one up for Varna then! ?
Not a big fan of this lounge, I spent an hour and a half in it from around half 5 to 7 am. The atmosphere almost feels awkward as everybody in the lounge can see eachother and there is absolutely no privacy. The breakfast option were very poor, consisting of some cheese and crackers, a couple of pastries and porridge. I certainly wouldn’t pay for access, especially when you can walk 10 minutes in to terminal 1 which has a great area of sofas and chairs, almost like a private lounge but without the amenities. I’ve not been to the T1 lounge but from what I’ve seen it looks far better, and is only a three minute walk from the T2 lounge. Just as a note, both terminals are connected through a small corridor and the T2 lounge is located adjacent to the corridor.