Good Things Come in Small Packages: A Review of the Oman Air Lounge at Bangkok Airport
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Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport has a staggering 13 Priority Pass lounges, 12 of which are in the international terminal. I decided to try the Oman Air Lounge when I departed from Bangkok recently, since TPG listed it as one of the top Priority Pass lounges worldwide in 2017. Here's my take on this BKK lounge.
Location
There was one terminal at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, and all international passengers used the same security and immigration. So you could go to the lounge before any international flight without needing to go through additional security or immigration procedures.
After immigration were seven different concourses. The Oman Air Lounge was at the junction between concourses E and G.
To get to the lounge, follow the signs to Concourse E. Once you get to the turnoff for Concourse E, look for an escalator going down one level to multiple lounges. Once you're at the bottom of the escalator, you should see signs for multiple lounges, including the Oman Air Lounge.
Access
The lounge was designed for passengers traveling on Oman Air in first or business class, as well as Oman Air passengers with a Gold or Silver Sindbad card. Though there were no signs or logos outside the lounge, Priority Pass was accepted. The lounge was open daily from 5am to 8:30pm.
I used the Priority Pass that came as a benefit of my Citi Prestige Card. But I could have used my other Priority Pass that came with The Platinum Card® from American Express. Alternatively, my husband, JT, could have used any of his three Priority Pass cards, including one he received as a benefit of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
If you didn't have a Priority Pass card, you could pay for entry. Entry for passengers older than 18 years old was 1,648 baht (about $50) per person. Entry for those between 2 and 18 was 995 baht (about $30). According to a sign at the entrance, these payments needed to be in cash.
Right before we left the desk, I was handed a laminated card with information about the lounge.
Lounge
The Oman Air Lounge, which opened its doors in November 2011, was relatively small. It was mainly composed of the check-in desk, a main room and a secondary room.
Within the refreshments room were long couches along one wall.
There was also a high-top counter with two Mac computers. This was one of the more convenient places to charge electronics.
In the middle of the room was more seating on couches and plush chairs. All of the seating had large pillows for decoration and support, but there was no power supply at many of the seats.
Strangely, there was only one four-seat table for dining or working. There were plenty of power outlets at this table.
The secondary lounge room, to the right from the check-in desk, was quieter and generally less busy.
Near the back of this room were two curtained areas, each with a day bed.
The day beds looked suitable for relaxing or even a quick nap.
Calming music played quietly over overhead speakers throughout our stay. The lounge had windows overlooking the apron that were covered by sheer curtains. These sheer curtains improved the atmosphere in the lounge but took away not-so-great views of the apron.
Amenities
Near the lounge entrance was a display of newspapers and magazines with plenty of English-language options.
Near the dining table, there was a printer and scanner. To print documents, you could send them to an email address and then ask at reception for the document to be printed.
Bathrooms were within the lounge. In the women's restroom, there were two stalls and one sink.
The sink in the restroom had soap, lotion and cotton towels.
Near the restrooms was a single shower room, which I'm sure gets to be in high demand when the lounge is crowded.
The Wi-Fi network was password-protected and tested at a reasonable 9.72 Mbps download and 1.85 Mbps upload when we were likely the only guests using the Wi-Fi. By the time we left the lounge, the lounge was noticeably more crowded, yet the Wi-Fi still tested at 9.66 Mbps download and 1.95 Mbps upload.
The lounge attendants were very active. Plates were cleared quickly, the food buffet was restocked frequently, seating areas and their pillows were reset when passengers left, and the bathroom was seemingly checked and tidied each time a guest left the restroom.
Food and Beverage
Food and beverages were available along an L-shaped buffet area in the main lounge — food on one bar and drinks on the other.
All of the food was halal. I found the selection to be surprisingly large, considering the relatively small size of the lounge. There were four dishes of hot food, including eggs, samosas and meat.
Refrigerated items included salad, meats and cheese.
There were also room-temperature items including fruit, cupcakes, hummus and sandwiches. Everything I tried tasted fresh and high-quality. This was some of the best buffet food I'd had in a Priority Pass lounge.
Drinks included various sodas, canned beers, coffee, wines and liquors. The liquor and wine display was nicely presented and provided a decent variety, considering the relatively small size of the lounge.
Overall Impression
Even as the lounge filled in for an upcoming Oman Air flight, the atmosphere remained quiet and peaceful. There's ample space for relaxing, but work space is limited to a high-top counter and the sole four-seat dining-room table. The food and drinks are where this lounge really shines. This is a lounge I'd return to, especially if I need to nap during a layover or want to eat or drink before a flight.
