Star Alliance’s new lounge at Amsterdam Airport Schipol (AMS) is now officially open for business. With Schipol a hub for KLM and SkyTeam, it makes sense for a non-hub alliance like Star Alliance to create a lounge together.
What Are Star Alliance Lounges?
Star Alliance lounges are a collaborative effort amongst airlines within the alliance. They are intended to streamline lounge operations and provide a more competitive product in non-hub airports.
In fact, Star Alliance was the first alliance to offer alliance lounges. SkyTeam has them, and Oneworld recently announced their own lounges are in the works too.
Seating for up to 150 inside the Star Alliance AMS lounge
This Amsterdam lounge is the eighth Star Alliance branded lounge in the world. The others are located in:
- Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
- Nagoya (NGO)
- Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG)
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
- Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU)
They supposedly each offer a unique local flair and cater each lounge design to its local market.
Who Can Access The Star Alliance Amsterdam Lounge?
The following guests have access to the Star Alliance lounge:
- First and Business Class passengers traveling on a Star Alliance airline
- Star Alliance Gold members
- Eligible paid lounge members of the Air Canada Maple Leaf Club and United Club
The lounge primarily serves those on flights operated in the Schengen area. These includes flights on Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Swiss, and TAP Air Portugal.
However, customers on other Star Alliance carriers are also welcome. Since the lounge is in the Schengen departures area, non-Schengen customers must remember to clear immigration before getting to their flight. In total, 16 Star Alliance member carriers serve Amsterdam, providing non-stop service to 23 destinations in 18 countries.
Where Is The Star Alliance Amsterdam Lounge And What Are The Hours?
Seating area inside the AMS lounge
The lounge is located airside in the Departures 2, Schengen Area on the Panorama terrace level. It will be open daily from 5:30am to 9:30pm, with flexibility based on Star Alliance’s flight schedules. I assume it would also stay open in case of delayed flights.
Features Of The Star Alliance Amsterdam Lounge
The press release notes that the lounge has an “elegant and contemporary design [which] is inspired by the ever-changing Dutch skies and landscapes” Whatever that means.
Of course, there’s the standard Wi-Fi and ample charging ports located throughout the lounge.
Facilities and features include:
- A luggage storage area
- Individual work booths and a communal work table
- Dining and wine bar area
- Serviced bar during afternoon hours with Heineken beer on tap (naturally, being Amsterdam)
- Complimentary buffet with hot and cold meal options
- Business services such as printing and scanning
- Personal care amenities upon request
Workspaces including semi-private cubbies
The Upshot
From the photos and initial reports, it seems like Star Alliance hit one out of the park. It looks to be a modern, impressive space considering the target for this lounge is for intra-European flights. With only capacity for 150 people, the Star Alliance Amsterdam lounge is definitely quite small though.
We’re looking forward to checking this lounge out the next time we swing by Amsterdam.
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2 comments
Nice, but what is Justin Trudeau in those photos doing in Amsterdam? 🙂
Curious – is the Lufthansa Lounge in the Schengen Area still open…or does this take the place of it?
If it’s still open – it will help alleviate the space problem of only 150 places in the new SA lounge.