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The new Salzburg Airport departure lounge

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British Airways finally gets an airport lounge in Salzburg

Salzburg Airport used to be one of the few British Airways destinations without a lounge.  Eligible passengers were instead given a voucher to spend in the airport restaurant.

In July this year, Salzburg Airport opened its first departure lounge.  Reader Mark sent me a few pictures.

New British Airways lounge in Salzburg

The lounge serves Austrian, airberlin, BA, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines.  You can also pay €36 for access.  Unfortunately it is not part of Priority Pass.

The Sazburg airport lounge entrance is BEFORE the main security area.  You pass through a separate security channel to access the lounge and leave by a different door which leads directly to the gates.

It is not a huge facility and the facilies are not hugely sophisticated – but Mark says that it is a massive improvement on using the airport restaurant!  Further details including opening hours can be found here.

New British Airways lounge in Salzburg

Getting airport lounge access via a UK credit card

As a reminder, here are the three options to get FREE airport lounge access via a credit or charge card:

The Platinum Card from American Express

Two free Priority Pass cards (one for you, one for your supplementary Platinum cardholder, each admitting two – so a family of four gets in free) giving access to every lounge in the Priority Pass network – search it here.  You also get access to Plaza Premium, Delta and Eurostar lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

You get a Lounge Club card loaded with two free visits to any Lounge Club network lounge – see the list here.  The list is slightly shorter than the Priority Pass list, but not by much.  Additional visits are charged at £20 per person.  You get two more free visits for every year you keep the card.  No annual fee in Year 1.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

You get a free LoungeKey card allowing you access to any property in the LoungeKey network.  Guests are charged at £20 although regular travellers will find it cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card (adults only, of course).  The card has an annual fee of £195 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (18)

  • Gabriel says:
    12 Dec12 December 07:02

    Good to see you on Apple News, although my main point of consumption will remain Feedly for now…

  • Jonathan says:
    12 Dec12 December 07:41

    OT: is there a way to avoid the seat reservation charges without waiting until 24 hrs before the flight (I’m a blue BA cardholder unfortunately). Seem to recall reading something about using another one world frequent flyer number and logging in via their site.

    P.s. Thanks Raffles for all the tips, have just booked my first ever business flights redemption using the 2:1 voucher.

    P.p.s if anyone’s been waiting for their companion voucher to appear on their BA account, it’s not a case of having to wait for the date your points ping across. The delay is a system issue at AMEX which is preventing them issuing the vouchers. If you kick up a fuss they’ll speak to their liaison at BA and the voucher will appear in minutes.

  • tony says:
    12 Dec12 December 07:43

    That SZG lounge is going to be interesting. I’m on the new BA flight back to LHR shortly and CE goes back to row 10 – yet the lounge only hosts 25 guests.

    I think the restaurant – especially on a Saturday when BA alone now have three flights leaving in an hour and a bit – will remain the saner option!

  • vindaloo says:
    12 Dec12 December 08:11

    Still no lounge (or restaurant voucher for that matter) at London City, annoyingly.

  • Nick says:
    12 Dec12 December 09:07

    With a max of 25 patrons allowed in the lounge it will certainly never be quiet!

  • mike says:
    12 Dec12 December 11:12

    Hi all – any update on the TESCO 20 % conversion all I seem to have got is 5 lots of 480 avios in my BAEC when I converted £500 TESCO from 5 of my clubcard accounts ? All seems very odd

    • Rob says:
      12 Dec12 December 11:15

      Everyone got 480. Big Tesco screw up. Give them time ….

    • harry says:
      12 Dec12 December 18:35

      It actually looks good at this stage.

      We did 12 x £100 & got a similar result to you at this stage.

      It seems all conversions are getting recognised as worth the bonus.

  • Jeff says:
    12 Dec12 December 11:44

    Onboard bar in QR business class? I thought it was only for first class customers on the A380, unless QR afforded you complimentary access?

    Reflections on old (B777) v new (A380) business cabins?

    • Alan Gregg says:
      12 Dec12 December 12:22

      No business passengers get access. Which also means you can drink the Krug!

      • Alan Gregg says:
        12 Dec12 December 12:25

        Terrible English there!

        Business class passengers DO have access!

        This year I have flown business on Emirates, BA, Qantas, Qatar, Malaysian and Cathay. Qatar was by far my favourite all round package. Although the Emirates pod was very private.

      • mike says:
        12 Dec12 December 17:42

        do you mean “yes” business passengers get access rather than “no” business passengers get access – the answer you gave appears confusing ?

    • Richard says:
      12 Dec12 December 14:56

      As Alan says, the bar is for first and business – I didn’t get the impression anyone on the plane (or at the airport) knew we anything other than normal passengers.

      The new seat is definitely better for tall people. I’m 6″3 and the headrest on the 777 didn’t go high enough to clear my shoulders sitting upright. It seemed a nice refinement, there were little things like the noise-cancelling headphones being powered from the seat rather than an almost flat battery. The 380 is 1-2-1 vs 2-2-2 so if you are travelling alone I can see an individual pod being attractive.
      Most of the 777 flights were spent asleep and that was absolutely fine so I can’t grumble!

    • Rob says:
      12 Dec12 December 16:01

      No, J and F – bar is actually behind business class on the A380 so F has to walk through to get to it, same as Emirates.

      • ee says:
        13 Dec13 December 13:43

        On our recent flights DOHBKK the bar was never particularly busy. We sat in it for an hour or so on the return trip, and it was really enjoyable. The hostess was very pleasant and was happy to take pictures of people behind the bar – she even roped us in! Loved the QR experience, and such a bargin thanks to HFP!

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