Good Ambiance at the Chennai Airport Lounge
Good Ambiance at the Chennai Airport Lounge

Layover at Chennai Airport Lounge – Travel Club Lounge

I won’t call myself a frequent flyer, but I do fly often. I also go by the fact that one needs to enjoy the journey rather than thinking about the destination. But when you are short on time, you don’t have the luxury to enjoy the journey. All you want is to get to the destination as soon as possible. So this is the major reason I opt to fly rather than travelling by train / bus. Anyways, if you have been following by blog you would aware of the layover post series. These are posts where I share my experiences about the various Airport lounges I’ve been to. At the time of writing this post, I’ve been to New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru Airport lounges. The latest entrant to the list is the Chennai Airport lounge. It was during my recent trip to Hyderabad from Chennai that I experienced the services of the Chennai Airport Lounge. So how are the services at the Chennai Airport Lounge ? What are the charges of Chennai Airport Lounge ? Well, I’ll try to explain everything in this post.

Good Ambiance at the Chennai Airport Lounge
Good Ambiance at the Chennai Airport Lounge

Ambiance – Chennai Airport Lounge

Unlike the other Airport lounges that I’ve been to till date, this one is managed by Travel Club and not Plaza Premium. The lounge is located on the left after the security check. Located on the second floor, this lounge is just above the escalator that goes to gates 10 on wards. Once on the second floor, you shall see the Irish Bar first, then the reserved lounge and finally the TFS Lounge. The lounge seems to have a good ambiance, something that I relate to the one I experienced at the Mumbai Airport. In terms of size, the lounge is small. It took me almost 5-10 mins to find a place to sit. In terms of space, the Plaza Premium lounge at Bengaluru Airport is the best. Standard facilities like TV, comfy sofa and charging points are present. Lighting however could have been a little brighter. So, ambiance wise this was good. So how was the food at Chennai Airport Lounge ? Let’s find out.

Food at Chennai Airport lounge – no variety

Food and drinks are probably the only reason people visit these airport lounges. Some have a lavish spread while others have a limited items on offer. Unfortunately, the Chennai Airport lounge falls in the second cadre. The items on offer is extremely limited in comparison to it’s counterparts in Mumbai or Bengaluru. The one in Bengaluru had less items but the items were good.

Bissibelle and Dahi Vada at Chennai Airport Lounge
Bissibelle and Dahi Vada at Chennai Airport Lounge

During my visit to the Chennai Airport Lounge, there were Sandwiches, a couple of salads and a soup for starters. The main course was disappointing. Curd Rice, Bissibelle bath, Dahi Vada, Kaathi Roll, a non veg preparation and Gajar Ka Halwa. Like always, I was expecting Rice, dal and a curry as it was dinner time. Further there was no live counter that I’ve seen in Bengaluru. There was soft drinks like always. For desserts there was Panna Cotta, a couple of cakes / pastries.

Kaathi Rolls for dinner at Chennai Airport Lounge
Kaathi Rolls for dinner at Chennai Airport Lounge

So from a taste point of view, the food wasn’t good. Especially if you are here at the time of meals (lunch or dinner) you probably will be disappointed. I was disappointed. Now I don’t know if this is because of the company that manages this. Since the Chennai Airport is managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and not by a private player (like GMR) I assumed they couldn’t tie up with Plaza Premium. I don’t know if this is the reason for the bad experience but I’m guessing.

Final Verdict – Go only if you need to

Most of the flyers utilise the benefit of Airport lounge access on their credit cards that entitle them for free access to these swanky lounges. However, these lounges do have an option to allow passengers to pay and use this service. The one in Bengaluru airport charges Rs 550+taxes. But the price at Chennai Airport lounge is Rs 1060. Well this is extremely high considering the poor service provided. So if by any chance you are planning to pay and use the services, please don’t. The service is not at all worth the money you spend on the service. Moreover the congested place isn’t the ideal place you want to be considering the privileged access. But if you are one of those who have free access, then the Chennai Airport Lounge is the place to be, away from all the crowd. Have you already been to Chennai Airport lounge ? How was your experience ? Share in the comments below or tweet to me @Atulmaharaj.

Other Posts in Layover series:

About Atulmaharaj

A seasoned blogger and a content marketer for close to a decade now. I write about Food, Technology, Lifestyle, Travel, and Finance related posts. Blogging brings me joy and the best part is I get to read and e-meet so many amazing bloggers! PS: I'm also the founder for Socialmaharaj.com :) Favorite Quote: "Traveling is like reading a book, one who hasn't traveled, hasn't turned a page.

Check Also

Luxurious and practical room at Residence Inn Marriott

Residence Inn By Marriott – Affordable Stay In New York – Review

One of the major concerns that I had even before flying out of India was …

Share your thoughts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.