Istanbul layover: which lounge to wait for your flight in

If you fly in business with Turkish Airlines or another Star Alliance airline, or hold Star Alliance Gold status, the reference lounge is the Turkish Airlines Lounge Business. After passport control you go up the escalators opposite gate E1, above the duty free area. Inside there are private suites, a mosque, showers, a rest area and a play area for children. A same-day boarding pass is required and entry cannot be purchased. The Turkish Airlines Lounge Miles&Smiles, opposite gate C1, is instead designed for holders of Star Alliance Gold status and Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus and for Corporate Club business cards. Alongside suites with showers it offers a cinema, a library and meeting rooms, with dining similar to that of the Business Lounge. Here too entry is not for sale.Without a premium ticket or status, the way forward is through the airport's lounges. The iGA Lounge, on the mezzanine to the left after passport control, is the best equipped of the international iGA lounges: it has an outdoor terrace, showers, a bar, hot dishes, meeting rooms and a play area with a buffet for children. You enter with Priority Pass, DragonPass or by paying, but with the cards the stay is limited, a detail to consider if the layover is long. If instead your gate is in zone A and time is short, the iGA Pop Up Lounge, opposite gate A5, is a quick stop next to boarding, with snacks and free Wi-Fi, on the same access terms. For a proper wait, however, it is no substitute for the iGA Lounge. Those flying with a SkyTeam airline should know that the SkyTeam Lounge in the international area is currently temporarily closed. The iGA lounges remain open to anyone with Priority Pass or DragonPass or willing to pay the entrance fee. On the domestic side the pattern repeats on a smaller scale. The iGA Lounge Domestic, to the left of gate G11, accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass or paid entry and offers a buffet of Turkish and international cuisine. The Turkish Airlines Lounge Domestic, opposite gates G6-G7, is reserved for Business passengers and for holders of Star Alliance Gold and Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus status on Turkish domestic flights; for those travelling with children it has a games room with consoles and an indoor playground.

To close, at Istanbul the criterion is twofold: departure zone and access credential. On international flights, the Star Alliance business ticket leads to the Turkish Airlines Lounge Business, status without a premium ticket to the Miles&Smiles, while cards and paid entry open the iGA Lounge, to be preferred to the Pop Up when the wait is long. On domestic flights the logic is the same, with the iGA Lounge Domestic for those with a card and the Turkish lounge for business and status. SkyTeam passengers, for now, have to do without their lounge.