The Air France – KLM lounge at Washington Dulles is my favorite Air France lounge in the USA and with a swanky second level, now even nicer than before.
Air France – KLM Lounge Washington Dulles (IAD) Review
The lounge underwent a refresh in 2019 and added a second (lower) level. It remains to be seen what service, particularly food and beverage, will look like as the pandemic progresses. This review is from my visit in March.
Location + Hours + Access
The lounge is located in Terminal A near Gate 20. Access is reserved for SkyTeam Plus members (plus one guest) and SkyTeam business or first class travelers on international itineraries. General hours are 9:00AM – 9:00PM, but during the pandemic they often change at a moment’s notice.
This is also a Priority Pass Lounge, though not during peak hours. Priority Pass members have access between 10:00AM – 6:00PM Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday, 2:00PM – 6:00PM Thursday and Saturday, and 10:00AM – 5:00PM on Fridays. No Priority Pass access on Mondays. Hours are subject to change.
If you are considering signing up for a new credit card please click here and help support LiveAndLetsFly.com.
Food + Drink
Again, bear in mind that my food and drink may never return to these levels, but there was a great selection of hot and cold food, including:
- Yogurt
- Granola
- Fresh fruit
- Roasted vegetables
- Pepperoni pizza
- Charcuterie
- Bread
- Soup
- Crudités
- Salad
- Sandwichs
- Fruit
I did not eat anything (I ate in the nearby Turkish Lounge and prefer the food there), but everything looked fresh and tasty.
Bar
The lounge has a beautiful bar with a large wine selection.
Special First Class (La Première) Dining Area
First class passengers have access to a special private dining area with an a la carte menu and an enhanced alcohol selection.
Restrooms + Showers
Shower suites are available. Restrooms were clean and smelled fresh.
Seating Area
The main floor of the lounge has colorful seats with overlook the airport apron, affording great views of many “foreign” (non-US) airlines that operate out of Terminal A and B.
Just next to the entrance is a new elevator that proceeds down to a lower level with more seating. At 7,700 square feet, the overcrowding issues should be resolved for the foreseeable future. The downstairs has no windows, but faux skylights simulate natural light in a very nice way. I’d head downstairs, considering it probably doesn’t get as crowded. It is only open during peak hours, so Priority Pass members will not even have access (I asked the lounge attendant if I could take a quick look and she obliged).
CONCLUSION
Washington Dulles has a selection of nice Priority Pass lounges, but I really liked the ambiance of this lounge. In terms of a place to sit, I find this the best of the pack.
If you are considering signing up for a new credit card please click here and help support LiveAndLetsFly.com.
I agree with you- overall the food is better at the nearby Turkish lounge. But I love ducking into this lounge for a few glasses of decent Champagne on my way to my flights after eating in Turkish. I was here a few times earlier this year pre -covid prior to late night international flights. Good times. Hope they return.
I was in both lounges last week, and the food sucks in both. Almost no selection, everything premade and sealed in plastic. The United lounge in terminal C is actually the worst though.
How about LH Lounge?
It was open when I walked by but didn’t go in. It’s not in PP so I didn’t have access. I used a one-time pass for the United lounge.
Was this lounge visit a part of the trip to Africa? Sounds like it was a separate trip?
It was. I need to add it to intro. I flew to IAD to start trip (and speak at FTU) and visited a handful of lounges there.
I was there today on PP at 4pm. About a third full. The food was similar to their pre-Covid food, just wrapped in plastic. I love their cheese and bread. And they have real champagne. At the moment, this is the best lounge at IAD. At LH, the bar was closed and food almost nonexistent. Not even a bag of Haribos.
Long time reader, first time poster. I visited the lounge today, and I was pleased to find a fantastic food selection considering COVID restrictions: ham and turkey sandwiches, antipasto plates, salad, yogurt, fresh fruit, chips, cocktail snacks, cookies, and brownies among other things. All were individually packaged. This is by far the best lounge food at IAD in the pandemic era.