I spent about an hour in the Air Serbia Premium Lounge in Belgrade Airport (BEG) prior to my flight to New York and walked away quite impressed. Not only this is a fine premium lounge with a wide range of amenities, but it is now my favorite Priority Pass lounge in the world.
Air Serbia Premium Lounge Belgrade Review
Hours + Location + Access
Access is available to this lounge for business class passengers on Air Serbia, elite members of the Etihad Guest program, Priority Pass (three hours), or you can purchase access at a rate of €35 if traveling in economy class on Air Serbia (for a three hour block) or €45 if traveling on another airline.
Currently, the lounge is open daily from 5:00am to 6:00pm and is located before security (security checks are at each gate in Belgrade).
Follow the blue (formerly red) signs for Air Serbia Premium Lounge to find the lounge on the departures level.
We were warmly greeted by the front desk hostess and informed that no boarding announcement would be made prior to our flight.
Inside, the lounge had not changed much from my 2017 visit. Then, I had spent the night in the lounge between flights. Even before the pandemic, the lounge stopped operating on a 24/7 basis.
Seating
Although social distancing placards blocked off several seats, the lounge was almost empty when we arrived. As you enter the lounge, turn left for seating.
Restrooms + Showers
Turn right for restrooms and showers. Showers are located within the restrooms. Ask a hostess if you want to take a shower for towels and soap.
Ablution + Prayer Area
As an Etihad-affiliated lounge, there is also a prayer room and ablution area.
Dining Room + A La Carte Dining
What really makes this lounge special, however, is the dining area and a la carte menu. While more airport lounges have introduced a la carte dining during the pandemic, the Air Serbia Premium Lounge has always maintained this restaurant-style amenity.
Prior to the pandemic, the lounge also had an extensive self-serve buffet area. That is currently unavailable, though soft drinks were still self-serve. Do note, however, that the sign outside the door indicated the buffet was available from 1:00pm – 3:00pm each day (along with a special price of €13 to enter).
After being seated in the dining area, Sandra came over, welcomed us, and presented us menus. I began by ordering a cappuccino. The lounge features a great La Marzocco coffee machine and the lounge attendants are experts at making not only beautiful, but tasty cappuccinos.
After a very disappointing cappuccino at the Hyatt Regency Belgrade, I cannot emphasize enough how much this drink hit the spot. If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you will appreciate the espresso in this lounge.
We reviewed the menu. Admittedly, I was not all that hungry and was expecting a big multi-course meal onboard my flight to New York, but I could no pass up seeing if the quality and presentation fo the food remained unchanged.
I ordered Ćevapi (ћевапи), a Serbian beef kebab. Although the menu indicated it would be served on pita bread, it was instead served on a hamburger bun with French Fries and ketchup on the side. The bun was unnecessary…I ate the kebabs plain and quite enjoyed them, though they were on the greasy side.
My friend ordered goulash, served over a bed of fettuccini pasta, with a tomato, onion, cucumber, and feta cheese salad.
The presentation of the meal remains first class. Although the menu is more limited than prior to the pandemic, our lunch entrees were quite tasty.
Before leaving, I could not help but order one more cappuccino.
I also asked about what kind of coffee was being used, because I genuinely found it tasty. It was from Garibaldi.
Why This Is My New Favorite Priority Pass Lounge
I call this my favorite Priority Pass lounge because it features:
- comfortable seating
- showers
- great food
- tremendous coffee
There was even a wide selection of liquor and cocktails available.
While some lounges may have better seating, better showers, or better food, this lounge combines so many good qualities in a way that makes me greatly look forward to returning.
CONCLUSION
The Air Serbia Premium Lounge in Belgrade remains a great lounge with a kind staff, delicious food, and perfect coffee. It was a great place to spend an hour prior to boarding my flight to New York and I would always make time for this lounge when flying through Nikola Tesla Airport in BEG.
Saw a Crew walking thru JFK a couple days ago. They looked like Victoria Secret Models, (the original not woke). Bravo to their hiring department.
“They looked like Victoria Secret Models, (the original not woke)”
Oh dear, someone must be terrified of America’s changing demographics…
I guess Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks were “woke” hires for VS…
He’s not commenting about race – Tyra was an original angel – and wouldn’t be part of the ‘woke’ version today that shuns the lean, leggy look
I’m sure he was, on some level, especially given his previous comments on here.
Also, using “woke” as an insult says much about the person using the word that way, and not much of it is good.
hug a tree, Q
Go back to your mom’s basement, Z
Was that the Vitamin Salad by the Goulash?
No, it was the salad below it on the menu.
Joke. The vitamin salad name elicits a lot of strange images like a bowl of various types of vitamins. Sorry, my dry sense of humor in action again.