Prior to my flight to Chicago I spent some time in the Krakow Business Lounge located in the Schengen area of John Paul II Kraków-Balice International Airport. It was crowded and I wasn’t hungry, so I did not stay long. Still, it’s a respectable lounge with a very reasonable selection of food and drinks.
Krakow Business Lounge Schengen (KRK) Review
This lounge is located past security in the main terminal. After clearing security, turn left and you’ll find the lounge between gates 9 and 10. As the only airport lounge in the Schengen area, this serves as a business class lounge for airlines as well as a Priority Pass lounge. Paid access (three hour limit) is also viable for PLN 120 (currently 26USD). Opening hours are daily from 4:30AM to 10:00PM except on Sundays when the lounge closes at 9:00PM.
Once your credentials are validated, the lounge-–with a bright lime green color scheme–is all on a single level with a buffet area in the middle and an L-shaped seating area around two sides as well as a bathroom in the rear.
There are no showers, but the restrooms were clean.
The buffet included:
- Cake
- Cereal
- Yogurt
- Whole fruit (pears, apples, bananas, plumbs)
- Sliced meat and cheese
- Vegetable crudités
- Salad (Caesar with chicken and green)
- Gherkins (or maybe pickles?)
- Candy
- Marco Polo bars
Drinks included:
- Tea
- Coffee (a nice Swiss-made Jure coffee machine, though I did not try the coffee itself)
- Beer
- Wine
- Vodka (or Wodka as they call it…)
- Gin
- Whiskey
- Cognac
- Water
- Soft Drinks
CONCLUSION
There’s a cookie-cutter non-Schengen lounge that was closed during my visit but has since reopened with more limited hours. I would never arrive early to use this lounge, but I’d rate this a solid average lounges with enough food to make a meal, a generous assortment of drinks, and the only drawback being the crowding during peak times.
How was the wifi and charging plug situation?
During CoVid, this lounge easily out shown Warsaw Chopin lounge. The author must have hated his visit to PL based on this review and flight back to Chicago. In neither article did he reference price of business class when compared to competitors (LOT much less). Fair balance reporting, not whining, should be the norm.
I used miles and it cost the same as any other Star Alliance carrier…
Brings back fond memories. When I visited friends in Krakow and still had status, I would want to go to this lounge early and enjoy a free Zywiec or Tyskie (the two main Polish beers) but they’d want to hang out in the general area and chat. Yes, not the best lounge around but still pleasant to hang out. I’d still jump in quick to grab a few drinks even as LOT back then served beer and wine even on short flights in economy class.
Prince Polo* and they’re delicious.
Don’t forget your disinfectant hand wipes. Although I could comment on the unhealthy excessive food intake, I’m not going to.