Kiev – Zhuliany Airport – Business Lounge East

Zhuliany Airport in Kiev is one of two airports in the city and it’s of a manageable size, although that also means they’re running a little short of seats in the departure area. There are two lounges accessible with Priority Pass, although I’m unsure why they need that many, and I opted to visit the East Business Lounge.

I was the only person in the lounge, although there were relatively few flights departing from the airport, only around one per hour. Around six or seven people came into the lounge when I was there, which was for a three hour period. The welcome was really friendly, the staff members seemed pleased that someone was there (or at least hid their disappointment) although there wasn’t an introduction to the lounge facilities.

The colours of the chairs made for quite a bright lounge, although the chairs weren’t the most comfortable for sitting at a table with a laptop as they were a little low down. Judging from the official photos of the lounge, it does appear that they’ve had an overhaul and this seating is all new, hence the modern feel to it. However, everything else was pleasant in terms of the lounge environment, as it was quiet, at a cool temperature and it felt a relaxing place to be.

I wasn’t entirely taken with the open sandwiches option. It was possible to buy food and drink from the restaurant next door and order within the lounge, although I didn’t see anyone do that during my visit. There were some free hot options within the lounge, but again, they didn’t seem particularly exciting and I wasn’t sure exactly what they were.

With regards to these sandwiches, they remained entirely untouched for the three hours that I was there, so I do wonder whether they’re really the best thing to have. I can’t imagine they were particularly fresh after sitting there for that long and perhaps customers would have preferred something looking a little more presentable.

The snacks were perfectly satisfactory though, there were crisps, chocolate bars and biscuits. The range of alcoholic and soft drinks was also entirely acceptable, although most of the alcohol were names that I hadn’t heard of and so not necessarily premium. There was a local beer though, and a selection of wines.

There were numerous television screens around the lounge with the gate information on, with a staff member wandering around clearing away rubbish. This wasn’t a particularly challenging role for the staff member for much of the time as I was the only visitor, but everything felt rather clean and organised.

Although the lounge was relatively small, there were two toilets within the lounge so that customers didn’t have to return to the main terminal. It also has the advantage of being only a short walk from all of the gates, so there was no rush to leave the lounge. Although since I’m always nervous of there being some sort of additional security check I always leave early anyway…..

Overall, I’m not sure that it would be worth paying the £20 for a visit for those with lounge cards who pay per visit, as Ukraine is relatively cheap and the airport restaurant would perhaps provide better value. However, since my Priority Pass card is unlimited, it was a comfortable way to spend three hours.