With some time to spare before boarding an Air India B787 Dreamliner to Mumbai, I headed to the Plaza Premium lounge at Delhi airport.
Location
Once you move past security at Indira Gandhi International airport terminal 3, look for signs pointing you towards the domestic lounges. These signs are directing you towards an elevator which will take you one level up, and that is where the Plaza Premium lounge (as well as the Air India Maharaja domestic lounge) is located.
Plaza Premium Lounge review
The lounge is open 24 hours a day and can be accessed by either paying the entry fee, which is INR 1,416 (USD 19), or for free if you are a credit card holder for certain banks.
I paid the entry fee using my Rupay card (debit card) and received access for two hours, which included wifi, a meal access to lounging area and the bar (though alcoholic drinks and mocktails come at an extra cost).
The bar was well equipped and was also serving cocktails and mocktails, though beer wasn't available at the time.
There is a spa, a massage room and a shower available as well, however, during my time there the spa and the massage services weren’t operational due to Covid.
After trying several times to get hold of a staff member, I managed to catch somebody's attention, though his laid back and unenthusiastic approach made me feel like he would rather be doing something else.
I was informed that the buffet spread wasn't available either, and therefore I would have to place my order a la carte. Though it wasn’t exactly a la carte, as I was presented with an option of either veg or non-veg meal (both come as a set plate).
The lounge serves halal non-veg, so I chose to go ahead with it. The meal box contained a chicken dish, dal (lentils), two rotis (bread), rice and salad. The chicken wasn’t anything special as it was bland (you might have to ask for some salt) - the dal, on the other hand, was quite good.
There was brownie for dessert and I was quite surprised by how good it was. The texture was really nice and it was quite soft.
I was offered coffee/tea after the meal, though I asked for orange juice instead, which was served in a disposable cup but tasted nice.
There was also a work station, with plug points to charge your devices.
There was enough lounging space, though I chose not to stay back after my meal.
Before leaving to head to my gate, I noticed that there was another area of the lounge which was shut, though it seemed identical to the area which was operational. I managed to click pictures, and here they are…
Summing up
My experience of the lounge was just average, as many of their services were compromised due to Covid measures. The staff wasn’t very attentive and didn’t give a very warm vibe, which was upsetting.
While the food was alright, I would have liked to see more options and better cutlery than the plastic ones being provided.
I would like to visit this lounge again when all their services are back on, though I don’t feel inclined towards spending for the limited ongoing service at the moment.
Have you visited this Plaza Premium Lounge lounge? What are your thoughts about it?
