Amsterdam Schiphol is one of the world’s largest airports, with more than 71 million annual passengers yet despite this, the airport features few airport lounges and even fewer worth arriving early for. That’s changing.
In the modern world, travellers expect the best from their preferred airlines wherever they fly, and now Star Alliance passengers have a serious upgrade at Amsterdam Schiphol. Today, March 9th, the brand new Star Alliance lounge at Departures 2 is open for business, and yesterday we were on hand to take a sneak peak ahead of the grand opening. Here’s everything you need to know…
Star Alliance Lounge Amsterdam Location: Airside in Departures 2, Schengen Area on the Panorama terrace level, next to Aspire Lounge. It’s available to non-Schengen, but note you’ll need to clear passport control after your visit. Hours: 5:30AM to 9:30 PM daily.
Star Alliance Lounge Amsterdam Entry: The lounge is reserved for departing business class passengers on Star Alliance flights, Star Alliance Gold members in any cabin and Air Canada Maple Leaf or United Club lounge members.
From the start, it was immediately evident that this new lounge is a major upgrade for Star Alliance travellers at Schiphol. The lounge caters to up to 150 guests at a time, with a wide variety of areas for every need, and most importantly – connectivity at every seat. There are power ports, with USB ports at every seat.
But most importantly: there’s a Heineken tap allowing you to pour your own draught. The lounge receives natural light from semi exposed ceiling and from floor to ceiling windows along the entrance. According to the architects on hand, this is a tribute to the constantly shifting, ever famous clouds of Amsterdam. Whatever its a tribute to, it’s nice to have actual light in an airport space.
As you move into the lounge, I feel as if the space gets more refined with every step. First initial impressions are positive, but the the more refined and secluded areas unfold at every turn. The first nook to the right is where you’ll find your beer and cozy sitting areas along the wall.
All the way in the back which I’d be eyeing up on a future visit. If you enter and walk all the way to the end of the lounge you’ll find work nooks on the right, and excellent social space with televisions on the far left. Between there and the buffet bar area, artsy partitions help create welcomed privacy.
Bathrooms can be found to the far rear of the lounge and are of extremely high quality, even featuring Rituals “Black Oud” scent diffusers. One downside: there’s no showers. Speaking to executives on hand, it was made clear that had this been a lounge catering to long haul passengers, showers would have unquestionably been a part of the experience, but short haul passengers are less concerned.
On that note, rumours of a long haul non-Schengen lounge at AMS from Star Alliance were being teased in every speech.
The new Star Alliance Lounge at Schiphol is directly next door to the new and improved Aspire Lounge and both share a kitchen in between them. Lounge guests will find hot food displays near the dividing wall and cold a la carte “grab and go” style food in the buffet area.
On this visit, there were sandwich wraps, cold cuts and Dutch cheese at the buffet, while the hot food included beef in a red wine sauce. Wine racks can pretty much be found everywhere, which is handy.
Final Thoughts
This is a huge lounge upgrade at an airport with shockingly few airport lounges! It will be exciting to see if Star Alliance manages to open a lounge catering to long haul international guests in the next year, but for now – this is definitely the lounge to shoot for in Amsterdam. It’s worthy of adding a little extra time at the airport before your next flight.
I couldn’t help but ask Star Alliance VP of Customer Experience, Christian Draeger, about next steps for Star Alliance lounge innovation and the hot topic on his mind: concierge services. Wouldn’t it be cool if the lounge could book your Coldplay tickets or onward airport transfers?
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Gilbert Ott
Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...
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8 Comments
This kills me. Missed by 5 days and was relegated to the horrific Aspire lounge earlier this week.
Hi Gilbert. Your statement “The lounge is reserved for business class passengers on Star Alliance flights, Star Alliance Gold members in any cabin and Air Canada Maple Leaf or United Club lounge members.” is a bold faced lie. Did Star Alliance pay you to post this review?
I just landed at AMS after a business class flight on United from IAD with connection (in coach) on SAS to Oslo and the snarky front desk lady gleefully informed me I’m not eligible to enter. She was delighted to run it in my face. I’ll think twice before flying United again. Your post makes me wonder what else on “GodSaveThePoints” is inaccurate.
Very rude experience. Maybe if I had a blog the VP would’ve made sure I got in??
I’m so glad you took this opportunity to attempt to attack my credibility, and make unfair remarks, which I will now dispel.
Question: did Star Alliance pay me to write this review? No.
Statement: Maybe if you had a blog the VP would make sure you got in – I couldn’t tell you. I’ve never asked to get in anywhere on account of my “blog”.
My statement quoted by you on lounge access policies was not in fact a bold faced lie, nor is it to this moment.
I will instead refer you to this policy from Star Alliance, which you could’ve found helpful had you taken the time to look, like most travellers do. From Star Alliance…
“International Business Class Customers
As an International Business Class Customer you have access to any Star Alliance member carrier’s owned Business Class lounge at the airport where your flight departs, if the following conditions are met:
You present a boarding pass in International Business Class on a Star Alliance member airline operated flight
Your flight departs on the same day of your visit or latest by 05:00 AM the next morning
The lounge shows the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance
You are not entitled to bring any guests.”
Sadly, when you landed past 5AM the next day and were flying economy – you were no longer a business class customer. If you were a Star Gold member or a member of Maple Leaf or United Club, you would’ve been able to get in. In the future, please enjoy this rule book, which will help direct your ridiculously pent up anger where it belongs.
Hmmm…if my flight in business lands at 7am and I am connecting same day I would have interpreted that as meaning my connection would have to leave by 5am the day after my arrival. After all it says “your flight departs the same day of your visit”, not “the same day your flight departed”. The rule is typically badly written and I would probably feel upset as well, although I would not use the same language as Paul (and may have been slightly more empathetic in my answer).
Wow! “Hello, A-hole” – that’s quite an opening! I must say this is a new low. As Michelle Obama once said “when they go low, we go high”…. that might have been a better approach.
This kills me. Missed by 5 days and was relegated to the horrific Aspire lounge earlier this week.
I am surprised they opened a SA lounge at a non-hub as KLM isnt part of SA
Hi Gilbert. Your statement “The lounge is reserved for business class passengers on Star Alliance flights, Star Alliance Gold members in any cabin and Air Canada Maple Leaf or United Club lounge members.” is a bold faced lie. Did Star Alliance pay you to post this review?
I just landed at AMS after a business class flight on United from IAD with connection (in coach) on SAS to Oslo and the snarky front desk lady gleefully informed me I’m not eligible to enter. She was delighted to run it in my face. I’ll think twice before flying United again. Your post makes me wonder what else on “GodSaveThePoints” is inaccurate.
Very rude experience. Maybe if I had a blog the VP would’ve made sure I got in??
Hello,
I’m so glad you took this opportunity to attempt to attack my credibility, and make unfair remarks, which I will now dispel.
Question: did Star Alliance pay me to write this review? No.
Statement: Maybe if you had a blog the VP would make sure you got in – I couldn’t tell you. I’ve never asked to get in anywhere on account of my “blog”.
My statement quoted by you on lounge access policies was not in fact a bold faced lie, nor is it to this moment.
I will instead refer you to this policy from Star Alliance, which you could’ve found helpful had you taken the time to look, like most travellers do. From Star Alliance…
“International Business Class Customers
As an International Business Class Customer you have access to any Star Alliance member carrier’s owned Business Class lounge at the airport where your flight departs, if the following conditions are met:
You present a boarding pass in International Business Class on a Star Alliance member airline operated flight
Your flight departs on the same day of your visit or latest by 05:00 AM the next morning
The lounge shows the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance
You are not entitled to bring any guests.”
Sadly, when you landed past 5AM the next day and were flying economy – you were no longer a business class customer. If you were a Star Gold member or a member of Maple Leaf or United Club, you would’ve been able to get in. In the future, please enjoy this rule book, which will help direct your ridiculously pent up anger where it belongs.
https://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-access-policy
Paul Bartley, what a tool you are! The only inaccurate thing going on here is your own knowledge of the lounge entry rules.
Off back to school for you…
Hmmm…if my flight in business lands at 7am and I am connecting same day I would have interpreted that as meaning my connection would have to leave by 5am the day after my arrival. After all it says “your flight departs the same day of your visit”, not “the same day your flight departed”. The rule is typically badly written and I would probably feel upset as well, although I would not use the same language as Paul (and may have been slightly more empathetic in my answer).
Is it “bold” or “bald” , I’m always confused. Neither really make any sense.
Wow! “Hello, A-hole” – that’s quite an opening! I must say this is a new low. As Michelle Obama once said “when they go low, we go high”…. that might have been a better approach.
Thanks for the link!