| Opening hours | 24 hours |
| Time of visit | 11am |
| Occupancy | ~30% |
| Location | Airside, International Terminal |
| Entry type | Free via Priority Pass (from Citi Prestige) |
How to access iGA Lounge Istanbul?
I visited this lounge prior to my Singapore Airlines Premium Economy flight from Istanbul to Singapore, using my Priority Pass lounge entitlement from the Singapore-issued Citi Prestige credit card.
Travellers with Priority Pass or DragonPass lounge entitlement can access this lounge. DragonPass members also has access to the iGA Sleepod and Pop-up lounge.
As there are no oneworld lounges in this airport, eligible travellers (e.g. Business/First Class passenger, Sapphire/Emerald member) departing Istanbul airport on a oneworld airline, also gets access to this lounge.
Related: Best Singapore Cards for Free Airport Lounge Access
Guests can also pay 85 EUR (excl. taxes) for a 4-hour stay; very pricey!
iGA Lounge Istanbul
Getting there
iGA Lounge Istanbul is located after security, on the Mezzanine floor of the International Terminal.
Click here to view the map of Istanbul Airport.
General areas
The lounge entrance gets pretty crowded, and I noticed some staff members that are rude to visitors. Upon registration, guests have to scan their boarding pass to enter and leave the lounge. So, be sure to keep your stay within the allowed limits (3 hours for Priority Pass), to prevent hefty excess charges.
The iGA lounge was one of the biggest contract lounges that I’ve seen. With tall ceilings, abundant natural light and art pieces, and fun amenities like a pool table and free massage, it’s quite an impressive lounge, at first glance.
Free massage
Guests can enjoy free massage, on a first come, first served basis, from 8am till 5pm daily, except Mondays and Thursdays.
However, there was no one manning the station during my entire visit on a Wednesday.
Food & Drinks
Guests can help themselves to a selection of dishes from the buffet and live cooking station.
Food quality was very good, if you entered for free; meh if you paid 85 Euros.
Top complimentary amenities
- WiFi
- Drinks (incl. alcoholic)
- Hot food
- Showers
- Computers
My ratings
| Food | 8/10 | Cleanliness | 8/10 |
| Peace & Quiet | 8/10 | Service | 6/10 |
| Furnishing | 9/10 | Facilities | 8/10 |
| Privacy | 9/10 | View | 9/10 |
Bottom line
iGA Lounge Istanbul Airport is a great lounge to relax and have a meal in.
However, it comes with the familiar unrefined, sometimes frustrating, experience that you’d get in this beautiful airport, city, country, and even region.
As a major airline hub, it’s shocking that there aren’t convenient airport hotels other than the 451 cabins/rooms that are offered by YOTELAIR, where nightly rates for a tiny twin room starts North of 300 Euros. This lack of resting space issue spills over to iGA lounge, hence the 85 Euros entrance fee.
Looking to get a taxi/Uber to a nearby hotel? Too bad, there’s a very good chance that you would face a scammy driver. Plus, hardly any hotels provide complimentary airport transfer.
Istanbul Airport badly needs a directly-connected 1000-room hotel, and I’m not sure if there are even plans to build one.
Uber is banned in Turkiye. Any ride hailing app will just get you a normal taxi where the fare would be determined by the meter or by negotiations with the driver.
I took an uber from the airport to the cheap four points 30mins away and back and wasn’t scammed. Thankfully!