jock

Hi everyone

Flying down to Berlin next week (First time) in CE. I noticed that the BA lounge in TXL is before security. How long should I give myself to go though security??Is it me or is it unsual that the lounge is Landside? Also I noticed that there are a couple of AB lounges (I presume airside) could I use those? cheers

corporate-wage-slave

They will call you in the BA lounge when it is time to go. Usually about 30 minutes or so before departure. The BA gate is a 5 minute walk away, there is security at the gate (followed by a passport check) which can be a bit tedious, but the boarding gate is right by security so they won't close up the flight (normally) until the queue has finished. There is another security point further along but it's best not to use that unless you know what you are doing, since the gate agents don't have a clear line of sight to it.

There are quite a few lounges before security (which is what this amounts to, since passports isn't an issue there). FRA being probably the most troublesome in that department. Elsewhere in Germany there is HAJ for example.

BERbound

You can sometimes get caught out leaving at 30 minutes, in that there can be a queue at security and then they start boarding when your queuing to get through. No danger of missing the flight, however it just means the overhead lockers can be full when you get on.

jock

Arent there Air Berlin lounges..after security that i can use??

BA6501

There is nothing after security - well, a vending machine and a small duty free shop. Security is at the gate for all flights. I don't think AB even has a lounge in TXL - they use the AF lounge IIRC.

Flip42

Correct. Airberlin does not have a lounge in TXL.

toctoc

Well.. there are so called "exclusive waiting areas"
https://www.airberlin.com/en-US/site...itingarea.php?

corporate-wage-slave

Ah you have overlooked Air Berlin's novelty in this area, namely their Exklusiver Wartebereich. Which is an unstaffed area in terminal, so exclusive that BA Prems cannot enter, and consists of seats, water cooler and perhaps a few newspapers (luckily the curious can simply gate-crash). That's it. Between A2 and A3, and after security at Terminal C (no use to our valiant BA traveller). There is the AB lounge hosted by Air France above BA, but that's not a good idea to a new visitor since they don't regiment its users to go to the gate when it is ready to go. AB only have one lounge at the moment, until BER is ready, and that is the not terribly impressive one in DUS.

jock, I know it sounds odd, and despite being the main airport for one of Europe's largest city, TXL is a step back in time in terms of design and the division between land and airside. The gap between landside and the BA gate desk/airbridge is about 10 metres! It's a bit retrograde but I can remember when many airports had similar designs; Other airports over the years have pushed their airside areas outwards to create a massive area after security, but not TXL. So being some distance from the gate until close to departure isn't strange. Just go with the flow and wait for the announcement in the BA lounge to leave. If you leave straightaway you'll have space for your bags particularly if you aren't in row 1 or 2 - there will be experienced lags like me finishing off their coffee until that blond haired lady instructs me to leave "immediately"!

Flip42

Well... one is after security at Gate A2/3 and the other one is in Terminal C and also after security.

And besides... just water, sodas and hot beverages.

JezQuiggley

Never leave 30 minutes, you might be unlucky and the Grandad's doing security are having an even slower than normal day

Flip42

I did manage to enter the one in MUC as a lowly (BA) Silver.

BlackBerryAddict

I thought AB also used the BA lounge? Or did I simply and inadvertently gatecrash the BA lounge on the basis of my BA Gold on the way to Cuba?

And on the way back with BPs issued by AB for BA flights we presented those in the BA lounge. It did cause some confusion, as apparently AB passengers have to be written up separately, until the desk agent realised we were actually flying BA.

corporate-wage-slave

Quite unofficially, the policy in TXL (and nowhere else) is that Golds travelling oneworld are welcome in the BA lounge. Silvers not travelling on BA are asked to use Air France's lounge upstairs, which is the main lounge provision for AB. That lounge is somewhat less decrepit than the BA lounge, a bit smarter, food and drink fairly similar but not so Anglo centric perhaps. And no egg mountain.

tia2013

I remembered you telling me this when you gave me some advice in another post a while back,however when we were there in Sept i thought i would chance my luck to see if we got it,no problem or questions i really enjoyed the lounge the staff were very nice.

corporate-wage-slave

Good to hear that. Was that an Air Berlin shorthaul or longhaul flight?