Review: Business Class Lounge Krasnojarsk Airport
- Konrad Tillman
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Intro
Prior to my flight on board the Aeroflot A350 in Business Class from Krasnojarsk to Moscow, I had the opportunity to visit the business class lounge at KJA. Now, while I don't expect an exceptional lounge when it comes to domestic flights, this lounge left me in a perplexed state.
On the one side, it is a modern space with plenty of seating and is easily accessible. However, I could not understand this lounge for the life of me. Do business class passengers have to pay for a beer? Do they not? Do they have to pay for food? And with no one really speaking English, I never got a confirmed answer 😅. Let's jump in, because I have more questions than answers here 😂 (which has never happened).
Location+Access
The Krasnojarsk domestic terminal is relatively small, with no more than 10 gates. Meaning that the lounge was extremely easy to find. After clearing security, I was informed to head straight, make a right once you see the big gaping sign to the lounge, and head upstairs.
Once at the top of the stairs, I saw the sign outside about who could access the lounge. The list is as follows:
Those who are ticketed in business class on Aeroflot, Rossiya, Aurora, S7, Utair, Ural, and NordStar
Those who have status on those airlines, as well as Skyteam elites flying on Aeroflot (from what I saw)
A day pass could be purchased, as the people in front of me seemed to be paying, but I never figured out the price
I never saw a sign for Priority Pass or a similar program, so I will rule this out for now.
Seating
Once inside, I was pleased to see that there was plenty of space for the amount of evening departures, especially with a rare widebody departing KJA today.
There were plenty of different seating options depending on what you are looking for, ranging from dining tables to massage chairs to couches to basic seats.
An interesting thing I saw was that people tended to get here quite early before their flights, and even slept during that time on the couches by the window. Overall, though, I would say that it's a relatively modern and well-appointed lounge, especially by domestic standards.
Food+Drinks
Okay, this is where the lounge gets extremely weird and complicated. One would presume that if you visit a business class lounge (outside of the US), everything is free inside. Right? Well, sort of...
Throughout the lounge, one could help themselves to non-alcoholic drinks from the fridges, as well as coffee and a buffet selection.
But here is where it gets odd. Throughout the lounge, there were menus scattered around where you could pay to order a variety of dishes, as well as alcoholic beverages.
Anyways, so I headed up to the bar an hour before departure and grabbed a beer, expecting to pay. Just one thing: they didn't actually charge me, and just offered it for free.
Originally, I thought it must be the case that those in business class get all this for free, but they didn't check my boarding pass. So, how can they differentiate day passes from business class passengers?
Well, I guess I shall never have the answer to this one 😅, but the same thing occurred at the lounge in Moscow, which I will write about in the next report...
Amenities
The big differentiator when it comes to lounges is usually the amenities. While the lounge at KJA isn't cutting-edge, they offer the basic necessities for a domestic lounge. Along with free wifi, there are 4 individual lavatories in the back of the lounge, which is always nicer than the communal toilets.
Perhaps the most incredible aspect of this lounge is the apron views. Being able to gaze out over a Siberian sunset while watching one of the most beautiful planes in the world pull into its gate: The Aeroflot A350.
Truly nothing like it...
Final Thoughts
The business class lounge at the domestic terminal of Krasnojarsk is far from cutting-edge. With most of the food being needed to pay for, and a lack of showers, there is certainly room for improvement. However, there is plenty of space for the number of flights, a modern decoration, and free wifi, making for an acceptable time prior to my flight over to Moscow.
Just keep in mind: you might have to pay for alcoholic drinks, but save yourself for the Landon onboard Aeroflot Business Class!
Russia Series
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