One of the joys of travelling is to explore the airport of a foreign country. Sometimes, we would also want to escape from the crowd, especially if the airport is a major hub. Unfortunately, not all of us travel on business class, so we don’t usually get to enjoy the luxury of premium travel lounge. However, there are options in the form of pay-per-use lounges.
For those of us flying in and out of Kuala Lumpur on full service carriers, we would be passing through Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1. This older and smaller terminal is still recovering from the pandemic and so are its airport lounges. The Plaza Premium Lounge at KLIA1 has recently opened. I took the opportunity to explore the lounge in its fresh state to see what is in store!
Plaza Premium Lounge Overview
Plaza Premium Lounges are pay-per-use lounges. However, they frequently have tie-ups with airlines and most notably, credit cards. For example, Citi PremierMiles card owners will have Priority Pass memberships that provide 2 free lounge passes annually. Similarly, the HSBC Travel One card gives members access to Dragon Pass, which offers 4 lounge passes a year. However, such credit card passes tend to be limited in benefits. Plaza Premium Lounges in Hong Kong International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, for example, charges for the use of showers.
Plaza Premium Lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
That being said, airport lounges are still great for escaping the wild airport traffic, offering a place to rest and recharge. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for one, has 2 Plaza Premium Lounges, one at each of its terminals.
As I was departing Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines from KLIA Terminal 1, I decided to drop by the Plaza Premium Lounge there. Located near Gate G1, the Plaza Premium Lounge was right after the immigration control, giving it convenient access.
Upon ascending its dedicated escalator from the departure level, I was greeted by the staff stationed at the reception. Before me were the entrances to Plaza Premium Lounge and Plaza Premium First. My Priority Pass only granted me access to the former. After handing the staff my boarding pass and the QR code from my Priority Pass app, I was directed to the lounge.
The newly opened lounge boasted open concept and clean lines amidst earthy tones. Unlike most Plaza Premium lounges, this KLIA lounge was roofless and opened to the breezy interior of the airport. This gave it ample natural lighting that the airport boasted, as well as an airy feel due to the lack of vertical constraints. Granted, the lounge also owed its liveliness to the natural lighting. However, the fixtures didn’t look tired and everywhere looked clean. (Yes, I’m throwing shades at Plaza Premium Lounges in Hong Kong and Singapore, which looked tired from wear and tear)
The lounge was divided into several sections that catered to different passengers’ needs. Near the F&B stations, the open concept seating was cafe like. Further in, there was a section with couches and warm lighting. Right beside the showers and bathrooms, the most dimly lit section was more for guests who wanted to catch some rest.
Food and Beverages
In terms of food spread, this lounge was no different from its other sister outlets. One could find hot food, salad, desserts and beverages. However, Plaza Premium Kuala Lumpur hit the right notes with its food options.
At the hot food section, they served Curry Chicken, Fried Noodles (Fried Mee Tai Mak) and Aglio Olio Pasta. The noodles and pasta were decent; good enough if one is hungry. The curry chicken wasn’t too spicy, and the chicken was a little tough. There was also a live station serving Curry Laksa and Vegetarian Oat Noodles Soup. The laksa was rich and flavourful, which was also suitable for those who cannot take spicy food.
Dessert wise, there was a variety of cakes (Chocolate cakes, mango mousse cake, corn cakes, marble cakes), gluten free muffin and barley soup.
The chocolate cake was the best, with light sponge cake as the base. It fulfilled the chocolate craving without being too heavy on the palate. On the other hand, the mango mousse cake was bland and lacked the mango flavour of its namesake. The icing was also agar, which didn’t match the mousse texture. I would say it can be given a miss. Similarly, the marble cake could be passed as it was too hard. The barley soup was thick, and on the sweet side. Therefore, those who are looking to quench their thirst (and to rid the heatiness from travelling) can add some water to dilute the drink.
Moving on to the snacks, the chocolate cookie was light and crisp. This makes it very good when one is just feeling peckish. The peanuts were pretty local, and can get curt on the taste buds after a while.
For beverages, the alcohols are restricted for Priority Pass / Dragon Pass users. There was a coffee machine churning out gourmet favourites like Espresso (with double shots as an alternative), mocha, Americano and Latte. There was also orange juice and water to choose from.
Toilet and Shower
The design of the toilet and shower wasn’t on par with the main lounge area. For one, it was a shared, gender neutral space. Upon entering, one was greeted by the wash basins. The toilet and shower stalls stood on both sides of a corridor. further down. As there was no indication that it was a shared toilet, I was stunned for a while when I entered the toilet and saw one woman waiting outside of the stalls. The cleaner quickly directed me to an empty toilet cubicle after checking if I wanted to shower or not.
Despite the less-than-exclusive design, the toilet was still clean. It was by far the cleanest Plaza Premium toilet that I had visited. But I believe as the air traffic picks up, there would be a congestion problem.
Not So Satisfying
The Plaza Premium Kuala Lumpur lounge was rather warm. The entire lounge opened up to the airport, so it depended heavily on the airport’s air-conditioning, which the airport was unfortunately stingy on. The staff installed a cooler, but it could only do so much. Surprisingly, there was sufficient seating despite the heavy traffic. I bet as more people know about it, the lounge would soon meet its capacity.
One thing worth noting – the write up on Priority Pass / Dragon Pass apps indicated that the lounge offered a view of the apron. Unfortunately, that was exclusively for the guests of Plaza Premium First. The normal lounge was pretty closed off. In fact, there was no view to look out onto the airport’s interior, something that the Plaza Premium lounge at HKIA and Singapore Changi Airport offers.
Parting Words
Plaza Premium Kuala Lumpur stood out from its peers with its new, clean interiors and good food choices. It was also conveniently located after the immigration. At the central point of the KLIA Terminal 1, it’s accessible to any passenger – even those departing from the satellite pier.
However, its location may spell its doom. As more people know about it, and as the traffic at KLIA picks up post-pandemic, it most likely will suffer the same fate of crowdedness of its peers, and be filled with inconsiderate passengers who are rowdy and unhygienic. Therefore, one should drop by the lounge while it’s still under capacity.
Admittedly, I liked this lounge mainly for its lack of crowd. The F&B options didn’t stand out, but they still fared better than most Plaza Premium lounges. It really begged the question if they are able to keep this up when the air traffic resumes to its pre-pandemic level.
Till then, stay wanderlust!
All photos and videos were taken using Google Pixel 4a, and edited with Google Photos.
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