Review: Tirana Airport Business Lounge

This review covers my visit to the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge, the only business lounge at Tirana Airport (TIA) in Albania.

Tirana Airport lounge

After a recent trip to Albania, I flew in ITA Airways business class from Tirana to Rome, which gave me the opportunity to check out the only business lounge at Tirana Airport.

I’ve flown in and out of Tirana Airport a few times before, but this was the first time I actually visited the business lounge.

Lake Koman Albania
Lake Koman, Albania. ©Paliparan
communist mosaic tirana albania
Communist-era mosaic on the National Historical Museum of Tirana, Albania. ©Paliparan

Issues with Tirana Airport

Although Tirana Airport looks fairly modern, its relatively small terminal has become overcrowded due to the significant surge in flights and the number of passengers passing through.

In recent years, Albania has become a popular destination for tourists from all over the world, which coincided with a significant increase in flight connections from Tirana Airport, particularly with low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air.

Another problem with Tirana Airport is that it doesn’t support mobile boarding passes, regardless of the airline you are flying with.

Even though you can check in online, you cannot generate a mobile boarding pass, so you will either need to queue at a check-in counter to obtain a paper boarding pass, or print one out yourself when possible.

Fortunately, the wait at both the ITA Airways check-in desk and security control was short, but upon arrival at the departures terminal, it was teeming with people, with almost all the seats taken.

This made me truly appreciate having access to the business lounge.

tirana airport
The exterior of Tirana Airport. ©Paliparan
check-in desks tirana airport
Check-in desks at Tirana Airport. ©Paliparan
tirana airport
Once you get through security, you will arrive on the upper level of the departures hall of Tirana Airport. All the gates, as well as the business lounge being one level below. ©Paliparan
airport gate
The gates are all on the ground level. ©Paliparan
airport shops cafes
There are just a few shops and cafés at the airport. ©Paliparan
gate area tirana airport
Almost all seats were taken at the overcrowded gate area. ©Paliparan

Tirana Airport business lounge entry requirements

You can reach the Tirana Airport business lounge by heading one level down to the gate area after you have cleared security, after which you need to walk all the way to the other side of the terminal.

Here, you will find a sign saying “business lounge” which points to a small corridor leading to some stairs, bringing you to the actual lounge entrance and reception desk.

This lounge, officially known as the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge, is the only business lounge at Tirana Airport.

Lounge access will depend on the policy of your airline, which generally means only those flying business class or having top tier elite status get complimentary access to the lounge.

In the case of ITA Airways, the airline I was flying with, access to the lounge is granted to those flying in business class or holding SkyTeam Elite Plus status.

However, not all airlines have a contract with the Tirana Airport business lounge.

When I flew out of Tirana on Air France in the summer of 2023, I was denied access to the lounge as the receptionist informed me that Air France has no agreement with them, which I found somewhat surprising.

Priority Pass members and other select lounge membership card holders can also access the Tirana Airport business lounge.

It is also possible to purchase lounge access on the spot, regardless of the airline you fly with, with adults paying 30 euro and accompanied children paying 15 euro.

tirana airport lounge entrance
Entrance to the Tirana Airport business lounge. ©Paliparan

First impressions of the Tirana Airport business lounge

The Scanderbeg VIP Lounge at Tirana Airport essentially consists of a large, rectangular room with a buffet area about halfway through the lounge.

I really liked the decoration of the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge at Tirana Airport, as the unique design choices and stylish artworks and other decorative items made this business lounge stand out.

Although the lounge lacks windows and natural light, which normally detracts from the environment, this didn’t bother me at all in this case.

There is a wide variety of seating options, ranging from couches along the walls to seats centred around both low and high tables.

A quick inspection of the lounge revealed that only the seats along the walls had access to power sockets, while those in the middle did not seem to have them.

The Wi-Fi internet in the lounge was reliable and had decent speeds.

tirana airport business lounge scanderberg vip
A look inside the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge, the only business lounge at Tirana Airport. ©Paliparan
tirana airport lounge
Lounge seating. ©Paliparan
scanderbeg vip business lounge tirana airport
Stylish seating corner in the lounge. ©Paliparan
seats tirana airport business lounge scanderberg vip
Some seats are centred around high tables, while others face low tables. ©Paliparan
lounge seating
Lounge seating. ©Paliparan
tirana airport business lounge scanderberg vip
Tirana Airport’s Scanderbeg VIP Lounge. ©Paliparan

Food buffet

The food in the Tirana Airport business lounge is spread out across a round buffet counter and two counters along the wall.

There was a choice of a couple of hot dishes, such as pilaf (rice), grilled vegetables (aubergine, to be precise), Albanian bean stew, and Fërgesë, a traditional Albanian stew made of tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, feta, and yoghurt.

For a heartier option, the buffet also offered pizza alongside two varieties of burek (filo dough pastry) – one filled with cheese and the other with spinach.

The lounge buffet also featured a salad bar and an assortment of fresh fruits.

Last but certainly not least, the buffet at the Tirana Airport business lounge also boasted an impressive selection of freshly baked muffins, resembling those from a high-quality bakery, as well as a delicious homemade apple pie.

I found the food assortment to be highly interesting – as there was a strong emphasis on traditional Albanian cuisine and all items seemed to be vegetarian.

Where lots of airport lounges pack processed or cheaply produced food, the food buffet at the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge almost felt like getting homemade food from a small family-owned restaurant.

tirana airport scanderbeg vip business lounge buffet
The buffet area of the Tirana Airport business lounge. ©Paliparan
pizza burek buffet
Pizza and burek at the lounge buffet. ©Paliparan
salad bar lounge
Selection of salads and vegetables. ©Paliparan
scanderbeg vip lounge food tirana airport business lounge
Muffins, cakes and other sweets. ©Paliparan
bread croissants
Bread and croissants. ©Paliparan
cooked food buffet tirana airport business lounge scanderbeg
Selection of cooked food items at the buffet. ©Paliparan
albanian bean stew
Albanian bean stew. ©Paliparan
grilled aubergine
Grilled aubergine. ©Paliparan
Fërgesë scenderbeg vip lounge tirana airport
Fërgesë – a traditional Albanian stew made of tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, feta, and yoghurt. ©Paliparan
albanian pilaf
Albanian pilaf. ©Paliparan
Boiled eggs
Boiled eggs. ©Paliparan

Drinks

The Scanderbeg VIP Lounge at Tirana Airport has a decent selection of self-serve drinks, including alcohol.

For soft drinks, options included sodas and bottled water from the fridge, along with various types of infused water from large glass jars.

In the fridges, you could also find bottles of Albania’s beloved Peja beer.

The lounge buffet also offered one white wine and one red wine, both locally produced in Albania as well.

At the lounge buffet, there were also Albanian and international liqueurs available, including J&B whisky, Jack Daniel’s bourbon, Smirnoff vodka, and Baileys.

A significant downside was that both coffee machines in the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge were broken when I visited this business lounge, so I could forget about my espresso!

coffee machines
Coffee machines, selection of teas, and lots of glasses. ©Paliparan
infused water
Large jars with infused water. ©Paliparan
soft drinks beer fridge
In the fridges, you can find a selection of soft drinks, bottled water, and beer. ©Paliparan
scanderbeg vip lounge tirana airport wine
The Scanderbeg VIP Lounge serves some tasty Albanian wine. ©Paliparan

Other lounge facilities

The Scanderbeg VIP Lounge has three work stations near the lounge entrance.

Although there are toilets inside the lounge, there are no showers at the Tirana Airport business lounge.

work stations
Work stations at the lounge entrance. ©Paliparan

My lounge experience

Although the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge was fairly crowded when I entered, the lounge got more empty later on.

I certainly managed to get comfortable during the hour I spent in the lounge, catching up on some work and enjoying some of the food and drinks available.

Above all, I enjoyed the delicious apple pie, and liked tasting the Albanian white wine, as it packed quite a punch and almost felt like drinking some strong homemade wine, having quite a unique taste!

tirana airport business lounge food beer
Enjoying some food and an Albanian Peja beer in the lounge. ©Paliparan
albanian white wine
I also tried the Albanian white wine during my lounge visit. ©Paliparan

Boarding

If you have access to the business lounge at Tirana Airport, you may want to leave it late when it comes to boarding your flight.

All gates at Tirana Airport are at ground level, where you either walk to your aircraft or are bused to it.

Although it is nice to walk directly from the terminal building to your plane, in practice it means that when boarding starts, you are first led to another holding area directly outside the terminal building, where you have to wait for a while longer until you are finally given the green light to walk to the plane.

It’s a somewhat slow process that diminishes some of the advantages of priority boarding, so unless you don’t mind waiting in a holding area and truly want to be among the first to board, it’s preferable to board as one of the last when departing from this airport.

tirana airport boarding gate
The boarding gate for my flight to Rome Fiumicino airport. ©Paliparan

Conclusion

The Scanderbeg VIP Lounge – the only business lounge at Tirana Airport – is an above-average lounge due to its stylish décor and some intriguing local food options at the buffet.

Although the lounge lacks natural light, it has a unique design and some comfortable seating, making it a much better place to await your flight than the overcrowded terminal.

The food at the buffet is of good quality and more reminiscent of a local Albanian restaurant or an upscale Tirana bakery than your average business lounge fare.

The drinks selection is good too, with a wide variety of soft drinks, infused water, some local beers and wine, as well as your typical mid-shelf bottles of booze.

In my opinion, paying the €30 entrance fee for the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge is well worth it if you don’t receive complimentary access, as it beats waiting in the small and crowded terminal of Tirana Airport.

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Koen

Koen works as a freelance journalist covering south-eastern Europe and is the founding father and editor-in-chief of Paliparan. As a contributor to some major Fleet Street newspapers and some lesser known publications in the Balkans, he travels thousands of miles each year for work as well as on his personal holidays. Whether it is horse riding in Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, exploring the backstreets of Bogotá, or sipping a glass of moschofilero in a Greek beachside taverna, Koen loves to immerse himself into the local culture, explore new places and eat and drink himself around the world.

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