Review: ITA Airways Hangar Lounge Rome Fiumicino Airport
This review covers the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge, a business lounge located in the Schengen departures terminal of Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO).
ITA Airways business lounge
During my travels around Europe, I often fly from or through Rome Fiumicino Airport, including on numerous occasions with Italy’s flagship carrier, ITA Airways.
ITA Airways operates two lounges at its hub of Rome Fiumicino Airport (IATA code: FCO): the Piazza di Spagna Lounge in the non-Schengen departures terminal, and the Hangar Lounge, which serves passengers on Schengen zone flights.
My multiple visits to the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge over the past months and years at various times of day gave me a good opportunity to properly review the lounge – so let’s take a look at what this business lounge at Rome Fiumicino Airport has to offer!
Finding the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge
The ITA Airways Lounge is located one floor above the main concourse of Terminal 1, where most of the shops and restaurants are, just before you head towards one of the piers leading to the actual departure gates.
Simply follow the signs for “airline lounge” and go up one floor by escalator or lift, where you’ll find the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge alongside a few others, such as the Plaza Premium Lounge.
ITA Airways Hangar Lounge entry requirements
If you’re flying in ITA Airways business or superior class (except Superior Classic fares), you receive complimentary access to the Hangar Lounge at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
As I was flying in ITA Airways business class on a domestic flight to Milan, I was granted access to the lounge, being warmly welcomed by a friendly receptionist.
Access to the lounge is also granted to passengers flying with ITA Airways who hold Premium or Executive status in the airline’s own Volare frequent flyer programme, as well as to HON Circle and Senator members of Lufthansa’s Miles&More programme.
Now that ITA Airways has been taken over by the Lufthansa Group, the airline has left the SkyTeam alliance and is expected to join Star Alliance in the near future.
This means you can no longer access the ITA Airways lounge when flying with SkyTeam airlines or by using your SkyTeam Elite Plus status.
Once ITA Airways is fully integrated into Star Alliance, it is expected that you will also be able to access the Hangar Lounge before a flight operated by another Star Alliance carrier, either when flying in business class or holding Star Alliance Gold status.
Paid access to the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge is not available, and this business lounge at Rome Fiumicino Airport is not included in any lounge membership programmes such as Priority Pass.
A look around the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge
After passing the reception desk, you follow a corridor that opens into one large rectangular room, which comprises the entire lounge.
It’s clear where the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge gets its name, as the lounge features a modern, industrial design that incorporates elements of the airport terminal, including the beams of the terminal roof.
Although I find the Hangar Lounge a pleasant space with an airy, bright feel thanks to the natural light from the windows and the blue, purple, and red lighting around the bar, it lacks views, as the frosted windows overlook the terminal concourse rather than the apron.
At the centre of the lounge stands a long, circular bar, which is also where you find the buffet.
The most popular seats in the lounge are the Poltrona Frau-designed box cabins near the windows, which are semi-private cubicles that include a small table.
There are plenty of other seating options in the lounge, ranging from comfortable armchairs to seats at standard dining tables and barstools at high-top tables.
Most seats have a nearby power socket, making it easy to keep your electronic devices charged while visiting the lounge.
Food buffet
At the back of the bar in the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge, there’s a small food buffet that serves breakfast in the morning, some hot dishes for lunch and dinner between 12:00–15:00 and 17:00–20:00, and a selection of snacks during the intervals.
Although I find the food quality to be fairly good, you shouldn’t get too excited, as the selection remains quite limited even during peak lunch and dinner hours.
Breakfast is mostly Italian-style, with a few simple croissants and sweet pastries, though you’ll also find yoghurt, cereals, cheese, and cold cuts.
For the rest of the day, there’s a salad bar along with cheese and cold cuts, while during lunch and dinner hours, one or two hot dishes – typically pasta – are also served.
Between 17:00 and 19:00 – during Aperitivo hour – you can also expect pizza slices and other appetisers to be served.
ITA Airways Hangar Lounge bar
The beautiful staffed bar is the heart of the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge, and it’s where you’ll need to go for all your drinks, as none are self-service, not even a simple bottle of water.
Fortunately, the service is quick and professional, so you never have to wait long to get the drink of your choice.
The ITA Airways lounge bar serves virtually everything you’d find at a typical café or bar in an Italian town – whether it’s coffee, soft drinks, beer or wine, Prosecco, long drinks, or spirits.
Everything – including alcoholic drinks – is complimentary.
Coffee at the Hangar Lounge
As you’d expect from an Italian airport lounge with a staffed bar, you can order excellent barista-made coffee.
Indeed, the Illy espresso and cappuccino served are of high quality, and I’m sure many international travellers will also appreciate the refreshing cold brew coffee available.
Cocktails and other alcoholic drinks at the Hangar Lounge
If you’re after an alcoholic drink, the bar at the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge won’t disappoint, offering an extensive selection of wines, liqueurs, and spirits, as well as a dedicated cocktail menu created in collaboration with the Campari Group.
Of course, you can order a glass of Prosecco at the bar, along with classic Italian favourites like an Aperol Spritz or Negroni.
The bar also offers a decent wine selection, and I’ve noticed the lounge occasionally features special Italian wines during promotional events highlighting regional varieties.
If you’re a wine enthusiast, it’s definitely worth asking about the different labels and varieties available, as sometimes you might be in for a surprise.
The special cocktail menu includes a couple of interesting sweet and sour cocktails that are well worth trying.
If you want to go for something truly special and highly Instagrammable, try the Fly Up cocktail, where the bartender creates a giant air bubble on top of your drink!
Other lounge facilities
The ITA Airways Hangar Lounge has a couple of phone booths converted into private workstations, insulated from the rest of the lounge, making them ideal for working in full peace and quietness or making business calls.
There is also a dedicated meeting room available, but you need to request access at the lounge reception.
Wi-Fi was reliable and fast throughout my entire stay, making the lounge a good place to get some work done.
The Hangar Lounge also includes toilets, with one shower room for men and one for women, although I haven’t tried them personally.
My lounge experience
During my visits to the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge, I either caught up on work between flights or simply relaxed with a drink in hand.
Although I find the Hangar Lounge a decent space for a short visit, it can become a little tedious during a prolonged layover, as the lounge is quite small and offers few facilities beyond the bar.
Indeed, your impression of the lounge will depend greatly on when you visit – not only because the food selection is better at lunch and dinner, but also because it can get crowded.
The ITA Airways Hangar Lounge has 135 seats, which is sufficient for most of the day.
However, during busy periods – such as the morning and early evening departure banks – it can be difficult to find a seat inside the lounge, and if you visit only at these times, you might get a less favourable impression.
Conclusion
The ITA Airways Hangar Lounge at Rome Fiumicino Airport is a rather average lounge, but it stands out for its staffed bar, where you can enjoy excellent barista coffee and speciality cocktails.
If you’re looking for a quality espresso or cappuccino between flights, or an alcoholic drink – whether from the special cocktail menu or just a simple glass of wine or beer – this lounge certainly does the trick.
The Hangar Lounge is also a good place to get some work done, as it has dedicated workstations offering plenty of privacy, reliable Wi-Fi, and power sockets throughout the lounge.
Although the buffet at the Hangar Lounge offers generally good-quality food, the selection is quite limited.
Moreover, your experience at the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge will largely depend on the time of day you visit, as it is a small lounge that can quickly become crowded during peak hours, making it difficult to find a seat.
