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.
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.
A look inside the Scanderbeg VIP Lounge, the only business lounge at Tirana Airport. ©Paliparan Lounge seating. ©Paliparan Stylish seating corner in the lounge. ©Paliparan Some seats are centred around high tables, while others face low tables. ©Paliparan Lounge seating. ©Paliparan 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.
The buffet area of the Tirana Airport business lounge. ©Paliparan Pizza and burek at the lounge buffet. ©Paliparan Selection of salads and vegetables. ©Paliparan Muffins, cakes and other sweets. ©Paliparan Bread and croissants. ©Paliparan Selection of cooked food items at the buffet. ©Paliparan Albanian bean stew. ©Paliparan Grilled aubergine. ©Paliparan Fërgesë – a traditional Albanian stew made of tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, feta, and yoghurt. ©Paliparan Albanian pilaf. ©Paliparan 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, selection of teas, and lots of glasses. ©Paliparan Large jars with infused water. ©Paliparan In the fridges, you can find a selection of soft drinks, bottled water, and beer. ©Paliparan 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 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!
Enjoying some food and an Albanian Peja beer in the lounge. ©Paliparan 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.
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.
