Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Airport Lounges - how they work (general) and Nadi (specific) Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
allaren 18:00 UTC 06 Oct 2008 | Do airport lounges (VIP/airline-specific ones) stay open all night? Is it always/usually possible to buy access to them? If both, what's to stop people sleeping in them instead of going to hotels? I have to go through Nadi airport (NAN) several times, including one flight where I have something like a 20-hour layover, during which I'm apparently expected to stay airside. Is this normal? Does NAN have lounges I can buy access to (single/multiple accesses) and do they close at night? |
oldpro 17:02 UTC 07 Oct 2008 | I don't know about Nadi, but I've been in other airports around the world at night and the special lounges had been closed. Usually there are better places to sleep in the departure hall anyway -- depends on the airport. Nadi departure terminal is very small, though, and I wouldn't like the idea of needing to stay in there for 20 hours. You sure about that by the way? Depending on your passport you could easily get a 4-month tourist visa. Walk 500 meters from the airport terminal and you're in Raffles. Enjoy the pool, a room, restaurant .. | 1
mandja 12:50 UTC 08 Oct 2008 | Neither www.Prioritypass.com nor www.loungepass.com list Nadi in their Buy-in list and Im not surprised as the airport is quite small. | 2
raro 06:52 UTC 16 Oct 2008 | I was stranded at Nadi once when my connecting flght was delayed. Luckily I was on an upgraded Business class ticket (doing a travel story for a mgazine). Air NZ kept the lounge open all night for the twenty of us. The one at RAR will stay open as long as needed for Bus. class pax, as will the one in Tahiti. However, if you are not on a bus. class ticket it is virtually impossible to actually buy your way into a Business class lounge at most SP airports. For a 20-hour at Nandi, just head to ne of the moderate places across the road, or down the road a mile or two. They're not that expensive, and much nicer than trying to sleep on a sofa or chair at the airport! | 3
allaren 18:36 UTC 16 Oct 2008 | For a 20-hour at Nandi, just head to ne of the moderate places across the road, or down the road a mile or two. They're not that expensive, and much nicer than trying to sleep on a sofa or chair at the airport! Yes, I think my travel agent (roundtheworldflights.com) was talking rubbish when they said I was supposed to stay airside for 20 hours. I can't imagine NAN wanting a bunch of sleep-deprived passengers lounging about their airport, even those with through tickets. | 4
mandja 21:36 UTC 16 Oct 2008 | There are some airports around the world where you migt consider spending a FEW hours- eg Singapore, but not Nadi and certainly not for 20 hours . The airport is "ok", but not great, and the town is so close, it doesnt bear thinking about. | 5
allaren 23:55 UTC 16 Oct 2008 | There are some airports around the world where you migt consider spending a FEW hours- eg Singapore, but not Nadi and certainly not for 20 hours . What about Heathrow Terminal 5? The way they market it you'd think it was Eurodisney, central London, and relaxing at the same time: "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to redefine air travel ... space, light and calm ... floor to ceiling windows give outstanding views of the runways, aircraft, countryside and even Windsor Castle and Wembley Stadium ... hard to believe it’s an airport terminal at all." ... | 6
mandja 23:58 UTC 16 Oct 2008 | In Abu Dhabi the International passenger transit area contains.....an 18 hole golf course !! | 7
hardnosethehighway 02:34 UTC 17 Oct 2008 | You use a Travel Agent ? How quaint! | 8
allaren 15:28 UTC 17 Oct 2008 | #8: I know. But the cheaper RTW tickets can't be bought direct from airlines, and I don't have £2500 spare to spend on a StarAlliance/Oneworld super-rich or whatever they're called. You should also note that travel agents often have one-destination tickets cheaper than those bought directly. There is a lower place than Y-class. | 9