When it comes to lounges, a lot has changed at Stuttgart Airport since the beginning of the Corona pandemic. Currently, there is only one option for spending your waiting time in such a facility: "The Aviator Gallery", which is operated by the airport itself. What this lounge offers and who has access is examined in more detail in this article.
Exclusive waiting areas for frequent flyers and holders of certain status and/or credit cards are available at almost all airports around the world. There are some that are offered by airlines, others by the airport in question, and still others by independent providers. The access requirements vary enormously. Some are reserved for passengers with certain booking classes and/or status cards, while in others anyone can use the lounges for a fee.
Anyone can enter for a fee, but no “lounge cards” are accepted
“The Aviator Gallery” is a so-called airport lounge, which means that it is operated by Stuttgart Airport itself. Anyone who is willing to pay the entrance fee of 36 euros can enter. Passengers with HON status and a valid ticket from Eurowings, Lufthansa, Swiss or Austrian Airlines can enter for free. The same applies to business class passengers of Aegean, Air Baltic, Air France, British Airways, Condor, Ita Airways, KLM, SAS and Turkish Airlines. There are additional regulations for status cards from Air France, Ita Airways, KLM, SAS, Aegean, British Airways and Turkish Airlines, as the airport describes this somewhat vaguely on its homepage as “selected status customers”. It is therefore advisable to contact them in advance by phone or email.
Participants in programs such as Priority Pass or Dragon Pass are left "out in the cold" because there are currently no contracts with such lounge programs. This means that these travelers only have the option of obtaining free access in other ways, for example via a business class ticket or the corresponding airline status card, or paying the regular entrance fee at the counter. It is still completely unclear whether it will be possible to use Dragon Pass, Priority Pass, Lounge Key and the like in Stuttgart-Echterdingen at a later date.
There is currently no alternative lounge at this airport. The former Lufthansa and Air France lounges and the Elly Beinhorn Lounge no longer exist. The reasons for this are very different, but it is what it is and travelers have to deal with it.
Currently the only lounge at Stuttgart Airport
The Aviator Gallery is located in the security area, roughly at the transition from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1, which is anyway seamless and hardly noticeable, and is accessed via a staircase or elevator. The signage is not particularly conspicuous, but it is there. It is still particularly difficult to find this lounge and since it is mainly used by regular customers, practically everyone knows where it is anyway.
The design of the only lounge in Stuttgart is characterized by a choice of colors that exudes a lot of comfort. This exclusive waiting area is not particularly large, but there are different zones designed for eating, working and relaxing. Since it is a small lounge, everything is quite close together. Aviation fans will get their money's worth for two reasons: On the walls of the main room there are numerous photos that allow you to travel through 100 years of airport and aviation history. Completely independent of all the other offers in the lounge, it is worth looking at this photo exhibition because it is impressive to see from photos how Stuttgart Airport, but also global civil aviation, has developed since the airport was founded. One or two passengers will certainly be reminded of the terminal from the 1930s, which had to make way for the new building of today's T2000 in the early 3s. Particularly in the last years of operation, the building, which was no longer up to date and completely outdated in every respect, had a real cult status. The legendary staircase alone evoked many memories of farewells and reunions or wonderful journeys for older passengers.
Food and drinks with a Baden-Württemberg flavour
In terms of gastronomy, the Stuttgart lounge offers a rudimentary range of buffets. On the day of the visit, there were dishes that symbolize the cuisine of Baden-Württemberg. This is a good thing, because Swabian cuisine has a lot of interesting things to offer and this is very positive, especially for international guests. It is certainly debatable whether the range in this lounge is too large or too small. There must be a reason why there are no longer any airline-owned facilities of this kind, because Stuttgart Airport continues to have significantly fewer passengers than before the pandemic. So it is better to have a small range of good quality than to have a lot and not taste it right.
In the area of cold dishes, there are the same offerings as in other lounges, such as bread and rolls, and in Stuttgart, “typical of the region”, there are also pretzels, butter, sausage, cheese, salads, yoghurts and the like. There are no big surprises, but as already mentioned, the quality is good and the staff clearly keep an eye on ensuring that the selection is always well stocked, in an attractive condition and that all visitors are fed.
Drinks are available in the refrigerators, but also free-standing, also self-service, as is usual in lounges. Travelers can choose from various wines, beer, sparkling wine and similar alcoholic drinks. The variety is not particularly large compared to facilities at other airports, but the quality is good. It is not luxury goods, but also not cheap stuff from discount stores. It is adequate and good. The selection of non-alcoholic drinks, including tea and coffee, is also adequate, but not particularly large.
Entrance fee not too expensive considering high prices in the security area
The Stuttgart lounge is what it is: a lounge run by the airport that has a rudimentary range of food of reasonable and good quality. Of course, in almost every such facility you can find something that could be improved. But stick to your last: what would the passengers gain if the airport were to boast about lobster and the like, and given that the flight schedule booklet is thin compared to pre-Corona times, a lot of it ends up in the organic waste bin? The approach taken in terms of the airport lounge at Manfred Rommel Airport is fine: it's better to have a small range of food, but good quality and definitely focus on the cuisine of Baden-Württemberg, than to overdo it and then it doesn't taste good.
Considering the high prices in restaurants these days, especially in the security area of Stuttgart Airport, the regular entrance fee of 36 euros is not that expensive. A few drinks, a meal and maybe a dessert and you'll soon be paying more than the entrance fee for the lounge (all you can drink and eat). In return, you get a quieter place, an interesting photo exhibition and a large view of the apron.
The fact that airline-independent cards such as Dragon Pass or Priority Pass are not currently accepted is not particularly advantageous for participants in these programs, as the customer cards are simply useless at this airport. However, it remains to be seen, as one or two cooperation agreements may be concluded at a later date. Furthermore, there should be at least one more lounge at Stuttgart Airport in the not too distant future. An exact date for the opening has not yet been set.
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