Korean Air Lounge NRT review: Not all KAL lounges are the same apparently

The main thing you need to know about the Korean Air lounge at Narita Airport (NRT) is the fact that it’s not like other KAL lounges. 

I like to think of it as an ‘abbreviated’ KAL lounge. It looks great (as all of them do), but it’s a little small. The selection of food is limited as well. Light snacks is all they got.

Overall Size of Lounge:
Variety of Food:
Quality of Food:
Selection of Alcohol:
Quietness / Privacy:
Overall Rating:

Location

You’ll find this KAL Lounge on level 3 (the departures level) of Terminal 1 North at NRT. It’s fairly centrally located, near gate 26. 

It’s worth noting that even though there are lots of signs that will lead you to this lounge, the fact that it’s located in a dark corner of the terminal will make it a bit hard to find. My advice: trust the signs. 

How to get in

The primary and most common way to access this lounge is to be holding a Korean Air first or business class (Premier Class) ticket. I was flying business class to Seoul / Incheon this particular morning. 

You can also access this lounge if:

• You are a SkyTeam Elite Plus member
• You are a SkyPass Million Miler Club member
• You are a SkyPass Morning Calm Premium member
• General SkyPass Morning Calm members also have access, but access may be limited if they’re especially busy.

Layout

Those of you expecting a multi-room (and private) experience like the Korean Air Prestige Lounge at Incheon will be disappointed. This one is essentially one big room split in half by a transparent divider. The open floor plan means that there is very little privacy.

Food and drinks are located along the back wall (opposite of the windows). Cafeteria style tables and chairs takes up approximately half of the entire layout. The other half (near the windows) features more comfortable lounge style seating. 

The bathrooms are nice, but there are no showers here. I wouldn’t have expected it anyway due to how small the overall layout is. 

Food and drinks

I would not recommend visiting this lounge if your primary goal is to eat. The selection of food is limited, consisting of nibblets such as pastries, sandwiches, cheese, crackers, and sweets (tarts and cookies). They do not serve hot meals. 

The selection of alcohol was more impressive than the selection of food IMHO. All of it is self serve, so just take what you want. 

The lack of cold juices was disappointing, especially considering the time of my visit (8am ish). There was coffee and tea aplenty however. 

Pros and cons

Perhaps the best thing about this lounge is that it’s a fairly nice escape from the chaos of Terminal 1. However, next time I visit, I think I’m going to smuggle some food in (because there are lots of really great restaurants in T1).

Pros

• It’s fairly quiet. At least quieter than it would be hanging out in the main terminal.
• It’s very bright, with big windows looking out over the airport.
• Free alcohol up the Yin Yang. At least for a lounge of this size. 

Cons

• There’s basically no privacy. All seats are open and exposed. 
• The lack of proper food is disappointing. That said, you’re probably going to eat very well on the airplane, so no biggie. 
• This is a small, somewhat generic looking lounge. Those of you who have ever been to a Plaza Premium lounge will no doubt notice the similarities.