Terminal A at Abu Dhabi International Airport, now called Zayed International Airport, opened with great delay and much acclaim. The old Terminals 1 and 3 were overcrowded as the new terminal was urgently needed to accommodate the growing number of flights – less from Etihad, but from budget airlines such as Air Arabia and Wizz Air. Obviously, lounge space would be needed in the new terminal.

There are currently two main lounge groups in operation:

• Pearl Lounge – the airport-operated area used by Priority Pass, Dragon Pass and non-Etihad airlines, including British Airways.

• Etihad Airways Lounges – divided into Business and First Class areas. A report on this new lounge will follow shortly.

The airport supposedly operates a Diamond Lounge which is listed on their website but I can’t find it any Information or pictures online.

I entered the Pearl Lounge four times during connecting Etihad Airways flights at different operating times – three times during peak/late evening and once during quieter times of the day. This gives a comprehensive overview of the experience and on all occasions I entered the lounge with a Preferential pass. As far as I know, there is a separate section for business and first class passengers, including those flying with British Airways.

Confusing directions, crowded rooms

Navigating the terminal is like a labyrinth. All the shops are squeezed into the airport’s central atrium and the confusing signage makes it difficult to find your way around. During peak times, this also means that the large terminal in this area is extremely crowded.

This is also true of the entrance to the Pearl Lounge in Abu Dhabi, where long queues form for passengers to enter. The lounge makes an effort to differentiate between premium passengers and those who enter through a lounge program (which makes up a large portion of the people).

Due to overcrowding at the entrance on one visit and a delay in boarding, I was unable to enter the lounge. On other visits, I waited about ten minutes at most.

Low ceilings, spacious hallways

The Pearl Lounge is divided into two main areas: indoor and “terrace”. Starting inside, you immediately notice how low the ceilings are here, even though the lounge is quite large. Most people congregate around the buffet near the entrance, which causes it to be hectic as people come back to eat. Speaking of which, I found it to be one of the better Priority Pass Lounge meals I’ve had. With a strong South Asian influence, most of the dishes stayed warm well without drying out or losing flavor.

As you continue into the lounge, you will come across some areas that are more like corridors with seating distributed irregularly. There are some meeting rooms at the back of the lounge, which I neither imagined nor asked about.

There is a bar area, somewhat hidden away but just a few steps around the corner from the buffet. The discreet location should ensure that many travelers from this predominantly Muslim country do not feel offended by the presence of alcohol.

I didn’t drink alcohol on any of my visits, but I did try their coffee. There are several self-service machines in the lounge, but it’s almost always better to have a member of staff make you a coffee. It was a decent coffee to get me ready for my long flights.

Outdoor area? Not quite

Behind emergency exit doors, which I was not entirely sure I could use, is the terrace area that reminds me most of the Turkish Airlines Lounges in Istanbul. This area is open to the rest of the terminal, so do not come to this area if you want a soundproof environment.

What it lacks in soundproofing it more than makes up for in natural light – so much so that you might even need sunglasses as the contrast with the dimly lit interior is too great. You can also buy a drink and sweets like cakes, making it a pleasant place to sit. That is if you can find a seat between the people lying down or sleeping.

The only odd “feature” here is the row of departure boards, although there are a large number of them – they are all crowded together in one area. It would have been much better to have one of these placed elsewhere on the terrace.

Terrible showers

To sign up for a shower, you have to approach a staff member near the toilets, who will give you a long time and then press a bell button. In most cases, even at peak times, the wait times for showers were no more than half an hour – so I advise you to sign up early.

I will always appreciate having a shower on a connecting flight, but these were pretty awful. The water temperatures were on the cool side, which isn’t a huge problem in this climate, but the pressure was a dribble – which made using the shower a pain. The fixtures were a bit wobbly in places and the water drained at a snail’s pace. I’ve had these issues on all my visits, which isn’t great considering I first visited just weeks after it opened.

Final thoughts

This is a “pretty good” lounge – possibly good on a Priority Pass scale. Overall, it’s a big improvement over the previous crowded lounge in the old terminal. The showers are in dire need of improvement. At the same time, the whole low ceiling vibe makes me think that this was originally an office space that was converted into a lounge at relatively short notice – rather than a dedicated lounge build.

If you’re going through Abu Dhabi airport with a Priority Pass, stop by – but I wouldn’t come too early for that, nor would I say you’re missing out on much. I’ll cover the Etihad Airways lounge in another review shortly, as well as some Etihad flights and the overall connecting experience.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and if you visited the supposed business class section, I would love to hear if it was better.