The lounge we are about to review is so dominant, so unassailable, that it doesn’t even have a name. It is just THE departure lounge, or, as they would have it in the French language, the Salon Départ. That may be partly because there are no other lounges–the airport is hardly big enough to warrant any more than one (though Goma airport manages to have two). But we have to give Kinshasa’s FIH airport credit: this is among the best lounges that we’ve been to. It excels in just about every category, and it is absolutely worth coming to the airport a little bit early so that you can relax in the Salon Départ. Want all the details? this Salon Départ Lounge Review – Kinshasa (FIH) is for you, dear traveler.
Our Trip – Salon Départ Lounge Review – Kinshasa (FIH)
We had always wanted to visit the great city of Kinshasa, one of the largest cities in the world and a thriving metropolis and cultural Mecca, home to great music, high fashion, and a joie de vivre that is famous across the continent and all the way to France. After years of trying, we finally made it here. We flew in from Goma, and when it was time to leave, we found that the best price for departure was using FlyingBlue points to book an award ticket on Kenya airways straight to Nairobi.
The Facts – Salon Départ Lounge Review – Kinshasa (FIH)
The lounge is located in the airlines main departure terminal. Once you’ve gone though all your formalities and entered the gate area, you can head to the “Salon VIP Depart” which is clearly visible at the far end of the gate.
Priority Pass is sadly not accepted, but you can pay cash to enter. It is not cheap (we forget how much), but there’s no denying that this is a lovely space. That said, the waiting area isn’t terrible either.
The Space – Salon Départ Lounge Review – Kinshasa (FIH)
One of the delightful aspects of this Lounge is the sheer amount of space that is available to you. the lounge also has an impressive diversity of seating types, which will appeal to Travelers on all sorts of different itineraries.
The chairs are never placed too closely together in this lounge.
Because there are not very many passengers who have access to this lounge, the space never feels too crowded.
Single travelers may prefer the individual chairs spread throughout.
We love the range of seating options and the comfortable chairs spread throughout the lounge.
Really, could the space be any more beautiful? Even some of our favorite lounges struggle to come near to this standard.
The Food – Salon Départ Lounge Review – Kinshasa (FIH)
Once again, this Lounge comes out on top in the food department. when we stopped by there were several different options and all of the food was fresh and tasty. If you have an early or a late flight you can definitely plan to have breakfast or dinner here. The lounge doesn’t skimp and while this is not a smorgasbord of options, we don’t think that you have much reason to complain for a paid contract Lounge.
Really, its fantastic to see a lounge with such healthy options.
We loved the chicken as well.
There were also ample fruit offerings.
This next offering is probably a reflection of the number of Lebanese people who passed through the airport, or perhaps a reflection of the restaurants available to cater to the lounge, but the za’atar bread is absolutely fantastic.
And then of course there were the ignominious sandwiches that are a staple in any lounge.
The Drinks
First off, you’ve got your standard goodies. Your juices, your milks, your waters. So far so good.
This is a beer drinking country, so of course there were quite a few options in the beer cooler, all free. We recommend the Tembo.
Let’s et a close up of those gorgeous bottles.
There was also a really decent selection of hard liquors, but unlike the more traditional bar setup in this Lounge all of the liquor is placed onto a mobile cart. You can take drinks from this yourself or you can ask someone to prepare it for you.
Then there’s the sodas, of course.
The Internet
Once again we were quite surprised to find that the lounge had excellent internet. just ask for a code at the reception and log on and you’ll be flying.
The Restrooms
The restrooms are located inside the lounge.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve never been to this airport before you might not be sure what you’re getting yourself into as you head towards the lounge, and that was certainly the case for us. but we can now say without a doubt that this is not only one of the best lounges on the continent, it’s also one of the nicest lounges that we’ve ever been to anywhere in the world except for maybe some Flagship lounges belonging to major carriers. For a contract Lounge I don’t think that you can ask for much more than this. THe space is gorgeous, the food is excellent, the staff is attentive: we give this place five stars. Merci Kinshasa!
Final Grades
| Connectivity: | 4/5 |
| Workability | 4/5 |
| Relaxation: | 3/5 |
| Catering: | 4/5 |
| Alcohol: | 4/5 |
| Ambiance: | 4/5 |
| Total Score | 23/30 |
