World class passenger lounges at JKIA

A section of JKIA’s Terminal 1A's lounge in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

By Lynet Igadwah

In Summary

• It’s not just a place to pass through on your way out but rather where you want to linger and be pampered.

Not so long ago, comfort was the last thing one would look for at an airport. After all, even for the calmest traveller, airports can be a hot bed of stress.

If you were lucky, you wanted to get to the airport as fast as possible, go through the checks and board your plane. There was hardly any time to sit back and enjoy yourself comfortably as you waited for your plane to take off.

Today, things are different. Airports the world over are incorporating executive lounges at their terminals in an effort to reduce passenger stress.

Whether the passenger needs a few minutes to catch up on work or simply to relax away from the crowds, the VIP lounges offer serenity and relaxation complete with premium services.

The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA ) in Nairobi has not been left behind. At its recently unveiled Terminal 1A are two VIP lounges; Pride and Simba.

Any visitor would immediately notice a clear distinction between these two lounges that were opened at the end of 2014.

While Pride has a circular layout and overlooks the airside, Simba is rectangular, seemingly reserved and ideal for passengers who might want to work while waiting for their flight. The lounges are comfortable and modern.

Decor

But do not be fooled. These are not boutique hotels common in New York, San Francisco and London.

They are the waiting spots for First and Business class passengers of Kenya Airways (KQ) waiting to board planes or those who are on transit on international flights.

The Pride Lounge is set on 991 square metres. Its interior design depicts the four Africa landscapes including savannah, rain forest, desert and the coast region.

The textures, materials and colours used at the lounge accentuate Kenyan art in a befitting contemporary way.
While Coastal blue, green and coral colours dominate the eating area, the kiddy zone showcases the African savannah.

Users of the lounge will not fail to notice the large captivating graphics celebrating the desert landscape at the sleep zone.

At Pride, passengers enjoy sectional piped music and kids can play at the Kiddy zone as their parents or guardians dine or work at specified zones.

The Simba lounge which covers 360 square metres, celebrates the richness and beauty of the unique elements of Pan-African culture and heritage. It utilises a palette of carefully-selected local artworks, materials, artifacts and textiles. It is classier and more intimate.

A key feature here is the central sitting area, which was deliberately done to depict the African culture of congregating at barazas.

Colours here are neutral and richer. Apart from the smoking zone and family zones, the lounge hosts a business experience centre.

Users here can enjoy piped music, which unlike the one at the Pride lounge, can be heard in all the corners of the facility.

It is also at the Simba lounge where dim-lit sound-proof napping rooms are located. These help soothe frayed nerves after long flights.

Kiddy zone

The kiddy zone ensures children have unrestricted fun during travel. Apart from playing, the kids can also sit at isolated spots at the facility and watch plasma-screen TV as the parents rest or work.

Growing its international reputation by achieving world class standards was KQ’s motivation behind creation of these lounges.

The main concept behind the design was to capture the modern spirit of Africa and offer guests refreshing spaces to relax, conduct business, eat and enjoy all the usual amenities of a world class lounge.

It took Planning Interior Limited an estimated eight months to complete works at both lounges which boast of furniture made locally and some imported from South Africa.

“While designing the lounges, we deliberately selected materials, themes and settings that would celebrate KQ as the Pride of Africa,” said Fatema Keshavjee, the Design Director at Planning Interior Limited.

The tiles used were a mixture of local and imported.

Food

At the washrooms, Spanish tiles are used to achieve a particularly exclusive finish while local tiles made of mahogany were used to create a natural woody feel.

As if the African designs, murals and drawings are not enough captivation, the mixed cuisine served are out of this world.

There are buffets for those who want a bite, shower rooms for those desiring to freshen up and a work area fully equipped with free Internet.

Perhaps, these are the features that were taken into account when the two KQ lounges recently won an award in a survey by SkyTeam passengers.

Early this month, Simba lounge and Pride lounge emerged second best after Taipei in Taiwan in the SkyTeam passengers’ survey. KQ chief executive Mbuvi Ngunze said it was a great honour that the lounges had been rated among the best in the aviation industry globally.

“This recognition is not just a vote about the facilities offered, but also combine our customers’ very clear perceptions about our service standards,” he said.

Benefits

SkyTeam is an airline alliance founded in 2000 and consists of 20 member airlines. Some of the benefits accorded members include priority check-in, boarding, reservations and main cabin seating.

Additional SkyTeam Elite plus benefits include lounge access, guaranteed reservations and priority baggage handling.

Since their opening two years ago, Simba and Pride lounges have consistently won international awards.

In November 2015, the lounges were awarded the Best Public Service Interior for Kenya by the International Property Awards.

Renowned VIP lounges across the globe include British Airways which has over 200 airport VIP lounges worldwide at almost 100 airports.

The lounges are characterised by elegant surroundings offering deep, luxurious upholstered furniture, in rich velvets and classic tailored herringbone ideal for relaxing before the next flight.

Competitors

Emirates, on the other hand, operates several premium lounges across the world.

At the lounges, passengers are invited to savour a selection of fresh food and full bar services while keeping tabs on the latest news on large plasma screen TVs.

For instance, the A380 First Class Pier in Dubai has a separate buffet at each group of gates, as well as dedicated services like a restaurant, spa, and duty free shops. Passengers using this lounge board directly from the private first class area of each gate.

Another classy VIP lounge is the Qantas First class in Sydney. Apart from the usual services at an executive lounge, it offers Aurora spa allowing complimentary specialised spa treatments, massages, facials and hand and foot therapies.

The Malaysian Airlines Business class golden at Heathrow in the UK is worth a mention too. The lounge has a colourful homely aesthetic which scores highly with travelers.

Qatar airways premium at Heathrow is also serene, has an intimate room where passengers can unwind on the sofa clusters with their travel companions.

Simba and Pride lounges sit at a restricted area of the airport meaning that access is limited to only those boarding flights.

Pampering

Away from the lounges, a few turns away at Terminal A1, is the SheriPalm Spa. This state-of –the- art facility caters for passengers who need some pampering and have time to spare before boarding their next flight.

A first of its kind regionally, the Spa services come in two unique packages; namely the Jet Lag Express Services and the Sheri Palm Quick Fix.

It is becoming evident that the JKIA’s Terminal 1A is no longer a place to kill time as passengers wait for their flight. It has transformed into a hang-out place where time flies fast as passengers are pampered.

With these changes, JKIA has embarked on a mission to shed the bad image it has over the years been associated with