One of the travel hacks I recently learned is staying at an airport lounge rather than the airport benches, roaming around fighting for a spot to charge as well as to sit down. While the Airport lounge gets the rep for being expensive and quite “exclusive”, it is actually not. When you factor in convenience, it is more reasonable to stay at the lounge rather than having meals at restaurants or cafes inside the airport that tends to be overpriced. That’s why I decided to explore some options from the lounge rather than from the cafe or restaurants inside the airport given now I fly frequently and some of these lounges offers perks if you have certain credit cards or subscription to internet providers.

Airport Lounge Options in Indonesia

In Indonesia, there are two lounges that you can try, Bluesky Premium and Concordia. Bluesky premium is considered more modern, stylish, and offers premium experience while Concordia is a budget friendly option lounge. To enter these lounges in Indonesia, you can either pay for the access and get it for free if you are a certain credit card holder or even sometimes a network provider. If you have neither of it, you can pay around $12 to access the lounge.

Now, let me talk about the main difference between the two and why I personally prefer Concordia compared to Bluesky Premium.

Bluesky Premium, for travelers who want to relax and look put together before catching the next flight.

The Bluesky Premium that I visited is located in Makassar International Airport. To get into the place, you can either be a Diamond telkomsel member or simply a card holder of certain Indonesian banks or paying $12 fees to access the lounge.

The amenities inside the lounge include a co-working spot, cafe, all you can eat menu, as well as shower room and shuttle to our boarding gate.

The area inside the location is quite like a 4 stars hotel lobby and dining area. The chairs are so comfortable to lounge around and even catch some naps. However, if you want to get something done before the flight, you can use the co-working station with a comfortable chair and plenty of sockets.

One of the perks of being inside an airport lounge is that you never have to worry about buying water, coffee, or even overpriced meals. Since this is all-you-can eat style, there are quite a bit of options or menu. Bluesky premium offers an international menu and Indonesian cuisine that are friendly for international tourists and palate. They also have premium cafes and coffee inside the place with varied selections of proper coffee and not instant ones.

Another good thing about this place is that you can be escorted to the gate with their buggy ride 15 minutes before the flight. They will directly take you to the gate and you will never have to walk far away and even conveniently arrive at the gate.

Concordia Lounge, for budget travelers who expect no frills and looking for something that just works.

The location of Concordia Lounge in Makassar International Airport is closer to the departure gate. To access this lounge you can be a subscriber of some credit card provider and by paying though traveloka, tiket.com or even cash. The price is around $9 for access until the departure of your flight.

The amenities inside include toilet, coaches, co-working spot, all-you-can eat buffet. As of the moment I am writing this, their toilet is located outside the lounge. So, you have to go in and out of the lounge.

The area inside the lounge is like a regular 3 stars hotel with sofas and not quite modern looking co-working spots. It is for those who want to simply escape the noise and buzz of the airport.

One of the best parts of Concordia lounge is their Indonesian menu that reflects the city of the airport. In Makassar, Concordia serves typical Sulawesi cuisine with plenty of options that as travelers who are adventurous, this was such an adventure in itself. Rather than purchasing single serving outside restaurants in the airport and typically overpriced, inside this lounge,you get the chance to try many cuisines, from appetizers, desserts, main course and to beverages from Sulawesi.

Considering a typical meal that is priced in an airport, entering the lounge is a smart choice. However, these lounges only operate till 21:00 and not 24 hours. So, if your next flight is at 2:00, all that is left is an expensive restaurant and cafe in the airport.

Why I Choose Lounges for Frequent Travel

Since I fly frequently these days, I average the spending on my airport amenities and they can exceed $15/flight. So, I decided to just enter one of these lounges and I saved up quite a bit while also reaching the destination without looking tired. I looked pretty fresh because the lounge offers a shower room as well as a comfortable toilet and clean ones.

Next time you’re flying, rather than spending $12 just for a meal and a drink, it’s better to use that money for a lounge with unlimited food, drink and good service. They also have their own wifi and not a public one, since you need a password to access their wifi.

It’s even better if you have certain credit cards or internet providers like I do. I get discounts as well as it only charges Rp 1 in your credit card which practically is nothing. So, use that to your advantage.

Personal Verdict, Why Concordia Wins for Me

As for my favorite, I prefer Concordia for the food because when I travel outside Java, I like to sample different food than my own. Bluesky food is too western for me and something regular that I eat in my day to day life. So, it’s not as interesting as Concordia while I know that my sample is still in Makassar, the difference is quite stark.

I guess I could start a new quest, trying lounges all over and comparing them. For now, I only tried in this location (Makassar International Airport) since I typically have a long layover there. Next time, if I have a long layover in either Jakarta or other places, I would sample their lounge and do comparison like this.