At Amman airport (AMM), the capital of Jordan, the Petra Lounge is an airline-independent waiting lounge open to all international travellers.
I visited this lounge on Friday evening 20 September 2019, thanks to my Priority Pass card, during a long layover between two flights with Royal Jordanian in economy class on my way to Hong Kong from Tunis.
Location, opening hours and entry rules
The Petra Lounge is open to all Priority Pass and Diners Club members. All others are charged JOD 30.
The lounge is accessible 24 hours a day. It is located in the restricted area. After security screening, proceed to boarding gates numbered 2XX. The Petra Lounge entrance is located at the end of the corridor linking the center of the terminal and the North pier, on the left.
For Priority Pass members, the duration of a stay in the lounge is limited to 4 hours. If you wish to stay longer, the font desk attendant will ask you to check in again before starting a new period.
Facilities and catering
Once you’ve checked in, take the elevator to the lounge one floor down.
The vast rectangular room is laid out in several seating areas with sofas and armchairs arranged around small tables. The rather luxurious furniture is recent and clean, as are the carpets on the floors and the curtains on the windows. Electrical outlets are available almost throughout.
On one side is a TV screen where you can follow the news, while another displays flight status. On the other side, there are small fridges stocked with bottled water, various soft drinks and beers. In the center is a buffet of delicious local pastries.
A self-service bar with a limited selection of alcoholic beverages is located in a corridor. This is followed by a counter for hot drinks: two automatic machines for coffee, hot chocolate and milk, plus a selection of teas. Dates are also available.
At the end of this corridor is a dining room with tables for four, ready to welcome guests. At 8pm, the dinner buffet is well stocked: fresh vegetables, various soups, fish, meat, cheese, bread and pastries. There’s something for every taste, Western and Oriental, and it’s pretty good. Juice fountains complete the range of hot and cold drinks. Staff are on hand to clear and set the table after each visit, and to replenish the buffet.
The Petra Lounge has a smoking area, a prayer room and toilets that are kept clean. The lounge’s Wi-Fi connection worked normally.
Opinion
The Petra Lounge is an alternative airport lounge dedicated to customers outside the traditional airline VIP circuit.
Less crowded than the main lounge at Amman – Queen Alia airport, it is a pleasant place to wait for a flight thanks to its comfortable facilities and quality catering service.
However, the tranquility of the lounge will be disturbed at around 11 pm when two chatterboxes begin the nightly cleaning of the lounge without the minimum consideration for those present who are asleep.
Despite this last imperfection, the Petra Lounge is probably one of the best lounges in the Priority Pass network that I have visited.
What is your experience of the Petra Lounge at Amman airport?
