The Dublin Airport Authority operate the DAA lounge in Terminal 1, which many airlines serving the Irish capital use. It has gone through a few design amendments over the past number of years.
For an airport operated lounge in Europe, it is at least on par if not better than others I’ve visited. It’s easily better than the lounge in Toulouse for example.
Entering The Lounge
The lounge entrance is located just beside security in Terminal 1 and you go upstairs to access it. When you arrive, there is a reception desk immediately in front of you and when the lounge opened (hours are 05:30 to 17:00 daily at present, according to the DAA website), there was a queue. Amusingly, you needed to enter the lounge to get into the queue.
-
- Patiently waiting to be processed.
Theoretically you could just have sat down and enjoyed the facility without any issues. Of course, everyone did do the right thing. The people in front of me wanted to buy a lounge pass (which cost €20 online), but were advised they were not currently for sale.
The DAA Lounge
One of the features of the lounge is a tended bar, where you can get barista coffee and drinks. The website says you are limited to two drinks per person, but I’ve never tried to see how this works in practice. On the left side where the bar is, there is high seating for working.
-
- On the left as you enter.
-
- Power sockets and a place to work.
-
- Seating on the right side.
-
- Various different types.
-
- Looking back to the entrance.
-
- A coffee machine and soft drinks in the back there.
-
- My spread for the morning.
There are fridges with soft drinks and a basic array of food available. At this time of the morning there was carrot cake, yoghurt and fruit. It always tends to be easy chilled food available here with the hot option only being soup, similar to what happens in the Aer Lingus Lounge in Terminal 2.
Overall Thoughts
I’ve reviewed the DAA Lounge on a number of occasions. The food was much better in 2016, they then did a questionable renovation in 2017. Later the same year, I queried the lack of food choices, but now I’d probably want to go back to those halcyon days, as at the moment it’s meagre compared to then.
I suppose we are lucky to have the lounge at all at the minute, so I’m not complaining. Since I was flying out in business class, I was going to get fed on my British Airways flight anyway, so the food didn’t bother me. It’s always fresh and tasty, so there is that, which is to be expected.
What do you think of the DAA lounge at Dublin Airport Terminal 1? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I’m not a fan of this lounge and have said some harsh things about it in the past. Relaying a local radio station at one end with Sky News blaring at the other end is, in my opinion, just crass. However, your damning it with faint praise – “It’s easily better than the lounge in Toulouse for example” – is a wonderfully understated and well deserved put down. Maybe the DAA could use it in their promo material: Dublin Airport – We’re not the only airport in Europe without a rail link – Our queues are not as long as… Read more »
Same here, I haven’t really held back on this lounge at all. It’s certainly not as nice as the old BMI lounge was, that’s for sure. Hahaha! Love the promo tag line there 🙂 Could you imagine…!!
[…] This was published by BoardingArea, to read the complete post please visit https://travelupdate.com/dublin-airport-daa-lounge-t1/. […]
Whilst the food selection has declined it is still fine (fresh fruit, yogurt and porridge in the morning, two types of sandwiches, one type of wrap and soup in the afternoon and evenings along with some snacks, soft drinks etc.) I would much rather see the lounge extend its closing time past 5pm as there is a large bulk of flights departing Dublin after this to mainland Europe and the UK. It used to be open until 9pm. I understand the logic previously but the lounge is generally full until 5pm and then everyone spills out into the terminal as… Read more »
Oh yes, there is still enough food to not shame the country, which is good. Completely agree on the opening hours, it’s time to extend them now. It’s not too different from other places though, as I was in Hawaii recently and the AA/JL lounge didn’t open until 10:30am despite various oneworld flights leaving before then. Thanks for the info on the two drinks. It may well be part of the Priority Pass contract and I’d say the same for their own €20 customers, but not for the airline status holders. Interesting to know! Agree on the staff, they’re always… Read more »