Airline alliance, Skyteam, has announced two new branded lounges: one in Santiago, Chile and one at Istanbul’s new international airport. Both facilities are scheduled to open by the end of the year.
The Santiago lounge will be Skyteam’s first in South America and eighth worldwide. It will be available to eligible customers flying on Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, Delta Air Lines and KLM.
Meanwhile, the six Skyteam members serving Istanbul: Aeroflot, Air France, KLM, MEA, Saudia and Tarom, will transition their operations to the city’s new world-class international airport, scheduled to open in October. SkyTeam’s lounge at the new airport will replace the current facility at Ataturk Airport and will be more than double in size with a wider range of amenities.
Global Lounge Network will build and manage the Santiago and Istanbul lounges on behalf of SkyTeam. Both lounges will be open 24 hours a day. Each lounge will have
- Regional cuisine, freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients, as well as international offerings. Examples include pastries from an empanada station in Santiago and freshly-cooked Turkish meze and pide in Istanbul.
- Local beers and wines plus non-alcoholic beverages will be offered in both lounges.
- Natural light, power at every seat, a business area and showers. Hybrid seating providing personal space with privacy to catch up with work or unwind.
Skyteam has branded lounges in: Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London Heathrow, Sydney and Vancouver.
“Our holistic approach to caring for our customers is evident in our lounges. They represent a very popular alliance benefit for frequent flyers and our airlines, and we’re excited to expand our portfolio,” said Perry Cantarutti, Skyteam’s CEO. “Building on the success of our existing lounge network will enable us to offer a greatly enhanced ground experience for customers flying through Istanbul, and strengthens Skyteam’s presence in South America.”
