Prior to taking a Turkish Airlines flight from Narita to Istanbul at the beginning of my “Golden Week 2017” trip, I visited two lounges. The first one of them was the IASS Executive Lounge in Terminal 1.
It is located landside, on the 5th floor of Terminal 1, and is open between 7AM and 9PM.
To get there, take the escalator from the check-in (4th) floor, and just turn left after getting off. There is a “Credit Card Members Lounge” sign pointing people in the right direction. The lounge on the corner is another card lounge – the TEI Lounge. The IASS Executive Lounge is a bit further, in a hallway.
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The lounge can be accessed for free with selected (mostly Japanese) credit cards, as well as with Priority Pass. It’s also possible to enter the lounge by paying a one-time 2,500 yen fee.
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Lounge Overview
The layout of the lounge is very simple.
After entering the lounge, the reception desk is on the left. On the right, there is a counter (without any seats). Further down, there are some reading materials.
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Then, there is the area of the lounge which is basically one large room with rows of chairs along its sides as well as in the middle. There is a console (coffee table) between each of the sofa chairs, and there are power outlets next to every other seat.
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The only other type of seating in the lounge are three leather chairs along a counter in the far corner of the lounge. This serves as the work area.
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Finally, drinks are in an area just past the reception.
Food & Drinks Selection
Upon entering the lounge, I was presented with the alcoholic drinks menu. While I did not have anything, based on the Priority Pass website, one drink is complimentary. All subsequent alcoholic drinks require extra payment.
As for the soft drinks, the IASS Executive Lounge offers tea and coffee, as well as water and a selection of sodas and juices.
There are no warm meals or any other substantial food offered in the lounge. There seems to be a jar with peanuts, but during my visit about an hour before the closing time, it was more or less empty.
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IASS Executive Lounge Terminal 1 Summary
The lounge’s simple offering is very similar to many other Japanese credit card lounges.
With the poor selection of drinks and basically nothing to eat, it is just a nicer area to wait in than the terminal itself. Although even that could be disputed as the lounge tends to get quite crowded on busy days.
As such, if you have an unlimited Priority Pass membership or a card that gives you access, it might be worth checking out. If you have to pay the very steep entrance fee, however, it is definitely not worth visiting the lounge.