TravelTalkOnline
United Premium Lounge?
Posted By: 280z1977
United Premium Lounge? - 12/21/2022 12:06 PM
Hello, Does United have a premium passenger lounge at SXM airport??? Thanks!
Posted By: BillDauterive
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/21/2022 12:25 PM
Uh... no.
Posted By: GaKaye
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/21/2022 12:43 PM
There are currently no lounges at PJIA. The airport has not yet been fully reconstructed from Irma.
Posted By: wct49
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 03:04 AM
lol. boy are you in for an experience....
Posted By: JimandBeth
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 05:05 PM
There is nothing close to premium anything at PJIA.
Posted By: Zanshin
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 05:50 PM
I have to admit that I read the question and smiled. Then I remembered asking about the United lounge at STT (St. Thomas) and I'm sure someone at the other end had to wipe tears of laughter from their eyes at that question!
@280z1977 - at least you'll now get 2 hours of free Wi-Fi at the airport.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 06:14 PM
You'll be lucky to get air conditioning and a comfortable seat in departures.
Posted By: oceanview17
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 06:27 PM
Your lucky SKM has a Airport
Posted By: oceanview17
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 06:28 PM
Your lucky Sxm has a Airport
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 06:40 PM
Your lucky Sxm has a Airport
SXM is the call sign for the airport.
Posted By: pat
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 07:37 PM
You'll be lucky to get air conditioning and a comfortable seat in departures.
I would restate Scubas comment to read, “………air conditioning and a seat! “ IMHO, there are no comfortable seats and often enough none of the uncomfortable ones on a busy day.
But it is what it is and will get better. For now, I consider myself happy that it allows us to come to SXM at all.
Posted By: erb923
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/28/2022 09:22 PM
Go to the Bar towards the back of the gates in the airport. Can pretend your in a lounge (minus paying for the drinks!).
Posted By: 280z1977
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 02:31 PM
I hoped my original question would generate a laugh or two. We started going to SXM before the original "new" terminal was built. That was awhile ago, but I
remember no AC, very crowded departure gates, no stores (just small kiosks), and guys who would try to pick your pocket just before they board a plane for their
home island.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 04:09 PM
Don't remember any body pick pocketing but do remember the original airport before the new one. Was a welcome sight with the free Rum shots.
Posted By: enzosxm
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 04:58 PM
I never remember any episode of pick-pocketers at the Sxm Airport ever. I do remember the yellowish airport building where the luggages were thrown at you through an opening on one wall of the airport. No conveyor belt in place!
Posted By: 280z1977
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 05:20 PM
That pickpocket story was something I read on a travel website a long time ago.
Posted By: Carol_Hill
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 06:00 PM
280z--I won't categorically say that no one has ever been pickpocketed at Juliana, but it never has been a big issue that I know of. I have been online since way back in the Prodigy days and this is the first I have heard of it.
With regard to the original question, when the "new" airport was rebuilt in (2006 ????????) there was a lounge called the Souliga lounge in place. I don't actually know if anyone with premium status with an airline would get in free, but a daily pass there was pretty reasonable. Maybe $30? I can't remember. If I had any extra time at the airport, it was definitely well worth the money. Of course it has not been open since Irma destroyed a good portion of the airport. However, I have to assume there will be a lounge in place, whenever Juliana is finally fully repaired.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 06:08 PM
I remember that lounge and was in it several times waiting for our departure flight. I don't remember a charge.
Posted By: Carol_Hill
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 06:23 PM
There was definitely a charge, so you probably got in free because of first class or something.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 07:54 PM
I might have confused it with the Bar/Lounge that was upstairs prior to the new PJIA remodel.
Posted By: Carol_Hill
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 08:26 PM
Could be. The Swaliga lounge had free food and drinks, once inside.
Posted By: WWII
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 09:02 PM
I remember paying $20 for the lounge. It was well worth it.
Posted By: pat
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 10:18 PM
I remember paying $20 for the lounge. It was well worth it.
I agree absolutely. The snacks were plentiful as were the drinks. Plenty of comfy seating and the restrooms were clean and all that for $20.00 pp. if you had any wait to speak of for your flight it was worth the money.
I seem to remember there being no fee with certain credit cards, possibly the ‘black’ credit cards that are premium as opposed to the typical CCs.
Posted By: Snorkeller
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 10:36 PM
My recollection of first lounge charge of which I was aware was $20. But, I could be wrong.
Oops - somebody already posted that.
Posted By: Carol_Hill
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 11:32 PM
OK, thanks guys. I couldn't really remember what it was. $20 REALLY seems very reasonable now.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/30/2022 11:57 PM
Everything was reasonable back then compared to everything now. 😉
Posted By: bdeeley
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/31/2022 12:20 AM
Soualiga Lounge
Posted By: Carol_Hill
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 12/31/2022 01:53 PM
Oh, sorry, I see I misspelled it.
Posted By: maarteneh
Re: United Premium Lounge? - 01/03/2023 08:55 PM
For all you frequent flyer lounge lizards out there, I recommend the website and app "Lounge Buddy":
https://www.loungebuddy.com/. It will show you what lounges there are per airport terminal world-wide. And, if you register and enter your airline status and/or credit card types etc, it will tell you which you can get into. And, yes, it shows correctly that there are no lounges at SXM :-(