During my exotic journey to Bangkok via Paris, I flew Aircalin’s Airbus A330neo business class from Paris (CDG) to Bangkok (BKK). Prior to my flight, I had the chance to check out the Primeclass Lounge Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, located in Terminal 2.
While the lounge doesn’t belong to Priority Pass, it is the contract lounge used by several airlines, and it’s… fine? It’s actually the former Etihad Lounge, so the bones are unchanged and the lounge feels quite outdated and run down. But ultimately it’s a perfectly fine place to kill some time.
Primeclass Lounge Paris location
The Primeclass Lounge Paris Charles de Gaulle is located in Terminal 2A-2C. So once you clear security, you’ll see signage for the lounges, including for the American Admirals Club, Emirates Lounge, and Primeclass Lounge, so just move in that direction.
That signage points toward an elevator and stairs, which will take you up a level, to the lounges.
On the upper level, you’ll find signage for the various lounges, and should find the Primeclass Lounge immediately to the right.
Primeclass Lounge Paris hours
The Primeclass Lounge Paris is currently open daily from 6AM until 9:30PM, though you can expect the hours to vary over time based on flight schedules. Either way, it should cover a vast majority of departures from the airport.
Primeclass Lounge Paris entry requirements
Paris has a shortage of Priority Pass lounges, and unfortunately the Primeclass Lounge also doesn’t participate in that program. Instead, this is a contract lounge used by many airlines, including Air Canada, Air India, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Aircalin (which I was flying).
This part of the terminal is downright quiet at night, with very few departures. I’m puzzled why this lounge doesn’t belong to Priority Pass, given that it wasn’t that full, so you’d think that would be a decent way to monetize this space.
I must say, my experience of actually getting into the lounge left a bit to be desired. For example, I showed up at the lounge a little before 5:40PM, just over three hours before departure. At the entrance I was told I was too early, and needed to come back later. I asked when I should come back, and the lounge receptionist came up with the answer of 12 minutes, which would’ve been three hours before departure.
Fair enough! I realize some lounges restrict how far in advance they’ll provide access, so I then returned three hours before departure, as asked. Well, when I returned, I had the same receptionist, and she tried to scan my boarding pass, but told me it was still too early to access the lounge. So I asked when I should return, and she said in 15 minutes.
So I finally returned again 15 minutes later, only to once again be told I should come back 15 minutes later. At this point I thought it was ridiculous — it’s fine if the policy is whatever it is, but stop telling me to come back in X amount of time, only for that to not be accurate.
At that point I just asked for a supervisor (since she couldn’t actually tell me when I should return). He quickly showed up, and after seemingly “opening” the flight for lounge check-in, I was finally admitted.
Primeclass Lounge Paris seating & layout
The Primeclass Lounge Paris opened under its current branding in 2024. Initially, this operated as the Etihad Lounge from 2013 until 2021 (I reviewed it at the time), at which point Etihad decided to close its lounge, as the airline focused on controlling costs. So in terms of design, almost nothing has changed since 2013, and this very much feels like an old-style Etihad Lounge.
The lounge covers a space of around 620 square meters (6,700 square feet), so it’s quite a good size. The main part of the lounge consists of rows of seats facing one another, with some TVs along the side of the room.
The other main part of the lounge consists of the dining and bar area, which includes a bunch of tables with chairs and banquettes, plus some high-top seating.
The back of the lounge also has a couple of private rooms that are roped off, though I doubt they’re used for much nowadays (back in the day they would be for those traveling in Etihad’s A380 The Residence).
The lounge also has a play room for kids.
The one thing that stood out to me is how run down the lounge was. It’s clear that no real maintenance had been performed since the initial Etihad days. Along similar lines, there weren’t many conveniently located outlets, and for those that did exist, they didn’t consistently work. Even the tables and chairs largely felt a bit wobbly and not terribly clean.
Primeclass Lounge Paris food & drinks
The Primeclass Lounge had a selection of self-serve food and drinks, and I’d say the options were pretty average, and you can find the menu below.
The food selection included a variety of salads and veggies, cold cuts, cheese, and hot options like basmati rice, lemon and thyme chicken, veal with mushrooms, and vegetables with spices.
When it comes to drinks, there was a selection of self-serve liquor, wine, bottled soft drinks, juice, water, a coffee machine, and tea.
There was also a fridge with some yogurts and desserts in cups.
Primeclass Lounge Paris bathrooms & showers
One side of the Primeclass Lounge Paris has all the bathrooms. Specifically, you’ll find this when you enter the lounge and turn right.
The men’s room had a few sinks, urinals, and toilets, and was relatively clean. The lounge also has showers (in theory), but it appears they might no longer be in use, since the Etihad days.
There was also a prayer room, obviously a remnant of Etihad times.
Bottom line
The Primeclass Lounge Paris Charles de Gaulle is hardly the most inspiring contract lounge out there. This is the former Etihad Lounge, and not a whole lot has changed in terms of design since it first opened in 2013, so manage your expectations on that front. When it comes to the soft product, food and drinks are roughly what you’d expect from a contract lounge at a place like Charles de Gaulle.
So I’ll put this lounge firmly in the category of “okay, but nothing special.” It’s a decent place to pass some time, but I wouldn’t arrive early to use this.
What do you make of the Primeclass Lounge Paris?
