Amongst all the CoVid-19 updates from airlines across the world, here is unlikely news we were expecting to hear. Delhi Airport has caused the closure of the Vistara Lounge at Delhi Terminal 3.

Vistara had inaugurated their lounge at Delhi Airport Terminal 3, which is their hub, in March 2016. For Vistara, this was the only lounge they had opened of their own, and their expansion across the country only started recently bigtime, once Jet Airways’ stopping flights caused slots to open up at other airports.

In an official communication sent out to members today, Vistara confirmed that their lounge was closed down on April 1, 2020, due to the expiry of their lease at the airport. As per my sources inside the airline and the airport,  Vistara had no intention to close down this lounge, but they were told otherwise by the airport management.

Vistara has then moved on to provide lounge access to their eligible guests at the Plaza Premium Lounge at the Mezzanine Floor of Delhi Airport Terminal 3. This would include Business Class customers and Gold and Platinum tier members of Club Vistara, who will also get lounge access when booked on Economy Lite fares (on domestic travel). The Plaza Premium Lounge Delhi T3 was expanded only recently (in 2018) in the expectation of having more Jet Airways customers there.

Here is a video of the Vistara Lounge which I’d shot on one of my first visits there. (Do subscribe to our YouTube for more such videos)

Vistara has discontinued the issuance of any new lounge access vouchers, as part of tier benefits and for other offers, effective March 31, 2020, as they were valid only at the exclusive lounge in Delhi T3. If you have been issued lounge access vouchers before April 1, 2020, you can use these vouchers at the Premium Plaza Lounge at the Delhi T3 domestic terminal within the voucher validity date. There is no clarity at the moment as to how Vistara will replace this benefit with something else for their Club Vistara members.

The Plaza Premium Lounge is a good lounge, but almost always teeming with people given virtually all credit card holders head there. At this point then, the American Express Lounge Delhi T3 will again become my go-to lounge at Delhi Airport Terminal 3.

Access to the Delhi Amex Lounge is provided complimentary to cardmembers of  Centurion Cardmembers, American Express Platinum Charge Cardmembers, American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Cardmembers and Jet Airways American Express Platinum Credit Cards.

Bottomline

It is unfortunate to hear that Vistara’s lounge is now closed, even without a proper sendoff. It was one of my two favourite lounges while in Delhi, and I used to try and send as many people there using my vouchers to help them experience the lounge.

So long, Vistara Lounge Terminal 3!

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