Review: Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge Jakarta

First things first. 

I have no idea how “Saphire” made it through the spellcheck, but that’s the official name of the Plaza Premium Lounge at Jakarta International Airport Terminal 3. A quick Google search confirms that “Saphire” is not a valid alternate spelling for “Sapphire”, but rather an integrated PRA software tool that gives a user the ability to create and analyse fault trees and event trees using a personal computer. Lovely.

Nonetheless, the Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge Jakarta is the only contract lounge currently available to passengers departing from Terminal 3, so you’d best lay your qualms about typos aside.

Access and Operating Hours

The Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge is located in the departures area of Terminal 3, near Gate 5. Operating hours are:

• Mon, Wed, Fri: 3 a.m to 1 a.m
• Tues, Thu, Sat, Sun: 4 a.m to 1 a.m

Lounge access can be purchased at 550,000 IDR (~S$52) for 2 hours, or 850,000 IDR (~S$81) for 5 hours. That’s steep to say the least, and you’re much better off accessing the lounge through one of its many partners. 

Apologies for the potato quality photo, but the relevant ones for Singapore-based readers would be:

• American Express Centurion and Platinum Charge
• Dragon Pass
• GrabRewards
• Lounge Buddy
• OCBC VOYAGE and Premier Visa Infinite

Do note that complimentary access is not available to Priority Pass and LoungeKey, following their breakup with the Plaza Premium Group in 2021. In fact, Priority Pass members do not currently have any lounge access in CGK Terminal 3, since the Saphire APS Blue Sky Lounge and Saphire Blue Sky Lounge are closed. 

The Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge is also the contract lounge for various airlines flying out of Terminal 3, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, THAI, and Qantas. First, Business Class and eligible elite members will receive access. 

Lounge Overview

The Saphire Plaza Premium lounge has seating for 240 guests. On admission, the lounge dragon told me there were no in-lounge boarding calls for Scoot flights, but that doesn’t really matter. General boarding calls are made over the airport’s main PA system, which is so loud you’ll definitely hear it in the lounge as well.

One important thing to state upfront: this lounge is warm. Very warm. Terminal 3 enjoys abundant natural light thanks to the liberal use of full height glass panels, but this also creates a greenhouse effect. Ventilation is poor, and depending on the weather you may end up sweating in some areas after a while.

Entering the lounge and turning right takes you to the so-called “quiet zone”, which features armchair-style seating, a few  recliners with ottomans facing the tarmac, and productivity pods configured in a hexagonal shape. 

Turning left takes you to the lounge proper. Seating here is a mix of armchair, bar tables and additional productivity pods. 

The lounge enjoys good views of the tarmac, as well as the U-shaped terminal building. 

The bar marks the centre of the lounge, though there’s not a lot of bar seating on offer- just a few high chairs on the opposite end.

Around the bar were a couple of communal work tables, each with their own power outlet and USB ports.

Further on was the buffet area, with a few two-top dining tables.

At the rear of the lounge was a spillover seating area, with armchairs and some uncomfortable-looking circular bench seating, which I think you’d only take as a last resort.

Power & Productivity

The Wi-Fi network in the Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge is abysmally slow, barely registering 1-2 Mbps up and down. I’ve had Wi-Fi sessions 35,000 ft in the air that were faster than this. 

Power outlets and USB Type-A ports can be found throughout the lounge, but the outlets only accept Type A, Type C and Type I plugs (Australia, Europe, US/Japan). 

However, if you manage to snag a productivity pod, you’ll find a universal power outlet that can take Singapore style Type G plugs too.

Food & Beverage

The self-serve buffet was arranged around a small rectangular table. Items were replenished regularly and looked fresh, though there were a lot of flies hovering around the fruits.

The hot food options were mostly Indonesian, with fried noodles, a choice of stir-fried vegetables, and curry chicken. A couple of Western options were available, but both were carbs- a spaghetti smothered in cheese, and some potatoes.

Surprisingly, the drinks selection was extremely limited. First of all, there’s no alcohol, not even canned beer (previous reports mention wine and beer were available- just my bad luck?). All drinks had to be requested at the bar, and if you didn’t take coffee or tea, you basically had Coke and Sprite to choose from (plus bottled water, thankfully).

Showers

At the rear of the lounge are three shower rooms. Unfortunately, these were out of service during my visit, so I couldn’t take a look inside.

However, photos from other reports look serviceable, if unspectacular. Each shower room has an attached toilet, plus a hand shower and bathroom amenities by “Magenta Springs”. 

Conclusion

The Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge is a decent place to wait for a flight, with varied seating types, plentiful power outlets and a serviceable buffet. The real disappointment is the lack of alcohol, plus the slow Wi-Fi. The lounge’s poor ventilation (despite it being open air) is another major issue, and a few portable A/C units would have really helped. 

But in any case, it’s not like you have a choice. This is the only lounge available to non-Garuda passengers at the moment, and it sure beats sitting in the terminal.