A Lounge has shut its Manila Terminal 1 lounge for good. Here's where to wait now

If you fly out of Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, one lounge is gone. A Lounge has permanently closed its Terminal 1 branch. Its last day was Wednesday, September 30, and the closure took effect on October 1.

A Lounge announced the closure in a post on its Facebook page. We could not read that post directly, so this story relies on three Philippine outlets that reported it: Bilyonaryo, PhilSTAR Life and SPOT.ph. All three report the same dates.

"We sincerely thank our valued guests for their continued support throughout our years of operation at NAIA Terminal 1," A Lounge wrote, according to PhilSTAR Life and SPOT.ph.

The Terminal 3 branch stays open

A Lounge is not leaving the airport. According to the reports, its Terminal 3 location stays open 24 hours a day. PhilSTAR Life says it is on Level 4, in the airline lounges area.

SPOT.ph reports that the Terminal 3 lounge is pay-per-use and costs P2,000 for up to three hours, with children aged four and under free. A Lounge has not given a reason for closing the Terminal 1 branch, according to the reports we read.

The catch is that a Terminal 3 lounge does not help you if your flight leaves from Terminal 1. NAIA's terminals are separate buildings, so you should plan to wait in the terminal you are flying from.

Where to wait in Terminal 1 now

SPOT.ph lists three lounges that are still open in Terminal 1:

• PAGSS Premium Lounge, in the East Concourse near Gate 2.
• Marhaba Lounge, in the West Concourse near Gate 9.
• PAL Mabuhay Lounge, on Level 4 in the international pre-departure area.

Access rules differ at each one. Our directory lists the Marhaba and PAGSS lounges in Terminal 1 as taking Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey, but card access at Manila lounges has changed often, so check your lounge app the week you fly. The Mabuhay Lounge is Philippine Airlines' own lounge, so it is mainly for that airline's premium passengers.

We have marked A Lounge Terminal 1 as closed in our directory, and you can see every open lounge on our Terminal 1 page.

A busy year for Manila lounges

The closure comes during a period of change at NAIA. PhilSTAR Life notes that a new shared lounge, the First Meridian Lounge, opened in Terminal 3 in May. It serves eligible premium passengers from several airlines instead of one. PhilSTAR Life says Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are among the airlines now sending their eligible passengers there after closing their own lounges.

SPOT.ph describes the A Lounge closure as the latest in a run of terminal changes and upgrades at the airport. With airlines shifting between terminals and lounges merging, the lounge you used last year may not be where you expect it.

What to do before you fly

• Check which terminal your flight uses. A Lounge is now a Terminal 3 option only.
• If you relied on A Lounge in Terminal 1 with a bank card or lounge pass, look up which Terminal 1 lounges your card covers.
• If you are flying from Terminal 3, the A Lounge there remains open around the clock, according to the reports.

We will update this story if A Lounge shares more about its plans.