Verylvke

I’m flying Gulf Air for the first time and this article will look at the ground experience. Bahrain airport is located on an island in the north east of the country. In fact the island is so much nicer than the city centre that it almost feels like a resort itself.

The airport went through a major refurbishment in 2021 that cost over one billion dollars. The airport isn’t very big though. It’s got four entrances and Gulf Air premium passengers are invited to use Gate 1.

Gulf Air names their premium business class product Falcon Gold, and you can see this brand name everywhere.

You need to go sideways to find the check-in counters. I don’t think it’s a good design, as you couldn’t see which side is less busier.

After checking in you can use the two dedicated emigration desks, and then the fast track lanes for security check. Go up one level and you’ll see the Falcon Gold lounge!

There’s a business centre with desktops and printers for use to the right.

The lounge, although not huge or exclusive, has a modern design and is very new.

It is an open space on the mezzanine floor so overlooks the departure hall.

There’s a snack station at the centre of the lobby.

A mini cinema:

The bar is closed.

There are quite few entertainment activities though: foosball, pool, golf simulator and flight simulator!

Breakfast buffet:

And an egg station:

It is pretty much what you expect at a med-scale hotel in Bahrain, so not impressive. I think they used to offer a-la-carte dining and barista coffee before, but it’s no longer the case.

There’s a kids club too:

Gulf Air doesn’t have the best ground experience, and their Falcon Gold lounge has got nothing to write home about. Unless you want to try out their games, you don’t have to arrive early.