Bidvest Premier Lounge at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg [Review]

Priority Pass members are flush with choices at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. Ahead of our 10:50 a.m. flight from Johannesburg (JNB) to Victoria Falls (VFA) in Terminal A, I was faced with 4 available lounge options: Aspire Lounge, Bidvest Premier Lounge, Mashonzha Lounge, or Shongololo Lounge.

Wanting to check out Aspire Lounge, a familiar name, my family and I made the trek toward its location at gate A7. The initial sign when entering the terminal indicated a 6-minute trek, but after a brief walk, we were faced with a new sign indicating that the walk would be another 6 minutes.

Not wanting to spend 25 minutes round-trip walking from our gate to the lounge with bags and kids in tow, we decided to stop this adventure before it began and headed to the closest lounge to our gate (A1): Bidvest Premier Lounge. And boy, are we glad we did. Its spacious and plentiful seating options and a wide assortment of food options make this lounge a must-visit the next time you’re in Johannesburg.

Location

The Bidvest Premier Lounge is in the international Terminal A of O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). It is closest to gates A0 to A4 at the terminal’s south end.

Once you see Jo Coffee, a sign above directs you to the lounge, which is to the left up an escalator on the mezzanine level.

You’ll see the lounge just after VAT refunds and before the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

Gaining Entry

The lounge is open 24 hours a day. You can gain access through eligible bank partners, lounge networks, or airlines or purchase a day pass.

Priority Pass

I gained access via the Priority Pass membership through my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This is one of my favorite credit cards for Priority Pass access as it allows complimentary authorized users who also can enroll in their own Priority Pass membership. Armed with 2 Capital One Venture X cards, my husband and I could guest in our 3 children without issue.

Bank Access, Other Lounge Networks, or Airline Passengers

There are a variety of bank partners and lounge networks that offer access to Bidvest Premier Lounge to eligible cardholders.

Eligible passengers of Air Austral, Condor, LATAM, Malawian Airlines, RwandAir, and Uganda Airlines may also receive access.

Day Rates

If you don’t have access via one of the aforementioned methods, you’ll save around $3 by booking online vs. paying the walk-in rate.

Type of Rate	Conditions	Rate
Children	Children younger than 2 are free; children older than 2 are charged at the adult walk-in rate	R475 (~$26)
Online	Valid for 4 hours before wheels up	R428 (~$23)
Walk-in	Valid for 4 hours before wheels up	R475 (~$26)
Early Check-in	Charged in 15-minute increments	R35 (~$2)

First Impressions

I was immediately struck by 2 things when we transited through in April 2023:

1. How empty the lounge was at our 8:40 a.m. arrival
2. How many seating areas, dining areas, and work areas were there

Finding lounge seating for a group of 5 is not the easiest of feats, so I was immediately relieved to see that we had plenty of options for our family to choose from ahead of our flight.

Seating

Various blue and brown patterned wingback chairs, perfect for solo travelers or couples, were found throughout the lounge. These were generally paired with small, circular side tables.

In larger groupings were camel-colored cushioned chairs that often had an outlet next to them on the rectangular side table.

The right rear of the lounge housed a small bar with (mostly empty) drink coolers, dining-style tables, and a long conference table with outlets.

The outlets generally had 2 USB ports, a Type M outlet, and a smaller Type N outlet that accepted the Type C plug (2 circular prongs common in Europe and Asia) from my travel adapter.

The right rear corner of the lounge seemed to be more of a quiet area to kick your feet up. The chairs in this area had plenty of ottomans.

The left side of the lounge was geared a bit more towards dining, and instead of spacious, open seating areas as on the other side of the lounge, this area was divided into 3 narrow, long sections and felt a bit cramped.

The main dining area had views over the terminal, but otherwise, there were no exterior windows or apron views.

There was also an enclosed smoking section at the far rear of this area. The non-smoking seating closest to this area did smell of lingering smoke, but the scent did not carry elsewhere into the lounge.

Bottom Line:

No matter your group size, there was a plethora of available seating, from loungers and wingbacks ideal for snacking to table and chair sets perfect for dining. Those that need a desk-type environment to catch up on work also have a few options.

Food and Beverage

I visited during breakfast service, and there was a wide spread of options to please any palate.

Buffet

The initial breakfast buffet area featured predominantly cold items, starting with bottled juices, gouda cheese, and the cold cut of the day.

Next to the meats and cheeses was smoked snoek (mackerel) pate and melba, and a small selection of labneh and cereals (with just 1 milk option) with assorted toppings. Hard-boiled eggs were also available here.

My kids immediately went for the croissant sandwiches and muffin options.

And another kid-favorite station was the fresh fruit, featuring strawberries, grapes, melon, papaya, and watermelon. There was also fruit puree available. I assumed this would be for a yogurt topping or for making a smoothie bowl.

The second buffet area near the left rear of the lounge featured hot items, though none were very visually appetizing. The first steam container held mushrooms and sausages.

Roasted cherry tomatoes were paired with a missing mystery item … maybe hashbrowns?

The scrambled eggs were plentiful and appeared to have been freshly refilled.

A Mexican bean and corn ragout looked like it desperately needed some rice.

And finally, there was a savory offering of salmon with dill and potatoes.

I assembled a breakfast plate from a few of the stations. The hot items were not much to write home about but they served their purpose. The strawberries were fresh and firm, and the lemon poppyseed muffin was tasty. The gem of the show was the croissant. While I pulled out the limp lettuce and tomato, the croissant had a wonderfully buttery flavor and was quite hearty.

Hot Tip:

We passed through the lounge during dinner service 3 days later, and the food options were similarly varied and plentiful. My family stuck mainly with the cold options, and we enjoyed the guacamole, chicken tenders, and an Asian noodle salad (and muffins … all the muffins).

Drinks

There were several drink stations dotted around the lounge. You’d find 2 Carimali coffee machines in the main dining area and an orange juice dispenser. You could order an Americano, cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate, or espresso from the coffee machine.

Glasses were available to use with the still or sparkling water dispenser.

I grabbed the lounge’s last Diet Coke in the blink of an eye. Non-alcoholic drink coolers clearly had not been restocked for the day, though when we passed through the lounge in the evening 3 days later, they were fully stocked.

The beer coolers were more sufficiently stocked but appeared locked with signage indicating that alcohol was only available between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m.

A secondary bar area behind the check-in desk told a similar sad story of limited beverage stock.

There was also a secondary coffee area to the right of the check-in desk. We grabbed a few of the pre-packaged cookies to take with us.

Amenities

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi password was broadcast via signage throughout the lounge, and we could log on to work, check socials, and stream Netflix without issue. A Speedtest indicated a download speed of 21.73 Mbps.

Bathrooms

The unisex bathroom featured individual water closets, and an “Oriental WC,” which I assumed to have squat toilets, was located to the right.

The bathrooms were immaculately clean and stylish.

Showers

The showers, including a handicapped-accessible roll-in shower, were to the left of the unisex bathrooms.

Towels were available at reception, and I suspect no reservations were required as available showers were left unlocked.

The shower room featured a toilet, a vanity with a ledge (ideal for supporting a carry-on bag), and an enclosed shower.

The shower had a rainfall showerhead and a dispenser of (what I assumed to be) an all-in-one soap on the wall.

A separate shower room was handicapped-accessible with a shower curtain, shower chair, grab bars, and the option to roll-in for a wheelchair transfer. This bathroom also had a baby-changing table.

Periodicals

Surely a return to pre-pandemic amenities, English-language magazines and newspapers were available for the taking.

Staff and Service

I realized upon check-in that my Priority Pass in my Apple Wallet had expired. As I needed to download the updated card to access the lounge, the check-in agent quickly got me on the lounge’s Wi-Fi to do so, and she patiently waited while I sorted myself out.

Upon our second visit 3 days later, another check-in agent explained to me that we were 56 minutes early for the 4-hour window of time we were allotted. Still, she was able to scan my Priority Pass for “2 visits” to allow us to enter early. I appreciated that she arrived at a solution that allowed us to relax right away versus watching the clock while waiting in the terminal.

The lounge cleaning staff was also very proactive, and plates and trash were not disregarded for long before they were whisked away.

Final Thoughts

My family could not have been happier that we detoured to the lounge we should have first started with due to its convenient location at the entrance to Terminal A: Bidvest Premier Lounge. Thanks to our Priority Pass memberships, we had our choice from an abundance of seating options, convenient access to outlets, and food options with something to please everyone. While I think the afternoon/evening day parts might be better stocked with drink options, we could still grab the sodas we wanted before our flight. We left the lounge excited to visit again when we transited back through the airport a few days later, and our next experience was equally as pleasant as the first.