Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport [Review]

After arriving on a red-eye flight at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) in mid-March 2025, my friend and I were after what every lounge-goer seeks at the crack of dawn: an easy place to relax and have a quick bite.

Considering that the nearby Plaza Premium Marmara Lounge was packed the last time I passed through, I opted to start this layover at the Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge instead. Did we recharge our bellies and our phones sufficiently during this connection? Read on to find out.

Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge Location

After transferring from our flight from Doha and clearing security, we took the escalators up 1 floor to the main duty-free shopping area. We followed the signs to the gates and turned left toward gate 205. Note that you’ll first pass the Plaza Premium Marmara Lounge between gates 203 and 204 before reaching the Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge.

The entrance to the Bosphorus Lounge is on the right between gates 204 and 205.

How To Access the Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge

The lounge is open 24 hours a day and can be accessed by paying a day rate, through a lounge membership, and through airline, travel, and financial partners.

Day Rate

A 3-hour day pass costs €60 ($68), with a 10% discount for booking online. Members of Smart Traveller, which is free to join, receive a 20% discount and pay €48 ($55).

Priority Pass

I accessed the lounge as a guest of my friend, who used The Platinum Card^® from American Express to enter. Its American Express Global Lounge Collection includes access to Plaza Premium Lounges and Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), and the Plaza Premium Bosphorus Lounge is in both networks.

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,760

Annual Fee

$695

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Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• With American Express Global Lounge Collection^® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion^® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club^® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express^® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID – this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 annual fee.¤
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• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Partners

Passengers with the following airline partners may be eligible for access depending on fare and/or status: British Airways, flydubai, Kuwait Airways, Nile Air, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and Smartwings.

Clients of the following financial institutions may be eligible for access: DenizBank, Garanti BBVA, ING, Koopbank, Kuveyt Türk, MyClause, Papara, QNB, Türkiye İş Bankası, and VakıfBank.

Additional travel partners include AkustikMore and Dufry.

First Impressions

Because the lounge’s footprint extends from the terminal into the apron a bit, its 3 walls of floor-to-ceiling windows have fantastic views of the nearby gates and aircraft activity.

The lounge was full, but not so full that we had trouble finding a seat or had to fight fellow passengers at the buffet. Given the early hour, it was also subdued and even quiet.

Seating

The seating is divided into 2 main areas. Upon entering the lounge, the left side is dominated by individual club chairs separated by small side tables. Along the window were various pairs of smaller club chairs and larger wingback chairs with small tables. To the rear of this seating area was the bar with barstools.

A long high-top table anchored by a greenery display divided the 2 main areas. It had barstools and outlets on both sides.

The other side of the lounge was home to the buffet and primary dining area.

The dining room featured tables for 2 that could be pushed together for larger parties. A large conference-style table for 10 was also in this space, and this is where my friend and I found available seats.

The conference table had Type F sockets (bring an adapter!) and USB-A inputs.

Pairs of petite chairs were along the window. These did not have a table to rest drinks or plates on.

TVs showing local news and departure boards were throughout the space.

Food and Beverages

Buffet

I was excited to start my layover in Türkiye with simit, a circular bagel-like bread covered in sesame seeds. Having visited this lounge previously in the afternoon, these are usually best accompanied by hummus or roasted eggplant, but no dips were offered for breakfast. Instead, there was a selection of unique spreads, such as tahini and grape molasses, chocolate spread, and cherry jam.

A small variety of hot food items included a thick tomatoey sauce that I believed to be menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, and onions). This was lovely for dipping the simit in. Sliced hot dogs in sauce were also offered.

Breakfast potatoes and hard-boiled eggs were also available.

Cream of mushroom soup and cereals with milk and raisins were additional breakfast options.

I made myself a small plate of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and sharp cheeses. These were served alongside packets of Turkish labneh (similar to cream cheese) and butter.

Beverages

A water dispenser had options for sparkling, cold, and room-temperature water. A soda fountain next to this offered Coca-Cola sodas and iced teas. There were no canned beverages, though I did notice a guest filling a personal bottle with soda, and I did the same to take a drink on my onward flight. Turkish coffee was also available, with instructions next to it on how to brew it.

Kilitbahir white and red wines from the Turkish winery Sulva were in a small cooler for self-pouring. Unlike the Plaza Premium Marmara Lounge nearby, I did not notice a self-service beer tap.

Juice and fruit-infused water dispensers were on top of the bar.

The bar had an extended menu for ordering cocktails, liquors, spirits, beer, wine, and fancier coffee drinks. Prices were listed in euros, and a 20% discount was offered for Smart Traveller members.

Hot Tip:

If you desire a staffed bar with a variety of alcoholic options, the Bosphorus Lounge offers this, while the Marmara Lounge does not.

Amenities

The Bosphorus Lounge is light on amenities, with a few restrooms, a prayer room, and Wi-Fi as the highlights.

Restrooms

Similar to the Marmara Lounge, this lounge has a handful of individual restroom stalls, and guests tended to queue behind whatever door was expected to open soonest, regardless of its assigned gender.

The narrow stalls are fully enclosed and have their own sinks.

Prayer Room

The lounge had a prayer room available.

Recycling

Receptacles for recycling glass, paper, plastic, and aluminum were near the lounge exit.

Wi-Fi

When entering the lounge, guests are handed a PIN code to use to access the airport’s network (which otherwise requires scanning your passport at a kiosk in the terminal).

While the connection was consistent, download and upload speeds were somewhat low, at just under 10 Mbps.

Hot Tip:

The nearby Marmara Lounge offers similar amenities with the addition of a children’s playroom and a smoker’s patio.

Staff and Service

Unlike my experiences at the Marmara Lounge, where the staff struggled to keep plates cleared and food refilled, the team at the Bosphorus Lounge did a good job of keeping the buffet full and the space tidy in a nonobtrusive way.

Final Thoughts

Having transited through SAW airport several times, the 2 Plaza Premium Lounges in international departures seem to experience significant high-traffic surges. You may not find a seat immediately, but food and beverages are generally available if that’s what you’re after.

When deciding between the 2 lounges, they are so similar that I would go wherever the crowd is the lightest. The Bosphorus and Marmara lounges are both comfortable places to land for a few hours when transiting.