My flight from Milan to Paris was departing at 7:35AM, and I decided to head to the airport early, shortly after 5AM. The Sheraton is connected directly to Terminal 1, which is where I was departing from. After exiting the hotel’s lobby I found signage leading to Terminal 1.
Walkway to Milan Malpensa Airport Terminal 1
Then I took the (long) escalator up to the departures level.
Elevator to Milan Malpensa Airport Terminal 1 check-in
The Air France/KLM check-in area was in Zone 9. There was only one person ahead of me in the business class line, though they were taking forever, so I had to wait for over five minutes. Eventually it was my turn, and I was sent on my way with my boarding passes all the way to Houston.
Milan Airport check-in
I find that at most European airports there’s not a huge difference in wait time between the fast track line and the regular line. That wasn’t the case here. There was virtually no one in the fast track line, while the regular line snaked around the terminal. Whew.
Milan Airport fast track security
Security was easy, and within a couple of minutes I was airside and walking through duty free mazes.
Milan Airport duty free
I followed the signage towards Sala Monteverdi, which I had access to as an Air France business class passenger. This ended up being a very long walk. It was so long of a walk that I kept stopping and making sure I hadn’t yet passed the lounge, since I didn’t know exactly where it was.
Malpensa Airport airside
Malpensa Airport airside
Sala Monteverdi is located in the same area as gates A1-10. As you enter this area there’s an escalator leading up to the lounge.
Escalator to lounge
As you can see, several airlines use this lounge, including Air France, Finnair, Iberia, TAP Portugal, etc. The lounge is also open to Priority Pass members, so you have many credit cards with lounge access available to gain entry.
Sala Monteverdi Milan Malpensa Airport
At reception my boarding pass was verified, and I was welcomed into the lounge. I don’t remember the last time I’ve been in a contract lounge in Italy that was actually pretty decent, but this one was. For one, the lounge wasn’t overcrowded, which surprised me given that it was before the morning rush of flights to other European hubs.
The lounge was large, clean, and had plenty of seating.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
I do wish the lounge had a bit of natural light, though.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
In addition to a bunch of comfortable couches and leather relaxation chairs, there was a dining area that had some chairs and benches.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
There was also a high-top counter with some seats.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge
Then in the back of the lounge was the food and drink selection, which was quite good.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge buffet
In terms of food, there were finger sandwiches, cereal, cheese, croissants, pastries, yogurt, etc.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge snacks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge snacks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge snacks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge buffet
The selection of alcoholic drinks was extensive, though given that it was 6AM, I wasn’t partaking.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge drinks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge drinks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge drinks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge drinks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge coffee drinks
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge drinks
The lounge’s bathrooms were reasonably nice, and there were also showers, but they were locked, so I couldn’t get a picture of them.
Milan Malpensa Airport lounge bathroom
I spent a bit of time in the lounge getting caught up on work, and then shortly before 7AM headed to the gate, as boarding was scheduled to start at 7:05AM. The lounge has an escalator leading up to the lounge, while going down there are instead just stairs.
My flight was departing from A5, just outside the lounge. Sure enough, boarding started right at 7:05AM.
Air France departure gate Milan Malpensa Airport
I proceeded down the long jet bridge, and was excited to start my Air France adventure!
Air France A318 Milan Airport
One thing I’d note is that Air France didn’t offer any special first class ground services in Milan. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t necessarily expecting them to, but if you’re flying Air France business class out of London, Amsterdam, etc., and are connecting to first class, the special treatment starts when you check-in. But I guess that’s limited to hubs and other major focus cities.
Sala Monteverdi Milan bottom line
This was probably the nicest contract lounge I’ve visited at an airport in Italy. The lounge was spacious, clean, and modern, and the food & drink spread was reasonably decent. While it’s quite a walk from check-in to the lounge, at least the fast track security saved me quite a bit of time.
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