Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge

The Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge is the only business class lounge at Tunis Carthage airport. (The airport’s only other club, AVS Lounge, is exclusively for holders of the AVS card.)

If you’re a frequent flyer or are traveling in business class, then there’s a good chance you’ll have access to Tunisair Espace Privilege. The guest list includes Tunisair business class passengers, Tunisair Fidelys Silver and Gold members, and business class and top elite flyers traveling with a variety of airlines including Air France, Emirates, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways. You can also get in by flashing your Priority Pass card, or simply by purchasing access at the door, as long as space is available.

To reach the lounge, first go through passport control and security. As you exit security and face the Duty Free shops, make a right. You’ll find Tunisair Espace Privilege to the left of the hallway leading to gates 50-59. While that’s not a particularly central location, Tunis Carthage Airport is compact enough that walking from the lounge to your departure gate will take a few minutes at most.

Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge – Tunis-Carthage (TUN)

Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge TUN design

The Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge has gone through multiple design iterations and incremental updates over the last few years. Once an utilitarian cafeteria-style space, the club has been restyled into a mostly attractive space featuring plenty of semi-private seating options.

Past the stylish but slightly old-fashioned lobby, you’ll find a seating area with several semi-circular cozy alcoves. The décor is somewhat eclectic, but in a tasteful way. The eye-catching LED light fixtures and backlit bookcases are on the trendier side, while the marble surfaces and fake stucco ceiling give the space a sense of place.

The floor plan is odd, though. The lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the tarmac, but the layout does not capitalize on the views. You’d think Tunisair would want to maximize the number of seats by the windows, and let natural light flow into the club. Instead, the designers have placed the buffet area by the windows, thus obliterating the most valuable real estate. The so-called “relax room” with recliners is also by the windows, which has to be the worst possible location for a slumber zone.

The very bright slumber room at Tunisair Espace Privilege

Ultimately, the few seats that are located near the windows are probably the least desirable ones, especially those in the high-traffic area immediately opposite the buffet. Overall, the club looks a bit like a “hot podge” of some sorts, with a few stylish areas, and far less desirable spaces. It doesn’t help that Tunisair doesn’t have much real estate to play with. They’ve had to furnish every nook and corner in order to provide adequate seating capacity.

The seats near the windows and the buffet area are the least desirable.

Quirks aside, the Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge features a great variety of seating options. You’ll find high-backed seats that offer excellent privacy, a spacious communal table that doubles as a convenient workspace, high-top seating, several semi-private nooks and alcoves ideal for groups, and plenty of traditional lounge seats. Most seats offer easy access to power outlets.

Semi-private seating nook at the Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge Tunis

Unfortunately, the layout doesn’t cope well with crowds. Visit Espace Privilege at off hours, and you’ll find a serene and stylish space and plenty of private seating options. At peak departure times, however, you might have to play elbows navigating the narrow gaps between seats, and you might have to settle for one of the least desirable seating areas. Also, the background music is too loud, and takes away from the otherwise relatively serene design.

Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge TUN amenities

The Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge at Tunis Carthage Airport offers refreshments and a selection of beverages around the clock. In the morning, the spread features pastries, cereal, Tunisian cream, crudites, and various other breakfast options. Throughout the day, you’ll find snacks and light fare. Hot food appears to be sporadically available. We spotted scrambled eggs on one morning visit, but they quickly ran out and were not replenished.

Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge Tunis buffet

For soft drinks, you’ll need to order at the bar, and options are limited. When we visited, there were only two sugary fruit juices, along with various soda options. Alcoholic beverages include local wines as well as middle-shelf liquor.

While the offerings are modest overall, one amenity stands out: handcrafted coffee. Head over to the bar for your favorite espresso-based beverage, which will be prepared by a friendly barista. We wish that Tunisair also offered a self-service coffee machine for guests in a rush, though, as there may be a line for made-to-order coffee at peak times.

Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge Tunis bar and coffee shop

Tunisair Espace Privilege doesn’t have showers, and the bathrooms are in dire need of a remodel. There are only two stalls—one per gender—so expect a line even outside peak times. The facilities are in a state of disrepair, with obvious signs of wear and tear. To round up the experience, there is no hot water, and the soap dispenser works only intermittently. Ultimately, you’ll be better off using the public facilities in the terminal, which, shockingly, are slightly better maintained.

Other amenities include fast and reliable Wi-Fi, as well as a relaxation room with recliners.

A stylish seating area at Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge TUN

Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge TUN bottom line

The Tunisair Espace Privilege Lounge at Tunis Carthage Airport is a serviceable lounge which is more than adequate for short-haul travel. The club features an elegant décor, comfortable seating, plenty of semi-private spots, a simple but enjoyable food and beverage selection, handcrafted coffee, fast Wi-Fi, and easily accessible charging points.

However, since it’s the only airline lounge at Tunis airport, Espace Privilege can get loud and crowded. The layout is awkward, the bathrooms are dated and woefully insufficient even outside peak hours, hot food is only sporadically available, and while the service is well-intentioned, the staff struggles to keep the club tidy at all times. Tunisair Espace Privilege isn’t the kind of lounge you’ll want to get to the airport early for, but it’s a comfortable and welcome alternative to the unattractive gate areas that often smell of cigarette smoke.