Lounge directory · ALA · Last reviewed 27 June 2026
Almaty International Lounges ALA: every lounge and how to get in
Almaty splits international and domestic into two separate buildings, and the airside lounges live entirely in the new Terminal 2. Here is the full list, who gets in, and what walk up entry costs.
- Lounge verdict
- Two airside lounges in the international Terminal 2, both open 24 hours. The Extime Business Lounge is the one most travelers can buy into and it takes the lounge programs. The Air Astana Shanyraq is the better room but admits only Air Astana cabins and elites. On top of those sit a set of Extime VIP rooms with private street entrances.
- Best access play
- The Extime Business Lounge on the Terminal 2 mezzanine runs around the clock, opens to DragonPass, LoungeKey, Dreamfolks and TAV Passport, and sells walk up entry from 35,000 tenge, roughly 75 US dollars. Showers cost an extra 7,000 tenge there.
- The one thing to know
- International and domestic are separate terminals, and the airside lounges are all in Terminal 2. The domestic Terminal 1 has only Extime VIP rooms reached from the street, so if you connect onward within Kazakhstan, eat and rest in Terminal 2 before you cross over.
Orientation
How the Almaty lounge map works
The building decides everything at ALA. Terminal 2, opened in June 2024, takes every international flight and holds both airside lounges. The older Terminal 1 next door handles domestic flights and has no regular pay per use lounge inside its gate area at all. So the practical map is short: if you are flying internationally, you have two real choices airside, and if you are flying domestically, you rest in Terminal 2 first or pay for a VIP room from the street.
Inside Terminal 2 the two airside lounges sit above the single departure concourse. Turn left after security for the lifts up to the Extime precinct on the mezzanine, or turn right for the lifts to the Air Astana Shanyraq Lounge on Level 2 opposite Gate 201. Both run 24 hours. Walk up prices and program coverage shift, so treat the figures below as verify at booking, and check your lounge app on the day before you count on a specific door.
The lounges
Every ALA lounge and how you get in
| Lounge | Area and location | Access | Walk up | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extime Business Lounge | Terminal 2 international, mezzanine above the concourse | DragonPass, LoungeKey, Dreamfolks, TAV Passport, pay in; Priority Pass to be confirmed | From 35,000 tenge, about 75 US dollars | The dependable international door without status, open 24 hours |
| Air Astana Shanyraq Lounge | Terminal 2 international, Level 2 opposite Gate 201 | Air Astana Business, Economy Sleeper, Nomad Club Gold and Diamond | Not available | The prettier room with a live cooking station and free showers, cabin or status only |
| Freedom Holding Corp Business Lounge | Terminal 2 international, near the Shanyraq | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | Under construction; opening date to be confirmed |
| Extime VIP Lounge (international departures) | Terminal 2, separate street entrance on the north side | Pay in, with private check in and a private security and passport channel | 95,000 tenge, about 204 US dollars | The only way to buy a fast track past the main queues |
| Extime VIP Lounge (international arrivals) | Terminal 2, on arrival | Pay in, book at least 1 hour before the flight lands | 80,000 tenge | An escort through arrival formalities for those who want it |
| Extime VIP Lounge (domestic departures) | Terminal 1 domestic, separate street entrance | Pay in, with private check in, own security channel and an escort to the plane | 35,000 tenge | The only lounge style option on the domestic side |
| Extime VIP Lounge (domestic arrivals) | Terminal 1 domestic, on arrival | Pay in, advance booking required | 26,900 tenge | A domestic arrivals escort, niche but available |
Two things stand out from the table. First, the Shanyraq is the nicer lounge by some distance, with Central Asian dishes like lagman on the buffet and two free shower suites, but it does not sell entry, so without an Air Astana premium cabin or Nomad Club Gold or Diamond you cannot get in. Second, the Extime VIP rooms are not normal lounges. You enter the airport through a separate street door, check in inside, and clear a private checkpoint, which is the only fast track at Almaty since the main terminal has no express lane.
Access decoder
What actually opens these doors
Lounge programs open the Extime Business Lounge. DragonPass, LoungeKey, Dreamfolks and TAV Passport are confirmed routes. Priority Pass coverage of this specific lounge is to be confirmed, so check your app before you rely on it rather than assuming a card that works elsewhere will work here.
Paying at the door works at the Extime Business Lounge from 35,000 tenge, roughly 75 US dollars, with showers an extra 7,000 tenge. The Air Astana Shanyraq sells no walk up entry at all. The Extime VIP rooms are pay in but priced as a premium service, from 95,000 tenge for international departures down to 26,900 tenge for domestic arrivals, and several need advance booking.
Status and cabin cover the Shanyraq for Air Astana Business, Economy Sleeper and Nomad Club Gold and Diamond passengers. There is no oneworld, Star Alliance or SkyTeam alliance lounge here, since Air Astana sits outside the big three, so alliance status does not help at ALA the way it might elsewhere.
The single most useful rule is that the airside lounges live in Terminal 2. If you are flying domestically from Terminal 1, plan to use the Extime Business Lounge before you cross to the other building, because once you are airside on the domestic side there is no regular lounge to fall back on. See the Almaty layover guide for how the two terminal split affects connection timing.
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FAQ
Almaty lounge questions
Which Almaty lounges take Priority Pass?
The Extime Business Lounge in Terminal 2 takes DragonPass, LoungeKey, Dreamfolks and TAV Passport, and Priority Pass coverage of this specific lounge is to be confirmed, so check your app on the day. The Air Astana Shanyraq Lounge takes no lounge programs at all and admits only Air Astana cabins and elites.
Can I pay to get into an Almaty lounge without status?
Yes. The Extime Business Lounge in Terminal 2 sells walk up entry from 35,000 tenge, roughly 75 US dollars, with showers an extra 7,000 tenge. The separate Extime VIP rooms are also pay in but priced as a premium service from 95,000 tenge. Treat all prices as verify at booking.
Does the Air Astana Shanyraq Lounge sell day passes?
No. The Shanyraq, on Level 2 opposite Gate 201, admits only Air Astana Business and Economy Sleeper passengers and Nomad Club Gold and Diamond members. It has a live cooking station and two free shower suites, but there is no paid walk up entry, so without the cabin or status you use the Extime Business Lounge instead.
Are the Almaty airport lounges open 24 hours?
Yes. Both airside lounges in Terminal 2, the Extime Business Lounge and the Air Astana Shanyraq, run 24 hours, which matters because Almaty handles a lot of overnight long haul departures. Walk up stays at the Extime are typically capped at 3 hours, so confirm your window at the door.
Is there a lounge in the Almaty domestic terminal?
Only Extime VIP rooms reached from the street, not a normal pay per use lounge inside the gate area. The domestic departures VIP room costs 35,000 tenge with private check in and a security channel of its own. If you are connecting onward within Kazakhstan, rest in the Terminal 2 lounges before crossing to Terminal 1.
Do the Almaty lounges have showers?
Yes. The Air Astana Shanyraq has two shower suites that are free for lounge guests, and the Extime Business Lounge offers showers for an extra 7,000 tenge on top of entry. Both are in Terminal 2 airside.
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