Lounge directory · DEL · Last reviewed 2 May 2026
Delhi Indira Gandhi Lounges (DEL): Every Lounge and How to Get In
Delhi runs ten lounges across three terminals, and seven of those doors belong to a single operator, Encalm. That makes DEL unusually simple: one Priority Pass strategy covers almost the whole airport. Here is the full map.
- Lounge verdict
- Good and getting better. Every terminal has a lounge you can pay or Priority Pass your way into, and the new Air India Maharaja flagship in Terminal 3 is now the best airline lounge in India.
- Best access play
- Priority Pass or DragonPass opens the Encalm Lounges in Terminal 1, both sides of Terminal 3, and the arrivals lounge. No membership at all still works: Encalm sells entry at the door from about 2,550 rupees.
- The one thing to know
- Ignore any listing for a Plaza Premium lounge at Delhi. The operator left India in 2022 and Encalm took over its spaces, yet stale Plaza Premium pages still rank in search results.
Orientation
How the Delhi lounge map works
The terminal decides your options. Every international flight uses Terminal 3, which has separate domestic and international sides with separate security, so an international boarding pass cannot open a domestic side lounge and vice versa. Terminal 1 is a large domestic terminal dominated by IndiGo. Terminal 2 reopened on October 26, 2025 after a refurbishment and now handles a slice of IndiGo domestic flying, the 6E 2000 to 2999 flight number range.
Details below were checked on 2 May 2026. Most Encalm doors are listed as open 24 hours, which matters at DEL because the long haul bank departs between midnight and 4 am, exactly when the terminal food courts wind down. The catch is consolidation: when one operator runs seven lounges, a busy night can mean queues at every one of them, so the paid fast lane is prebooking through Encalm rather than walking up. Hours we could not confirm are marked to be confirmed.
Terminal 3 international
Terminal 3 international lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India Maharaja Lounge | Mezzanine floor above the duty free zone, international pier | 24 hours | Air India First and Business, Maharaja Club Platinum and Gold, eligible Star Alliance Gold members | The flagship opened February 2026 with 16,000 square feet, around 300 seats and a separate First section; worth arriving early for |
| Encalm Lounge | Mezzanine level, international departures, food court level next to the Encalm Spa | 24 hours | Priority Pass, DragonPass, walk in about 4,150 rupees for 2 hours | The default door for everyone without status; fine food, hard ceiling of 2 hours, packed in the small hours |
| Encalm Privé | Level 3, international departures, lift access via the corridor next to the pharmacy | To be confirmed | Business and first class on partner airlines; walk in about 5,150 rupees for 2 hours | Showers, nap pods, a spa, a gym and a gaming zone; the walk in price is steep but buys the most comfort airside at DEL |
The international pier is where Delhi finally has a hierarchy. Air India premium passengers and Star Alliance Gold members get the Maharaja flagship, which replaced a tired predecessor and now competes with anything in Asia. Business class passengers on most foreign carriers are sent to Encalm Privé, the contract lounge. Everyone else takes the standard Encalm Lounge or pays. On a layover longer than three hours, the Privé walk in fee plus a shower beats two separate two hour stints downstairs.
Terminal 3 domestic
Terminal 3 domestic and arrivals lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India Maharajah Lounge | Domestic pier, past security, follow the lounge signage | 24 hours | Air India First and Business, Maharaja Club elites; Air India lists a paid walk up option for other passengers | Showers and a proper buffet on the domestic side; the paid walk up is a quiet workaround when Encalm queues |
| Encalm Lounge | Mezzanine level, domestic departures, by the food court | 24 hours | Priority Pass, DragonPass, many Indian bank card lounge programs, walk in about 2,550 rupees for 2 hours | Big, busy and efficient; the standard Delhi domestic experience, with alcohol at an extra charge |
| American Express Centurion Lounge | Next to gates 27 and 28, domestic side | 24 hours | Amex Centurion and Platinum cardholders | Calmer and better finished than the aggregator lounges; domestic side only, so international passengers cannot reach it |
| Encalm Lounge Arrivals | Ground level, landside, near gate 4 | 24 hours | Priority Pass, DragonPass, walk in about 2,550 rupees, stay up to 3 hours | Landside with luggage storage; useful on arrival or before you can check in for a late departure |
The domestic side of T3 quietly has the deepest bench at the airport. The Centurion Lounge is the sleeper: Delhi is one of only two Indian airports with one, it sits right at the gates, and children under 12 enter free. The arrivals lounge is the other tool worth knowing. It is landside, so a passenger landing at 5 am or waiting for evening counters to open can buy three hours of seating, food and luggage storage without a boarding pass for an immediate flight.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encalm Lounge | Mezzanine Level 5, domestic departures, near the food court | 24 hours | Priority Pass, DragonPass, Indian bank card lounge programs, walk in about 2,550 rupees for 2 hours | Reliable and rarely the bottleneck; fumigation late on Tuesday and Wednesday nights can limit services |
| Encalm Privé | Mezzanine Level 5, domestic departures | To be confirmed | Walk in about 4,000 rupees for 2 hours; program access to be confirmed | A premium tier inside a budget carrier terminal; pay for it only if the standard lounge is heaving |
T1 is IndiGo country, rebuilt and expanded under the airport's Phase 3A project. Note that IndiGoStretch, the carrier's domestic business product, does not include lounge access, so even Stretch passengers are paying, swiping a bank card or using Priority Pass like everyone else. Both lounges sit on the same mezzanine, which makes comparing queues a thirty second job.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 lounges
| Lounge | Location | Hours | Access | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encalm Lounge | Second floor, security hold area, domestic departures, near the food court | To be confirmed | Walk in about 2,550 rupees for 2 hours; Priority Pass status to be confirmed | Listed as live by Encalm since the terminal reopened; confirm program access at the door before counting on it |
Terminal 2 closed in April 2025 for refurbishment and reopened on October 26, 2025 with new boarding bridges and a batch of IndiGo domestic flights. Encalm lists its T2 lounge with a live phone line and email, but published hours and lounge program acceptance have not caught up since the reopening. If your flight number falls in the 6E 2000 to 2999 range you are departing here, and the safe assumption is a working lounge with walk in entry and nothing guaranteed beyond that.
Access decoder
What actually opens these doors
Priority Pass is the widest key at Delhi: the Encalm Lounges in Terminal 1, on both the domestic and international sides of Terminal 3, and the landside arrivals lounge near gate 4. Stays are capped at 2 hours in departure lounges and 3 hours at arrivals, and entry is always subject to space.
DragonPass mirrors that Encalm list, with guest rules depending on which bank issued the membership.
American Express runs its own Centurion Lounge on the domestic side of Terminal 3 for Platinum and Centurion cardholders. Platinum cards that bundle Priority Pass also open the Encalm doors, which gives Amex holders coverage on the international side too.
Indian bank cards matter more at DEL than at most airports. Premium Visa, Mastercard and Diners Club cards issued in India commonly include domestic lounge visits that work at the Encalm Lounges; international side visits are rarer and depend on your specific card, so check your issuer's current lounge list rather than the lounge's.
Paying at the door works at every Encalm location: about 2,550 rupees including tax for 2 hours in a domestic departure or arrivals lounge, about 4,150 rupees on the international side of Terminal 3, and about 5,150 rupees for Encalm Privé there. Air India also lists a paid walk up option at its domestic Maharajah Lounge.
Class of travel and status covers the airline doors. Air India First and Business, Maharaja Club Platinum and Gold, and eligible Star Alliance Gold members get the Maharaja Lounges. Business and first class passengers on most other international carriers are directed to Encalm Privé as the contract lounge.
Program rules shift and Delhi's lounge scene has changed operators twice in five years. Treat the tables above as the map, and confirm the door you are counting on the day you fly. For the membership strategy in detail, see the DEL Priority Pass guide.
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FAQ
Delhi lounge questions
Which Delhi airport lounges take Priority Pass?
The Encalm Lounges: Terminal 1 domestic departures, the domestic and international sides of Terminal 3, and the arrivals lounge on the ground floor of Terminal 3. DragonPass covers a similar list. Encalm Privé, the Air India Maharaja Lounges and the Centurion Lounge are not on the Priority Pass network.
Can I pay for a Delhi airport lounge without flying business class?
Yes. Encalm sells entry at the door: about 2,550 rupees including tax for 2 hours in a domestic departures or arrivals lounge and about 4,150 rupees on the international side of Terminal 3. Encalm Privé costs about 5,150 rupees at Terminal 3 and about 4,000 rupees at Terminal 1.
Who can use the Air India Maharaja Lounge at Delhi?
Air India First and Business Class passengers, Maharaja Club Platinum and Gold members, and eligible Star Alliance Gold members. The flagship international lounge opened in February 2026 above the duty free zone in Terminal 3, and Air India also lists a paid walk up option at its domestic lounge.
Are Delhi airport lounges open 24 hours?
Most are. The Encalm Lounges in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, the Centurion Lounge and the Air India lounges are listed as open around the clock, which suits the heavy bank of international departures between midnight and 4 am. Hours at Terminal 2 and at Encalm Privé are to be confirmed.
Is there an arrivals lounge at Delhi airport?
Yes. Encalm runs a landside lounge at ground level near gate 4 of Terminal 3, open to arriving passengers as well as travelers waiting before counters open. Entry costs about 2,550 rupees for up to 3 hours and Priority Pass is accepted.
Is there an Amex Centurion Lounge at Delhi airport?
Yes, on the domestic side of Terminal 3 next to gates 27 and 28, for Centurion and Platinum cardholders, with children under 12 admitted free. It sits inside the domestic security hold, so passengers departing from the international pier cannot reach it.
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