I fly out of Chennai frequently (10-12 times a year) and I've used all the domestic lounges here multiple times. Thought I'd write a comprehensive guide for fellow Chennai travelers.

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Overview: 3 Domestic Lounges at MAA

Chennai Airport (MAA) domestic terminal has 3 main lounges:

• Travel Food Services (TFS) Lounge - Near Gate 12
• Plaza Premium Lounge - Near Gate 8 (currently CLOSED for renovation)
• Ashok Travel Club Lounge - First floor above security area

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1. Travel Food Services (TFS) Lounge

Location: Post-security, near Gate 12, ground floor
Size: Medium (~80 seat capacity)
My rating: 7/10

Access Cards

Priority Pass

DreamFolks

Diners Club

Most premium credit cards (HDFC Regalia+, Axis Magnus, etc.)

Food & Beverages (3/5)

Hot Food:
• Veg & non-veg biryani (okay quality, not great)
• 2-3 curries (usually paneer + veg + dal)
• South Indian breakfast (idli, dosa, vada) - mornings only
• Rice, rotis

Snacks:
• Sandwiches (pre-made, often stale)
• Samosas, pakoras
• Chips, namkeen

Beverages:
• Coffee machine (Nescafe) - decent
• Tea (good filter coffee in mornings!)
• Soft drinks, juices
• Beer (Kingfisher) - limited stock

Highlight: The filter coffee in the morning (6-10 AM) is actually good. Proper South Indian filter coffee, not machine-made.

Ambiance (3/5)

Adequate seating but gets crowded 4-7 PM

A/C is okay, sometimes feels warm

Clean but not spotless

Charging points available at most seats

Pros [YES]

Filter coffee (if you're there in morning)

Central location, easy to find

Accepts most card networks

Cons [NO]

Gets VERY crowded during evening peak hours

Food quality is average at best

Often runs out of beer/desserts

A/C not strong enough

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2. Plaza Premium Lounge

Location: Near Gate 8, ground floor
Status: CLOSED for renovation as of Jan 2026
Expected reopening: March 2026 (per airport staff)

I used this lounge twice in 2024 before closure. It was:
• Smaller than TFS (~50 seats)
• Better food quality
• More premium ambiance
• Less crowded

Will update this review once it reopens.

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3. Ashok Travel Club Lounge

Location: First floor, above security area (need to take escalator)
Size: Small (~40 seats)
My rating: 6/10

Access Cards

Priority Pass

DreamFolks

Limited credit cards (check before going)

Food & Beverages (2/5)

Honestly, quite limited:
• Basic veg curry + rice/roti
• Sandwiches (usually stale)
• Tea, coffee (instant, not great)
• Soft drinks
• No alcohol (they stopped serving in 2024)

The food variety is the weakest among all Chennai lounges.

Ambiance (3/5)

Small, intimate setting

Less crowded (because it's harder to find)

Good A/C

Quiet - good if you want peace

Pros [YES]

Usually empty (because fewer people know about it)

Strong A/C

Quiet atmosphere for work/calls

Cons [NO]

Difficult to find (first floor, not intuitive)

Very limited food options

No alcohol

Small - if 20 people show up, feels cramped

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My Lounge Ranking for Chennai

For food: TFS (7/10) > Plaza (when it reopens) > Ashok (5/10)
For ambiance: Plaza > Ashok > TFS
For reliability: TFS (always open, predictable) > others
For avoiding crowds: Ashok > Plaza > TFS

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Card Acceptance Comparison

| Card Type | TFS | Plaza | Ashok |
|-----------|-----|-------|-------|
| Priority Pass | [YES] | [YES] | [YES] |
| DreamFolks | [YES] | [YES] | [YES] |
| HDFC Infinia/Diners Black | [YES] | [YES] | [YES] |
| Axis Magnus/Reserve | [YES] | [YES] | [?] (check) |
| Amex Platinum Travel | [YES] | [YES] | [YES] |
| Basic cards (SimplyCLICK, etc.) | [NO] | [NO] | [NO] |

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Peak Hours to Avoid

Worst crowding: 4-7 PM (evening domestic flights peak)
Best time to visit: 6-9 AM (morning flights, lounges are empty)

If your flight is between 5-8 PM, expect TFS to be packed. Consider going to Ashok instead (fewer people know about it).

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Chennai Airport Lounge Hacks

• Skip the lounge, use HDFC offer at Starbucks - If you have HDFC Infinia/Diners/Regalia, there's often a buy-1-get-1 offer at Chennai airport Starbucks. Better coffee than lounge, less crowded.

• Ashok lounge for peace - If you want to work/take calls, Ashok is better despite bad food. TFS is too noisy.

• TFS for morning filter coffee - Genuinely good. Worth going just for this if you're a coffee person.

• Check Plaza status before March 2026 - It might reopen early. When it does, it'll be the best lounge.

• Avoid TFS on Friday evenings - Bangalore tech workers flying to Chennai for weekend. Lounge is a madhouse.

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Comparison with Bangalore/Mumbai

Having used lounges across India:

Chennai TFS vs Bangalore Encalm: Bangalore wins (better food, bigger space)
Chennai TFS vs Mumbai GVK: Mumbai wins (more premium feel)
Chennai TFS vs Delhi Plaza Premium: About equal

Chennai lounges are functional but not exceptional. They're okay for a 1-2 hour wait but nothing to write home about.

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Food Recommendations

If you're hungry: TFS (more variety, hot meals)
If you want coffee: TFS morning filter coffee OR skip lounge and go to airport Starbucks
If you want alcohol: TFS (Ashok doesn't serve, Plaza is closed)
If you're vegetarian: All lounges have decent veg options

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Final Verdict

Best overall: TFS Lounge (7/10) - Most reliable, best food variety, accepts all cards
Best for peace: Ashok (6/10) - Quiet, empty, good for work
Most disappointing: Plaza closure - Was the best, now unavailable

Would I recommend using Chennai lounges?

Yes, if you have free access via credit card. No, if you have to pay (₹1500-2000 is not worth it for the experience).

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Questions?

Happy to answer! I've been to these lounges 15-20 times total, so ask away.