The SLOW Lounge Gives High Flyers a New Oasis

Posted Wed, 31 Mar 2010 (2 years ago)

Comair, in partnership with FirstRand Group, launches a luxury domestic lounge for very busy people

Comair has set a new global standard for domestic airport lounges here in South Africa with the launch of their SLOW Lounges. SLOW’s tranquil and stylish environment was conceived by visionary local designers to provide a perfect sanctuary from the fast pace of travel and modern life.

Features include:

Chef preparing a selection of canapés and snacks
Barista brewing fresh coffee
Bar serving the finest South African wines
Library of the latest books from Exclusive Books
Nintendo games room with Nintendo Wii and DS Consoles
Private meeting spaces and business facilities
Private marble finished bathrooms
The latest Apple iMacs and printing facilities
Free WiFi and power throughout the Lounge
Children’s facilities to keep your little ones looked after and entertained
Spa offering massages and wellness treatments (Cape Town airport only)

Spacious and airy; the perfect place to unwind

In an ever accelerating world, the SLOW Lounge concept was inspired by the growing international trend towards appreciating life’s journey as much as achieving the end goal. When flying in South Africa, the SLOW Lounge creates a valuable and enjoyable “moment in time” between checking in and boarding, where the chaos of the airport and stress of travelling can be forgotten. SLOW allows one to make the most of that moment to work productively, enjoy a snack or simply put ones feet up.

Slow food at the slow lounge

Already up-and-running at Johannesburg and Cape Town international airports, with Durban to launch later in the year, access to the SLOW Lounges is exclusive to:

Qualifying British Airways Executive Club holders
British Airways Club (business class) passengers
RMB Private Bank clients
FNB platinum card holders
FNB Private Bank travellers

Catch up on work, or update your facebook status

“Traditionally domestic lounges are seen as a step in your journey, a place you don’t necessarily want to be in but you go there because you have time to kill. With SLOW we’re trying to change this, we want people to leave feeling better than when they arrive. We are already seeing travellers arriving early to enjoy the experience. Our aim is for SLOW to be seen as a destination rather than a waiting room before a flight,” said Gidon Novick, Joint CEO of Comair.

Fun and games to pass the time

Branding and design consultancy GRID was responsible for developing the SLOW brand and concept alongside Comair. The interior décor and design was created by Tonic – with a holistic focus using natural materials and colours complemented by local art work.

Continuously striving to make helpfulness a reality, FirstRand Group saw perfect synergy in partnering with Comair on SLOW. “We want to distinguish ourselves from other banking institutions by giving our customers concrete solutions that can improve their well-being simultaneously we hope that this initiative will help us to entrench FNB’s brand promise of a helpful bank and RMB Private Bank’s ‘thinking that can change your world,” said Jacques Celliers, CEO of FNB Credit Card.

Even the loo has a view!

29 Responses to The SLOW Lounge Gives High Flyers a New Oasis

Slow Lounge awesome! Please add non-alcoholic beer - Bavaria 0.0%(Malt prefarably) to Beer Fridges! Great Stuff

By HS Magerman (2 years ago)

Dear Comair

I would like to applaud you with the brilliant idea of introducing the Slow Lounges. I am a frequent traveller and know that the Slow Lounges compare to the very best lounges on this planet.

However, whilst waiting for flight BA6427 from OR Tambo to Cape Town on 4 April, my optimism about the lounges were somehow shattered. Most esteemed travellers (especially us visiting the UK frequently) would know the Moulton Brown range of toiletries very well. It was certainly a wonderful surprise to notice that the Slow Lounges use the range.

But, how stupid do you think we are?

At O R Tambo the Moulton Brown containers in the men’s washrooms are fixed to the walls. After getting excited about the excellent choice of products I had to find that the containers are filled with some cheap hand soap. The translucent gold color of Moulton Brown’s Naran Ji soap is now replaced with shocking pink trashy hand soap more appropriate for use in a brothel.

How would the Moulton Brown Company react to this?

Please, if you can not afford the real product, the at least have the decency to remove the Moulton Brown containers.

Dr Reon van Dyk
Cape Town

By Reon van Dyk (2 years ago)

The slow lounge in Cape Town was extremely busy on sunday afternoon. Most of the seats were taken up, and most of the platters were empty
This was about 16h00. We were a family of three and couldnt find a couch to get comfortable. Please relook at your seating arrangements and possible creat more space of your guests. The last think any passenger wants to see is a crowded lounge with no empty couches.

By hoosen (22 months ago)

Hi my name is Jozua Joubert, I visited the slow lounge at OR Tambo today the 11th of September 2010 and left my Police Sunglasses there... Would you please be so kind to contact me if somebody might have picked it up?
0825541112

By Jozua (21 months ago)

The Slow Lounge O R Tambo Airport needs a new manager.
On Saturday 18th September, 2010 the food had run out and there was no one to take any notice of this fact.

By wendy (20 months ago)

I was at the airport on the 28th September from 5pm to 6:30pm

I enquired about the advertised free treatments at the Amani Spa but when I asked staff initially I was told that the masseuse was busy and that I should check later

I then saw the masseuse come in at around 5:15pm

A 'Treatment in progress, please do not disturb sign' was posted on the door however

When I went to query at reception how the treatment room works I was told that the masseuse works adhoc and had left at 5:30pm contrary to what I thought I had seen

This offer is advertised on the website http://www.amanispas.co.za/british-airways-spas.php

Perhaps specify on your site that this offer is Adhoc so that people visiting the SLOW LOUNGE are not left with an unrealistic expectation

By P (20 months ago)

Is there a smoking area designated as part of the Slow lounge?

By Colin (20 months ago)

Thanks for all the comments - I will try track down someone from the Slow Lounge for feedback.

By Joy-Anne (20 months ago)

I'd like to try Slow Lounge the next time I travel.

By Anthony (19 months ago)

Please could you proivide me with contact details for the lounge at OR Tambo. I left and article behind on Wedesday evening and I spent about 20 min waiting for a machine to answer the telephone on the Comair contact telephone number. It is not worth much to the next person but of great value to me. Please contact me urgently.

Sincerely

Grant Heynes
Cell: 0825512226

By G Heynes (19 months ago)

Could you encourage International departures to follow your excellent example at Johannesburg' Slow lounge? What a disappointment the Premier lounge is after visiting the Slow Lounge

By clifford (17 months ago)

The concept is brilliant.

OR Tambo Lounge needs lots of work and good management. For starters you need to rip up the tiles in the shower area and re do the plumbing. This has been a problem since the opening and I regularly have to shower in a pool of water. Lets fix this now please. Silicone will not do the trick.

Great service in Cape Town and and even better massage in the SPA.
Durban Lounge is also reasonable, just needs more friendly people.

Regards
Grant

By Grant (16 months ago)

Dear travel marketers and fellow travellers

As a regular traveller I want to compliment the Slow Lounge in Cape Town Internal Airport. This is by far the best lounge that I have encountered for business travel in the world. The food is excellent, service is good and the standard of the Spa Service is divine.

Well done guys.

Regards

Grant

By Grant (16 months ago)

Sounds like another non-delivery perk. I am glad that I can no longer use my FNB facilities for a disappointing facility.

By James (14 months ago)

Hi
is there a smoking section at the OR tambo slow lounge?

By david (13 months ago)

Used the slow lounge on wednesday 01 June 2011, what a nice experience, gr8 food, friendly staff, quality coffee & a divine stress releaving massage, well done DMV & slow lounge

By Shiraj (12 months ago)

I am looking forward to using this facility as we are travelling between Christmas and New year. Am hoping that we have a good experience. But from what I see Cape Town Slow Lounge has great service. I just wanted to know what the prices are like in the Slow Lounge?

By Bronwyn (8 months ago)

Hi Bronwyn - I think you will need to contact the airport to find out the current rates for the Slow Lounge.

By Joy-Anne (8 months ago)

Cindy runs all the Slow Lounges - 079 876 3652

By Lee (8 months ago)

Apparently everything in the Slow Lounge is free. This sounds too good to be true but we'll see.

By Bronwyn (8 months ago)

Bronwyn, please report back after your Slow Lounge experience and let us know if that really is the case! You are welcome to write a blog post on your experience if you wish, but otherwise a comment here would also be great.

Thanks!

Joy

By Joy-Anne (8 months ago)

Hi I used the slow lounge at O.R.T a few weeks back, everything is indeed free inside, however entrance is R250 per guest and free if you are a platinum cheque / private client account holder at FNB and as far as I know RMB. Other companies / banks may be offering similar promotions....

By Chris (8 months ago)

FNB should not discriminate by only allowing FNB Private Bank travellers free into the International Terminal - we are Platinum members of good standing and shouldn't have to pay the exorbitant fee of R500-00 to enter the SLOW lounge there - this is not Europe!

By Lyn (4 months ago)

Your wrong. It is free for platinum members, as long as your account has a positive balance. Guests of platinum members have to pay though if they don't have plat account of there own and as of last month when I was in one, it wasn't R500 per person.

If this wasn't your experience, you were misinformed.

This isn't discrimination and none qualifying individuals SHOULD pay to use the facilities, eat the free food and drink the free wine....otherwise the lounge wouldn't exist

By Chris B (4 months ago)

I found all the info on the SLOW lounge website yesterday for the international terminal SLOW lounge! so if you can, then please give me details as to how I can find "updated" info according to your comments below as the FNB customer service don't seem to know what's what either!

By Gaille Cantrell (4 months ago)

I stand corrected - All prior comments on this forum are regarding the Domestic SLOW lounge and not the international lounge which is relatively new. The FNB website does indeed state a R500 entry fee for anybody except private clients....which does suck.

By Chris B (4 months ago)

Looking forward to my first Slow Lounge visit soon.
But living in the first official Slow Town in South Africa the Slow Lounge will have to be astonishing not to be disappointing.
Slow Loungers must make a point of visiting us Slow Towners.
Walter Bakker

By Walter Bakker (3 months ago)

Message for Gaille Cantrell. Hello Gaille, If you are the Gaille Cantrell who is related to the Burrowes family in Ireland and England could you get in touch. If you are not the Gaille I'm looking for, please accept my apologies for troubling you.

David Burrowes

By David Burrowes (7 weeks ago)

Yes that's me David - great to connect after way too long. :D send your details where you are etc so we can communicate once more. Look forward to hearing from you again. I'm actually in Eire at present - leaving soon for UK tho. Gaille

By G.Cantrell (6 weeks ago)