Hanoi Noi Bai Airport Lounges (HAN) 2026: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 Lounges and How to Get In

Every international flight at Hanoi Noi Bai (HAN) now departs from the freshly expanded Terminal 2, while domestic flights use the older Terminal 1, and each building keeps its own lounges. For most travelers the key room is the SH Premium Lounge Ha Noi, which takes Priority Pass in both terminals, while Vietnam Airlines runs its Lotus lounges for SkyTeam business and elite flyers. Here is how to get into each one in 2026.

Hanoi has been one of Asia's fastest growing tourist gateways, and its main airport finally has the terminal to match the crowds. In December 2025 the operator reopened a heavily expanded Terminal 2, lifting the international building's design capacity from 10 million to about 15 million passengers a year while adding boarding gates, jet bridges, biometric immigration lanes, and self bag drop counters. If your last trip through Noi Bai felt cramped, the layout you remember has changed, so it is worth relearning where the lounges sit before you travel.

*Images are illustrative and may differ from actual lounges and airport facilities. Lounge names, hours, and access policies change frequently. Always verify before you travel.

Terminal 2: The International Lounges

All international arrivals and departures run through Terminal 2, so this is where most overseas visitors will spend their wait. Two lounges matter here, and they serve very different travelers. The good news is that both sit airside on the upper level, a short ride up from the departure gates, so neither one costs you much of a detour once you are through passport control.

• SH Premium Lounge Ha Noi (International): The main card-accessible room, operated by Plaza Premium and previously branded the Song Hong Premium Lounge. Priority Pass lists it on Floor 4 of the East Wing, near the gate cluster around 21 to 22, past security and passport control, open daily from 06:30 to 02:00. Expect made-to-order pho, a buffet, barista coffee, showers, massage chairs, and a separate smoking room. This is the lounge most premium-card travelers will use.
• Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge (International): Vietnam Airlines opened a new Lotus lounge in the expanded Terminal 2, a spacious room of roughly 1,400 square meters seating close to 400 guests, with a live pho station and Vietnamese dishes. It is a SkyTeam lounge, so access is tied to your cabin and status rather than to a travel card.

The room that catches people out is the Lotus Lounge. Access is reserved for first or business class passengers on a same day SkyTeam flight, plus SkyTeam Elite Plus members, a tier that includes Vietnam Airlines Lotus Gold. The full rules sit on Vietnam Airlines' Lotus Lounge page. If you are flying economy without status, this one is off the table, and the SH Premium Lounge is your way in instead. You can confirm the SH lounge's current floor and hours on its Priority Pass listing or on the Plaza Premium operator page.

Terminal 1: Lounges for Domestic Flights

If you are connecting onward within Vietnam, to Da Nang, Phu Quoc, or Ho Chi Minh City, your flight most likely leaves from Terminal 1, which keeps its own pair of lounges on the upper level after security.

• SH Premium Lounge Ha Noi (Domestic): The Priority Pass option in Terminal 1, on the 3rd floor after the domestic security checks. Priority Pass lists it as open from 04:30 to 23:00, with a maximum stay of about three hours, and it serves domestic passengers only.
• Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge (Domestic): The airline's domestic lounge sits in Wing D on the 3rd floor, a large space seating around 200 guests, with a live pho station, local dishes, and Vietnamese coffee. It welcomes Vietnam Airlines and SkyTeam premium domestic passengers.

One point is worth stressing: Terminals 1 and 2 are separate buildings, and you cannot move between them after security. Pick the lounge in the terminal your flight actually uses, and if you have a connection that switches terminals, allow time to exit, transfer by shuttle, and clear security again. You can check the Terminal 1 SH lounge details on its Priority Pass page before you go.

Which Card or Membership Opens the Door

For travelers without airline status, the realistic route into a Noi Bai lounge is a Priority Pass membership, and the simplest way to hold one is through a premium travel card that bundles it. The Amex Platinum, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and the Capital One Venture X each include Priority Pass, which opens both SH Premium lounges. If you are comparing networks, our Priority Pass, LoungeKey, and DragonPass comparison explains how each one works, and you can see whether DragonPass coverage suits your routing.

The Vietnam Airlines Lotus lounges sit outside all of that. No travel card gets you in on its own; you need a SkyTeam business or first ticket, or SkyTeam Elite Plus status. Many membership lounges also sell paid walk-in entry when there is space, which is handy if you only pass through Hanoi occasionally. Our guide to airport lounge day passes covers when paying per visit beats an annual membership, and the full cards directory lets you match a card to how you actually spend. Travelers based in the region may also want our roundup of the best cards for lounge access in Singapore, since many of those products work the same way across Southeast Asia.

Practical Notes for Noi Bai

A few habits make Hanoi smoother. First, the expansion added biometric immigration and self bag drop, so allow a little time to learn the automated flow rather than assuming the old counters are where they used to be. Second, because the gate numbering and walking routes changed with the new Terminal 2, treat any older floor plan as a rough guide and confirm your lounge's location on the day. Third, build buffer time for international departures, since the concourse is long and the SH Premium Lounge can be a fair walk from the higher gate numbers. Finally, the airport sits well north of the city center, so leave a generous margin for Hanoi traffic on the way in, especially during the morning and evening peaks, and aim to clear security with enough time to actually enjoy the lounge rather than rushing through it.

If Hanoi is the start of a longer trip, our Vietnam travel guide maps out the capital, Ha Long Bay, and the south, and you can browse other regional hubs in our best lounges in Asia roundup or the full airport directory. Timing your arrival to dodge the busiest departure banks helps too, a theme we cover in our guide to when to check in and arrive at the airport.

The Bottom Line

Noi Bai rewards travelers who answer one question first: domestic or international? International flights leave from the newly expanded Terminal 2, where the SH Premium Lounge Ha Noi takes Priority Pass and the major premium cards, and the Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge rewards SkyTeam business tickets and elite status. Domestic flights from Terminal 1 have their own SH Premium and Lotus lounges. Match your flight to the right terminal, carry a Priority Pass or the status the lounge recognizes, and Hanoi becomes a comfortable place to start or end a trip.

Information is reviewed periodically and was accurate at the time of writing. Lounge names, locations, operating hours, terminal assignments, and access policies at Noi Bai International Airport change frequently, especially after the 2025 Terminal 2 expansion. Always verify the current lounge access rules directly with your airline, the airport, your bank, and the relevant lounge network before traveling.