The SLOW Lounge at Cape Town International Airport has reopened its doors to travellers, welcoming them into an expanded lounge designed to create a sense of freedom and escape from ticking clocks, even if just for a moment.

The lounge remains nestled in the same quiet area of the domestic departures terminal at the Cape Town International Airport where it was situated before. It first opened its doors in June 2010 and, is the second most popular SLOW Lounge next to O.R. Tambo International Airport. More than 53 500 visitors passed through its doors between January to June 2014, an average of close to 9 000 people per month.

“The uptake on the SLOW Lounge offer has been remarkable,” says Chris Labuschagne, CEO of FNB Credit Card. “It has become a meeting room and decompressing space for many of our customers, business travellers and families alike. Its success was a primary driver behind the expansion of the Cape Town lounge.”

The expansion has allowed the incorporation of an array of different meeting and relaxing spots such as café style tables, sofas, communal tables and private rooms. Large glass windows allow panoramic views from almost every corner of the lounge and a full service bar is perfect to unwind with your drink of choice before your flight.

Research into the usage of the different services on offer show that visitors are factoring a visit to the SLOW Lounge into their travelling plans. The average time spent in the lounge is between 1 hour to 1 hour and 30mins. The busiest times of the week are Fridays and Thursdays at 5:30 and 16:00 and Sundays at 7:30am, 10:30am and again at 12:30am.

A visit to the lounge includes free Wi-Fi, delightful snack choices, coffee and a selection of wines. An Amani Spa offering complimentary 15 to 20 minute treatments before a flight, as well as individual washrooms and shower facilities.

According to Labuschagne, the SLOW Lounge offer ties into a variety of travel based value-adds that the bank offers it credit card holders.

“A credit card has become far more than just a piece of plastic. We like to think of it as a lifestyle and in this case, a travelling partner that provides our customers with unprecedented value through additional services embedded in the card. Global Travel Insurance, Roadside Assistance, discounts on travel with eBucks and SLOW access make a difference to the way customers spend on travel and experience it,” suggests Labuschagne.

Access to the SLOW Lounge is exclusive to qualifying FNB Platinum Cheque and Credit cardholders, FNB Private Clients, RMB Private Bank, FNB corporate and business cardholders, British Airways Executive Club Gold and Silver cardholders, British Airways Club (Business Class) customers and oneworld qualifying cardholders