REVIEW | Sala Montale Exclusive Lounge and Sala Gae Aulentin Premium Lounge at Milan Malpensa Airport, extra Schengen

Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and back to Tokyo. Three weeks plus some extra days.

Prior to the group trip, I – Timothy – am solo in Tokyo. Using artificial intelligence, I concocted a busy four days featuring Ito, on the Izu Peninsula, and Sawara, also known as Little Edo. I also end this Journey Across Japan with a solo day and night in Narita.

I had some lay-over time in Milan Malpensa Airport (Aeroporto Internazionale Milano-Malpensa “Silvio Berlusconi”) has a few lounges.

As I was flying with All Nippon Airways (ANA) and its websites gives me these lounge options in MXP:

Gae Aulenti Premium Lounge.
Montale Exclusive Lounge.
Pergolesi Classic Lounge.

These three are lounges for flights going outside the Schengen Area.

Airport lounges at Milan Malpensa are managed and operated by SEA (Società per Azioni Esercizi Aeroportuali), the airport operator, through its service, Club SEA. SEA Manages MXP.

Sala Montale Exclusive Lounge

I started with the Montale Exclusive Lounge or Sala Montale, as it was the first one I encountered. I’m guessing it was named after Italian poet, prose writer, editor, translator and politician Eugenio Montale (1896 – 1981).

This lounge has a VVIP, a very very important person, room. It was quite empty. All the goodies are in the main room. But As I flew ANA I got access. I didn’t stay.

This lounge has magnificent views of the apron. Love it! As with every half-decent airport lounge, the Sala Montale has different types of seating. Tables designed to dine at, working-desk type spaces and more relaxing-oriented options.

The food and drinks? Meh. The usual options. It was breakfast tile so Italian breakfast items. What are those? Cake! But also tea and coffee, water, alcohol, vegetables, English breakfast items… Oh no! None of those. No hot options for breakfast. Boo!

Ah well.

Sala Gae Aulenti Premium Lounge

After I while I went to the Sala Gae Aulenti. I wasn’t wholeheartedly welcome(d) there. Why? Apparently one is not supposed to lounge hop. Oops. Certainly not when they are operated by the same company.

The setting is less spectacular than the Montale Lounge. It is named after architect and desinger Gaetana ‘Gae’ Emilia Aulenti (1927 – 2012).

This lounge felt smaller. It also has different seating options. And this one had warm food choices!

Is Gae Aulenti better? Montale has better views…

Sala Pergolesi Classic Lounge

I dod not go to the Sala Pergolesi. It could be named after Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736), Italian composer, violinist, and organist; or Michael Angelo Pergolesi 18th-century Italian decorative artist.

So?

The Milan lounges are okay. Nothing bad, nothing amazing.

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