Cathay Pacific is known for its exceptional first & business class lounges, which I consider to be among the best in the world. Along those lines, the airline has just opened its newest redesigned lounge, which is in a market that’s extremely important to the airline.
In this post:
Cathay Pacific Lounge Beijing opens after makeover
The fully renovated Cathay Pacific Lounge has just opened at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). The lounge closed in August 2024 to get a makeover, and just over a year later, it has reopened. The lounge is located in Terminal 3, on level 3, next to gate E20, and it’s open daily from 5AM until the last departure of the night.
This is one of three Cathay Pacific lounge locations in Mainland China. The only other airport lounge is at Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG), while the airline also has a lounge at Shekou Ferry Terminal.
Cathay Pacific describes this lounge as part of its continued investment in the Chinese Mainland, which is obviously a market the airline cares a lot about. The oneworld airline boasts how the new lounge has “human-centric design at the heart of the elevated lounge experience.” Here are some of the things that travelers can expect in this space:
- The lounge reception reflects Cathay Pacific’s ongoing shift from a traditional counter design to a podium format, intended to offer a warm welcome
- The space has a “main lounge” area, featuring furniture and lighting that are placed to deliver the ambiance and comfort of a refined home, with more intimate spaces embedded into the lounge
- The lounge has three distinct dining options — there’s a noodle bar serving classic dishes like wonton and dan dan noodles, there’s a food hall with self-serve Chinese and western dining options, and there’s a teahouse, where guests can enjoy a selection of Chinese teas that are freshly brewed by tea specialists
- The lounge has a light-filled open-ceiling terrace veranda
- The lounge has a curated artwork collection, developed by one of the curators behind the carrier’s “Gallery in the Skies” concept
When it comes to accessing this lounge, it follows standard oneworld lounge access requirements. That means it’s open to all oneworld first and business class passengers, as well as oneworld Emerald and oneworld Sapphire members.
Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam even attended the opening of the lounge, and had the following to say (I think the fact that the CEO attended a lounge opening tells you about Cathay Pacific’s increasing “commitment” to Mainland China):
“We are incredibly excited to reopen the doors of our latest flagship Beijing lounge today, which underscores our unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong, being proudly part of China and connecting the world. Having one of our best lounges located at the capital’s airport is especially important to us. The redesigned lounge complements Cathay Pacific’s seven daily return flights between Hong Kong and Beijing this summer, as we strive to offer customers greater choice and convenience — both in the air and on the ground — when they travel with us.”
“As a Group, we continue to expand our network in the Chinese Mainland, operating more than 300 return flights per week to 23 destinations during the summer peak. We remain committed to providing customers with a seamless and elevated travel experience through our Hong Kong hub.”
Cathay Pacific knows how to do lounges!
Cathay Pacific has to be among the world’s top airlines when it comes to the quality and consistency of its lounges. I can only think of a couple of other airlines that do so well with quality and/or consistency:
- Emirates certainly deserves points for the consistency and size of its global lounge network, though I can’t say I find Emirates’ outstation lounges to be particularly inspiring
- Qatar Airways has incredibly high quality lounges, including at outstations; perhaps the exception are the carrier’s elite lounges in Doha
But Cathay Pacific really does extremely well when it comes to the consistent design and high quality of its lounges, while still having pretty standard access requirements.
The one thing that I find a little disappointing is that Cathay Pacific doesn’t have a dedicated first class and oneworld Emerald section at its Beijing lounge, like you’ll find at the London Heathrow Lounge. This is such an important market for Cathay Pacific, so you’d think there would be potential for that.
Cathay Pacific is currently redesigning its lounges in Hong Kong, and they’re expected to feature an even more updated design aesthetic, and I can’t wait to see what the airline comes up with.
Bottom line
The refreshed Cathay Pacific Lounge Beijing has just opened, as the Hong Kong-based carrier’s latest “flagship” outpost. Beijing is a massively important market for Cathay Pacific, and this lounge now matches the carrier’s current design standard, so that’s great.
What do you make of Cathay Pacific’s new lounge in Beijing?
I don't get a hat tip for mentioning it yesterday?! lol j/k
I don't find a separate first class section necessary for regional destination; you might not even get a dedicated first class cabin especially on such a short flight.
For other lounges in the network aside from home, Narita needs a makeover as they took over the space from American's Admirals Club as I've mentioned in the past. JFK is also expected to...
I don't get a hat tip for mentioning it yesterday?! lol j/k
I don't find a separate first class section necessary for regional destination; you might not even get a dedicated first class cabin especially on such a short flight.
For other lounges in the network aside from home, Narita needs a makeover as they took over the space from American's Admirals Club as I've mentioned in the past. JFK is also expected to open a new lounge next year and from the rumours, it'll have lounge-to-gate boarding and they might even omit a dedicated first class section as well.
I also think in Beijing that you are acting like a Hollywood star ONLY even if you are sleeping in a youth hostel.
Can't use public transportation. Cannot be seen in the city. Only trusted fixers and limo services. Someone has experience with rental car companies? Rent the saloon car.
Shanghai you can use the metro until dark, after which Rick Steve's tactics will not save you from getting Shanghai'd. Totally Italian after dark, totally Nickelodeon in the daylight.
Is this a new thing? I didn't seem to have any issues roaming around Beijing day or evening when I visited in the 2010s.
Yeah I think fly Cathay vs Air China so far. I cought a lot of trouble between CAN and PVG on Air China, started in the big circle terminal. Shanghai is an amazing city, but also distressing, it's more connected to the world than you might expect, for bad historical reasons, but also a city you can literally walk out of into reality.
I think Beijing is more risky than other coastal cities on the...
Yeah I think fly Cathay vs Air China so far. I cought a lot of trouble between CAN and PVG on Air China, started in the big circle terminal. Shanghai is an amazing city, but also distressing, it's more connected to the world than you might expect, for bad historical reasons, but also a city you can literally walk out of into reality.
I think Beijing is more risky than other coastal cities on the mainland, maybe you fly in to see the forbidden city and great wall and leave. Guangzhou you think maybe is all gangsters, but the people are welcoming and within a circuit confined to southern China, maybe things work out better. There are gangsters in the domestic terminal - like Chicago.
Shanghai, you treat it as it were the San Francisco Bay Area, absolutely the same thing. Same people. So pretty. Rent a car, see the center, and leave.