PEK Air China First Class Lounge review (it’s exactly how you remember it)
To this day, the Air China First Class Lounge at the Beijing Airport (PEK) is the only first class lounge that I have ever visited that didn’t feel legitimately “first class.”
It looked (and felt) like a generic Priority Pass lounge. Which isn’t surprising considering that Priority Pass members get complementary access.
Priority pass riff raff in a first class lounge? Like I said: it was anything but a first class experience.
A detailed overview of what the Air China First Class Lounge was like in 2014
Even though I’ve categorized this as a “vintage” airport lounge review, it’s important to know that not much has changed since my visit way back in 2014. It still looks mostly the same now as it did back then.
Location
The PEK Air China First Class Lounge is located in Terminal 3E. Like all other lounges in this terminal, it’s located on the second level. You’ll need to take the stairs or an escalator to reach it. There is also an elevator nearby.
How to get in
The woman who checked me in was confused about my boarding pass (which was issued way back in San Diego without any mention of “premium” or “elite” written anywhere on it). A quick phone call to god knows who confirmed my access, and I was of my way inside.
- The primary way to get in to this lounge is to hold a same day international first class ticket on Air China or any Star Alliance Airline.
- Priority Pass is also an option. Which makes absolutely no sense for a first class lounge, but who am I to judge?
Layout
The lounge itself was open and bright, with Chinese-style decor and plenty of seating options. It’s an “open air lounge,” in the form of an atrium overlooking the entire airport. There are relatively few walls and dividers.
Food and drinks
Nearby the entrance was a snack bar with a variety of beverages and light snacks. I initially thought that was the extent of the food options in this lounge. Which wasn’t all that disappointing to me considering that all I was looking for was some water and juice.
It wasn’t until I walked around to the back side of the lounge that I realized that there was a fairly large self-serve food section with hot menu items such as dumplings and soup. I didn’t try any of it (because I wasn’t all that hungry) but it definitely looked good.
Pros and cons
Perhaps the best way to sum this up is to say that this isn’t a lounge that you need to go out of your way for. It was a low-key experience even by 2014 standards. Calling it a “first class” lounge was an exaggeration – by a long shot.
Pros
- The open air design makes it feel spacious and bright.
- The food was decent (at least compared to, say, the SFO United Global First Lounge at the time).
- Even if all the trees and bushes were fake (which they most likely were), I like it how it made the lounge feel like a tropical oasis.
Cons
- Exclusive it is not. Especially considering how they welcome Priority Pass members with open arms.
- I found the decor to be slightly dark and moody for my tastes. It’s not a very cheery place.
