After checking in for our flight at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and going through security, we headed for the Air China and Star Alliance partner First Class Lounge.
We entered a small room packed with people and began looking around for the rest of the lounge. No luck, the small room was the entire lounge.
Almost every seat was taken and the room was pretty claustrophobic. So, we took a few photos, grabbed some bottles of water and decided to seek refuge at our gate.
Although there were no snacks, a small selection of hot meals was available:
In addition to food and drinks, the lounge offered free wi-fi and one computer (taken, of course).
This was definitely the worst lounge we’ve ever encountered but in all fairness, Chengdu Shuangliu International is not a very large airport.
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Index: (rest of series)
Introduction
American Airlines Flagship Lounge – Chicago
American Airlines – First Class – Chicago to Tokyo Narita
Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu
Tokyo – Devils and Sumo
Asiana Business Class Lounge – Seoul, Korea
Asiana Airlines – Business Class – Seoul Incheon to Chengdu
Fraser Suites – Chengdu, China
Chengdu, China: Pandas, Pandas and Pandas
Air China (Star Alliance) First Class Lounge – Chengdu, China (this post)
Air China – Business Class – Chengdu to Taipei
Forte Orange Hotel Kaifong (Taipei, Taiwan)
Eva Air Lounge – Taipei Taoyuan
Eva Airlines – Business Class – Taipei Taoyuan to Shanghai Pudong
Marriott Executive Apartments, Shanghai, Tomorrow Square
Dragonair/Cathay Pacific Lounge – Shanghai Pudong
American Airlines – First Class – Shanghai Pudong to Chicago
When I was in Chengdu this past summer, I recall the Air China lounge being much nicer then that. I wonder if I was in a different terminal as I was heading to PVG.
Hmm, perhaps it was a different one. Was the lounge you went to just one small room?
Were you in Terminal 1 or Terminal 2? I’m pretty sure that I was in T2. The lounge was on the an upper floor overlooking the departures area.
I think we were in T1 but not 100% sure. The lounge definitely did not overlook the departures area though…sounds like you were in the nicer one!
Chinese, nor in a larger concept, Asian people like to eat, so in their lounge there is a lot of free food and drink. See the airport clubs in the US, except for the first class lounge, the food and drink is offered little and much that you need to pay for. A friend of mine doubts how Americans easily get satisfied with a club without free food and drink.
Kira, we agree. Usually free food and drink is plentiful in the Asian lounges!