Passengers flying through Terminal 2 at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport can now cool their heels at a new Plaza Premium / China Eastern lounge near gate 77, fittingly branded the No.77 China Eastern Plaza Premium Lounge.
A joint effort fusing Plaza’s signature opulent design aspects with China Eastern’s concept of “world-class hospitality with Eastern charm”, the lounge covers 1,800 square metres with space for around 500 seated guests.
But the lounge isn’t just restricted to China Eastern passengers – anybody flying with any airline from Terminal 2 can part with ¥300 (A$66) for a two-hour stay or ¥680 (A$150) for up to five hours, with Priority Pass members also welcome to visit for up to two hours at a time.
The space divides into various zones, beginning with what the airline dubs ‘honeycomb seating’: boasting privacy, individual bench space and power points for business travellers to remain productive on their laptops…
… comfy seats were solo flyers can unwind with a glass of wine or their tablet – also with access to power…
… zones better-suited to larger groups of colleagues and families travelling together…
… and both regular dining tables and stools at higher benches near the buffet zone, which again have easy access to power.
You’ll also find five computers, three shower rooms and a smoking room within the lounge, while complimentary wireless Internet access is available to all guests.
Shanghai, or more broadly, China, admittedly isn’t known for great airport lounges, yet this new facility easily supersedes anything else available to Priority Pass members at the same airport, so we’d suggest making the trek here to gate 77 if you’ve time to spare before your flight.
Qantas recently shifted its own Shanghai-Sydney flights across to the neighbouring Terminal 1 to join China Eastern, with these passengers instead having access to ‘China Eastern Lounge 19B’ until a new lounge in T1 opens in late 2016.
The No.77 Shanghai lounge is the second to open in as many months for China Eastern flyers following an all-new SkyTeam lounge at Hong Kong Airport.
Read: SkyTeam opens Hong Kong Airport lounge
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Does look nice, and arguably better than the old lounge QF had access too. Would need more on the food/drink options to see how it stacks up to CX.
Pity it wasn't built in the other terminal though!
Air China - Phoenix Miles
05 Jun 2015
Total posts 9
Chris, any news on lounge upgrades in PEK T3? Really hope CA will do something with their lounges, both domestic and international. they are simply just bad, and often crowded.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Nothing to share on this end (if we had news we'd have reported it already), although when flying Air China domestically from Beijing T3, I'd suggest first going to one of the main 'upstairs' (open light) lounges on level 4 for a bite to eat and then taking the elevator down to level 2 (T3-C), as there's a new-ish Air China lounge down there which is often rather empty and quiet as it's tucked away, and feels more like an international lounge – you'll see an AusBT review of it sooner or later from a recent trip.
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
08 Jun 2014
Total posts 262
Wow
10 Sep 2012
Total posts 149
A vast inmprovement, and about time too.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Jun 2016
Total posts 8
Doesn't China Eastern operate out of Terminal 1? Why don't they open the lounge there instead?
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Plaza Premium, China Eastern open new Shanghai lounge