Review: Air China Transit Lounge PEK Terminal C

I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write the following post. This is from a trip that occurred in December 2019. Any airline, lounge, and/or loyalty program policies may have changed since then. All travel occurred prior to COVID-19; please stay safe and consult your national health authority for guidance on traveling.

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After nearly getting killed by my taxi driver on the way to the airport, I finally arrived at Beijing Capital Airport’s Terminal C, where my flight to Shanghai would be boarding. After crossing through immigration and security checks, I headed out to what I thought was an Air China lounge, however, I was slightly disappointed to find that although it was a decent resting spot, it wasn’t the full service lounge I expected.

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Located in Terminal 3C, this Transit Lounge was open to premium customers and Star Alliance Gold Members; I entered thanks to my United MileagePlus 1K status, which is classified as Star Alliance Gold.

Once you enter, to the left you will find the food and drink section of the lounge, which is lacking for sure, but definitely beats having nothing.

You’ll find a few fridges with filled with soft drinks, water, milk and juices. Additionally, you’ll find a few paltry fruit cups.

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Another drink offered was red wine. Why anyone would want red wine at 6AM is beyond me, but hey—live your life however you want! I won’t judge.

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They had a limited selection of food items, which included what seemed to be corn flakes, crackers and candies, and instant noodles.

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They also had yogurts and sandwiches, however you had to ask for a lounge attendant to get you a sandwich from behind their kiosk stand, and nobody ever really got around to it. At this kiosk you could also get espresso drinks. I opted for a cafe latte.

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Last but not least lets not forget about bread! They had some seeded and non-seeded bread rolls as well as marble cake, along with jams.

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I ended up opting for a seeded roll with some jam, a yogurt, and coffee for my breakfast.

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The lounge offered more than enough seating for the amount of people that were present so early in the morning, however I would imagine it getting quite full during a rush hour.

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Verdict

The Air China Premium Transit Lounge in Terminal 3C was definitely underwhelming. I arrived early to review what I thought would be a complete lounge, yet was disappointed to find a chunk of the middle of the terminal carved out. Again, anything is better than nothing, however there were no dedicated restrooms, very limited refreshments, and a lack of service. I wouldn’t recommend anyone going out of their way to come here unless it’s on the way. Head out to the Starbucks instead and get yourself something quick there. Overall, 2 stars.