China Airlines operates two lounges at Taipei Taoyuan International airport: one located in Terminal 1, near gate 4F, the other in Terminal 2, 3rd floor, near gate D4. The lounge in Terminal 1 is used by passengers traveling on China Airlines or Korean Air, who are either in a ticketed Premium Cabin of service or have SkyTeam status that enables them to use lounges. The other China Airlines lounge is used by passengers flying on China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta, and KLM. Passengers traveling on Xiamen Air are entitled to use the EVA Air lounge in Terminal 2, per the SkyTeam airport lounge finder.
The China Airlines lounge was accessible to me as I was traveling in Business Class from Taipei to Seoul, then onward to San Francisco. One thing to note is that the lounge is a bit of a walk (a good 10-15 minutes) from the gate area, so be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get there.
Trip Report Series
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- Review: Singapore Airlines Economy Class, San Francisco – Singapore (via Hong Kong)
- Review: Plaza Premium Lounge, Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok Airport
- Review: Free Singapore Stopover Tour, Changi Airport
- Review: Tigerair (now Scoot), Singapore to Denpasar, Bali
- Review: Premier Lounge, Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport
- Review: EVA Air “Hello Kitty” Economy Class, Denpasar, Bali to Taipei
- Review: China Airlines Lounge, Taipei Taoyuan International Airport
- Review: China Airlines Business Class, Taipei to Seoul Incheon Airport
- Review: Korean Air KAL Prestige Lounge, Seoul Incheon Airport
Lounge Entrance and Interior
While the hallway to get to the lounge leaves a bit much to be desired, the actual entrance to the lounge is stunning. There is a wood paneling on the exterior with the logo and name of China Airlines engraved into it, along with the renown “cut out” of two air CI employees holding up an iPad. I really like China Airlines’ branding and color scheme, even though some people may find it to be a little too blah and corporate compared to the more funky airlines like EVA. entryways that I’ve ever seen.
The interior entrance to the lounge is even more stunning with large stones and dimmed lighting. Note that there is a VIP section for some people traveling in other cabin classes, beyond Business Class travelers, that is reserved exclusively for China Airlines’ Paragon and Emerald elite tiers.
Upon entering, you’ll notice that there is a beautiful layout of space separating the food and beverage areas from the dining areas. I really liked how there was marble stone in the center floor and then a wood panel on either of the sides.
There is a ton of seating with very efficiently-placed furniture and exceptionally comfortable sofas. Notice also that the lounge designers have done a fantastic job of inserting cultural elements into this lounge, such as placing artwork into window-glass areas and displaying artifacts of Taiwan’s rich history.
In the center section, long tables and dining areas are accentuated by mood lighting, which I liked.
Food and Beverage
There are oriental and western options broken down for travelers. Even at the early hour, there was fresh vegetable cut-up for creating salads, as well as a plethora of beverages stacked in refrigerator coolers above the serving areas. There were pastries and desserts along with a full, self-serve liquor bar.
On the western side of the serving area, there was a traditional display of cold cuts, freshly-prepared eggs, sweet potatoes, hash browns, bacon, and juices. Even at the early hour, there was fresh vegetable cut-up for creating salads, as well as a plethora of beverages stacked in refrigerator coolers above the serving areas. There were pastries and desserts along with a full, self-serve liquor bar.
For the Oriental breakfast items, you could see a mockup display of ramen that could be freshly prepared for you. How awesome is that! You also had your traditional accompaniments with tons of bao, dumplings, various dim-sum fare, all sorts of tea, Congee and a hot porridge. And, of course, there is nothing that I love more than being able to add hot sauce, spicy mustard and the like. It’s incredible how spoiled you can be in China and Taiwan for fresh bao that has taro root and hot, delicious pork inside!
Naturally, I wanted to feast on both the Chinese and Western menu items, so I got a little bit of everything. It tasted delicious.
Other Elements & Final Impressions
There are shower rooms and plenty of magazines available for reading. There is also a sleeping room, a nursing room, and a locker area. Because I was somewhat rushed before my flight, I did not have a ton of time to check these areas out.
WiFi was fast, the staff was wonderful and there were boarding announcements made.
This lounge was phenomenal. I wish I had more time to spend in it, but I was glad that I had a chance to try it out. Definitely worth stopping into if you’re flying on one of the airlines eligible to enter into it, or are flying in CI Premium.
