Review: China Airlines Lounge Terminal 1 Taipei
- Konrad Tillman
- Mar 13
- 4 min read
Intro
Following a fabulous flight on the China Airlines A330 from Bali and a night in Taipei, the time had come to head back to New York. However, prior to the 7,800-mile run to JFK, I had the opportunity to check out the 'Flagship Lounge' of the airline in Terminal 1.
Well, how was it? Honestly, lounges in Taiwan aren't notably very good (minus the CX and JX lounges), and this is another lounge that truly falls short. With overcrowding and a lack of natural light, it's frustrating to pay for business class and find it hard to find a seat in the lounge...
Location+Access
For reference, China Airlines operates two lounges (three technically, but more on that later), one in Terminal 1, and the other, smaller one in Terminal 2. However, the one in Terminal 1 is worth the trek, even if it's not exactly 'great'.
Anyways, if you are looking for the lounge on transit, follow the signs to the corridor which features the Plaza Premium, Starlux, and CX lounges, and it will be on that strip.
If you are coming from check-in, hang a left after immigration, and in about 3 minutes of walking, you will arrive right at the lounge.
Now, when it comes to access, there are quite a few ways to access this lounge, including the following:
Those with the China Airlines credit card have access to this lounge
Those flying business class on a Skyteam carrier have access departing TPE
Those with status on Skyteam, flying a Skyteam carrier departing TPE, have access
CI has an agreement with select carriers to offer access (a total of 10 airlines, including Qantas)
Here's my thing: for the size of the lounge (no more than 200 seats), this is farrrrr too easy to access.
Seating
Once entering through your reception, and handing over your lounge card (if you do not have one, they must make a photocopy for your boarding pass), you head down a dark hallway, with the Paragon lounge to the right, and into the lounge area.
The entirety of this lounge is just one big room. With a dining space in the front, couches all along the left, and couches all along the right, it's a pleasant design for the eyes.
Towards the back of the lounge are more dining-esque options with individual tables and shared tables to grab a quick bite.
Dining+Drinks
Scattered in the front and back of the lounge is where you will find the dining options on demand. In the front is where you will find the cold food for a quick snack, along with the measly selection of liquor, including five liquor options, and a singular bottle of red wine...
However, towards the back of the lounge is the chef's kitchen, where all of the hot options lie. Including the famous Taiwanese pork, sweet and sour chicken, and a few other options, the food was definitely the highlight of the lounge.
Finally, if you fancy a drink which isn't liquor or vino, on either side of the lounge, by the couches, are small fridges with options of beer, soda, and different types of water.
Amenities
Finally, when it comes to amenities, there isn't much to the lounge. Towards the entrance lie the bathroom, including 3 stalls for the men's bathroom, as well as two shower rooms for the whole lounge. Considering how packed the lounges are in the morning, two shower rooms is a bit ridiculous...
Additionally, the only other amenity included would be wifi, which actually worked very well throughout my two visits here. Albeit that's a pretty low bar, but at least it worked!
My Issue With The Lounge
Look, I am an avid fan of China Airlines after the flight prior, but this whole lounge situation is a mess. Everyone knows the morning hours in Taipei are packed, whether it be EVA, Starlux, or China Airlines. Not an issue, but what is an issue is that China Airlines has an overflow lounge 50 meters down the hallway for when the main lounge is too busy.
Yup, but guess what? Apparently, not being able to find a seat (this was the day prior, btw) doesn't constitute opening the overflow lounge. If they don't open it, then when will they open it?
It just begs the statement: it's a bit ridiculous that a business class passenger can't find a seat in the lounge. To make matters more interesting, there is a nicer lounge for elites instead of J pax, which is quite the rarity these days.
Final Thoughts
The China Airlines Lounge at Terminal 1 isn't great, honestly. If you are looking for a quiet place in the morning to relax, you are better off going to the basement lounge in Terminal 2, as it can be difficult to find a seat here. Outside of the morning hours, it isn't that busy, but with a lack of natural light (only 1 window), only 2 shower rooms, and a limited booze selection, it's one of the worst business class lounges in Asia. Heck, even the contract lounge in Denpasar is better 😅.
But, you definitely have to try out the Taiwanese pork dish if you go: delicious!
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