Review: China Airlines Business Class Lounge in Taipei Taoyuan Airport, Terminal 1 A Gates

Whilst I was flying home in China Airlines Premium Economy, my SkyTeam Elite Plus status – by virtue of being Virgin Atlantic Gold – meant I could pop into a lounge.

My earlier review of China Airlines Premium Business Class from my outbound flight is here.

China Airlines provided my flights for review purposes.

China Airlines lounge location

China Airlines operates across both Terminals 1 and 2 at Taouyan Airport in Taipei and has a number of lounges.

This review is of the lounge towards the A Gates in Terminal 1 – there is another China Airlines Lounge towards the D Gates, on the other side of the terminal.

The lounge is very easy to find. Simply turn right after security, following the signs for Gates A and B. You’ll then pass through a short duty free shop before a big sign points to multiple lounges up a stairs:

The China Airlines lounge is the first on the left. The lounge is open from 5am until 11:30pm daily.

China Airlines lounge access requirements

Entry to the lounge is very simple. You need to either be:

• flying in business class (or First Class) on China Airlines or another SkyTeam airline
• a SkyTeam Elite Plus cardholder flying with a SkyTeam airline

Inside the China Airlines Lounge in Taipei

China Airlines has an interesting design language on board, and the lounge does not disappoint.

The theme appears to be inspired by Taiwan’s natural wonders: in this case, its mountains and woodlands, with heavy use of what looks like rough hewn basalt rock and wood panelling. It’s not dissimilar from the industrial log cabin vibe of the Hotel Proverbs I reviewed in Taipei.

Once you’ve checked in at reception – and with about six staff to hand, it was a very quick process – I was instructed to walk to the very end of this atmospheric corridor:

A sign at the end points in the right direction:

The corridor then opens up into an end-on rectangular space that is laid out symmetrically. At the front, you have a buffet and dining area:

Sofas in groups of two offer four-seater pods which you can share with travel companions, or if travelling alone, the ample dividers make it easy to share with strangers:

You also get universal mains sockets at the base to charge your devices:

These line both sides of the lounge to the very back, where you’ll find further dining area and two long hot-desking tables. Unfortunately, the lounge was very busy so I wasn’t able to get photos of this area.

The lounge is totally devoid of natural light except for a tiny window at the very rear, but it manages this very well with interesting industrial-inspired lighting hanging over the sofas. Given the space limitations I thought the designers did a good job.

Other features of the lounge include a two-person business area with computers:

A nursing room and resting room for one:

There is also a dedicated zone for top-tier China Airlines members which I didn’t have access to.

Food and drink in the China Airlines lounge

I was pleasantly surprised by the food offering in the lounge which was stronger than I expected. This is all located in the middle of the lounge, with the kitchen an island. A noodle bar sits centre stage with the following options:

• beef noodle soup
• noodle with minced pork and quail eggs
• vegetarian noodle soup

All three were also available with glass noodles rather than regular noodles.

In addition to this staffed noodle bar you could help yourself to a range of options from the buffet. This ranged from traditional breakfast congee with all the trimmings to bacon and sausages and sauteed vegetables:

The hash browns and spring rolls were suitably crispy. Pork bao buns, taro buns and three varieties of Siu Mai dumplings were also on offer:

The offer was rounded out with some cut fruit (dragon fruit, pineapple), salads and a variety of sweet and savoury snacks.

And, not to be forgotten, Taiwanese tea eggs:

The drinks offering is less strong. Whilst there are plenty of soft drinks available from the fridges, including all sorts of local brands, alcohol is limited to a small section at the front of the lounge. There is red and white wine, beer, and a few select spirits such as Absolut vodka and Gordon’s Gin.

This seems to mirror the onboard offering which does not place great emphasis on alcoholic beverages.

Conclusion

Overall, the China Airlines lounge near the A Gates in Taoyuan Airport is a pleasant surprise. Although it is a (mostly) windowless space it has been carefully designed to make the best of it. I particularly like the log cabin aesthetic which is the last thing I’d expect to see inside an airport!

One issue with the lounge is simply that it is too small. When I arrived, around 6am, available seats were few and far between. Perhaps it is quieter at other times but if this is what it is like most of the day then China Airlines needs to expand its footprint.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

---

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (April 2025)

Here are the five options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.