When I lived in China for 15+ years there was a common phenomena! I would leave the country and after a while miss it, only to get back in and realize why I left. Today the Premium Lounge at Canton Airport gave me this feeling.
But, it is a Premium Lounge I hear you say? Well alas that is another very Chinese thing, to call something a grandiose name, but then really underdeliver.
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport – AKA Canton
As fate would have it this would be my second time here after narrowly getting my Chinese visa after 4 years away. My last trip had me taking the train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, spending an awkward night and then flying to Saigon.
Initially my trip was so short that I didn’t get to sample the lounge, only the airport. Said airport epitomizes Chinese airports being the size of a city, but with nothing inside. The duty free is shit, the best restaurant is Bingz Burgers (one day I may review) and even the smoking area is horrendous.
What makes this worse is that because the airport is so huge even the few things that there are to do are miles apart from each other.
Premium Lounge Guangzhou
The option for Priority Passis the Premium Lounge, which I assume is slightly more shit than the China Southern Lounge, also a shit airline.
Let me explain my encounter when I arrived “sorry sir the lounge is too busy, so you can come inside, but you cant eat, nor sit down”, now initially I was perplexed, but saw through the ruse “its ok, the airport is that bad I might as well come in here”.
Now not only where there chairs bloody everywhere, but it was not full at all. He did have me on the food though, which again was so bad that I opted not to eat, even 6 hours into a flight delay.
So, while we do not exactly get that much choice with airports, while Hong Kong, its lounges, its Victoria’s Secret and internet not guarded by the Communist Party of China, then idc you can avoid the Premium Lounge, Guangzhou Airport and well Guangzhou in general…….