The Cathay Pacific Lounge in Bangkok Survanabhumi International Airport offers some of the best experiences Oneworld has to offer in an airport that is extremely crowded with private and airline lounges alike.
General Information
Opening Times: 5.10am to 6.30pm
Showers: No
Dining Style: Buffet & Ala Carte [No Table Service]
Location
The lounge is located past security airside and is near the G gates. You'll find the lounge easily found by following the signage boards. If you're having trouble locating the lounge, simply head towards Gate G1, as the lounge is adjacent to the gate and overlooks the parking bay.
Access
Access to this lounge is granted to passengers:
Flying on Cathay Pacific, or a Oneworld member-operated flight who are:
Traveling in First Class or Business Class.
Traveling in Premium Economy or Economy Class and possess:
oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status
Additionally, Cathay members may purchase or redeem lounge access passes via the Cathay Pacific website.
Lounge Space
Upon entering the lounge, you'll find yourself in the middle of 'T' junction, whereby to the left, you'll find the signature Cathay Pacific Noodle Bar, and to the right, you'll find the general seating area "The Bureau", the washrooms and the bar. At the tip of the junction, there is a small self-serve buffet area which does not have hot food options, but rather, cold cuts and selected pastries.
While the main seating areas of the lounge have excellent natural lighting and comfortable seats, you'll find that the lounge would mostly be crowded especially in the morning, when Cathay Pacific's flight to Hong Kong departs. If possible, I highly recommend snagging a seat that overlooks the Apron (View of Gate G1) as you'll also be able to view takeoffs and departures from this angle.
Dining Area
The Dining Area consists of several dining tables catered mostly to pax of two, but you'll also find large dining tables in the centre of the area. There are most seats to the left of the photo below, but I was not able to capture them during my visit, to respect the privacy of other flyers dining at the lounge.
Also, it's important to note that the menu at The Noodle Bar is constantly changing, and so, you might see different options available during your visit to the lounge. However, I always recommend trying the Wanton Noodles whenever you're at a Cathay Pacific lounge, as they are simply amazing.
The Bar
The Cathay Pacific Lounge in Bangkok has a fully loaded bar with several cocktails, liquors and even champagne available on demand.
I particularly enjoyed the Bangkok Twilight cocktail shown above. It had similar taste notes with the Singapore Sling, another favourite of mine.
Bathrooms
There are no shower suites available at the Cathay Pacific Lounge in Bangkok. Instead, bathrooms are in a typical gender-separated affair.
In general, the bathrooms were clean and tidy and they were being regularly cleaned by the friendly janitors, a contrast to other lounges in Bangkok Survanabhumi Airport, especially the poorly maintained toilets at the Miracle Lounges.
Final Thoughts
The Cathay Pacific Lounge in Bangkok is presently the best option for Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers travelling on Oneworld airlines. If you're flying from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur via Malaysia Airlines and have Enrich Gold/Platinum status, note that you have access to this lounge and it's best that you utilize it instead of heading to the Miracle Lounge which Malaysia Airlines directs its passengers to instead.
Bangkok Survanabhumi Airport has several other Oneworld lounges, namely the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge and the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge. Since the latter only allows access to Business and First Class passengers, most frequent flyers are left to choose between the Cathay Pacific Lounge or the Sakura Lounge. However, to date, the Sakura Lounge has a very small window of opening hours, meaning that most of the time its closed.
Perhaps I will pay the Sakura Lounge a visit if I ever have a night flight from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Until then, know that the Cathay Pacific Lounge continues to be an excellent option for a quick meal before your flight, and is definitely on par with other splendid Cathay Pacific lounges globally.
