Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Narita

Most oneworld travellers through Tokyo Narita will naturally make a beeline for the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge, but that’s not the only option they have. 

Cathay Pacific operates its own lounge here too, having taken over the space occupied by the former American Airlines Admirals Club, which closed in early 2020 when the airline shifted all its flights to Tokyo Haneda. 

Unfortunately, the airline didn’t see fit to give this lounge a Studioilse makeover, so unlike its counterpart in Haneda, this has a much more staid feel to it. In fact, I don’t see a whole lot of changes compared to its Admirals Club days, so moderate your expectations accordingly.

Aesthetics aside, this lounge could be a good alternative for those who find the Sakura Lounge overcrowded, or who simply want a glass of real champagne.

Opening Hours & Access

The Cathay Pacific Lounge at Tokyo Narita is located in Terminal 2, Level 2 near Gate 71. It’s very close to the security checkpoint, and all you need to do is take an escalator down from the main concourse level.

The lounge is open from 7.15 a.m to 6 p.m daily, and access is available to:

• Cathay Pacific or oneworld passengers departing in First or Business Class 
• Cathay Silver members departing on a Cathay Pacific flight, in any cabin
• Cathay Gold or Diamond members, oneworld Emerald or Sapphire members departing on a Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight, in any cabin
• Passengers arriving on an international long-haul (>5 hours) oneworld flight in First or Business Class and connecting to another short-haul flight, in any cabin

First Class passengers, Cathay Gold and Diamond, oneworld Emerald or Sapphire members may bring one guest with them. 

The guest must also be travelling on a Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight, though there is no requirement that they be on the same flight as the passenger with access. 

Lounge Overview

The Cathay Pacific Lounge at Tokyo Narita has a capacity for 265 passengers, spread across a footprint of just over 13,300 square feet. 

The interior design is…sterile. Admirals Clubs were never known to catch the eye, and Cathay didn’t change a lot when they took over the space. Executive Traveller says that the lounge will eventually be given a makeover though, and it can’t happen soon enough. 

That said, the lounge does benefit from abundant natural light, with full length windows giving planespotters a great view of the tarmac. Most of the seating comes in the form of leather armchairs, arranged in small clusters of two and four. 

Closer to the buffet area was booth seating and a separate enclave with proper dining tables. 

Closer to the rear of the lounge were a series of 12 semi-private workstations, behind a (fully-stocked!) magazine rack. It’s nice to see physical reading materials surviving on, especially when so many airlines have used COVID-induced hygiene paranoia as an excuse to get rid of them.

At the rear of the lounge was additional seating, including several recliner-style chairs with ottomans to put your feet up. This is the closest thing you’ll find to a snooze area, though it’s hard to snooze when the area is naturally bright. 

Food & Beverage

The lounge’s buffet spread is modest, to say the least. There’s no noodle or dim sum bar here, unlike what you might find at other Cathay Pacific lounges, and if you’re really hungry, I reckon you should head to the Japan Food Hall where you can sample some of Tokyo’s best eats, like Sushi Kyotatsu and Ginza Kagari chicken collagen ramen. 

The buffet offered cold cuts, salad, cheese, smoked salmon, as well as three hot items plus two soups. There were also some sandwiches, pastries and whole fruit. 

In terms of drinks, there were self-pouring beer machines, a small selection of liquors and sake, wines and actual Piper-Heidsieck champagne (which you won’t find in the JAL Sakura lounge). 

Non-alcoholic drinks included sodas, juice and coffee machines. 

Power & Productivity

The Wi-Fi network at the Cathay Pacific Tokyo Narita Lounge clocked in at 10 Mbps down and 11 Mbps up. That’s a relatively sedate pace, given how advanced Japan’s internet connectivity is.

Power outlets were easy to find throughout the lounge, though they weren’t universal and there were no USB charging ports. 

Showers

The Cathay Pacific Lounge at Tokyo Narita had a total of five shower rooms, each with a shower cubicle and an attached toilet. These were clean and functional with good water pressure, though not particularly luxurious.

Conclusion

The Cathay Pacific Lounge at Tokyo NRT isn’t bad by any means, it’s just rather unexciting in terms of design. All the same, those who want to do some work, grab a shower or get a quick bite (with bubbles) will find what they need here, and I reckon it should be less crowded than the Sakura Lounge most of the time.

Hopefully that renovation will happen soon, and Narita will have a Cathay lounge to match Haneda’s.