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Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Narita

Cathay Pacific offers a solid, if unspectacular lounge in Tokyo Narita that has all the basics, though it's a far cry from its Haneda counterpart.

Most oneworld travellers through Tokyo Narita will naturally make a beeline for the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge, but thatโ€™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 didnโ€™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 donโ€™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.

๐Ÿธ tl;dr: Cathay Lounge Tokyo Narita
Cathay Pacific offers a solid, if unspectacular lounge in Tokyo Narita that has all the basics, though itโ€™s a far cry from its Haneda counterpart.
๐Ÿ‘ The Good ๐Ÿ‘Ž The Bad
  • Five private shower suites
  • Offers real champagne, unlike the Sakura lounge
  • Great views of the tarmac
  • Dated, underwhelming design, especially compared to the Haneda lounge
๐Ÿ‘ถ Baby Supply Run: Trip Planning

Opening Hours & Access

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT

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

Access to Cathay Pacific lounge

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. 

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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

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT reception

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 isโ€ฆsterile. Admirals Clubs were never known to catch the eye, and Cathay didnโ€™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 canโ€™t happen soon enough. 

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating

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. 

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating

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

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating

Closer to the rear of the lounge were a series of 12 semi-private workstations, behind a (fully-stocked!) magazine rack. Itโ€™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.

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT work stations
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT work station

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 youโ€™ll find to a snooze area, though itโ€™s hard to snooze when the area is naturally bright. 

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT seating

Food & Beverage

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet

The loungeโ€™s buffet spread is modest, to say the least. Thereโ€™s no noodle or dim sum bar here, unlike what you might find at other Cathay Pacific lounges, and if youโ€™re really hungry, I reckon you should head to the Japan Food Hall where you can sample some of Tokyoโ€™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. 

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet

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 wonโ€™t find in the JAL Sakura lounge). 

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet

๐Ÿท Cathay Lounge Tokyo Narita Wine List
Wine Type
Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Brut Champagne
Mountain View Pinotage 2022 Red
Astica Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Red
Borsao Macabeo 2022 White
Les 5 Vallees Sauvignon Blanc 2022 White

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

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT buffet

Power & Productivity

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

Power outlets were easy to find throughout the lounge, though they werenโ€™t universal and there were no USB charging ports. 

Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT power outlets
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo NRT power outlets

Showers

Cathay Pacific Lounge NRT shower suite

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.

Cathay Pacific Lounge NRT shower suite
Cathay Pacific Lounge NRT shower suite

Conclusion

The Cathay Pacific Lounge at Tokyo NRT isnโ€™t bad by any means, itโ€™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.

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Hopefully that renovation will happen soon, and Narita will have a Cathay lounge to match Hanedaโ€™s.

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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Sean

Woah, deja vu โ€“ appears literally unchanged from the time I was there and it was the Admiralโ€™s loungeโ€ฆ