We visited the Cathay Pacific Lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport a few times over the past couple of years, plus once back in the pre-Covid days.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport isn’t exactly overflowing with good airline lounges (probably aside from Juneyao’s), so this one tends to stand out, especially when the alternative is usually something a bit… uninspiring.

Location and access

The Cathay Pacific Lounge is located in Terminal 2, above Gate 69 (it’s signposted by gate number, which actually makes it easier than most airports).

It sits right beside a lounge that you can enter with Priority Pass, you’ll see both entrances in the same area upon getting up to the second floor.

Access follows the usual oneworld lounge rules, with entry for eligible cabins and status holders. Cathay Pacific’s own Silver members can also get in on Cathay flights, and some Standard Chartered Hong Kong-issued credit cards come with lounge access benefits that can be used here too, depending on the specific programme.

Layout

This lounge is on the smaller side compared to Cathay Pacific’s other lounges. Once you’re past reception, you move through The Terrace, which actually resembles an actual terrace, along with very home-like interiors.

Moving past The Terrace will bring you to this open area with lots of co-working desks and high-top seats. This is also where the self-service buffet is.

Finally, you reach the Noodle Bar.

Beyond that, there’s more seating wrapped around the Noodle Bar area, with views out towards the gates and a bit of the tarmac.

The layout is compact, easy to understand, and it generally feels calm even when there’s a steady trickle of people coming through.

Food and drinks

There’s a buffet spread with a mix of hot and cold items, plus the usual self-serve drinks.

But the main reason to come here is the Noodle Bar. Cathay Pacific does these well across its network, and what makes each outstation fun is the local “signature” dish. In PVG, that’s xiao long bao, and I honestly loved it. The skins are on the thinner side, and they hit the sweet spot between delicate and satisfying.

You can request for more servings of each dishes, or even ask for wantons without the noodles.

Champagne is also available around the buffet area, and they serve Laurent-Pierre champagne.

Amenities

This isn’t a facilities-heavy lounge. From memory, there’s a small work/business corner, and that’s about it.

The big thing to know is that there are no showers. If you’re connecting through Hong Kong and you’re holding out for a proper freshen-up, you’re better off saving that for the Cathay lounges there.

Concluding thoughts

For Shanghai Pudong, this is a very solid lounge. It’s small and cosy, it rarely feels overcrowded, and the food offering — especially the Noodle Bar — is genuinely worth arriving a little early for. The champagne is a nice bonus too.

The lack of showers is the only real let-down, but if what you want is a comfortable place to sit, decent food, and a calmer pre-flight wait, Cathay’s lounge is one of the better options at PVG.