Cathay Pacific’s airport lounges are slowly re-opening across the globe, and the airline has a goal to have them all fully open again by September 2023.
The Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda was one of the first to re-open. I had the opportunity to visit the lounge prior to an international flight back to New York, and found that it made for a peaceful place to grab a bite and unwind with my family.
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda – Access
The Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda is located on the sixth floor of Terminal 3, near gate 114 in the international departures area of Tokyo Haneda.
After clearing security, turn left, walk for around 10 minutes past several gates and the transit hotel, and you’ll reach a set of glass doors on your left.
Past the glass doors are escalators that will take you up to several different lounges, including the Delta Sky Club and Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge located on Level 5. Continue up the escalators to Level 6 to reach the Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda.
Unlike the JAL Sakura Lounge, which is open until the last departing flight of the day, the Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda is only open from 7:30am–5pm daily.
Past the sliding glass doors of the entrance you’ll find the check-in desk, where the staff will ask for your boarding passes to scan you in.
There are several ways to access the lounge. These include being a First Class or business class passenger on an outbound flight on Cathay Pacific or any other Oneworld alliance airline, being a Oneworld member with Emerald or Sapphire status, being a Cathay Pacific Silver, Gold, or Diamond member, or being a Cathay Pacific Cargo Clan elite member.
If you’re flying in First Class or have Emerald or Sapphire status with Oneworld, then you may bring one guest in with you.
On the morning of my visit, I happened to be flying JAL business class with a flight departing at 11am, which granted me and my family access to the lounge.
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda – Seating
The lounge is decorated in wooden panels and accents along with neutral colours of beige, brown, grey, and teal, in keeping with Cathay Pacific’s colour palette. There is a variety of seating arrangements throughout.
Large glass windows go around almost the entire lounge, providing plenty of sunlight throughout.
The first impression I had upon entering was how quiet, spacious, and empty the lounge was. We had just come from the JAL Sakura Lounge, which was bustling with passengers.
To be honest, I much preferred this quieter atmosphere, and it also happens to be larger than the Sakura Lounge.
There is a variety of seating choices at the lounge, which is suitable for solo travellers, or for those travelling as a couple or as a family.
Right along the windows are black leather armchairs facing the departure gates and planes.
Between the armchairs is a wooden coffee table with a lamp and pullout drawer that has an outlet and USB-A port on each side.
Some of the seats have an ottoman upon which you can rest your feet.
In case you don’t want to be right up against the window or share a coffee table with someone else, you can grab a seat in the the row of single armchairs just behind. These chairs are equipped with reading lamps, a personal side table, and an outlet and USB port on the side.
Spaced out throughout the lounge are other seating arrangements, including sofas and upholstered chairs arranged around larger coffee tables. It seemed like charging ports were plentiful regardless of where you choose to sit, which is great for anyone who needs to charge up before a flight.
Given the large amount of spacing between seats and tables, even if the lounge were to be full, my sense is that it wouldn’t feel overcrowded.
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda – Dining
Almost equally as expansive as the seating area is the dining area, which is separated into a few areas.
There is a more casual area with barstools and high tables where people could sit or stand, depending on their preference, while they enjoy a quick bite before their flight.
Walking past this area is a space with a couple of long tables for those travelling in larger groups. These are surrounded by booths that can seat two people.
All booths have charging ports in case you want to work while you eat.
Towards the back of the dining area is the noodle bar.
For breakfast, the lounge offered a choice of a Japanese- or Chinese-style breakfast.
Although plain and simple, my kids loved the congee of the Chinese breakfast. The fish for the Japanese breakfast was a bit dry and overcooked.
The noodle offerings at breakfast were dan dan noodles and wonton noodle soup, which were delicious.
If you prefer a Western-style breakfast, French toast is also available. There was a smaller food station that offered traditional breads and pastries, yogurts, salads, cold cuts, and cheese, along with other small bites, such as quiche.
A self-serve drink station is located towards the end of the dining area, where canned beer, pop, bottled water, coffee, and tea are offered.
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda – Bar
On the other side of the lounge is the bar. Enclosed in wooden panelling with mirrors in the back, it had a classy look. There are several bar stools should you wish to enjoy your drink right up at the bar.
Several whiskeys and a list of cocktails are on menu. Specialty coffee and tea could also be ordered from here.
Personally, I enjoyed a nice mojito before the flight.
There didn’t appear to be any beer offered on tap, but you could pick up a can of Kirin beer in the self-serve beverage fridge next to the bar.
Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda – Other Facilities
There weren’t too many other features to the lounge other than the seating areas, dining areas, and bar. A small business centre with several computers and a printer were available for use.
Washrooms are available in the lounge, but there are no showers. You also won’t find a sleeping area or an area for kids here.
A variety of magazines were laid out on a couple of console tables around the lounge. Lastly, free Wi-Fi is available for guests to use.
Conclusion
Japanese airports aren’t necessarily known for their lounges, and if the ANA and Japan Airlines lounges are quite busy, the Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda offers a nice retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the airport. Inside, you’ll find a nice variety of seating available, and plenty of space to relax.
While I can’t comment on other meals of the day, the breakfast wasn’t gourmet by any means. However, my kids and I really appreciated the variety, and it was nice to sit and eat together before our long flight back home.
It’s important to know all of the lounge options you have available prior to a flight. If one lounge is busy and loud, you may be able to find a quieter space nearby, as was the case for our visit to the Cathay Pacific Lounge Tokyo Haneda.
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