I popped by to check out the Plaza Premium Lounge at Chongqing Airport before flying back home. I had plenty of time to spare. This lounge is rather new and only opened back in April this year. It is the only contract lounge available to access Priority Pass members in the international terminal departures area. It can come in handy especially if you are flying out late since most of the shops and outlets are closed in the airport. It is shocking how this airport lacks 24-hour outlets and even a quick stand for travellers to grab something. I have always had slightly higher standards for Plaza Premium Lounge. Their chain usually offers contract lounges slightly above the standards of the rest. Let’s see how this is.

Access Requirements

Plaza Premium Lounge Chongqing is open daily from 6am to 2am. You can access this lounge via lounge program membership like Priority Pass. I have an unlimited Priority Pass through my Citi Prestige Credit Card or my UOB Reserve Card and I use that to access the lounge. A normal entrance will cost 35 USD via PP. Typical guest entitlements follow. You can also pay directly for an entrance to the lounge.

Arrival & Location

The lounge is located at Pier H near gate H02-H04. You can spot it very easily. There was no one at this hour and I was immediately helped by the staff. I entered after scanning my Priority Pass Card. You are also allowed to order one set of food per person. This can be done with the staff or through the QR code on the table. For international guests, you can only do so via the reception, which sounds stupid given the amount of international guests that pass through the lounge.

Plaza Premium Lounge Chongqing

The lounge was very quiet when I was here given the late hour. It is just a small room and the place isn’t huge. It is also very exposed to the main terminal. This place feels more like a restaurant rather than a lounge. It has seating for probably around 30 pax or so.

It mostly consists of dining tables and there are also some armchairs and recliners on the side over here. You can also find some couches for lounging. Here are some pictures of the place. The place feels new and well-maintained.

Food and Drinks

Given my late arrival, there isn’t much left, you can just find some drinks on the buffet. They had some packaged snacks, yoghurt and fruits. Alcoholic drinks consist of some wines and canned beer. Non-alcoholic drinks consist of a soda fountain, coffee, tea and juices.

As mentioned earlier, each guest can order once from the set menu. You can find the choice here. It looks quite good. I was informed during my arrival that they only had the Tonkotsu Ramen Set left.

The food took around 15 minutes to arrive. It wasn’t too nice and we just had some nits and picks at it.

Conclusion

This is a rather lacklustre lounge, even for a Plaza Premium. I certainly expect a lot more. It belongs to the lower spectrum of things. The food and drinks selections are subpar and there are also no facilities over here. There are no toilets or showers. This certainly limits the usefulness of this place. I am not a fan of the configuration as you are very exposed to the main terminal. However, with the lack of other choices, this is still the only contract lounge you have access to under Priority Pass. You can still pop by here for some drinks while waiting. Don’t expect anything more.