Pudong Airport Lounge No.39 Review: Shanghai Transit Guide

Shanghai Pudong Airport Lounge

First Class Lounge No. 39 Review

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Written & Photographed by ©Hi-Bubu

So, you've wrapped up your amazing Shanghai trip, cleared immigration, and...

Find yourself with way more time to spare than you expected?

That's usually when we start thinking: "Should I check out an airport lounge?"

Curious about what the facilities and food are actually like inside?

Today, I'm sharing my honest review of the First Class Lounge,

which I used while heading back home through Pudong Airport!

First Class Lounge No. 39 First Class Lounge No. 39

Operating Hours: 06:00 - 23:00 Closed: None (Open Daily) Location: 2nd Floor, behind International Gate 18

The First Class Lounge I visited

is Lounge No. 39 (V39), and it operates daily

from 6:00 AM all the way until 11:00 PM.

While official guides say it's located near International Gate 18,

just reading that description makes it

quite tricky to actually find.

(To be honest, I wandered around for over 10 minutes!)

So, let's start with a detailed step-by-step guide

on exactly how to get there.

Once you pass through security and passport control,

you'll immediately see Gates 18 and 19 right ahead.

But even if you look around this area,

you won't spot any sign of the lounge at first glance.

Keep your eyes on the overhead signs and follow the direction

pointing toward "V39."

Soon, you'll spot an escalator

heading to the upper floor in the background.

Hop on, head upstairs, and

you'll see the entrances for Lounges V36 and V39.

Out of these, the First Class Lounge is V39,

so make sure you don't head into the wrong one!

To enter, you'll need to show

your lounge access pass and boarding pass at the front desk.

I used a lounge-affiliated credit card for access,

but if you don't have one, don't worry!

You can easily book a lounge pass separately using the link below.

▼ Book Shanghai Pudong Airport Lounge ▼

The interior of the lounge is divided into three spacious relaxation zones

and three dining/buffet areas.

However, since I visited on a weekday,

the innermost relaxation area was closed off.

Near the entrance and along the main hallway, there are single seats

as well as two-person table seating.

While these might not look like the coziest chairs for lounging,

the table setup makes them perfect and comfortable for grabbing a bite to eat.

The main relaxation area features huge, plush sofas,

which made it incredibly comfy to lounge in. However, since the tables are off to the side,

it was a bit awkward when trying to enjoy some food.

There were a few seats right next to the small buffet area,

but since they are probably the most comfortable spots for dining,

they were mostly occupied by larger groups.

As I mentioned earlier, the food setup in this lounge

is divided into three sections: one in the main seating area,

the live noodle station shown in the photo,

and the main hot food station.

First, at the noodle station, you can get Chinese-style thin noodles

complete with various toppings of your choice.

There were four or five different varieties,

and while they were simple, they were surprisingly tasty and satisfying!

Deeper inside the lounge, you'll find the main food station,

which offers snacks and a few hot dishes.

For hot mains, they had curry, stir-fried meat, spicy pork (jeyuk-bokkeum), tteokbokki,

rice, pasta, and mushroom soup,

and the quality of the food actually looked quite decent.

There were also two types of cup noodles: Chinese beef noodles

and Korean Shin Ramyun.

Whether it's because there are so many Korean visitors

or just the global popularity of Korean culture,

there was plenty of familiar comfort food to enjoy!

They also offered desserts, fresh salads, greens, and sandwiches,

but this section was a bit lacking in quality.

There was a wide variety of drinks, including sodas, milk, and black tea.

They had three kinds of beer—Heineken, Harbin, and Tsingtao—

plus three types of fruit juices, so there were plenty of options.

There was also a pretty decent selection of spirits like whiskey and wine.

Although they were budget-friendly brands like Jack Daniel's and Absolut,

they still had a great lineup of highly drinkable options.

You could grab a fresh cup of coffee from the coffee machine,

and since there was an ice maker right on the right side,

you could easily make your own iced coffee!

Since I was there more to relax and kill some time rather than because I was hungry,

I just wanted to wind down and relax,

so I just had a light bite and tried a couple of small plates.

The stir-fried spicy pork and sweet chili pork weren't too spicy;

they were pleasantly sweet and actually quite tasty!

I also tried the noodles topped with Shanghai-style pork,

and it was so mild yet tender—

a comforting flavor that kept me reaching for more.

Other than that, I just filled a cup with ice,

poured a cold beer, and enjoyed my time.

Today, I shared my review of the First Class Lounge at Pudong Airport,

which was my very last stop on my Shanghai trip.

Having been disappointed by underwhelming airport lounges abroad in the past,

I didn't have high expectations,

but the convenience of the lounge and

the quality of the food turned out to be surprisingly good.

They even had Korean dishes and Shin Ramyun,

so travelers looking for a taste of home will definitely find something to enjoy.

While paying out of pocket might feel a bit pricey,

if you have a lounge access card (like Priority Pass),

it's absolutely worth stopping by!