Beijing Capital: the right lounge between Terminal 2 and 3

At Terminal 3, in the international area of building 3E, those without a premium ticket find independent lounges open at all hours. The BGS Premier Lounge, near gate E19, accepts Priority Pass with a maximum stay and also admits for a fee those who do not have the card; it serves free alcoholic drinks of a basic selection and infants do not pay. The Joy Rest Lounge, in the same building, also accepts Priority Pass and sells entry.The airlines' lounges at T3 follow their own rules. The Air China Business Class Lounge, in 3E near gate E19, is for Business passengers of the flag carrier and for Star Alliance Gold members, and has showers. The Air China First Class Lounge, next to gate E20, is instead closed for renovation: those flying first class with Air China should not count on it. The Cathay Pacific Lounge, on level 3 next to gate E20, is reserved for holders of eligible status and has the airline's typical Noodle Bar, a tea room and private areas; its hours follow Cathay flights. At Terminal 2 the offer is more fragmented. For international flights there is another BGS Premier Lounge, after security, open day and night and accessible with Priority Pass: it is the base for those transiting at night through this terminal. The Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Lounge, the China Eastern V2 Lounge and the Air China First and Business Class Lounge all appear in the Priority Pass guide, so even those travelling in economy with the card have more than one alternative. The V2 also welcomes eligible SkyTeam and China Eastern members and sells entry. Those looking for a massage more than an armchair can look to Comfort Zone, a chain of massage centres with branches in Terminal 2 and in areas 3C and 3E of Terminal 3. It is not a lounge in the strict sense: at the T3 branches you pay for entry, each branch has its own hours and the one at T2 never closes. The most useful criterion, in Beijing, remains the hours. For night departures or long connections the BGS lounges and the Joy Rest, always open, are the safe choice, while the airlines' lounges follow flight times or, like the Air China one at T2, open mid-morning and close in the evening.

To choose at Beijing Capital you just need to cross three pieces of information: terminal, ticket and departure time. In Business with Air China or with Star Alliance Gold status the lounge is the airline's in 3E; with eligible Cathay Pacific status there is the Noodle Bar next to gate E20. With Priority Pass the BGS lounges of the two terminals and the Joy Rest cover any time of day, and at T2 the lounges of the Chinese airlines listed in the guide are added. For a massage, on the other hand, the answer is Comfort Zone.