Shenzhen: which lounge to choose at Terminal 3

If you are leaving on a domestic flight and have a Priority Pass or a Diners Club card, or are willing to pay for entry, your reference point is the Joyee Guest Lounge. Here the food is what counts: a counter prepares Cantonese noodles to order, and the hot buffet includes fried rice, braised pork and dim sum. If your aim is a proper meal before boarding, it is the most sensible choice. On the same domestic side, the Shenzhen Airlines King Lounge welcomes business and first class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members, with showers and a hot buffet. China Southern, on the other hand, divides its customers by category: the China Southern First/Business Lounge V2 is for those with a first or business class ticket, while the China Southern Gold/Silver/Elite Plus Lounge V3 is for members with Gold, Silver and Elite Plus status and also accepts Priority Pass.If you board from the T3S satellite on a domestic flight, you have the China Southern Airlines Lounge, in the area of the 500-series gates. From the main terminal you get there by transfer after security, so it is worth allowing a few extra minutes. Here too you can enter with Priority Pass, and the lounge opens before dawn, which is useful for the first flights of the day. It should not be confused with the V3 in the main terminal: they are two separate lounges, with different access rules. For international flights the reference lounge for Priority Pass holders is the International VIP Lounge 1, near gate 309. Its strong point is practical rather than gastronomic: every seat has power and USB sockets, a real advantage if you need to work or charge your phone before leaving. If you prefer a massage to an armchair you can head for Comfort Zone, which has more than one location at Terminal 3 and is more spa than lounge. Here too you can enter with Priority Pass or by paying, but the experience is different: you come for the treatment, not to eat or to wait for boarding at a table.

In short, in Shenzhen you have to cross two pieces of information: the side of the terminal you leave from and what you hold in your hand. A business or first class ticket takes you to the airline lounges, the Shenzhen Airlines King Lounge or China Southern's V2; a China Southern status opens the V3. With Priority Pass you choose between the Joyee Guest Lounge, the International VIP Lounge 1 for international flights and the China Southern lounge in the satellite, keeping Comfort Zone for a massage.