Lounge 39 Shanghai PVG (JAL & Air France)
Last month, I passed through this lounge for just over an hour before a flight to Tokyo with Japan Airlines. This is a brief review of my experience at Lounge 39 Shanghai PVG.
Location and Signposting
The signposting to this lounge was a fail. I imagined it would be near gate 39, given the lack of any descriptive name. So I followed signs for gate 39, but was unable to locate it.
After wondering around for about 15 minutes, I ended up back to where I started and found the lounge was actually right past security/immigration on the right and you had to go back on yourself. Somewhat counter to looking for things ahead of you on auto-pilot.
Lounge 39 Shanghai PVG Space and Atmosphere
As signposted this lounge is used by Japan Airlines as well as Air France business class passengers. The reception take your boarding pass before you can enter.
As you go through on the right of the reception, it leads you into a corridor (already part of the lounge) with chairs arranged in pairs around small coffee tables.
The main space is just to the left with side tables arranged around sofa chairs. There are enough power ports and side tables to place your laptop etc.
As you go further in via the corridor in the left there is a small food canteen offering fresh noodles.
Past that there are further seating areas, which are more cosier perhaps.
As you can see, the main room was far busier than the other smaller spaces.
You will also find fairly private individual work spaces, which is great if you need to do some work.
These appear to be all for first come first served bases.
A couple of massage chairs are also available, but it seemed someone was using it, so I never came back to try it.
I found all the spaces to be ambient and relaxing, even though it was fairly busy.
Lounge 39 Shanghai PVG Food & Drink
There is buffet spread on the main space you enter though. The choices and options were neither inspiring or great. Just regular food to alleviate any hunger pangs. As well as soft drinks and tea/coffee.
Buffet selection left much to be desired. The noodle bar adjacent does have fresh noodles as well as dumplings however.
I had a mix of prawn and veg dumplings. They were adequate, nothing on the quality level I’ve enjoyed throughout my travels in China.
A selection of drinks and alcohol were on offer in the main area as well as the room leading into the other seating spaces.
Overall thoughts
This is a nice lounge, if somewhat on the average side in terms of food, drinks etc. The service was good, and friendly, but perhaps understaffed, given some of the buffet options went empty for a while. If you wanted to have dinner, I would probably eat somewhere else. Shanghi PVG airport does have many mediocre lounges.
But if you were not fussy with your food or just wanted a few refreshments while you relax/work its a decent place to spent a couple of hours.