Monday, January 29, 2024

China Airlines Lounge SFO

ヴァージンアトランティックのラウンジでガッカリして、階下の中華航空ラウンジへ。

ここです。広さはヴァージンの4分の1くらいです。
入口に Priority Pass のロゴも出ているので安心♪ 難なく入室できました。

PPass アプリでみたら、こういう情報が出てきます。
ピークタイムは入場制限がかかるようです。
最近の空港ラウンジはどこも混雑してきて、なんかイヤな感じ。

さっき J.P. Morgan のアカウントを使ったので、今度はこっちで。
アメックス・プラチナカードに付帯しているほうです。

最近のプラチナカード付帯の PPass は年間15回とかの上限があったりします。J.P. Morgan のほうは青天井で、同伴者も事実上無制限のままです。信託投資がちっとも育たないから、J.P. Morgan はできるだけ無駄遣いしてやりたいです。

入場すると… そんなに混んでないけど、なんだか『くたびれた感じ』のラウンジ。
全体に『年季が入った』というか、古めかしいというか…。

これで『ぁぁ、Wendy's でおなかいっぱい食べてきて良かった』と、自己肯定♪

こうしてみると、上階にあるヴァージンアトランティックのラウンジよりも、なんだか落ち着きます。
台湾の航空会社ですが、客相までアジア系ということはありませんでした。
見た目がなんだか西アジアっぽい奴がいたけど、みんな中南米系の客でした。
最初、トルコちゃんで一緒に搭乗する客か?と勘違いしてしまいました。

浅黒くてデカい口髭を生やした奴って、南米か中東か区別できない。
でも、連れがいたら会話の様子で スペイン語かアラビア語かで判定できます。

こちらのラウンジは『自分で取り放題』なアイテムが多くて嬉しかった。
例えばソフトドリンクやビールはこの冷蔵庫に。

スナックもいろいろありました。面倒なので全部は写していません。
この時はまだギリギリ午前中なので、トースターでパンを焼く人が結構います。

アルコールもセルフサービスなので、一杯やる人にも居心地がいいかも。
このアルコール類の左手にはカウンターがあって、麺類とかをオーダーできる様子でした。

こうして写真を撮っていたら、スナック類がランチのアイテムへ交換され始めました。
食べる元気が無いので、おばさんのケツの後ろにある物体を盗撮。
チャーハンみたいなのとか、中華系なので日本人には相性が良さそう。

おなかいっぱいなのでオレンジジュースを一杯だけもらってきました。
もうこれだけで充分でした。

あと試してないのは Golden Gate Lounge という共用ラウンジだけなので、またAゲート出発になったら入場してみてレポートしますけど、もしまたAゲート出発になったら、まずは迷わず Wendy's へ直行です。(笑)

こうしてみると、ポラリスラウンジって凄いじゃん!?…って感心できました。

ここんちでも、Wi-Fi の速度計測をしておきました。
上下 90Mbps を超えていて優秀。PING 反射は 5ms でした。

ジュース飲みながら Yahoo! ニュースを眺めて時間を潰してから、ゲートへ。
Aゲート側はGゲートのコンコースより空いている印象があります。

トルコちゃんの隣には、こないだ羽田で火だるまになっちゃった飛行機の姉妹機が!?
でも、よく見たらボーイング 787 でした。これは B787-9 のようですが、鶴丸の採用したエンジンがGEnX かトレントかは不明。

炭になった A350 もそうですが、エアバスは先っぽがアライグマの目みたいになっているので判別できます。 

鶴丸は機材と犬猫ひとりづつ燃え尽きても、ヒトは助かったので立派です。
もし南朝鮮なら… セヲル号のように、機長から真っ先に脱出するでしょう。
もし大陸中華なら… 荷物持って逃げようとして、みんな焼け氏ぬでしょう。

ラウンジつながりで、次記事は復路のイスタンブールでのラウンジ情報を簡単に。

4 comments:

  1. Following Virgin Atlantic, this time it's China Airlines. You won't actually be boarding; it's just lounge access, but it's bringing me back a lot of old memories, and it's a lot of fun.

    If my memory serves me right, China Airlines used to rent space in other airlines' lounges at both Haneda and Narita airports. Even though I was a first-class passenger, I could only enter other airlines' business class lounges. However, at their main hub, Taipei Airport, their lounge was spacious, and they even made noodles right there. At that time, I wasn't flying first class, so I could only experience their business class lounge.

    Wow, is the China Airlines lounge downstairs about a quarter the size of Virgin's? It seems like they also impose entry restrictions during peak times. Airport lounges seem to be getting crowded everywhere these days. Is it because there are more eligible visitors, or has the entry threshold been lowered?

    Recently, AmEx Platinum card's Priority Pass, which is included as a benefit, seems to have an annual limit on the number of lounge entries, like 15 times per year? I believe the Platinum card's annual fee has also increased compared to before, but it seems like there's a noticeable decrease in services, just like with the Centurion card. On the other hand, J.P. Morgan still offers unlimited lounge entries and effectively unlimited accompanying guests, which is a good thing to maintain high-quality service. If your trust investments aren't growing much, maybe you can make up for it by fully utilizing the J.P. Morgan included benefits (but that might be a stretch?).

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  2. As you mentioned, this China Airlines lounge doesn't seem too crowded, but it gives off a bit of a "worn out" and "vintage" vibe, or rather, an old-fashioned atmosphere that can also be sensed from the images you took. However, in my mind, "Asian airline's own lounge in a foreign country equals modest, old-fashioned, and somewhat nostalgic," so it aligns with my perception. If I were to actually enter this lounge, I might find it surprisingly relaxing. For someone like you, who has been Americanized, your pre-action of going to Wendy's and satisfying your hunger must be a self-affirmation. Your choice seems to be correct.

    China Airlines is a Taiwanese airline, but when I boarded the leg from Haneda (or Narita) to Honolulu on the flight originating from Taipei, and the leg from Bangkok to Amsterdam also on the flight from Taipei, so there was quite a mix of people on board, although Asian passengers were relatively more abundant.
    By the way, where did other Turkish Airlines passengers spend their time while waiting around A Gate?

    Even for an experienced individual like you, it seems that it's not easy to distinguish someone with a tan and a large mustache as being from South America or the Middle East. Nevertheless, you were able to discern the language spoken, whether it was Spanish or Arabic, to make your judgment. If it were me, my ears would probably shut down automatically, and I wouldn't be able to make any judgments at all.

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  3. You were delighted to find many 'help yourself' items in this lounge. However, if this were the Polaris Lounge, you would probably be lamenting, 'Oh, United Airlines' service has deteriorated again,' so I guess it's all about perspective, right? (lol)

    I'm naturally frugal, so I probably wouldn't be toasting bread in the lounge, but I do like my breakfast toast at home occasionally, and I like it crispy. When we were kids, we used to be told things like 'eating burnt parts can cause cancer,' but I wonder if that old tale had any basis?

    Speaking of which, when it comes to domestic flights, in my case, I'm happy to enjoy some self-service alcohol in the lounge before the flight, but only if I have an evening departure with no plans for dinner at the destination and no driving after landing. In such a situation, having a drink in the lounge makes the travel experience more enjoyable due to the cozy atmosphere.

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  4. This lounge doesn't seem to be anything special, but still, having a counter where things like noodles can be ordered is a testament to the Taiwanese airline. If I were using this lounge, I would have definitely ordered some kind of noodles.

    It looks like while you were taking pictures, the snacks started transitioning into lunch items. I had a similar experience recently when I went to McDonald's for their breakfast menu, and right at 10:30 am, it transformed into the regular menu. I personally like hash browns, but it's unfortunate they're not part of the regular menu. They explained that due to their kitchen system, offering both hash browns and regular fries at the same time is challenging. As a hash brown enthusiast, it's disappointing, but I can't resist regular fries either (lol).

    I also appreciate that they have rice dishes like fried rice, not just noodles. Since it's Chinese cuisine, as you mentioned, it seems to go well with Japanese tastes.

    You've only yet to try the Golden Gate Lounge, which seems a shared lounge, so please report back if you get a chance to enter it on your next A-gate departure. And if you have to, feel free to head straight to Wendy's without hesitation, but keep some space in your stomach to try the Golden Gate Lounge (unnecessary anxiety?).

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