Review: Cathay Pacific First & Business Class Lounge – Paris CDG T2

a group of chairs in a room
Cathay Pacific First & Business Class lounge at Paris CDG

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After flying in to Paris from Doha in Qatar Airways Fist Class I had a few hours to kill before my connecting flight on to London. I had done my research before getting to Paris so I knew that the Cathay Pacific First & Business Class lounge would be the best place to spend some time.

The Cathay Pacific lounge is in Terminal 2 at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport and, more specifically, it’s airside in the connector building between Terminals 2A & 2C and one level up from the gates.

Look out for a sign directing you to “Lounges” in the midst of a series of shops….

a large airport with people walking and walking

…I wasn’t expecting a lounge entrance there so I walked right past it at first.

There’s an elevator to take guests up to the lounge level….

a sign on a wall

….and, as you can probably see from the signs, there’s an American Airlines Admirals Club here too.

The Cathay Pacific lounge is open daily between 06:00 and 21:30 and there is just one facility for both First Class and Business Class passengers.

a glass wall with a counter and a person sitting in front of itCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

Once you’re through the sliding glass doors the reception desk is straight ahead of you and the entrance to the main lounge area is to the right of the desk.

a hallway with shelves of books

As you walk into the lounge there’s a luggage storage area immediately on your left….

a room with a metal shelfCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

….and that’s quickly followed by a long and well-stocked newspaper/magazine rack on the same side:

a shelf with magazines on itCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

Further in, the first area you come to on your right is the dining area (more on that later)…..

a room with black tile floor and white tables and chairs

a group of people standing in a room with tables and chairsCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

…and opposite the dining area is the business room complete with booths housing PCs and Macs as well as printing/copying facilities:

a room with a computer and a desk

two computers on a desk

a desk with computer and chairCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

Moving on into the lounge there’s a seating area on the left which houses a series of armchairs….

a room with many chairs and a paintingCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

…while opposite this (and just past the dining area) are more armchairs but of a different color:

a room with chairs and tablesCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

Right at the end of the lounge there are more armchairs….

a room with chairs and a tableCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

….seats (with tables) overlooking the airport apron….

a room with chairs and a table and luggageCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

…and some highly designed single-seat booths:

a group of chairs in a room

a chair with a table in the middleCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

I actually ended up spending most of my stay in one of these booths and found it to be comfortable and, once I found the power outlet which was hidden under the table….

a close up of a power outletCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

….quite practical for getting some work done too.

It’s probably worth noting that all the power outlets I saw in the lounge were of the European variety….

a white rectangular object with two outletsCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

….so make sure you bring along an adapter if you’re planning a visit (and, obviously, if you’re not from Europe in the first place!)

The Lounge Food

The most important thing to know is that the lounge has one of Cathay’s well-loved noodle bars and it offers guests a choice of four dishes:

a menu on a tableCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

I was in the need of healthy-feeling food after my recent Business Class and First Class flights so I ordered the Pho Chicken noodles:

a bowl of soup with chopsticks and a spoon on a tray

a bowl of soup with vegetables and meatCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

They were good….but not great. I’ve definitely had better in Cathay lounges.

If noodles aren’t your thing or if you need a bit more sustenance then the lounge buffet may be more to your liking.

The hot food on offer included:

  • Chicken with white sauce and mushrooms
  • Salmon with sesame
  • Savoury French pie with vegetables
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Roasted potatoes

a group of bowls of food on a stove

a bowl of food on a counterCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

And…

  • Rice
  • Pumpkin soup

a kitchen counter with utensils and a pot of foodCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

On the cold side there was a salad bar….

a buffet line with food in bowls

a counter with bowls of foodCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

….a selection of cheeses, crackers and bread (the bread was very good)….

a trays of pastries and other pastries on a counterCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

…some fruit, a few lemon cupcakes and a selection of mini-pretzels and nuts:

a display case with drinks and beverages

a tray of food on a counterCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

As far as drinks go, there was the usual array of bottled water and juices but these were also interspersed with white wines and champagne:

a sink full of bottles and liquid

a group of bottles of liquid

a group of bottles of alcohol

bottles in a bucket of iceCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

A chiller cabinet on the wall held an impressive selection of sodas….

a display case with canned beveragesCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

…and an under counter chiller cabinet held more sodas and a choice of 3 beers:

a group of cans in a refrigeratorCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

There were three red wines on offer on one side….

a group of wine bottles on a counterCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

….and, to round off the lounge’s offering, there was a large coffee machine which also doubled as a hot water provider for those who prefer tea.

a machine with cups and cups on a counterCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

The Showers

This Cathay Pacific lounge offers shower facilities which you can reserve at reception (they’ll give you a key).

The shower rooms are similar in design to what you’ll find in a few of the other Cathay lounges around the world (like the lounge in San Francisco and the arrivals lounge in Hong Kong) and are pretty nice.

a bathroom with a sink and toilet

a bathroom sink with a wood tray and a hair dryerCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

The shower itself was good and powerful….

a shower head with a hoseCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

…and the lounge can provide most toiletries and amenities a guest is likely to need (razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc…)

a wooden tray with a variety of items on it

a stack of towels on a trayCathay Pacific Lounge Paris CDG

Thoughts

Whenever I see a First Class lounge and Business Class lounge offered up as one space I know not to set my expectations too high – the lounge is always going to be more Business Class than First Class – but, although this lounge isn’t anything special, it’s not bad at all.

The seating was comfortable, the food selection wasn’t fantastic but it also wasn’t bad, the shower facilities were good, the wi-fi worked fine and there was champagne on offer.

More importantly it was noticeably better then the last Cathay Pacific First & Business Class lounge I reviewed which was the one at Tokyo Narita.

I wasn’t visiting at a time when Cathay had a flight departing so I can’t really say how crowded this lounge can get….but this isn’t a large lounge.

Cathay flies its 777-300ERs out of Paris so, as oneworld Emerald card holders, oneworld Sapphire card holders, Business Class fliers and First Class fliers can all access this lounge (and bring guests in with them) I can imagine that there may be times where the lounge is busy.

Overall, however, I’d say that this is a solid Business Class lounge with the offer of champagne acting as a nod to First Class.

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