Guangzhou — It’s May 8, 2026, 06:03 China Standard Time.
Star Alliance has now shifted its premium lounge to Terminal 3 at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, unveiling a 24-hour space as operations continue to move out of Terminal 1. According to the alliance, this new facility takes over from its previous lounge in Guangzhou and follows the launch of its first Asian lounge in the city earlier in 2024.
Timing is key here. Starting at 2 a.m. on May 7, Baiyun Airport started moving all 11 airlines left in Terminal 1 over to Terminal 3. With that, arrivals and departures for these carriers now run out of the new terminal. Terminal 1, meanwhile, no longer handles those flights.
Star Alliance is establishing a joint premium lounge as Guangzhou airport revises its passenger routes. The alliance counts ten member airlines in the city—among them, Air China, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines—together handling roughly 1,500 flights a week. Those departures serve 52 destinations across 10 countries.
Spanning roughly 1,400 square metres, the new lounge seats 245 and features a 700-square-metre outdoor garden—a rarity in airport lounges. Doors stay open 24/7, catering to international flights that don’t stick to the usual hours.
Only first- and business-class flyers, along with Star Alliance Gold members—the top frequent-flyer tier within the alliance—are allowed in, and just on member airline departures out of Terminal 3.
Ambar Franco, Star Alliance’s vice president for customer experience, described the lounge as “a critical part” of the passenger journey, adding that the new Guangzhou location is “bigger and better” than what came before. Franco was joined at the opening by Baiyun airport deputy general manager Qi Yaoming, along with airline reps and airport partners. EVA Air
Local influences are front and center in the lounge design. Star Alliance and the airport have layered in nods to Lingnan culture and the natural scenery around Guangzhou—a centerpiece modeled after the kapok flower, the city’s emblem, stands out, and tea artists take charge of an on-site tea service.
Step inside and you’ll find rest areas, sleep pods, private rooms, reading nooks, and spots to get work done. On the food front, menus shaped by the Pullman Hotel chef team feature both Chinese and Western selections, per industry sources.
Qi Yaoming said the airport aims to ramp up work with Star Alliance and top carriers, targeting “route network expansion, transfer facilitation, and smart travel.” The pitch is straightforward: a lounge does more than provide comfy chairs. It’s a tool for airlines to lock in lucrative passengers who might otherwise drift to competitors at a crowded hub. CorporateWebsite
Still, the terminal switch isn’t without headaches. Terminal 1’s parking gets shuttered, and both the Airport South metro and Baiyun Airport South intercity rail stop skipping the station. Travelers bound for Terminal 3 could find themselves relying on shuttles—any crowding there, and even a premium lounge won’t solve curbside or transit snags.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Business Travel Service Co., a unit of the airport, runs the lounge. Its portfolio covers VIP, terminal guest, first- and business-class lounge and hotel offerings. Star Alliance, for its part, reports a network spanning 26 member airlines, connecting over 1,150 airports in 190 countries.
