Desk research: we have not visited Baiyun’s lounges. Terminal changes come from Guangzhou government notices; lounge details from Star Alliance, China Southern, Air China, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass, checked on 17 October 2026.
Guangzhou Baiyun lounges after Terminal 1 closed: China Southern in T2, the 24-hour Star Alliance lounge in T3, Priority Pass rooms and who gets in.
Key takeaways
- That depends on your terminal. China Southern’s lounges are in Terminal 2.
- Terminal 2 holds China Southern’s four lounges, split by cabin or status and by domestic or international, plus two independent rooms. Terminal 3 has the Star…
- China Southern First and Business passengers use its lounges in Terminal 2, international or domestic.
- Star Alliance Gold opens the Star Alliance lounge on any member-operated flight from Terminal 3, with a guest on the same flight.
- A card helps only through the lounge memberships it bundles.
Which Guangzhou Baiyun lounge can you use?
Link to this answerThat depends on your terminal. China Southern’s lounges are in Terminal 2. Terminal 3, opened in late October 2025, has the 24-hour Star Alliance lounge and airport lounges L33, L34 and L35. Terminal 1 stopped operating on 7 May 2026, so any advice sending you there is out of date.
A Guangzhou government notice says the last 11 airlines in Terminal 1, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Kunming, Shandong, Xizang, Hainan, Capital, Tianjin, West Air, Urumqi Air and Lucky Air, moved to Terminal 3 from 02:00 on 7 May. Earlier, on 22 January, Terminal 1’s international flights moved to T3, including those of China Eastern, Hainan, Shenzhen Airlines and Spring. We checked every source on this page on 17 October 2026.
One more correction to older guides: China Southern is no longer a SkyTeam airline. SkyTeam’s member list includes China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines but not China Southern, so there is no SkyTeam network at its hub to plan around.
What lounges are at Guangzhou Baiyun, and where are they?
Link to this answerTerminal 2 holds China Southern’s four lounges, split by cabin or status and by domestic or international, plus two independent rooms. Terminal 3 has the Star Alliance lounge, Air China’s premium lounge and three numbered airport lounges. Priority Pass and Plaza Premium cover many of them, but not the Star Alliance or Air China rooms.
The Star Alliance lounge finder still lists two lounges in Terminal 1, a CA Lounge on the third floor and a premium lounge; ignore both, since the terminal has closed. It also lists premium lounges with unclear terminal labels, which we have left out.
Two listings share a number. Star Alliance’s Guangzhou page calls its lounge L35, and Priority Pass lists a “Lounge L35” in Terminal 3’s international area, also open 24 hours. Neither page says whether they are the same room, so a Priority Pass member should not assume entry to the Star Alliance lounge.
| Lounge | Where | Hours | Who gets in | Paid or Priority Pass | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Alliance Guangzhou Lounge (L35) | T3 international, straight ahead after immigration | 24 hours | International First and Business on Star Alliance; Star Alliance Gold on member flights | Not sold by Star Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Lounge L35 (Priority Pass listing) | T3 international, 4th floor, about 30 m ahead on the right after security | 24 hours | Priority Pass members | Priority Pass, 2 hours | Priority Pass |
| Air China premium lounge | T3, 4th floor near Gate 62 | Set by flight schedule | Air China passengers under its rules; guests on its terms | Not listed | Star Alliance |
| Lounges L33 and L34 | T3 domestic, 2nd floor: L33 opposite Gate B817, L34 opposite Gate 917 | 06:30–21:30 | Departing domestic passengers | Priority Pass, 2 hours | L33, L34 |
| China Southern First/Business Class Lounge (international) | T2 international, 4th floor: left after immigration | 04:30 to last China Southern flight | China Southern First and Business | Priority Pass, 2 hours; Plaza Premium booking | Priority Pass, Plaza Premium |
| China Southern Gold/Silver/Elite Plus Lounge (international) | T2 international, 4th floor: 10 m ahead then left after immigration | 04:30 to last China Southern flight | Sky Pearl elites | Priority Pass, 2 hours; Plaza Premium booking | Priority Pass |
| China Southern First/Business Class Lounge (domestic) | T2 domestic, 3rd floor: left after security | 04:30 to last China Southern flight | China Southern domestic First and Business | Priority Pass, 2 hours; Plaza Premium booking | Priority Pass |
| China Southern Gold/Silver/Elite Plus Lounge (domestic) | T2 domestic, 3rd floor: left after security | 06:00 to last China Southern flight | Sky Pearl elites | Priority Pass, 2 hours; Plaza Premium booking | Priority Pass |
| Premium Lounge | T2 international, 3rd floor: right after security | 24 hours | Departing international passengers | Priority Pass | Priority Pass |
| Easy-boarding Lounge | T2 domestic, 3rd floor: left after security | 06:30–21:30 | Departing domestic passengers | Priority Pass | Priority Pass |
Where do business and first class passengers go at Baiyun?
Link to this answerChina Southern First and Business passengers use its lounges in Terminal 2, international or domestic. Star Alliance premium passengers on international flights from Terminal 3 go to the Star Alliance lounge, L35, open around the clock. Air China lists a premium lounge near Gate 62 in T3. Other airlines name their own contract lounges.
Star Alliance’s Guangzhou page calls this its first branded lounge in Asia, justified by 10 member airlines running over 700 weekly departures to 50 destinations. It describes a glass facade with tarmac views, workstations and shower suites, and its amenity list includes conference rooms and private rooms.
Entry follows the Star Alliance policy: international First and Business passengers on a member-operated flight, with one guest for First but none for Business. China Southern’s lounge FAQ says First and Business ticket holders, and Gold or Silver Sky Pearl members, can use its VIP lounges at airports where it has an agreement.
Which Baiyun lounges does airline status open?
Link to this answerStar Alliance Gold opens the Star Alliance lounge on any member-operated flight from Terminal 3, with a guest on the same flight. China Southern’s Sky Pearl Platinum, Gold and Silver members use its Terminal 2 lounges with two, one and no companions. PhoenixMiles Silver members on domestic flights can spend miles on Shenzhen Airlines’ King Lounge.
Sky Pearl’s elite rules apply only on flights China Southern markets and operates. A companion must be flying China Southern the same day and arrive at the desk with the member, and access is limited to lounges China Southern owns or contracts.
PhoenixMiles lists Guangzhou Baiyun among the airports where Silver members on Air China or Shenzhen Airlines domestic flights can pay 1,500 km for Shenzhen Airlines’ King Lounge. China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines now check in at Island E of Terminal 3, according to a city government notice; none of the lounge lists we checked names a China Eastern room at Baiyun, so SkyTeam Elite Plus members should ask at check-in.
Can a credit card get you into a Guangzhou lounge?
Link to this answerA card helps only through the lounge memberships it bundles. Baiyun has no bank-branded lounge in the lists we checked, and Priority Pass is the usual route, reaching all four China Southern lounges in Terminal 2 and the numbered T3 lounges. Check whether your card’s membership covers guests before bringing anyone.
Most of these rooms are run for the airline or the airport rather than for card issuers, so the membership decides everything. Each Priority Pass listing at Baiyun gives its own stay limit, and some show two hours in one place and three in another.
For how card-linked memberships compare, see Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass; for companions, can you bring a guest into a lounge.
Which Baiyun lounges accept Priority Pass?
Link to this answerNine. Terminal 3 has L33 and L34 for domestic flights and L35 for international ones, open 24 hours. Terminal 2 has China Southern’s four lounges, the 24-hour Premium Lounge and the domestic Easy-boarding Lounge. China Southern’s rooms state no airline condition, but they help only if you depart from Terminal 2.
China Southern’s international First and Business lounge has a children’s play area, day beds, massage chairs and a separate smoking area, and Priority Pass warns that space can be restricted. The Gold/Silver international lounge next door opens at the same 04:30, while its domestic equivalent opens at 06:00.
In Terminal 3, L35 is about 30 metres ahead on the right after security on the 4th floor. L33 and L34 serve domestic gates from 06:30 to 21:30. The Premium Lounge and Easy-boarding Lounge in Terminal 2 show both a two- and a three-hour limit on their pages, so assume the shorter.
Ad · Priority Pass membership. At Guangzhou Baiyun it lists nine lounges, including China Southern’s four in Terminal 2 and the 24-hour L35 in Terminal 3; it doesn’t include the Star Alliance lounge.
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Can you pay for a lounge at Guangzhou Baiyun?
Link to this answerPlaza Premium sells booked visits to China Southern’s Terminal 2 lounges and a China Southern VIP room, with the fee shown at checkout. Star Alliance does not sell entry to its Guangzhou lounge. In Terminal 3 without status or a ticket that qualifies, a Priority Pass visit to L33, L34 or L35 is the published route.
Plaza Premium’s Guangzhou page covers China Southern’s First and Business lounges and its Sky Pearl lounges, domestic and international. Its international First and Business listing promises a two-hour visit without boarding announcements, with baggage storage and a smoking area; showers and a private resting area may cost extra.
Star Alliance’s paid entry currently covers only Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro, so the Guangzhou lounge depends on your ticket or Gold status.
Which Guangzhou lounge suits a long wait?
Link to this answerTerminal 3’s international side is the place: the Star Alliance lounge and Priority Pass’s L35 listing are both open 24 hours, and Star Alliance lists showers and private rooms. In Terminal 2, the international Premium Lounge never closes, while China Southern’s rooms run from 04:30 to the last China Southern flight.
Domestic waits are harder. L33, L34 and the Easy-boarding Lounge close at 21:30, so late domestic departures depend on airline lounges and their schedule-linked hours.
If you are leaving the airport between flights, Terminal 1’s metro and intercity rail stations no longer stop. The city notice sends passengers on Metro Line 3 or 9 to Gaozeng, Exit B, then a shuttle to Terminal 3, about 15 minutes in all. Our CAN to Guangzhou guide and 240-hour visa-free transit guide cover the rest.
What changed at Baiyun’s terminals in 2025 and 2026?
Link to this answerTerminal 3 opened in late October 2025. On 22 January 2026 it took every international and regional flight from Terminal 1, and on 7 May the remaining 11 domestic airlines followed, ending Terminal 1’s service. Star Alliance now lists its lounge in Terminal 3, so ignore any directory or app still pointing to Terminal 1.
The January move shifted 30 international and regional carriers to Terminal 3, and Spring Airlines moved its domestic flights at the same time. By May, Terminal 1’s parking areas had closed and the city notice described Terminal 2 only as an on-demand shuttle stop during the changeover.
Inside Terminal 3, check-in is grouped by island: international and regional flights at G, H and K; Air China, Shenzhen, Shandong, Hainan, Capital and Juneyao at D; China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and Spring at E.
Where should you wait at Baiyun with your ticket?
Link to this answerChina Southern in a premium cabin or with Sky Pearl status: its Terminal 2 lounge for your cabin and route. Star Alliance in First or Business, or with Gold: the 24-hour Star Alliance lounge in Terminal 3. Priority Pass: L35 for international flights from Terminal 3, or the Premium Lounge in Terminal 2.
Baiyun now works as two separate airports for lounge purposes. Confirm the terminal on your boarding pass, then the domestic or international side, before choosing.
For the airport overall, see the Guangzhou Baiyun airport page; for alliance rules, the Star Alliance lounge hub; and for Plaza Premium’s wider network, our Plaza Premium guide.
Evidence note
How we checked this guide
Research basis
24 external references linked in this guide and its resources. Each reference supports only the claims it addresses; a link is not evidence of first-hand testing.
Experience standard
No first-hand test or trip is implied unless the article explicitly states who tested it, when and under what conditions.
Content update date
Content updated on 17 October 2026; this is not an independent verification of every linked source. Time-sensitive prices, rules and eligibility must be checked again before purchase or travel.
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