Originally Posted by
coastda
Not being able to use my SWUs to upgrade on UA metal to China in May I have secured space in business from PDX thru NRT to Peking on ANA and back through YVR on AC - Apparently AC's first IS business or vice versa?
Any comments on these airlines i9nternational service and what louges can I use in YVR, NRT or PEK (I'm a 1K if that makes any difference).
On my itinerary it says that I'm flying UA 875. Is that a code share or United meal (SEA-NRT)?
Thanks
Back to the OPs questions...
You definitely want to use the ANA lounge at NRT, which is great! The RCC is nice too, and it has good showers and the beer machine, but most seem to agree that the ANA lounge wins out. It has its own showers and beer machine, plus food!
In PEK, the options are not great. Other threads will give you detail on this, but I think every post I have seen on this topic agrees (as do I) that the best option is the lounge far out on the pier at PEK and not the Air China lounge you come to shortly after clearing passport control and security. The former is OK, although not very good, and the latter is simply aweful.
As for YVR, upon arrival you have two options. If you want a shower you can clear customs and immigration to enter Canada and then there is a contract lounge where you can use their facilities for a shower (you get in on the basis of your AC business class boarding pass). Or, you can go through the transit lanes to enter the US and make use of the Maple Leaf lounge for the flights to the US. This is a particularly nice lounge with nice views, good food, free booze, free internet hook-ups, etc. Use the Maple Lounge either way, but you may want to use the other lounge first to make use of the shower.