Review: China Airlines Dynasty Lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), A Gates

by Adam Stuart | May 6, 2025 | 0 Comments

…Friendly staff and good food can’t rescue this lounge

The China Airlines Dynasty Lounge at the A gates of SFO’s International Terminal leaves a lot to be desired. The staff in the lounge is very nice and work hard. The food is good too! However, it’s one, small, crowded, plain room. Priority pass travelers have other options.

The summary:

The lounge is on Floor 4 of the A gates in the International Terminal. The entry is rather featureless: one small sign that looks like the sign for a doctor’s office before you enter and a backdrop behind reception with an unattractive outlet right below China Airlines logo.. After presenting my priority pass to the agent at reception, I entered the one white room.

a sign on a wall
a man sitting at a desk in front of a wall with a painting on the wall

And that’s the lounge. A white room with tables, chairs, and a sofa. And crowds – especially before flights to Taipei! I was surprised they didn’t restrict entry to Priority Pass members.

a group of people sitting in a room with a wall and chairs
a group of people sitting in a room with chairs
a group of luggage on a couch

On the right, just past the entry is some self-serve alcohol. Then you pass what appears to be (or was) an actual bar – but it’s really a cooking station. A very friendly woman made me a wonderful pork noodle dish – it was fresh and delicious! Past this cooking station, there is a small hallway to the washrooms, then on the right is the main buffet. With some featureless items: fruit, pastries, and small sandwiches. However, the buffet is rescued by some hot dishes of rice, meatballs and cooked vegetables. There is also a refrigerator with soft drinks and an espresso machine.

a bar with bottles and drinks
a woman standing in front of a counter with food
a screen on a wall
food in a container with food on it
a bowl of noodles with meat and green onions
a woman behind a counter
a food in a pan
a shelf with a variety of items on it

Internet access is free and worked well. But outlets were hard to fine. This entire lounge seems like a temporary space until something new comes along. As I got ready to leave, I saw a line of people waiting to get in.

The wrap

…The details. Date – April 26, 2025. Rating: Pass on this lounge – unless it’s your only option! Access: Priority pass

..What I like: The cooked noodle dish, the friendly in-lounge staff.

..What I don’t like: Crowds, décor, lack of outlets.

Adam Stuart

Avid traveler/lounge aficionado, who looks to maximize the fun while traveling. The journey can be as fun as the destination!
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