In time for the Olympics, Beijing rolls out its luxury welcome mat.

It's spectacular. It's efficient. It's the second-most sprawling building on the planet. But does it offer a good barolo? That's the question many first-class travelers seem to be asking about the new $3.5 billion Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport. Like the steel-mesh "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium and the glowing blue "Water Cube" aquatics center, the swooping 10.6 million–square-foot glass-and-red-steel-sheathed structure has clearly been built to wow the throngs that will descend on the Chinese capital later this summer. The terminal's luggage system alone is a marvel, capable of handling 19,200 pieces an hour and delivering a suitcase from the belly of a jumbo jet to your fingertips in about four and a half minutes. The ability of the Chinese to master commerce on a grand scale, though, was never much in doubt. It's the finer points that sometimes trip them up.

That's why the Air China First Class Lounge is such a curiosity. As you ascend to the lounge, overlooking the vast main portion of the terminal, your first impression is...Huh. I guess it's OK. Beneath a cheery canopy of Ficus, semi-enclosed groupings of leather club chairs provide a ­relaxed setting for informal meetings and checking e-mail. A buffet stays well-stocked with tasty dumplings and congee (the popular Chinese porridge), and a sleek, glass-front bar has all the standard top-shelf spirits plus a wide selection of wine from Great Wall, the official vintner of the Beijing Olympics. Showers, sleeping rooms, ­massage chairs and a business center with faxes and spacious meeting rooms help fill out a complement of amenities comparable to those at any top ­European or Asian...­business-class lounge.

But as is often the case in the world's most segmented classless society, impressions can be deceiving. Call ahead to reserve one of the lounge's two "VIP Rooms" ($405 an hour for the bigger, $135 for the smaller), and you'll spend your layover luxuriating like a senior Politburo official in an imperial throne room–style chamber of polished, golden-lit rosewood paneling and plush Oriental rugs, with a level of service far superior to what's available to the regular "first class" hoi polloi. Now that's more like it.

The File
Air China First Class Lounge, Beijing's Terminal 3
So, What's the Biggest? Only the 240-acre Aalsmeer Flower Auction building in the Netherlands has a larger footprint than Terminal 3.
Number of Daily Nonstop Flights from New York: 2 (one from JFK, one from Newark)
Contact: 011-86-4008-100-999
airchina.com.cn

Star Treatment

Ever wondered what it feels like to float through airports with the ease of royalty or a hip-hop star? Airport Assistance ($95–$600), available at more than 140 airports worldwide, will meet you at the curb, check your bags, access exclusive private airline clubs and fix whatever other troubles you might encounter on your way to the gate.
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