Airport lounges have all kinds of different entry requirements. Some are open to first and business class passengers. Some are open to Priority Pass members. Some require travelers to purchase access.
But in China, there’s a program that will only give you access to one specific lounge if you hold at least $2.8 million in assets with the bank, so that doesn’t even include property or vehicles.
The world’s most unusual airport lounge access requirement
The South China Morning Post reports on what’s perhaps the most stringent requirement we’ve seen for accessing an airport lounge through an airport lounge program. The International First Class and Business Class Lounge at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) is one of the primary lounges at the airport.
The lounge can be accessed with a first or business class ticket. While it’s not open to Priority Pass members, it can be accessed with China Merchant Bank’s Golden Sunflower program, which is a program in China that offers lounge access.
Golden Sunflower cards typically require an average monthly balance of at least 500,000 yuan ($70,000) to open, with airport lounge access being one of the primary benefits. However, a member was recently shocked to find that accessing the lounge in Chengdu requires at least 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) in assets for entry, 40x the standard requirement.
The program also requires members to redeem points, so it’s not just that you need that much in assets, but you also have to redeem nine rewards points from the program. As the user explained:
“I arrived at the airport early and searched online for available lounges. I noticed that Golden Sunflower clients could use them, and since I happen to be one, I called for clarification. But then I learned I needed to verify 20 million yuan in assets! Moreover, property and vehicles don’t count! Poverty really limits my imagination!”
“I’m baffled as to how they determined this 20 million yuan and 9 points threshold. Anyone with such wealth would likely just purchase a business-class ticket outright. Why would they bother redeeming points for lounge access?”
Of course let me acknowledge that this is only one of the ways to access this lounge, but this system does seem funny. If you were in first or business class, you’d get lounge access anyway.
I’m not saying everyone with at least $2.8 million in assets is flying first and business class, but I have to imagine that the number of people accessing this lounge through the program on an economy ticket is minimal. It seems like at that point, you might as well just remove this lounge from the program.
This is intended to “ensure quality service” in lounge
In response to this policy, the lounge operator explained the following:
“If you’ve bought a first or business class international ticket, you can access the lounge directly. If not, you can pay 600 yuan (US$85) for individual use. For China Merchants Bank cardholders, verifying assets over 20 million yuan is necessary. Lounge access is by reservation only, and cardholders must contact the issuing bank to verify eligibility and complete the booking process.”
A China Merchants Bank representative explained that this policy has been in place since June 2024, and justified it as follows:
“To access the international First Class Lounge at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, cardholders must redeem 9 points and verify that their average daily financial assets total at least 20 million yuan. This requirement is currently unique to Tianfu Airport due to high passenger traffic and lounge overcapacity, which led to an adjustment aimed at maintaining service quality.”
Bottom line
It’s interesting to learn about the different lounge access programs in various countries. China Merchant Bank’s Golden Sunflower program requires 500,000 yuan in assets for membership, with one of the primary perks being lounge access.
However, in the case of one lounge at Chengdu’s Tianfu Airport, the requirement is 40-fold, and you need 20 million yuan in assets. The irony is that this all assumes that you’re flying in economy, since first and business class passengers already get access to this lounge.
What do you make of this unusual lounge access entry requirement?
