I’m a HK local. I found myself at the airport very early the other day (about 5 hours before departure time) as I was meeting a friend who had arrived early for the same flight as me. Given we had time to kill, I thought I would do a little tour of a few lounges in HKIA and share my impressions with everyone here.
I was flying a Cathay Pacific business class ticket. I have Oneworld Emerald status.
First stop: Cathay Pacific, The Wing First Class
The Wing First Class Lounge is located immediately after immigration (if you’re coming from the Cathay check-in desk side), and so it was an obvious first choice.
The décor is a little ‘clubbish’. Leather sofas, lots of marble and cold finishes. There’s a nice self-service champagne bar with three options (I availed myself and my travel companion of some nice sparkling rose). We didn’t bother with the restaurant on this occasion, choosing to have our drink at the bench seats in ‘The Haven’, which overlooks the departure gates.
I’m a frequent visitor to The Wing. It is a great lounge, but as a flagship offering of Cathay Pacific I think it is starting to feel a little dated and could do with an overhaul. I think the difficulty is that in its current location, which overlooks boarding gates, it is very difficult to transform it into a ‘cosy’ space like the Pier (more on that later). But overall this is certainly a 4.5 / 5 lounge – good drinks, good service, good food, good bathrooms. I didn’t use the cabanas on this occasion but they are quite a treat.
Second stop: Qantas Lounge
I was so glad to hear that the Qantas lounge in HK had re-opened after being shuttered during COVID. I had not visited for many years.
I arrived before the Qantas departure bank (most Aus flights leave around 7-9:30pm) so it was fairly quiet. First impressions as a visitor who had not been for quite a few years: (i) I still love the design, they’re doing their best to inject a bit of flair into what would otherwise be a pretty cold and unwelcoming space; (ii) good bartenders and quite a few nice coughtails on offer; (iii) genuinely fresh salads which looked healthy, always a treat at the airport where most food is quite stodgy; and (iv) the lounge is huge! I don’t remember it extending quite so far back.
The Qantas lounge is great. If you’re on a business class ticket or hold OWS status and are departing from gates <30 I would strongly recommend you drop by here.
Third stop: American Express Lounge
We stayed for just one drink. I’ve been here a few times. Some limited views of the apron (which I really appreciate), but the major problem here is crowding. It seems the Amex lounge in HK is beginning to suffer from the same problems as its American brethren. We struggled to find a seat. Average buffet – nothing to write home about. The bar is exceptionally well stocked, although the bar tender was a little surly. The Amex lounge used to be a bit of a hidden gem, but unless they can find a bit more space (which doesn’t seem possible given the layout of the area in which it is located) the crowding is quite a problem. Definitely better than the neighbouring Priority Pass lounge, but this is not something to arrive early for.
Fourth stop: Chase Sapphire Lounge
This is a new one, and this was my first visit. Access granted courtesy of Priority Pass (which, in turn, was granted via American Express Platinum). The lounge is in a bit of an awkward space, being on the mezzanine level at the intersection between the piers heading out to the departure gates. This one was a really pleasant surprise. There’s quite a lot of seating, including some nice seats looking out onto the apron. The food selection was solid, but the real standout was the bar. Well stocked, with a wonderful bar tender who could whip up anything you wanted. Clean and nice bathrooms.
The Chase lounge is a little soulless, sure, but compared to the Amex lounge nearby (which could be described as its nearest competitor) it is by far the superior choice. Most Amex Platinum cardholders will have access to the Chase lounge by virtue of their Priority Pass membership, and I would very much recommend people take a look at this one.
Fifth stop: Cathay Pacific: The Pier First Class
This is the best first class lounge in the world.
I say that having had the pleasure of visiting the Concord Lounge, Lufthansa’s lounges in FRA, Qantas’ first class lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and LAX, Emirates in Dubai and Qatar’s Al Safwa in Doha, as well as AA’s new efforts in New York. Swiss and Air France La Premiere are missing from my list, so keep that in mind.
The lounge is split into a number of different zones. There is a good a la carte restaurant on one end (which we didn’t have time to visit on this occasion, but as a regular visitor I can attest it is pretty good as far as airport lounge food goes), showers/spa/office space in the middle, and then at the far end is the bar. The whole place has a nice calming ‘vibe’, so different from the other lounges visited today (which are located on the mezzanine levels and so are subject to all the ordinary noise from the airport).
Such a nice place to end our little lounge tour before heading off on our flight.
Hope this helps.
I was flying a Cathay Pacific business class ticket. I have Oneworld Emerald status.
First stop: Cathay Pacific, The Wing First Class
The Wing First Class Lounge is located immediately after immigration (if you’re coming from the Cathay check-in desk side), and so it was an obvious first choice.
The décor is a little ‘clubbish’. Leather sofas, lots of marble and cold finishes. There’s a nice self-service champagne bar with three options (I availed myself and my travel companion of some nice sparkling rose). We didn’t bother with the restaurant on this occasion, choosing to have our drink at the bench seats in ‘The Haven’, which overlooks the departure gates.
I’m a frequent visitor to The Wing. It is a great lounge, but as a flagship offering of Cathay Pacific I think it is starting to feel a little dated and could do with an overhaul. I think the difficulty is that in its current location, which overlooks boarding gates, it is very difficult to transform it into a ‘cosy’ space like the Pier (more on that later). But overall this is certainly a 4.5 / 5 lounge – good drinks, good service, good food, good bathrooms. I didn’t use the cabanas on this occasion but they are quite a treat.
Second stop: Qantas Lounge
I was so glad to hear that the Qantas lounge in HK had re-opened after being shuttered during COVID. I had not visited for many years.
I arrived before the Qantas departure bank (most Aus flights leave around 7-9:30pm) so it was fairly quiet. First impressions as a visitor who had not been for quite a few years: (i) I still love the design, they’re doing their best to inject a bit of flair into what would otherwise be a pretty cold and unwelcoming space; (ii) good bartenders and quite a few nice coughtails on offer; (iii) genuinely fresh salads which looked healthy, always a treat at the airport where most food is quite stodgy; and (iv) the lounge is huge! I don’t remember it extending quite so far back.
The Qantas lounge is great. If you’re on a business class ticket or hold OWS status and are departing from gates <30 I would strongly recommend you drop by here.
Third stop: American Express Lounge
We stayed for just one drink. I’ve been here a few times. Some limited views of the apron (which I really appreciate), but the major problem here is crowding. It seems the Amex lounge in HK is beginning to suffer from the same problems as its American brethren. We struggled to find a seat. Average buffet – nothing to write home about. The bar is exceptionally well stocked, although the bar tender was a little surly. The Amex lounge used to be a bit of a hidden gem, but unless they can find a bit more space (which doesn’t seem possible given the layout of the area in which it is located) the crowding is quite a problem. Definitely better than the neighbouring Priority Pass lounge, but this is not something to arrive early for.
Fourth stop: Chase Sapphire Lounge
This is a new one, and this was my first visit. Access granted courtesy of Priority Pass (which, in turn, was granted via American Express Platinum). The lounge is in a bit of an awkward space, being on the mezzanine level at the intersection between the piers heading out to the departure gates. This one was a really pleasant surprise. There’s quite a lot of seating, including some nice seats looking out onto the apron. The food selection was solid, but the real standout was the bar. Well stocked, with a wonderful bar tender who could whip up anything you wanted. Clean and nice bathrooms.
The Chase lounge is a little soulless, sure, but compared to the Amex lounge nearby (which could be described as its nearest competitor) it is by far the superior choice. Most Amex Platinum cardholders will have access to the Chase lounge by virtue of their Priority Pass membership, and I would very much recommend people take a look at this one.
Fifth stop: Cathay Pacific: The Pier First Class
This is the best first class lounge in the world.
I say that having had the pleasure of visiting the Concord Lounge, Lufthansa’s lounges in FRA, Qantas’ first class lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and LAX, Emirates in Dubai and Qatar’s Al Safwa in Doha, as well as AA’s new efforts in New York. Swiss and Air France La Premiere are missing from my list, so keep that in mind.
The lounge is split into a number of different zones. There is a good a la carte restaurant on one end (which we didn’t have time to visit on this occasion, but as a regular visitor I can attest it is pretty good as far as airport lounge food goes), showers/spa/office space in the middle, and then at the far end is the bar. The whole place has a nice calming ‘vibe’, so different from the other lounges visited today (which are located on the mezzanine levels and so are subject to all the ordinary noise from the airport).
Such a nice place to end our little lounge tour before heading off on our flight.
Hope this helps.
