Read more from this trip – Spring Break in Vietnam:
- Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Class Lounge, Hong Kong (HKG)
- Park Hyatt Saigon
- Six Senses Con Dao
- Le Saigonnais Sasco Business Lounge SGN
- Cathay Pacific The Wing Business Class Lounge, Hong Kong (HKG)
- Cathay Pacific Premium Economy, Hong Kong to New York (HKG-JFK)
Introduction
Lounge Visit Details:
- Date visited: March 22, 2020
- Where: Level 6, Terminal 1 near gates 1 to 4 – Hong Kong International Airport (“HKG”)
- Class: Business Class Lounge
After a quick flight from Ho Chi Minh City I headed to The Wing Business Class Lounge located near gates 1 to 4. I was greeted by a wall of elegant white veined marble at the entrance, a material found throughout the lounge. Most guests immediately take the stairs up to the 7th floor and miss the diverse seating options on 6th floor so be aware that you have options.
I’ve been to The Wing Business Class lounge several times over the years and its always been packed. This time was decidedly different due to COVID-19.
Access
Customers in Business Class on Cathay Pacific can use the The Pier Business Class Lounge. OneWorld Emerald and Sapphire members can also access the lounge irrespective of class of travel and may invite one guest to join them; however, the guest must also be traveling on a flight operated and marketed by Cathay Pacific or another oneworld carrier. I was entitled to access The Pier Business Class Lounge based on my oneworld Sapphire status.
The rules for Marco Polo Club members are a bit more complicated, but I’ve summarized everything in the table below:
| Access Criteria | Access Privileges |
|---|---|
| Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon First Class | Passenger + 1 guest |
| oneworld carrier First Class | Passenger + 1 guest |
| Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon Business Class | Passenger only |
| oneworld carrier Business Class | Passenger only |
| Marco Polo Club Diamond members | Passenger + 2 guests Departing on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, oneworld carrier or codeshare** flights only |
| Marco Polo Club Gold members | Passenger + 1 guest Departing on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, oneworld carrier or codeshare** flights only |
| Marco Polo Club Silver members | Passenger only Departing on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon or codeshare flights only |
| Emerald / Sapphire oneworld members | Passenger + 1 guest Departing on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon or oneworld carrier** flights only |
Hours / Location
The Wing Business Class Lounge is located on Level 6, Terminal 1 near gates 1 to 4 at Hong Kong International Airport (“HKG”). It’s open daily from 5:30am until the last departure.
Seating
The 7th floor of the lounge is open to the airport terminal. High ceilings and natural light emitting from floor to ceiling windows make the lounge feel large and airy. In terms of seating there’s no shortage of leather upholstered arm chairs. The seating configuration on the 7th floor leaves a bit to be desired. Odds are you’ll be facing strangers and will be situated away from power ports.
To the right of the first seating area is the Wing’s iconic Long Bar. During normal times a bartender will make you one of Cathay Pacific’s delicious signature cocktails or pour you a glass of champagne. During my visit at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic a lounge attendant was doubling as the bartender. I ordered a dry vodka martini, but it came out as mostly vermouth. The lounge attendant served it with a smile and asked if it was okay, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. Giraffes only like a drop of Vermouth!
Toward the left of the lounge is a long couch and some additional tan and grey leather chairs. Two travelers were sprawled out napping on the couch during my visit, which is technically against Cathay Pacific’s Lounge Etiquette Policy, but given the low occupancy the lounge attendants let them rest.
If you want a bit more privacy The Wing has crescent pod seating. These seats have access to power ports and the high chair backs prevent fellow lounge visitors from sneaking a view of your PowerPoint.
While not unique to The Wing Business Class Lounge, there’s a staffed coffee bar with a separate seating area. You can get a proper cappuccino and then head over to the second long bar and watch the planes on the tarmac.
If the 7th floor is too crowded then head back downstairs. Along the left side of the 6th floor lounge there’s a row of sleek black leather lounge chairs with matching ottomans. These seats are nice since you can sit back and enjoy lovely views of the tarmac. To the right you’ll find some diverse seating options including six person work tables, which are ideal if you’re traveling with your work team.
The Wing has a quiet room called “The Gallery.” It was extra quiet during my visit since I was the only giraffe in sight.
Past “The Gallery” there’s a small business center called the “IT Zone.” There’s something about that name that sounds antiquated, but this area of the lounge is quite lovely. There’s several workstations outfitted with iMacs and printers. You’ll also find power ports if you prefer working on your own laptop. What I like best about this section is the COVID-19 friendly glass partitions with privacy glass.
Food and Beverage
A visit to a Cathay Pacific Lounge cannot be complete without a visit to The Noddle Bar. I didn’t manage to get any pictures of the food during this visit, but check out my review of The Pier Business Class Lounge for an idea of the food offering.
In addition to a staffed coffee bar there’s self-serve espresso machine. This is not your run of the mill cappuccino machine. It’s an $18,000 Franke Evolution 1-Step Espresso Machine. Cathay Pacific goes above and beyond with their coffee offerings. This thing can brew up a stellar cappuccino. They also had some juices available.
Those looking for a cold brew to go with their Dan Dan Noodles will find Carlsberg, Asahi, Tsingtao, Betsey Beer and Hong Kong Beer. Non-alcoholic options include Schweppes Club Soda, Schweppes Cream Soda, Coke Zero and bottled water. There was also some refrigerated food items including mango pudding, egg salad sandwiches and ham sandwiches.
While the buffet offerings were much different than normal they had an assortment of salads and cold cuts including :
- Wholefood coleslaw with carrot, cabbage, kale, seeds and nuts
- Leaf salad with butter lettuce, red oak leaf and lollo rosso leaves
- Tomato salad with peppers, cucumber, olives and parsley
- Fruit salad
- Provolone & cheddar
- Param ham & Chorizo
Those with a sweet tooth aren’t left out. Delicious chocolate brownies were on offer.
Overall Verdict
First Class Giraffe Approved
The Wing Business Class lounge puts US domestic business class lounges to shame. I prefer the Pier Business Class Lounge, but wouldn’t hesitate to return to the Wing if it was located closer to my gate. It was kind of sad seeing the lounge empty due to COVID-19. I look forward to returning in the future.
First Class Giraffe 