Cathay Pacific operates an array of lounges at its home hub in Hong Kong. Along with two First Class lounges residing at The Wing and The Pier, Cathay also operates three Business Class lounges here. There’s The Deck, which is simple enough. Then there’s also the Business Class sections of The Pier and The Wing. As for The Wing, the Business Class side is naturally open to Business Class travellers on Cathay Pacific and its oneworld partners, among other eligible flyers.
But with so much choice, what makes travellers opt for one lounge over the other? At the Business Class level, the access requirements are the same across all three of those lounges. This means a traveller can pick any eligible lounge rather than being consigned only to the lounge nearest to their gate. In fact, many of the same travellers would also qualify for entry to the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge, even if flying Cathay Pacific.
When it comes to Cathay Pacific’s own The Wing Business Class space, location is an advantage. It’s the closest Business Class lounge to Cathay Pacific’s check-in desks here in Hong Kong. It also offers great views across the airfield: something that’s not quite as pronounced at The Pier, which resides one level below the main concourse.
The Deck is also a bit of a stroll away from the airport’s main passageways. This makes reaching The Deck more of a hunt, leaving The Wing as something of an ‘easy option’. For that reason, The Wing can be quite popular: which also makes it quite busy. Whether you’re visiting this lounge as your only pre-flight pit stop or are swinging by before venturing to another lounge closer to your gate, here’s what The Wing has to offer in its Business Class section.
Location, layout and seating
There can be a little bit of confusion around The Wing because Cathay Pacific has both Business Class and First Class variants of the same. Entering the First Class lounge is easily done on the upper level straight after security. For the Business Class section, venture down one level and head towards gate 2.
You’ll find the entrance for Cathay Pacific’s The Wing, Business Class lounge on your left as you traverse the concourse. However, after your hustle from immigration down to the entrance, you’ll ultimately head back upstairs. This lounge was previously split over two levels with a quiet zone downstairs. These days, it’s only the entrance that’s downstairs, with all the seating and amenities back on the upper level.
Why the dance, you may ask? The Business Class section of The Wing ultimately sits next to the First Class area. Of course, you can only enter via the First Class reception (and into the First Class lounge) if you qualify. Cathay Pacific appears to have implemented this design to give the most convenient entrance to the highest cabin and highest tier travellers, which seems fair enough.
The Business Class section splits into an array of different nooks. Personally, I like taking a seat at the Long Bar. Bartenders come straight to you, and you’re facing right out to the tarmac. It’s great for working during the day or having a quick drink in the evening.
For more serious work, head to the back corner of the space. This has more of an office vibe – and helpfully, is also where you’ll find the Coffee Loft. More on that later. The Wing Business Class Lounge opens daily at 5:30 am until the last Cathay Pacific flight. That’s typically somewhere between midnight and 2 am.
Food and beverage in Cathay Pacific’s The Wing, Business Class Lounge, Hong Kong
It’s a light and bright day here in Hong Kong, so I make a beeline for the Coffee Loft. I’ve already had a latte with breakfast, so a Hong Kong-style milk tea is a must. The coffee counter is also where you’ll find a range of pastries and sweets. The profiteroles may have required sampling, ahem.
For more substantial food options in Cathay Pacific’s The Wing, Business Class Lounge, look for the marble-clad counters. There, you’ll find hot buffet choices such as pasta, meatballs, and vegetables. There’s also a sizeable drinks fridge for simple sips like sparkling water.
Speaking of simple, the buffet is great if you’re in a hurry. But if you’re awaiting an international flight, chances are you’ve arrived even just a little bit early. If so, go hunting for The Noodle Bar instead. Dishes are prepared and served fresh to order, and the space has a little more of a ‘happening’ vibe. It’s well worth the trek to the far corner of the lounge.
On the beverage front, the Long Bar has you covered. Enjoy everything from a simple mixer through to espresso martinis, negronis, or perhaps, a glass of Champagne (Thiénot Brut NV, on this visit). I’m planning to visit a few lounges today so I stick to the non-alcoholic Cathay Delight. It’s a refreshing mocktail that’s also standard of the airline’s inflight menu.
Amenities in The Wing, Business Class Lounge by Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong
A few final features round out the experience in Cathay Pacific’s The Wing, Business Class Lounge. For one thing, boarding calls aren’t usually made here. Instead, the space is quiet… well, as quiet as can be when exposed to sounds from the boarding gates below. Which, to be honest, is still quite acoustically pleasant!
Travellers can monitor their flights via clear and easy-to-read screens. Aptly, they’re styled in Cathay Pacific’s signature colour. And for that matter, flights have a handy ‘boarding soon’ status assigned when it’s time to start walking to the gate.
There’s also a solid range of reading material in multiple languages, including English. Separately, I admire the attention given to stacking the biscuits in the jars atop the ‘library’ shelves. (Many travellers appreciate the same of the liquorice allsorts in certain Australian lounges, ahem!)
If you need to print, venture to the working corner, and you’ll be all set. As for Wi-Fi, this is one area where Cathay Pacific can improve. When tested during this visit, the lounge’s dedicated network recorded download speeds as slow as 2.79Mbps and uploads as glacial as 1.55Mbps. That’s not quite back in the realm of the dial-up days, but it’s awkwardly close for a space serving business travellers.
I retested several times and could reach downloads of up to 14.9Mbps at times. That’s fast enough for video streaming, at least. That said, uploads nudged only to 1.62Mbps, which won’t be ideal for video calling. Funnily enough, I tested the network inside the First Class section of The Wing on the same day and found downloads of around 35Mbps and uploads even higher at 42Mbps.
Don’t have access to the First Class section? Fear not! I also ran speed tests at Cathay Pacific’s The Deck lounge, open to the same flyers as The Wing, Business Class Lounge. At The Deck, download speeds hit 90Mbps with uploads at 92Mbps. Long story short, if you need fast speeds, skip The Wing and go straight to The Deck.
Accessing The Wing, Business Class Lounge in Hong Kong
Whether it’s The Deck, The Wing, or The Pier, here’s a list of who qualifies for Cathay Pacific’s Business Class lounges in Hong Kong. This list excludes travellers who can access the airline’s higher-tier First Class lounges.
- By cabin:
- Business Class on Cathay Pacific, Qantas, other oneworld airlines and Fiji Airways (no guests).
- Passengers in transit between an international oneworld flight of 5+ hours in Business Class and a oneworld flight of fewer than five hours in a lower cabin (no guests). For instance, after flying in from Australia in Business and connecting to Mainland China in Economy.
- As a welcome improvement upon the usual oneworld policies, travellers arriving in Cathay Pacific Business Class and connecting to another Cathay Pacific flight in any cabin to any destination, regardless of flight length (no guests).
- By frequent flyer status:
- Cathay Silver members departing on Cathay Pacific or a CX codeshare flight operated by any airline (no guests).
- Cathay Gold frequent flyers departing on Cathay Pacific, Qantas, another oneworld airline or on a CX codeshare flight operated by any airline (one guest).
- Cathay Cargo Clan Elite, Qantas Gold and other oneworld Sapphire members departing on Cathay Pacific, Qantas or a oneworld marketed and operated flight (one guest).
- Via lounge membership or other pass:
- Fiji Airways Tabua Club Plus members, when flying Cathay Pacific to Bangkok and Singapore or Fiji Airways to Nadi (one guest).
- Fiji Airways Tabua Club cardholders, only when flying Fiji Airways to Nadi (no guests).
- Cathay Green members (and above) claiming a lounge pass as a ‘mid-status benefit’ for use when flying Cathay Pacific.
- Cathay Silver members (and above) who purchase a lounge pass for a travel companion exceeding any complimentary guest allowance. Or, who redeem Asia Miles for a lounge pass valid for use when flying with any airline.
- Travellers with the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard ‘Priority Banking’ and ‘Priority Private’ credit cards (issued in Hong Kong) redeeming one of their eligible lounge invitations.
The verdict
Some travellers like The Pier, other flyers prefer The Deck. But The Wing, Business Class is a stalwart of Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong lounge lineup. It has many of the same features you’ll find in those other lounges but in a location that may be more convenient, depending on where your flight is departing from.
However, with convenience comes popularity. It’s rare that I’ll visit the lounge and it won’t be busy. Almost certainly, it’ll be bustling. At times, finding a preferred seat is even a bit tricky. We’re not talking ‘standing room only’ vibes – I’ve always found somewhere to sit. But if you’re after one of the prized seating pods with power and a workspace, you’ll have to keep a sharp eye out. They’re popular!
Given the Wi-Fi speed, I’d probably venture to The Deck to get work done, even though The Wing has a purposeful business area. As for relaxing, The Pier has a slightly more ‘secluded lounge’ vibe that I tend to prefer. It makes the space feel a bit less ‘open airport’ and more of a destination in its own right while still retaining that connection to its surroundings.
But when it comes to The Wing, it’s all location, location, location. Being the closest Business Class lounge to check-in has a convenience factor for many. Especially those taking a quick hop, which often means departing from one of the gates nearby. For the more clued-in, making a trek to one of Cathay Pacific’s other Business Class lounges could be just the ticket.
Even so, it’s great that Cathay Pacific offers travellers a choice. Having multiple, highly regarded lounges to select from is a ‘problem’ that I wish would be the case in many more airports. It’s certainly one of my favourite aspects of flying through Hong Kong.
Also reviewed: Cathay Pacific’s The Deck lounge, Hong Kong
Featured image courtesy of Cathay Pacific. Other photography by Chris Chamberlin. Chris travelled as a guest of Cathay Pacific on this journey, but qualified for lounge entry under his own merit as a oneworld Emerald frequent flyer.
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