jacob_m

I was back at the airport around 4 pm, it was now considerably busier than when I left a few hours earlier and passport and security check took a bit of time.

Pics
The vast departure hall at Hong Kong airport

I still had nearly four hours before my next flight, so decided to do some lounge hopping. The first stop was the Singapore Airlines lounge, very conveniently located just a short walk from the passport control.

Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Hong Kong



The Silverkris lounge has been recently refurbished and now has the same lounge design as the lounge at Singapore terminal 3. Definitely a major facelift from the old interior which was starting to show its age.

On the negative side there is no longer a proper first class lounge.
There is a separate room though, that (according to the sign) is “reserved for suites and first class passengers and Solitaire PPS Club members”.
However during my visit no one made use of it, the seats in the “first class section” were exactly the same as in the main lounge and there is nothing extra in terms of food and drinks.

But keeping that aside the new lounge is very nice, in fact it looks much nicer than the old SQ first class lounge, which I had visited on one previous occasion.
As the previous first class and business class lounges have been merged the new combined lounge is vast with an attractive design, very comfortable armchairs, and plenty of food and drinks. The only thing missing is some natural light, the lounge is completely windowless.

There is a very large self-service buffet area in the lounge with all kinds of food including proper hot food, hot snacks, plenty of sandwiches, salad bowls and fresh fruits.
I was also happy to find a freezer with plenty of Häagen Dazs ice cream!

There is a fridge with soft drinks in the main buffet area, however most drinks are available in a separate drinks area, almost by the lounge entrance, where there is also a smaller selection of food, mostly sandwiches.
The drinks selection was quite OK with beer, wine and spirits. In the fridge I also managed to find Sunkist cans. I used to love Sunkist when I was a child.

I got some light snacks from the buffet, a well-needed cup of coffee and surfed the internet and watched an interesting documentary on one of the TVs in the lounge.
Free WIFI was available in the lounge and there were also internet computers in the lounge for passengers not bringing personal laptops.

Pics
The entrance to the Silverkris lounge
Inside the vast modern lounge
Selection of magazine and newspapers
The first class section in the lounge
The self-service buffet area with hot food and snacks
Sandwiches, vegetables and fresh fruits, and in the background a decent selection of soft drinks
The self-service drinks area
The smaller self-service buffet area next to the drinks

United Airlines First Class Lounge, Hong Kong



After an hour in the Silverkris lounge I took the skytrain and made a visit to the United Airlines lounge located in the west concourse, on a balcony above the shopping area.
The United lounge is divided into a business class section and a first class section.

I showed my boarding pass at the reception desk and was warmly welcomed and escorted inside the first class lounge by one of the lounge attendants. She was very nice and gave me a brief tour of the lounge, showing me the facilities, the buffet and the à la carte menu with proper food available for order.
I thanked her for the introduction but said I wanted to get some rest for the moment, but that I might be interested in eating something later on. She just smiled and said I could approach her anytime if I wanted something.

The lounge was a big surprise, I have never been particularly impressed by UA lounges, but this was definitely an exception. The UA lounge is easily the nicest Star Alliance first class lounge in Hong Kong.
The lounge was completely empty when I arrived, that’s why I could take so many photos that have been uploaded.

I had a glass of champagne (Charles Heidsieck!), a nice mango fruit juice and had a seat in one of the comfortable armchairs. I turned on some music and eventually dozed off for about an hour.
There were two attendants responsible for the first class lounge and they kept checking the lounge every 5-10 minutes in case I had any requests or wanted to order anything from the menu. All that hassle just for me! What a great service! ^

An hour later I was feeling a bit better. Around 6 pm more passengers started to arrive in the lounge from the UA flight that had just arrived from Chicago and the lounge got slightly more crowded.

I had another glass of champagne and then decided to have a look again in the à la carte menu.
This is what they had on offer in the lounge:

Other than the à la carte menu they had a very nicely-stocked and well-maintained self-service buffet with some hot snacks, canapés, spring rolls, sushi, sandwiches, fresh fruits, cookies, pastries, and cheese and crackers. I think I got it all...
The drinks selection was very nice with champagne, wine, beer, and an excellent selection of soft drinks and spirits.
Most impressive! And everything looked fresh, well-maintained and appetising.

A few moments later the lounge attendant entered the lounge and I ordered the tandoori chicken sandwich. She confirmed my order and said it would take around 15 minutes to prepare.
As promised 15 minutes later she was back with my warm tandoori chicken sandwich, served with crisps. She also fetched the champagne bottle and kept my glass filled until it was time for me to leave the lounge.

All-in-all a really great lounge! Friendly staff, attentive service, excellent food and drinks, and a nice and spotless interior with comfortable armchairs.
There is also free WIFI in the lounge, a very extensive selection of magazines, and two immaculate shower rooms (that also work as toilets for lounge guests).
For aviation enthusiasts there is also a decent apron view from the lounge to enjoy.



Pics
Inside the very nice United Airlines First Class lounge
Snacks and sushi
Hot food and canapés
The very nice à la carte menu
The drinks counter
Champagne, beer and soft drinks
Wine and spirits
Excellent selection of newspapers and magazines
Great view from the lounge
Hong Kong has a really decent selection of airlines