Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Lounge Access Question
torrento
Aug 5, 12, 11:27 pm
Traveling DAC-YYZ on CX soon w/ 10+ hour connection at HKG.
(a) Do regular MPC Green members get any benefit (lounge access, meal voucher etc) for such long connections at HKG? Something like EK's lounge access at DXB?
(b) Is it possible to visit two lounges prior to the same flight? For example, if I visit The Cabin (usually closer to the gate where DAC flight arrives) in the morning and then The Wing later in the day? I think at check-in, CX agent prints a Lounge Access card. One Card = One Time Access??
(b) I am a MPC Silver while my wife is MPC Green. If I would like to access The Wing/Cabin, can I pay a certain fee to take her with me to the lounge?
yamanote8
Aug 5, 12, 11:44 pm
a) Don't think so.
b) Yes, when you give your lounge invitation to the receptionist, ask for your BP to be stamped with a re-entry stamp.
c) No guests for Silver members, only you can enter. I don't believe you can pay for entry (well... aside from upgrading to J/F).
For lounge access, if you have 7000 Asia Miles to expend per head, you could redeem access to a lounge for you and any accompanying guests.
garykung
Aug 6, 12, 12:41 am
OP - if you know any FTers around HKG that time, see if anyone can sponsor you to get in?
QRC3288
Aug 6, 12, 3:50 am
Traveling DAC-YYZ on CX soon w/ 10+ hour connection at HKG.
(a) Do regular MPC Green members get any benefit (lounge access, meal voucher etc) for such long connections at HKG? Something like EK's lounge access at DXB?
(b) Is it possible to visit two lounges prior to the same flight? For example, if I visit The Cabin (usually closer to the gate where DAC flight arrives) in the morning and then The Wing later in the day? I think at check-in, CX agent prints a Lounge Access card. One Card = One Time Access??
(b) I am a MPC Silver while my wife is MPC Green. If I would like to access The Wing/Cabin, can I pay a certain fee to take her with me to the lounge?
a.) Lounge benefit: technically no. Meal voucher: doesn't exist except for flight delays. Not because you have a long layover.
b.) Yes. As long as you have the ability to access the lounge (Silver or above), you can visit as many lounges as many times as you like. Sometimes they stamp your BP with a "lounge re-entry" stamp, but it's not necessary to have so long as your benefits allow you to be in the lounge.
c.) It is a big waste of Asia Miles to bring your wife into the lounge, unless you have a massive quantity of them. Burning Asia Miles at a decent rate - $0.02 USD cents/mile - implies a $140 USD value for your wife to enter the lounge. Sometimes you can burn miles at a rate of $0.05 USD cent/mile or higher. That would imply $350 USD for your wife to enter! Fortunately, there are two easy solutions to this:
i.) Ask nicely. Although you're not GO or DM, I think if you present it in a very polite way you've got a shot at getting her in with you for free. Just note that if SHE leaves the lounge, she will need that "lounge re-entry" stamp since she's not supposed to be there in the first place. Your lounge hopping abilities will admittedly probably need to be curtailed because I don't think every lounge dragon is going to agree.
ii.) Go into Hong Kong with your ten hours. Plenty of time to get to TST or Central and poke around. It's only $20 USD round-trip per person on the Airport Express train.
iii.) Stay in the airport and ditch the lounges. There are plenty of places to eat (including full service restaurants and fast food), especially if you're willing to spend up to $140 USD (the approximate value of those 7,000 Asia Miles you're considering burning). Plus there's free wifi all over HKIA (which, ironically is faster than CX's lounge connections), and nearly endless seating and great spots for looking over the tarmac.
OP - if you know any FTers around HKG that time, see if anyone can sponsor you to get in?
A good way to check this out would be using FT's Flight Connect and Lounge Connect features :)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/flight_connect.php
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lounge_connect.php
jumbojet19920711
Aug 6, 12, 8:38 am
i.) Ask nicely. Although you're not GO or DM, I think if you present it in a very polite way you've got a shot at getting her in with you for free. Just note that if SHE leaves the lounge, she will need that "lounge re-entry" stamp since she's not supposed to be there in the first place. Your lounge hopping abilities will admittedly probably need to be curtailed because I don't think every lounge dragon is going to agree.
ii.) Go into Hong Kong with your ten hours. Plenty of time to get to TST or Central and poke around. It's only $20 USD round-trip per person on the Airport Express train.
iii.) Stay in the airport and ditch the lounges. There are plenty of places to eat (including full service restaurants and fast food), especially if you're willing to spend up to $140 USD (the approximate value of those 7,000 Asia Miles you're considering burning). Plus there's free wifi all over HKIA (which, ironically is faster than CX's lounge connections), and nearly endless seating and great spots for looking over the tarmac.
IME CX has been very strict in policing lounge access policy at HKG in recent years. As a SL I could "sneak" a guest in a few years ago, but the one or two times I tried in the last couple of years, both have resulted in a firm but polite "no." I agree that going into Hong Kong for at least part of your layover will be the best idea. Way better food than in the lounges.
instead of starting a new thread....
if I fly HKG-TPE on Economy and TPE-HKG on SAME DAY return in Business revenue ticket, do I get to access lounge at HKG airport prior to my HKG-TPE flight? Obviously I don't have status
garykung
Sep 3, 12, 1:55 am
if I fly HKG-TPE on Economy and TPE-HKG on SAME DAY return in Business revenue ticket, do I get to access lounge at HKG airport prior to my HKG-TPE flight? Obviously I don't have status
If you can get your TPE-HKG J Class boarding pass in advance, I don't see why they will stop you.
ernestnywang
Sep 5, 12, 6:33 pm
instead of starting a new thread....
if I fly HKG-TPE on Economy and TPE-HKG on SAME DAY return in Business revenue ticket, do I get to access lounge at HKG airport prior to my HKG-TPE flight? Obviously I don't have status
If you can get your TPE-HKG J Class boarding pass in advance, I don't see why they will stop you.
I don't think so and certainly no per the rules. Before I had status I upgraded the HKG-LAX segment to U on a TPE-HKG-LAX trip, and no lounge access in TPE.
garykung
Sep 5, 12, 7:59 pm
I don't think so and certainly no per the rules. Before I had status I upgraded the HKG-LAX segment to U on a TPE-HKG-LAX trip, and no lounge access in TPE.
+1
I am not saying per the rule OP can get it. It is simply that CX/KA at HKG may extend a little "courtesy" based on J travel.
lingua101
Apr 16, 13, 6:37 am
For lounge access, if you have 7000 Asia Miles to expend per head, you could redeem access to a lounge for you and any accompanying guests.
If i am a silver, does it equal that i can bring 2 guests? ;)
correctioncx
Apr 16, 13, 9:26 am
+1
I am not saying per the rule OP can get it. It is simply that CX/KA at HKG may extend a little "courtesy" based on J travel.
NO u can't as the invitation will be issued for the TPE J lounge only
CanucksHKG
Apr 16, 13, 10:27 am
If i am a silver, does it equal that i can bring 2 guests? ;)
If you're willing to redeem them at the rate of 7000 AM each....I think you can request as many as you want. You don't even have to be travelling with the guest on the day of.
Cathay Boy
Apr 16, 13, 1:33 pm
The rule is pretty clear: GR = no, SL = yourself, if you want to bring others in you may pay 7000 miles. Of course, you may "try" to bring in a guest, but don't blame CX for actually enforcing their policy.
kburges
Apr 17, 13, 3:40 pm
See if someone can guest you'll in.