Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Cathay Lounge Access in HKG

My wife and I will be on a First Class One World itinerary, part of which is LAX-HKG, HKG-DEL, and Mumbai-Dubai (all on CX). The LAX-HKG flight is booked in First, but the flights to Delhi and Dubai are in Business (no first class service offered on that aircraft).

Does the fact that we are on a First Class ticket mean anything vis-a-vis lounge access when there is no F service offered on a particular flight?

Anyone have any experience with this?

(I am assuming there are two different classes of lounges for departures from HKG.)

Thanks for your input.

Presuming you don't have OW Emerald status, the best approach is to check-in at the F counter at HKG airport and ask for an F lounge invitation (they may or may not accomodate you, based on your past CX travel history). Otherwise you have a 50-50 chance of getting in to the F lounge without the invite. Technically access is based on your ticketed outbound class, but often they will consider your F arrival and wave you in (but it is a favour, so don't expect it). How full the F lounge is might affect the result (you could also try both F lounges if rejected at one). But I often use the J lounge even when flying in F (in some ways it is better) and for HKG origination I don't think there is a big advantage to the F lounge over the J (unless you really have to use the Cabanas and the Dining Room).

FC & BC sections are next to each other at both CX lounges (The Wing and The Pier). I've been in similar situation like yours (arriving F but departing J) and have managed to convince the receptionist to let me into the FC lounge (better food). I suspect it's because when I arrive into HKG it's usually early morning and the lounges are not busy yet.

From CX website:


As a First Class passenger, you have access to the exclusive world of the First Class Lounge in The Wing.

I guess basis of your arguement would be the difinition of "first class pax". You can argue that you are holding a F-ticket, hence you belong to such category. However, if they insist that it depends on "CLASS OF SERVICE" you are flying that day, then you are out of luck.

Also, what time are you planning on using the lounge? Flight to DEL departs at 22:10, but you arrive in early morning from LAX. If you intend to use it during the "peak hour" when all flights to Europe and Australia departs, I would say your chances would be less.

There are few discussion on using the F lounge after arrival, and leave the airport for a day trip. This way you can have a shower and breakfast upon your arrival. I dont' know how to post a link, so you can do a search.

to complicate matters: everytime I buy a full-fare business ticket, I automatically get FC lounge passes. my guess is it depends on the ticket, not whether a particular flight has FC service or not.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mhtaipei:
to complicate matters: everytime I buy a full-fare business ticket, I automatically get FC lounge passes. my guess is it depends on the ticket, not whether a particular flight has FC service or not. </font>

I'd say that's a targeted fringe benefit which applys to certain individuals http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bp888:
FC & BC sections are next to each other at both CX lounges (The Wing and The Pier). I've been in similar situation like yours (arriving F but departing J) and have managed to convince the receptionist to let me into the FC lounge (better food). I suspect it's because when I arrive into HKG it's usually early morning and the lounges are not busy yet. </font>

I tried this once and failed. But it was mid-afternoon, relatively busy time -- during SARS when there were few banks of flights, so lounges got quite busy before the departing flights left.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fakecd:
From CX website:
As a First Class passenger, you have access to the exclusive world of the First Class Lounge in The Wing.
</font>

My experience is that they take this quite seriously (now I don't care, since I'm EXP, but when I wasnt...) "Passenger" means that you are flying F, not that your ticket is in F. However, I've never done it on a same-day stopover, so it might work then.

Last month I did LAX-HKG-BKK. LAX-HKG was in First and HKG-BKK in discounted Coach. On check-in in LAX the agent gave me boarding passes for LAX-HKG and HKG-BKK. Was surprised when she said "and here is your invitation to the First Class lounge in HKG". (As a OW Sapphire I was entitled to the J section in any case). I think to an extent it may depend on whether you are on connecting flights arriving First Class. I suspect you might be less likely to gain F lounge access on a stand alone J segment after a stopover.

However on a previous AOWE trip originating BKK-HKG in J connecting to LAX in F I was offered the CX F lounge in BKK.

I am a good customer of CX but doubt if I am that good a customer to warrant special consideration.

Thank you all for your comments. They are more or less what I anticipated. Unfortunately, I did not make myself totally clear. We arrive A.M. on 2/25 and depart P.M. on 2/27. Also we are both Lifetime Platinum with AA (Emerald?).

Does anyone know anything about lounges in Mumbai?

[My apologies if this response is in duplicate. I submitted an earlier one, but I don't see that it posted.]

Thank you for all of the helpful responses. They are consistent with what I envisioned the situation would be. Unfortunately, I didn't make myself clear regarding the (1) dates of travel or (2) our status. (1) We will spend two nights in HKG, arriving A.M. 2/25, departing P.M. on 2/27. (2) We are both Lifetime Platinum on AA (Sapphire?).

I was somewhat intrigued with the possibility of having dinner in the lounge before the late night Delhi flight, and that is what prompted my initial question.

By the way, does anyone have any knowledge of the situation in Mumbai? Is there a lounge there?

Thanks again for all of your help. I really appreciate it.

IF there's 2 days layover, I doubt they will give you F-lounge access. It's sorta like doing TPE-HKG(F) HKG-LHR(Y) on different day, and expect to use F lounge before flying off to LHR. Maybe not a good analogy, but it makes more sense to me.

Sapphire entitles you to J-lounge. They've got good noodle sections, but I would suggest you have light dinner somewhere else, and consider the noodle at lounge as a light supper.

Since your arrival and departure dates are different, you will be issued the HKG lounge invitation not when you check-in for your F flight but rather when you check in at HKG. So in your case, as a J passenger or oneworld Sapphire, you're lounge invitation will be to the BC section. Anyway, enjoy the superb CX lounges at HKG.

Thanks again for your kind comments and information.