QRC3288

i know there are a multitude of lounge threads going at the moment. if this belongs in one of the others, kindly move it.

Q1: Does anybody know if the Bridge or the Cabin (following the opening of The Bridge) will have slightly more restrictive entry requirements? For example, hybrid J/F requirements like the Arrival?

Q2: I have a vague recollection at some point around opening the Cabin was supposed to be F/J/DM/EM/GO pax, could that possibly be right? Excluding SL and OW Sapphire? Or maybe F/DM/GO? Or is this a completely bunk recollection?

Observation
I don't have data on the lounges but I'm sure CX does; I would love to see #s on who is filling up the lounges. Ultimately it's CX's fault because they've either a.) given out way too many promo memberships, b.) more folks have earned MPC status than CX anticipated, or c.) because CX's lounge entry requirements are too loose. I think CX has an amazing membership program for SLs living in HK due to the lounge. I'm in favor of generous benefits for GR and SL members, so I think it'd be a shame if they determined "C".

CX's lounges are nice enough for me, I quite enjoy them, particularly the Cabin even though it's not an F lounge. I think it's a great concept. The thing I get bothered with is outrageous overcrowding at times, particularly on weekday mornings. I'm generally in a CX lounge once a week on a weekday morning, and my profile is I'm traveling usually for business, alone, don't really care about fooling around in the lounge so much as I prefer convenience, peace and quiet, and would like a mechanism to save 10-15 minutes...maybe a quick breakfast, newspapers, etc. True, it's not every time the lounge is packed. But you notice patterns over time. ~50% of the weekday flights I'm taking and the lounges are mayhem, and I end up in the (nice) public area of HKIA pre-flight.

As recently as 3 years ago, I used to skip breakfast at home and eat in the lounge. This saved me 10-15 minutes and some hassle. It was a nice perk. Sometime in the last 2 years, though that perk became unreliable - lines for food, mayhem and jockeying for a seat just made me eat at home before flights. Not the end of the world, but it seems counter-intuitive that I've got this business "perk" whose utility is minimal from my point of view. It's not just one faction of people (vacationers, businesspeople, etc.) who are crowding the lounge. It is everyone. This fault lies squarely with CX, since it's absurd to be pointing fingers at some other membership tier or alliance partner whom CX has permitted in. Of course people are going to use the lounge if they're entitled to!

I wish I had taken photographs of a few recent visits to The Cabin. One was this month, and one was in December. Both times, it's fair to call them extremely "anti-business person environments". People camped out on the floor, long buffet lines for food, one staff working the bar area with at least 5-6 people fighting to get his attention for a latte, and extreme amounts of noise. Time must've been around 8am. Lounge ladies trying to wave people off in front. It's such a shame because like I said above, I really enjoy the ambiance of the Cabin. It's spectacular on weekends.

If there is one consistency with the lounges, it's that they are very lovely on weekends, and often midday on weekdays. I was just there last weekend and had a very enjoyable time. But those are usually the times that I don't really need the lounge from a business convenience point of view...they're more a luxury at that point.

So a very long story short, I'm quite excited to see another lounge open up because I am assuming that will lessen crowds overall. I hope CX doesn't dole out promo MPC memberships to match. I don't mind not having the world's fanciest lounge if it could at least be guaranteed that we had very peaceful lounges in HK. Soft product over hard product, per se.

CrazyJ82

Do you usually frequent the Wing, the Cabin or the Pier? My (more limited than yours) observations have been that the newer lounges are experiencing severe crowding problems while the older ones are not. When the Cabin first opened it was generally packed to the gills; it seems to be at least a little better now that the new Wing is open, too. In contrast, I was in the Pier business side during the morning rush a month or so ago, and although it was busy there were still plenty of seats. And when I was in the G16 during the morning rush a few months before that it was significantly quieter.

It could be that travelers are showing a logical preference for the nicer available lounges. Throw in the fact that the Wing and, to a lesser extent the Cabin, are near the gates most often used for elite-heavy N.America routes. And the fact that the new Wing is also attracting other ow elites -- especially BA, who to judge from the BA board on FT now favor the Wing over the BA/QF lounge, and are using it during the late-evening Europe-departure-bank rush due to the BA flight timings.

And finally, the economy, which is healthier now than it was three or four years ago. That uptick in travel probably accounts for many more elites than the Amex promos, especially since these new elites are actually traveling to earn status.

If my theory is right, adding another new lounge to the mix, plus the expected renovations on the Pier (and G16, if we're lucky?) would help by diversifying the mix of "new" lounges. But unfortunately we'll have to wait many, many months for this to take effect.

QRC3288

I generally frequent either the Wing or Cabin, least-frequented is G16 and the Pier. I really don't care to trek all the way down to gates 60+ for the Pier if my flight is leaving out of Gate 4. Even when I've got flights out of gates 40+, I find myself in the Cabin because it's easy to pop out and get on the train down to those gates. I've always thought that the Wing/Cabin get a larger proportion of lounge traffic simply because they're conveniently located right outside of immigration. Hence really pleased that the new F Wing is opened, hoping the space alleviates some of the lounge crowding issues in that part of the airport.

sxc

Next time you find the Cabin busy, if you have time, head down to The Pier. I would be interested to know if it's also packed. My experience is that The Pier can still get busy but nothing like the other lounges. And since I value space more than anything else, I tend to go to The Pier.

I think the main problem is the attractiveness of the Cabin plus it's small capacity leads to it being packed. I also find the new J wing to be very messy looking when it's full so again if my flight is over at gate 40-70 I will still go to the Pier even if I have time.

What I don't understand is why CX can't upgrade the catering offerings in the Pier without a renovation. It wouldn't be too hard to offer maybe 80% of what is at the Cabin or Wing which would then attract people back to the Pier.

CrazyJ82

That's what your problem is, then. It sounds like you're confirming my theory that the disparity in offerings between old and new lounges has become big enough that it's significantly influencing pax behavior. In which case, we probably have to wait for the Bridge to open near gate 36 before things get markedly better. Although a proper revamp of G16, which is now far behind even the Pier in quality, wouldn't go amiss in terms of having another nicer lounge offering nearer security/immigration.

CanucksHKG

HKIA...being not only CX's home hub, but also one of the world's largest passenger terminal. When you take into account the enormous amount of passengers and flights in and out of HK everyday....you're bound to find the lounges crowded at times.

Kudos to CX for recognizing this and executing this quickly to open their 6th lounge sometime this September.

With the introduction of KA's new business class and many FTer's observation of the more superior service compare to CX on many of it's regional routes.....it would also make sense for CX/KA to update their G16 lounge as their next project after the Bridge. It would help spread out the 'crowd' more. With the close proximity of the Wing/Cabin.....I sometimes do wonder how many KA J pax actually use the G16 lounge as oppose to the other two....

sxc

So is T5 at LHR for BA - I don't think they have the same kind of crowding that CX has at HKG. Hopefully The Bridge will be large enough to take on the capacity problems, especially since closing The Pier is going to have a big effect on capacity.

Kachjc

Id hate to see put more lounge restrictions

better if they build more lounges

also the bridge is supposed to be much bigger than the cabin

sometimes though the lounges are really empty

in December at around 8 there were 10 people in the cabin

only 3 people approx eating!

also we like the cabin because of its different atmosphere-I suppose many others like it too if it is so crowded

if CX made their lounges more different from each other(different styles etc and different food options-and seating) the lounge usage will be spread more evenly.

I mean Solus chairs in both the cabin and the wing?? (just one example-heaps of things are repeated)

they should have made a different chair for the wing- cause many people do not like them while some

as a result people just go to the nearest lounge rather than one they prefer cause there is not really much difference(except first)

also with the G16 well below par all KA business passengers use Cabin/Wing

dkc192

As a lowly SL (and likely to stay that way for a couple more years at least), I too, hope that CX maintains its lounge privileges for SLs in Y. It's one of the reasons I stay loyal to CX for the 2-3 longhaul trips I make each year. I am also eagerly anticipating the opening of the new Bridge lounge in the fall. I think its location at the intersection of the Y is ideal. I've noticed more and more CX flights of late (mostly regional, but I've seen the daytime LHR too) departing from gates 40-50, so the Bridge would be well-located to serve those flights. As others have suggested here, it would also help alleviate congestion when the Pier closes for renovation.

I have not really experienced the crowding issues myself, however. Most times I'm in transit it's during the 7-8am morning peak, sometimes on weekdays and sometimes on weekends. I recall some days being fairly crowded: at least once or twice at the Cabin, and another time at the Pier J. I could, however, still find a seat and there were no people camping on the floor. This was when the Wing was being renovated, but since the renovation, I have never encountered any significant crowding during the morning rush period.

I also agree with the observations on here that the new lounge products (Wing and Cabin), as well as their locations have an influence on passengers' choices of which lounge(s) to use. When departing HKG, I almost always head straight for the Wing, regardless of gate, as it's my favorite lounge at HKG, and I'd dare say the world, both pre- and post-renovation. There's something about the open-air feel to it that I love. Anyways, in transit, I generally head to the lounge that makes most sense based on arrival and departure gates (usually the Wing or Pier for shower facilities). For example, if I arrive at 30 and depart anywhere north of 30, I will head to the Pier; if I arrive at 69 and depart at 4, I will head to the Wing. If the situation allows and/or I have a long transit, I usually like to stop by the Cabin too for some alternative food options.

correctioncx

Have u been there at peak hour?

Also remember t5 is only for BA and some IB flights now?

Strange that so many complain about the lounges and yet people still visit them.

I actually never encountered the situation so bad at the f class lounges where I can't find a seat or have to wait more than 15 mins for a table

However agree the cabin is a zoo and il avoiding that now given f class wing reopen unless not flying oneworld. I think situation will be much better now given Wing f reopened

iscor3

I usually frequent the Wing ( if I have a flight at night (any flights past 9pm) ) for the use of the shower and after I just head on over to whichever lounge is closest to the gate. But I haven't flown much on early morning flights to experience such overcrowding, most of my flights are mid afternoon and it's very relaxing at any of the lounges.
But I think CX should impose a more restrictive entry into the Bridge much like the entry requirement for the arrival lounge but more gear towards CX elites.

Cathay Boy

Like I've said, CX should take care of their customers first, and exercise "capacity control" on other OW fliers. I know OW people will be offended by this suggestion, but it is something logical if the lounge is over crowded and CX staff simply can't provide a resting atmosphere for everybody.

Building another lounge might be a temp solution, but how many lounges can they build? As population increases and flyers increase sooner or later there needs to be a 7th lounge, 8th lounge, 9th lounge, etc....

correctioncx

I really wish they would limit the wing F to CX mpos only and then convert maybe the cabin into an oneworld lounge.

QRC3288

not a bad suggestion

IncyWincy

I just realized from reading the posts above that Silver MPO members can use the Business Class lounge when flying Y.

My recollection from a few years ago is that Silvers could not use the lounge if travelling Y.

Is this a more recent benefit?

Thanks.