relberger

Flying CX tomorrow JFK-HKG-SYD. I am OW Sapphire (via AAdvantage). It's a scheduled 2.5h gap between flights (CX831 => CX161). So I might have 1.5h if flights go according to plan.

Priorities are:
- Shower (and chances of getting one due to lounge traffic)
- Food (lounge -- I see the Cabin has goodness)
- Shopping (looking to pick up an unlocked Samsung phone)

As you're probably aware, CX831 lands in "evening prime time" (6.55pm), putting my priorities at risk.

On arrival, best route of action and lounge to hit up?
Is there a 'standard' or 'usual' gate for CX161?
Is CX831 usually early/late/on-time, having impact on my priorities (I guess I could look this up myself, but anecdotes are welcome)?
Any customs impact -- or is the transfer intra-terminal?
As USA citizen/passport holder, even though I've looked up multiple times I don't require a transit visa, I want to be absolutely sure?

As you might guess, I micromanage my travel (no surprises == better experience).

pssteve

See part 9.3 of sticky Read this first for CX (transiting HKIA) and print a copy.The magazine in the seat back has a plan of HKIA which is helpful.You generally will not know your arrival gate nor connecting gate until you exit the plane. Follow the instructions and you will be fine. If you arrive at a gate above 60 or so and depart out of 1-4 then definitely take the tram. It will save a lot of time. After you clear security go to lounge closest to your departure gate.

mayodave

Correct me if I am wrong but as a side note you dont need to go all the way down to the lower number gates to clear security, there are points along the main pier where you can clear security and head straight up to the lounges such as the cabin or Pier.

relberger

To me, this isn't a side note it is a critical one! There is no reason for me to be curbside or go through security again unless the airport requires it.

relberger

Yes, will definitely PDF that. I should have checked that first. Uncertainty of the gate means I have to plan alternate paths for my short time there.

Would like to hear if anyone has gone to (one or more) of the lounges and the line for shower was long so they didn't get the chance ... may have to make the choice of walking to a farther lounge nail the priorities.

mayodave

I have never waited for a shower ever

mayodave

Check the airport map and you will see there are some other immigration points along the pier. So many people all head to immigration to transit when it not actually needed but then again if you dont know the airport you wouldnt think of looking


http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/interactive-map.html

relberger

LOL yeah. It happened to me once --

-- at the Korean Air lounge at LAX -- only one shower room. There were three people ahead of me, and the guy right before me was in there for like 40 minutes (huh???) and the attendant, poor girl, had a real worried look on her face (in my twisted sense of reading others, I was wondering if she was scared to knock on the door without an answer... uh oh...).

I almost missed my plane waiting for that shower.

Obviously the stigma of that experience obviously still carries on based on my concern...

sxc

In the J lounges, this does happen, but usually after 9pm. From the anecdotes on here it happens in the F lounges too. If you have to wait, you get a beeper/flasher that flashes when your cubicle is ready.

To the OP, 2.5 hours is probably fine for your tasks. Flights to Australia usually depart around gate 60+, though not always. There are no showers at The Cabin, so to save time you are best to concentrate your activity around The Pier.

Also, electronics at the airport in my experience are not well priced. Know your prices before you blindly purchase a phone there.

mayodave

Heed the mods advice of duty free its well over priced in HKG.

CrazyJ82

IME, they will start displaying connecting flight information, including your anticipated arrival gate, on the IFE screen on your inbound flight 30-40 minutes before arrival. (It becomes one of the rotating screens on the moving map.) You can compare this information to the map in the back of the magazine, with the caveat that things are subject to change. CX will also have staff at the top of the jetway you can ask for information.

I echo sxc's skepticism about whether the airport will offer you a deal on the electronics that's any better than what you would get in the U.S. or Australia. (Now if you had time to go into town, I suspect you could do better.)

One question someone else might be able to answer for you: If OP is determined to buy the electronics, should he clear transit security near the lower gates anyway regardless of where his connecting gate will be? I've never specifically looked so I'm not sure, but I have the impression that most of the stores that would interest him would be concentrated under the food court at the head of the terminal.

sl0uch

There are electronics stores elsewhere, so probably no need to go to the lower gates just for this one purpose.

However I think it's a good idea anyway - on arrival take the tram, then clear security, go to the lower gates. Because if he gets to the departure floor & finds out the connecting flight is at the far end, the tram would still be available to take him the other way.

He can do The Wing for a shower, do the shopping, then go to The Cabin if he really really wants the different food.

Yes, you might get your gate/connecting flight gate info on the moving map, but A) it's not guaranteed to show, and B) I've done 2.5-hr transits before, and I never saw mine among all the gate infos. It was either bumped off by everyone else with shorter connections, or something.

jona970318

I personally find that many of the evening flights to Australia often depart from gate number in the high 60's, so you may be able to use the pier which have showers and also do some shopping at the area before the fork. But again, the gate really depends, I've had times where it departed from the complete opposite side of the airport.

JALPak

Wouldn't it be the other way round? If you don't know the airport, you would be looking for signage.

QRC3288

You'd think so, but IME experience that's not how it plays out in practice. I'm always amazed at how random the crowds are at HKIA and the general rule of thumb is that if a lot of people are heading in one direction / waiting in a transit line, then lots more follow. I'd say the best strategy I have for HKIA is if you see a short transit line, and you're in a hurry, just jump in it and clear. The tram doesn't make that much of a speed difference - almost nobody is heading west (down towards lower # gates) in the terminal on the departures area, so you can move pretty fast on foot.

I think it comes down to most pax are unfamiliar with how extremely convenient HKIA is. The frequency of transit areas - and that all transit areas, regardless of the one you pick, ultimately can get you to your departing flight - throws folks off. I see this happen all the time and last week was no exception; there were 50+ primarily mainland Chinese pax in line spilling out of the transit area into the arrival corridors, and you could see folks from my arriving flight peeling off and heading towards them because there were so many....it just seemed like the correct place to go transit if you didn't know any better, due to how many people were in line.

What mayodave says definitely is a phenomenon - tons of people head towards the E1/E2 transit areas on the far west side. I think the reason is that you can consistently follow a train of signs that say "transit" and lead you there, plus lots of people are heading that direction. It's a safe choice. While there are numerous "transit areas" located without the terminal, I think some folks out of an abundance of caution keep following the hoards and end up at E1/E2. That's where the most folks are heading anyway.

The other phenomenon I've noticed is at the 60+ gate transit area. It has the possibility of having a totally insane line. This usually occurs, IME, when two flights dock at nearby gates at similar times. Once the crowd builds, more and more transit folks assume "this is the transit area", because there are so many other people waiting in line.

I think it would be helpful for HKIA to tell pax two things:
1.) There are many transit areas strategically located throughout the airport, and
2.) All transit areas bring you to the same departure levels for access to all flights. It's not like you'll transit to the "wrong" area or terminal and be totally out of position.