tski

Hi, flying through HK next month and just wondering how busy the Pier and Wing first lounges get? Arrive at 430pm and depart at 8pm. Just wondering my chances of grabbing a shower and maybe spa service at that time.

Cambo

Without having counted seats, etc an impression, all times local times, all rough estimate. Feel free to change.

Wing:
Busy time (nearly 100%): 7:00 - 10:00
Less busy (roughly 50%): 10:00 - 11:00

The Pier:
Quiet: 6:00 - 11:00
Less quiet (<50%): After 11:00

The Bridge:
Quiet (<25%): 20:00 - 22:00 gradually filling up to:
Busy (>50% - 75%): 22:00 - 23:30

Bangkok:
Busy (>75%): xx - 11:30
Quiet (25%): 11:30 - 14:00
Getting busy (>50%): 14:00 - 15:00

cxfan1960

Er... That won't help OP. OP is asking Wing F or Pier F between 1630 and 2000...

Cambo

Yep, though when many people chime in with their info, for both F & J, a reference overview can be created.....

tski

Thank you and sorry I should have used the 24 hr clock. So essentially depending on the lounge either early morning or late morning are the quieter times. Thanks for the info.

ermen

IME 430pm - 8pm is not that peak (even on a Fri end of work week commuter rush) and I have never had any trouble getting a seat at the restaurant at those times.

Never used the spa ever so can't comment

You will be able to get a shower at those times. CX have plenty of shower cubicles at both Pier and Wing (unlike the QR Al Mourjan)

QRC3288

No, early through mid-morning is a madhouse in the Wing. It depends on the arrival of the long-haul flights, but basically there is a massive transit bank longhaul to shorthaul that happens between approx 6am and 10am. Start time of rush hour fluctuates by 45 minutes due to seasons / daylight savings time / delays. But by 7:30am any time of year it is packed. Mon-Thursday are the worst, because you also have massive #s of ex-HKG O&D business travelers mixing in with the transit pax. Fridays better than Mon-Thurs, and weekends most pleasant.

Wing gets the biggest brunt of visitors it because it's next to the two largest transit areas, and also next to exit security / immigration for O&D pax. You never have to go out of your way to go to Wing while you do to Pier. So Wing is easier to predict: crowds more likely here than Pier.

You have another "rush" between 9pm and midnight as a bunch of Europe, and a few N. America + Oz departures leave then. However, this rush is less predictable because it really depends where the Europe departures are leaving from. If they're spread out all over the airport you may not notice it; pax will be spread between Wing, Pier, Qantas, Bridge, etc. If all the departures are all clumped together by the Pier, then the Pier (particularly Pier F) main lounge area gets completely overwhelmed, because it's too small for that many flights. However it's really hard to say. Normally Pier F is very pleasant and you don't have crowding issues, but you notice its small lounging size in a hurry if you get unlucky and there are 4-5x longhaul departures nearby. BA also has two latenight departures and their Emeralds / F pax can be in the F lounge and Sapphires / J class members in the J lounge. IME it really depends where the Europe departures are leaving from which determines the late night lounge crowding.

4-8pm is not rush hour.

cxfan1960

I agree. The lounges are usually the worst early morning and late night (before midnight), and are usually quite quiet mid-afternoon.

G-CIVC

I kind of think 4-6pm is sometimes quite busy too depending on gate allocations as there are a few evening US departures, as well as the bulk of incoming pax from European/other long haul arrivals connecting onto regional flights. Have certainly seen Bridge (right hand side) to full capacity at that time. Pier F gets some of this madness too once in a while.

But generally speaking OP should be fine. If OP wants the spa appointment, I'd go to Pier and book ASAP (they now allow scheduling in advance within the day, as far as I'm concerned). Showers at both lounges should not require any waiting much, even when lounges are at full capacity. Dinner time at the Wing (before the evening 'rush') is almost always quiet.

tski

Awesome. Thank you for all the info. First time through HK so just trying to make the most of it.

swingaling

Wing F is fairly small, so it feels crowded even when it's not terribly busy. Pier F is way bigger, so crowding shouldn't be nearly as bad. Regardless, I've showered at Wing J, Pier J and Pier F at various different times of day; I've never had any issues getting a shower room right away.