HKG: Exiting the airport after going to the lounge
Feb 20, 2013, 12:45 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,077
Using HKG departure-side lounges before clearing immigration
I have a scheduled 12 hour HKG (CX-CX) layover and plan to head into town later in the day for dinner with friends. What I'd like to know is whether upon arrival I can first proceed up to the departure concourse and utilise the Wing/Pier, et al, facilities for a couple hours, before clearing immigration and heading into town?
MTIA.
MTIA.
Feb 20, 2013, 12:51 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,377
I have a scheduled 12 hour HKG (CX-CX) layover and plan to head into town later in the day for dinner with friends. What I'd like to know is whether upon arrival I can first proceed up to the departure concourse and utilise the Wing/Pier, et al, facilities for a couple hours, before clearing immigration and heading into town?
MTIA.
MTIA.
Since you're implying you'll have access to Wing/Pier.....If your flight arriving Hong Kong is J/F, you have access to the CX Arrivals lounge. No need for the hassle to go through back up to the departure side.
Feb 20, 2013, 1:00 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,077
Feb 20, 2013, 1:11 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,377
Technically you can arrive
-> enter immigration
-> walk past luggage area...."enter" HK
-> head back up stairs to "departure" HK
-> go through security / immigration
-> enjoy the Wing
-----------> then "enter" HK again. There's a special route for this, but it's not the usual flow of traffic. But there is a way to get back out of airport again. You would have to inquire one of the airport staff.
-> Head into town for dinner
-> go through security / immigration / lounge / fly
Whether it's worth the hassle to go find that route to be allow out of the airport again...would really depend on you. How long do you plan to stay in Wing working for?
-> enter immigration
-> walk past luggage area...."enter" HK
-> head back up stairs to "departure" HK
-> go through security / immigration
-> enjoy the Wing
-----------> then "enter" HK again. There's a special route for this, but it's not the usual flow of traffic. But there is a way to get back out of airport again. You would have to inquire one of the airport staff.
-> Head into town for dinner
-> go through security / immigration / lounge / fly
Whether it's worth the hassle to go find that route to be allow out of the airport again...would really depend on you. How long do you plan to stay in Wing working for?
Feb 20, 2013, 1:17 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: China
Posts: 1,552
I have a scheduled 12 hour HKG (CX-CX) layover and plan to head into town later in the day for dinner with friends. What I'd like to know is whether upon arrival I can first proceed up to the departure concourse and utilise the Wing/Pier, et al, facilities for a couple hours, before clearing immigration and heading into town?
MTIA.
MTIA.
Feb 20, 2013, 1:20 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,077
Technically you can arrive
-> enter immigration
-> walk past luggage area...."enter" HK
-> head back up stairs to "departure" HK
-> go through security / immigration
-> enjoy the Wing
-----------> then "enter" HK again. There's a special route for this, but it's not the usual flow of traffic. But there is a way to get back out of airport again. You would have to inquire one of the airport staff.
-> Head into town for dinner
-> go through security / immigration / lounge / fly
-> enter immigration
-> walk past luggage area...."enter" HK
-> head back up stairs to "departure" HK
-> go through security / immigration
-> enjoy the Wing
-----------> then "enter" HK again. There's a special route for this, but it's not the usual flow of traffic. But there is a way to get back out of airport again. You would have to inquire one of the airport staff.
-> Head into town for dinner
-> go through security / immigration / lounge / fly
All I was really asking was whether there's a simple process to exit the departure level and then clear immigration just that one time... Which I agree with you is not the normal flow of traffic.
As I said, a good couple of hours, which I think to many people makes a slightly roundabout detour to the nicer lounge worth the hassle. YMMV.
Feb 20, 2013, 1:20 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver/ows, CX AsiaMiles (not even GR anymore!) missing my GO days
Posts: 1,581
Technically you can arrive
-> enter immigration
-> walk past luggage area...."enter" HK
-> head back up stairs to "departure" HK
-> go through security / immigration
-> enjoy the Wing
-----------> then "enter" HK again. There's a special route for this, but it's not the usual flow of traffic. But there is a way to get back out of airport again. You would have to inquire one of the airport staff.
-> Head into town for dinner
-> go through security / immigration / lounge / fly
Whether it's worth the hassle to go find that route to be allow out of the airport again...would really depend on you. How long do you plan to stay in Wing working for?
-> enter immigration
-> walk past luggage area...."enter" HK
-> head back up stairs to "departure" HK
-> go through security / immigration
-> enjoy the Wing
-----------> then "enter" HK again. There's a special route for this, but it's not the usual flow of traffic. But there is a way to get back out of airport again. You would have to inquire one of the airport staff.
-> Head into town for dinner
-> go through security / immigration / lounge / fly
Whether it's worth the hassle to go find that route to be allow out of the airport again...would really depend on you. How long do you plan to stay in Wing working for?
Though it is an awful lot of trouble. Are you sure you can't get your work done in the Arrival lounge? Or, after a shower in the Arrival lounge, head into town and set yourself up at a coffee shop with wi-fi?
Feb 20, 2013, 1:27 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
It is actually pretty easy.
When you arrive you do what a normal transit passenger would do: Go thru security upstairs to the lounge.
In the lounge then later you tell them you want to go to town. They will either escort you or explain how to do it. You go backwards thru transit security to the arrivals level, thru immigration, customs.
Advantage of doing this is that you can leave your carry on in the lounge. Not horribly complicated and time consuming.
When you arrive you do what a normal transit passenger would do: Go thru security upstairs to the lounge.
In the lounge then later you tell them you want to go to town. They will either escort you or explain how to do it. You go backwards thru transit security to the arrivals level, thru immigration, customs.
Advantage of doing this is that you can leave your carry on in the lounge. Not horribly complicated and time consuming.
Feb 20, 2013, 1:41 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,077
It is actually pretty easy.
When you arrive you do what a normal transit passenger would do: Go thru security upstairs to the lounge.
In the lounge then later you tell them you want to go to town. They will either escort you or explain how to do it. You go backwards thru transit security to the arrivals level, thru immigration, customs.
Advantage of doing this is that you can leave your carry on in the lounge. Not horribly complicated and time consuming.
When you arrive you do what a normal transit passenger would do: Go thru security upstairs to the lounge.
In the lounge then later you tell them you want to go to town. They will either escort you or explain how to do it. You go backwards thru transit security to the arrivals level, thru immigration, customs.
Advantage of doing this is that you can leave your carry on in the lounge. Not horribly complicated and time consuming.
And while I do genuinely appreciate all the input here, I fail to see the logic of why my plan would be such a hassle - unless it would hugely inconvenience me and/or CX staff to get me back down to the Arrivals level - which is something I've never done before and why I asked the original question.
I travel thru HKIA dozens of times a year, carry the HKIA frequent visitor pass, and am familiar with all the CX lounges (though I haven't yet visited the refurbished Wing F). So I'm pretty certain that given the amount of time I have on my hands, I'd rather check out the Wing F than the Arrivals Lounge.
Feb 20, 2013, 4:05 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
And while I do genuinely appreciate all the input here, I fail to see the logic of why my plan would be such a hassle - unless it would hugely inconvenience me and/or CX staff to get me back down to the Arrivals level - which is something I've never done before and why I asked the original question.
It does not mean you can do whatever you want.
Feb 20, 2013, 4:13 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX, SIN
Posts: 474
while it is not a big hassle for the passenger, it is a big inconvenience for the CX staff in the lounge to make arrangements to take you back to the arrivals level.
the lounge staff cannot tell you how to do it, they must get another ground staff from outside the lounge to escort you to the arrivals level, which could take 1-2 hours or longer if they are short of staff or there is some irrops at the airport. this is different than in the past when they would just issue a 'transit advice' form.
the lounge staff cannot tell you how to do it, they must get another ground staff from outside the lounge to escort you to the arrivals level, which could take 1-2 hours or longer if they are short of staff or there is some irrops at the airport. this is different than in the past when they would just issue a 'transit advice' form.
Feb 20, 2013, 6:58 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,513
The op just tell the lounge CSO he needs to go landslide and they will issue his with a special ticket which states flight delay etc... And then he just take that and go back to the transfer point - use the elevators near Burger King and then just clear immigration and head back out
Feb 20, 2013, 11:27 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
while it is not a big hassle for the passenger, it is a big inconvenience for the CX staff in the lounge to make arrangements to take you back to the arrivals level.
the lounge staff cannot tell you how to do it, they must get another ground staff from outside the lounge to escort you to the arrivals level, which could take 1-2 hours or longer if they are short of staff or there is some irrops at the airport. this is different than in the past when they would just issue a 'transit advice' form.
the lounge staff cannot tell you how to do it, they must get another ground staff from outside the lounge to escort you to the arrivals level, which could take 1-2 hours or longer if they are short of staff or there is some irrops at the airport. this is different than in the past when they would just issue a 'transit advice' form.
Feb 20, 2013, 12:25 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX, SIN
Posts: 474
They can no longer issue the special document 'transit advice.' HKG immigration have changed the procedures.