HKG Pier F lounge access question

Old Sep 26, 2017, 12:16 am
  #1  
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HKG Pier F lounge access question

I'm on the verge of booking an F award using AS miles, for LAX - HKG stopover - BKK. I know the intra-Asia flights tend to equipment swap quite a bit, so my question is, if I've booked the HKG-BKK leg in F but it gets downgraded to J, can I still access Pier/Wing F lounges? Or only J?

Really want to experience the Pier F lounge, so I guess I'd reverse the travel if I had to (BKK - HKG stopover - LAX) to guarantee F departure, even tho that would involve some tradeoffs elsewhere on my trip.
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Old Sep 26, 2017, 12:36 am
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Provided it is a connection as opposed to a stopover, you will have access to the F lounges in HKG (both Wing and Pier) based on your inbound boarding pass, regardless of your onward flight.
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Old Sep 26, 2017, 12:58 am
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Where "connection" means the BKK flight must be same calendar day as your arrival from LAX or before 6am the next day.
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 2:45 pm
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I think if they swapped equipment (to an aircraft without F) with plenty of notice to AS to reorganise your ticket, you won't get F lounge access. However, if it were an 'on the day' swap with little notice to you, then I think you may get in (but you would need to ask an airport manager to authorise).
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 5:00 pm
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Originally Posted by Jed
I think if they swapped equipment (to an aircraft without F) with plenty of notice to AS to reorganise your ticket, you won't get F lounge access. However, if it were an 'on the day' swap with little notice to you, then I think you may get in (but you would need to ask an airport manager to authorise).
OP would still have access based on arriving in F, assuming that it's a same-day connection.
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 5:15 pm
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Originally Posted by txflyer77
OP would still have access based on arriving in F, assuming that it's a same-day connection.
That's correct. Although it sounds like OP has booked an actual stopover, meaning the flight from HKG to BKK is not on the same day. If the aircraft is swapped for an aircraft without F, then I don't think you'll have much luck gaining access to Pier F, given that it's not a paid F ticket, etc.

But, who knows!

If visiting Pier F is REALLY that important to you, then I would switch the stopover to the inbound portion of your trip.
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 5:40 pm
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Originally Posted by DMPHL
That's correct. Although it sounds like OP has booked an actual stopover, meaning the flight from HKG to BKK is not on the same day. If the aircraft is swapped for an aircraft without F, then I don't think you'll have much luck gaining access to Pier F, given that it's not a paid F ticket, etc.

But, who knows!

If visiting Pier F is REALLY that important to you, then I would switch the stopover to the inbound portion of your trip.
Correct. The OP is highly unlikely to get into Pier F if it's on a different day connection.

Same day connection as stated here and above, no problem. Your inbound BP will get you access.

It's all a moot point. Pier J is superior in many ways to Pier F (size and food choices come to mind). The only difference is a silly a la carte restaurant.
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 6:34 pm
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Originally Posted by QRC3288
It's all a moot point. Pier J is superior in many ways to Pier F (size and food choices come to mind). The only difference is a silly a la carte restaurant.
Can't you order J food in the F lounge?
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 6:51 pm
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Originally Posted by cxfan1960
Can't you order J food in the F lounge?
haha yes, but it's really pointless IMO.

I'll avoid going on one of my long "Pier J is better than Pier F" rants, but long story short the a la cart food options in Pier F are really poor in comparison, and totally lack for abundance. Pier J has a front section with small bites, the big buffet area, a separate section of dim sum and other lite bites, the noodle bar area, plus the entire tea + sweets area. It's just *so much bigger*.

And practically speaking, it's not realistic to order what's in the Pier J lounge. Since that's all a la carte, you really don't know what's available. But I can promise you it's in abundance whatever it is.

Beyond food, I'll also add not once, twice but *on numerous occasions* I have been unable to find adequate seating for a party of 2 (!) in Pier F. It's just really small and cannot handle crowds at all, aka you notice crowds as soon as they arrive. Unscientifically, it seems to happen late nights when Europe departures leave from nearby, although just a few weeks ago I encountered it again in the morning. I have never once, ever had a problem finding seating for multiple people in Pier J.

This is all somewhat moot because both lounges are really very lovely. They are both *superb* lounges. But I'm just saying someone "missing out" on Pier F if the option is Pier J are really doing just fine. I know the OMAATT blog praises the dickens out of Pier F, deservedly so, but with the readership they get I think I understand why people come here feeling the "need" to visit Pier F....because Pier J hasn't been reviewed yet!

I'll just reiterate to the OP what I say on repeat: I have access to Pier F but voluntarily go to Pier J about half the time of my lounge visits down there.
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Old Oct 1, 2017, 7:54 pm
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Originally Posted by QRC3288
I'll just reiterate to the OP what I say on repeat: I have access to Pier F but voluntarily go to Pier J about half the time of my lounge visits down there.
This is such a reasonable and correct and RARE evaluation of Pier F vs. Pier J, I don't know what to say!

Pier F definitely has its virtues. And its virtues are many. The bar is very nice, the a la carte menu is decent, there is a short massage available if you're there long enough, day rooms if you can get them. But unless you're there at a time when it's not crowded at all, it's not markedly superior to Pier J.

Pier J is fantastic. Tons of food options: a delicious semi-buffet with great variety where someone serves you from behind a glass sneeze-guard; a large noodle bar; an entire tea lounge where someone brews a whole fresh pot of any kind of tea you could want; more buffet areas; sweets and pastries and fruits that are pretty much identical to the ones in Pier F (maybe minus a few options); identical showers to Pier F with identical Aesop products.

And it is enormous. Again, if it's really that important to you to experience Pier F and it won't affect the quality of your itinerary, then by all means go ahead and switch the stopover to your return. It is often a rare opportunity, and you will still be able to move to Pier J if Pier F gets too crowded.

But if it is going to be a hassle, or you are going to be stressed for time or have to forego any time or experiences in Thailand to shuffle your schedule, Pier F is definitely not worth that.
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Old Oct 2, 2017, 8:59 pm
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To be clear...and please forgive me I am not great with all the abbreviations and acronyms...if I am coming in on Cathay Pacific in First Class but connecting to another flight where I will be seated in Business Class, I can access Cathay Pacific's flagship First Class lounge while on the layover in HKG airport, awaiting my Business Class flight?

I ask this because I only have enough Frequent Flyer miles to book First Class one way and it is important to me to be able to use the First Class lounge in HKG. I tried to book my ticket in First Class all the way through but getting from the US to India on Cathay Pacific in First Class has proven to be impossible.

So I was planning to book my Frequent Flyer ticket going from India to the US because that way I would come into HKG in Business but depart in First Class. However, I would vastly prefer to do it on the way there, rather than on the way home, because I am wary of devaluations and have always practiced a 'earn and burn' philosophy with miles.

Thanks for any help you can give.
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Old Oct 2, 2017, 9:08 pm
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Originally Posted by katsgone
To be clear...and please forgive me I am not great with all the abbreviations and acronyms...if I am coming in on Cathay Pacific in First Class but connecting to another flight where I will be seated in Business Class, I can access Cathay Pacific's flagship First Class lounge while on the layover in HKG airport, awaiting my Business Class flight?

...

Thanks for any help you can give.
yes. just to provide a nudge, this is one of the most oft-asked question here! we have numerous threads and links about it in here too.

Long story short, the OneWorld rules provide for a passenger connecting from a long-haul first class ticket with an onward boarding pass for aOneWorld flight to use the F lounge. The catch: it must be same day. You cannot land on Day 1 in F, and depart on Day 2 in J or Y (even if it's on a OneWorld carrier) and still use the F lounge.

A few small quirks here and there. For example a "day" is defined by the airline / airport definition. at HKIA, generally a day is from the first departure of the day ~6am until the last departure at night, say 2-3am. It doesn't cutoff straight at midnight as that would be impractical. Aka you land Day 1 at 7pm, and depart at midnight in J class you can use the F lounge (aka they won't screw you over and say "it's the 'next' day! too bad!").

But where a lot of people here get caught up is buying these cheapo Alaska mileage tickets which allow free stopovers. They'll book F and land on Day 1, fart around in HK for a few days, and then fly in J class a few days later and expect/hope to get the F lounge on that departure. Their argument is "but F wasn't available on my next flight!" Irrelevant...not allowed.

F = First Class
J = Business Class

You should also read about Pier J lounge in HK, next to the F lounge which I discuss above and we discuss extensively elsewhere. Although everyone has their own desires and it's not my place to judge, just on an absolute standard the Pier J lounge is absolutely superb and - despite me having access to the F lounge whenever I want it - I *choose* the J lounge over F half the time. I don't fully grasp the hardcore need for the F lounge.
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Old Oct 2, 2017, 9:34 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by jaslmdm
I'm on the verge of booking an F award using AS miles, for LAX - HKG stopover - BKK. I know the intra-Asia flights tend to equipment swap quite a bit, so my question is, if I've booked the HKG-BKK leg in F but it gets downgraded to J, can I still access Pier/Wing F lounges? Or only J?

Really want to experience the Pier F lounge, so I guess I'd reverse the travel if I had to (BKK - HKG stopover - LAX) to guarantee F departure, even tho that would involve some tradeoffs elsewhere on my trip.
There are very few flights scheduled with F (i just did one two days ago). Like a couple per week.
In my experience, they chnage the scheduled equipment periodically. If you book months in advance, there is a good chance that there might be a change announced weeks before your flight and AS will reissue the ticket in J. Then you will not get access to the F lounge .
But there could also be last-minute equipment change as these 77W with F are primarily used longhaul and delays or incidents might require to use that 77W. For example, you bird coiuld arrive late from US and cannot run the day-time HKG-BKK-HKG. Then they will substitute a regional plane. if you OLCI 48h before and come to the airport with a F boarding pass, they might let you in the F lounge.

Be aware that CX uses two types of planes on this route. Either a regional bird with mediocre J seats or a longhaul plane (currently a lot of A350) with excellent J seat. But substitutions do occur.
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Old Oct 2, 2017, 9:46 pm
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Originally Posted by QRC3288
yes. just to provide a nudge, this is one of the most oft-asked question here! we have numerous threads and links about it in here too.

Long story short, the OneWorld rules provide for a passenger connecting from a long-haul first class ticket with an onward boarding pass for aOneWorld flight to use the F lounge. The catch: it must be same day. You cannot land on Day 1 in F, and depart on Day 2 in J or Y (even if it's on a OneWorld carrier) and still use the F lounge.

A few small quirks here and there. For example a "day" is defined by the airline / airport definition. at HKIA, generally a day is from the first departure of the day ~6am until the last departure at night, say 2-3am. It doesn't cutoff straight at midnight as that would be impractical. Aka you land Day 1 at 7pm, and depart at midnight in J class you can use the F lounge (aka they won't screw you over and say "it's the 'next' day! too bad!").

But where a lot of people here get caught up is buying these cheapo Alaska mileage tickets which allow free stopovers. They'll book F and land on Day 1, fart around in HK for a few days, and then fly in J class a few days later and expect/hope to get the F lounge on that departure. Their argument is "but F wasn't available on my next flight!" Irrelevant...not allowed.

F = First Class
J = Business Class

You should also read about Pier J lounge in HK, next to the F lounge which I discuss above and we discuss extensively elsewhere. Although everyone has their own desires and it's not my place to judge, just on an absolute standard the Pier J lounge is absolutely superb and - despite me having access to the F lounge whenever I want it - I *choose* the J lounge over F half the time. I don't fully grasp the hardcore need for the F lounge.

Thank you for your thorough reply. Yes, I've never been to Hong Kong and was considering "farting around" and I understand the offer of the First Class lounge is only under certain circumstances. Which is a good reason to postpone booking the ticket until I am leaving India. And the debate continues (sigh).
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 1:59 am
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Pier J is good.

But I still prefer Pier F than the Pier J (like the burger + risotto).

But Pier J is not the end of the world - its prob the best J lounge globally and better than some flagship F lounges (e.g. MH KUL F)
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