Originally Posted by GoingAway
FlyerGold - the Octopus card is essentially a debit card that you put money on and use to pay your public transportation needs (tram, ferry, bus). The airport shuttles you're using are privately run so they are not included.
Just a small factual correction - all "public" transportation in HK (buses, trams, ferries) is run by private, proft-making companies. It makes you wonder how most of the rest of the world manages to screw it up so badly.