Called (C)Trip.com's customer service (which I've always had a good experience with--I've used them quite often in the last 10 years or so)...The agent took a bit, but did indeed confirm that I can pick up the tix in West Kowloon with ID and my confirmation number. No mention of a service charge, but I've generally got a few hundred HKD on me.

As a Waiguoren with a foreign passport, I was already prepared to pick up my ticket at a manned counter--from what I read, that's the case anyway.

Finally--contemplating the opulent "business class" in one direction (Mainland trains, right?) and "first class" on the HK-based Vibrant Express in the other direction...Just to try out some of the variants, having only spent the last 20+ years on the KTT in the more-than-sufficient Premium Class. But if I'm going F in one direction and Business in another with no real preference for which way I go in which class, am I better doing one over another? (Also the same for selecting the mainland trains over the HK-based in one direction or the other).

Is there any reason to go with one class over another in either direction? It looks like the business lounge in HK is absoultely nothing special, and from what I saw, equally benign at Guangzhou Nan. Any earlier off the train?

The one thing I liked about the KTT was that Premium Class was in the middle of the train, always among the first to get through immigration on either side, coupled with HK's eChannel access and the diplomat line in GZ via the APEC card, I was usually one of the first 10 people through when doing HungHom-Guangzhou Dong in either direction. The premium seats (First and Business) seem to be at the end of the trains, which I'm guessing means long waits in line, for taxis in GZ and for exit/entry upon returning to HK.