I’m curious whether any of the new Wing Lounges will include a separate inner room or an entirely separate lounge for First Class passengers, Diamond Plus, and eventually Diamond Executive (once it launches in 2027), similar to how British Airways does it with the Concorde Room at Heathrow Terminal 5, or how Qatar handles Al Safwa in Doha.

For context, the Concorde Room is genuinely exclusive. It’s limited to passengers actually flying BA First and Concorde Room Card and BA Gold List Holders. Al Safwa is similar in spirit. It’s primarily for First Class passengers, with limited access for Qatar Platinum members traveling in Business. In both cases, OneWorlld Emerald status on its own doesn’t qualify.

Historically, both The Wing First and The Pier First have tended to get crowded, especially during peak and holiday periods, with families and OneWorld Emerald guests having access. That does take away from the experience for passengers actually flying in First.

It would be interesting to see whether Cathay uses this refresh to introduce a more clearly tiered First Class experience, perhaps prioritizing rather than just a single shared First lounge space.