If you're transit I have no idea...I'm talking about if you originate at HKG. I promise you, if you're ex-HKG you are not getting around these ladies, period. They can look so nice but just try bringing a bag that is bigger than their little metal bin through. I have seen nothing like it anywhere else in the world, they are just insanely good. Usually you can always get your big bag on...not ex-HKG. If your bag is like one inch too big they call out to you...it's completely futile to try to beat them. Granted they're not counting how MANY you have, they're watching how BIG your bags are. The only way I've thwarted them before was to remove a ton of stuff out of my expanded bag and then carry it with me under my arm, but it's just much easier to obtain an orange pull off thing from CX or KA at checkin.

I really hated those ladies when I first moved to HKG, I was flying twice a week ex-HKG and I had just started MPC so I had NO status. What a disaster...we were adversaries, and I don't think I ever won once. I felt victorious the one time I removed just a ton of crap out of my bag after getting rejected at the south entrance, walked up to the north entrance with half my suitcase under my arm, and went through. My bag was technically the right size then. I missed a flight because of those damn ladies because they made me check my bag. My problem is my standard carry-on is 22" high, which is good to fit in all overhead bins and is okay for most airlines around the world, but NOT good enough for HKG airport without an orange sticker from your airline. 20" will get through.