early baggage check in, hong kong, in first
 

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find an obvious thread on this by searching. I'm travelling in first tomorrow on BA from HKG. It's the late night flight and was thinking of heading to the airport more than 3 hours before the flight leaves, but wasn't sure if I can check in my bags or whether i would be let through to the lounge.

Many thanks in advance.

Just check your bags in at the HK Island station at IFC or Kowloon. You can check it in in the morning - in fact anytime that day up to about 2 hours before departure. You will need your Octopus card, it will be scanned before you enter the baggage check area, but you can still travel on the Express in the afternoon. In both stations BA's counters, shared with Finnair and others, is on the left hand side.

Having done that, you can enter the lounges at any stage convenient to you.

Thanks for that but I'm probably taking a taxi from my hotel rather than the airport express.

The BA check in desks open at around 7.15pm, with the first flight leaving around 23.30.

However the above city options make check in even earlier.

You can still use this method, you just end up paying for both sets of transport. Unless you are in the back of New Territories I don't really see the point of taking a taxi however.

Quite agree. Why take a taxi? The airport check in is fantastic. Personally prefer Kowloon side. Generally less busy.

Bear in mind that the HK Airport Express includes free bus transfer from (and to, when arriving into HK) most higher-end hotels. I would think it would also be possible to walk from a low-end hotel to a nearby higher-end hotel and ask the staff there where to wait for the AE shuttle.
See details here.
I have found this very efficient every time I have used it; few minutes' wait for the bus at my hotel, staff load your luggage, at the other end you are near the AE checkin desks, check in bags, proceed to AE station and on to airport (or elsewhere then to airport, if one wishes). I could only dream of such a service with the Heathrow Express.

The Airport Express is great but it can also make sense to take a taxi - it depends on where you are and what time it is.

When I lived in Kennedy Town we would usually take the train to the airport after work, but get a taxi straight home from the airport (especially on a Sunday) as it was a bit quicker than train+taxi and still reasonably priced if 2 or more of you.

Be aware you can only enter the check-in zone with a valid airport express ticket or octopus card with sufficient credit..