Flexible preferences

I also enjoy Hiddy's contributions which bring a lot of valuable common sense to this board and help keep it grounded. On a good day, they also bring humour too

lorcancoyle

And his comments help confirm my stereotypical view of irascible Scotsmen (I seek out confirmation bias where I can!)

Though I expect him to become all sweetness and light now that the Casa Rosada has changed hands.

HIDDY

The cheques, as promised, will be in the post tomorrow boys.

1010101

No free seats, empty dishes in the food area and dirty plates/glasses everywhere with noone cleaning them up? Maybe I've just been in there at the wrong time then

orbitmic

because the message 'oh well it's all the same, it's only a matter of personal preference' would just be inaccurate. There really are differences in food quality across lounges and while personal tastes are what they are, I suspect that >95% of people who'd sample the three offerings blindly would consider that the Pier has better food than both the Wing (which serves distinctly average food in my view) and theCCR.

ukgooner

The pier is impressive, and again if you judge a lounge by showers and proper dining I doubt there is much better. The showers / rest areas is more like a spa than a lounge, and the hallway is like a high end hotel. If you like to properly dine before flying, then I understand why it's got it's plaudits. Unlike the wing, the menu was large and varied, and no buffet.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the main lounge area which was a bit cold - a few more quirky things would give it more character. The lighting didn't do it any favours.

My observations on the wine selection still apply, and where it is also weak is if you just want a little snack. The 'snack room' has the most odd selection of stuff, 70% cakes & pastries, alongside mushroom salad and some savoury buns. There were some nice pots (mason jars) in the fridge which, on first blush, looked like fruit salad but had some interesting things in there too. (Pork neck salad was nice).

So as I said, as much as this is a very high end facility, and I very much enjoyed my visit, there are certain aspects where I prefer The BA option.

As an aside, it was ideal for me as I arrived at 60 on BA, so could use the smaller (empty) transfer facility up that end, and left at the last 30 gate on QF. It would have been quite a schlep to the wing and back. Likewise if you aren't using the gates up there, it's quite a walk, so I wonder how it's being used as it was rather empty. I was the only one using one of the 8 or so snooze zones for over 2 hours. The dining room is vast and maybe 20% occupied (6pm).

I wonder how they justify the cost of the dining section? If this was in BA F it would be absolutely rammed, with lots of people on short haul Y tickets having proper lunch and dinner. Do CX not have so many status holders flying short-haul? I imagine many long-haul folk (like me) know they will end up eating on board, so can't justify on health grounds too much indulgence, which probably helps thin the demand a little.

ukgooner

No I'm not saying it's all the same, far from it. As I've just posted the Pier has excellent dining. I fancied the clay pot chicken (but in 24 hours of flying from the Uk to Aus you can't just keep eating - that's just me).

I just think a bit more thought is required sometimes - that BA don't offer Pier style dining in their F lounge doesn't make it a dump and unworthy of (free) patronage,? And moreover for the reasons I've gone into, for certain scenarios / needs the BA F lounge can deliver better. That's not saying "it's all the same" is it?

And I'm afraid I do get frustrated when all comparisons are boiled down to the binary "excellent" and "dire".

One thing I do think is great at HKG with CX is the range of lounges. The cabin, although busy, does have the juice bar. BA could differentiate a bit more across the 3 club lounges at T5.

1010101

I think this boils down to a few things.

1. Plenty of CX status passengers fly short haul, but Emerald status is MUCH harder to come by on CX than on BA.

2. BA has more aircraft and more passengers, whilst CX has 7 lounges to BA's 5 in T5.

3. Many frequent flyers (ie status holders) cut it much finer at HKG and consequently have less time at the airport to spend in lounges. If I have a 9am flight I know I need to leave at 7am and will only get ~45 mins before boarding starts. At LHR you need to build in much more flexibility.

4. Most long hauls go from the low numbered gates a long way from The Pier, and The Wing is still considered the flagship lounge F passengers are directed to.

dylanks

I've not tried the Pier yet. When I dined at the Wing, I had a very excellent steak. The CCR serves a fairly nice burger, that you can also order from the GF menu. None of these lounges serve organic or Michelin rated food, but they provide a decent offering. And both terminals offer better paid options if preferred. The biggest challenge at LHR is the frequent overcrowding (which also happens at the Wing) and relatively fewer staff compared to CX.

Either way, I'm happy to have the lounges available when I travel, especially when they are not overcrowded, not too warm, and when the wifi is reliable!

Nuster

Although I have been in the Pier a few times, they have been more splash and dash than a leisurely few hours. My wife has raved about it so I contrived a longer transfer today to sample it and I can now relate to what she said and what some posters wrote here. It is truly what a top class lounge should be. More 5 star hotel than waiting room. From the plush thick pile carpet to the finishings, it is highly recommended.

Lunch was spectacular and while I won't go in to a blow by blow account of everything I ate and drank the fragrant chicken is simply stunning. Shower rooms more worthy of a Four Seasons than an airport with great attentive service throughout. There is the bar for those who want to sit up and I do like the little pantry to cater for those who do not want waiter service.

It is obvious that BA has a different more mass market proposition to both its onboard proposition and its lounges but it still warrants taking one's hat off to Cathay for keeping its standards so high.

ESFLYER95

+1 ^^

xenole

When I arrived at HKG from LHR back in Feb, the A380 parked up pretty much outside the Pier F lounge.

The food is good but not amazing.
Tried the Dan Dan noodles, sticky mango pudding, the crumble, champagnes, Cathay signature drinks etc.
Really do need to try everything though to find out what's best.
Liked the "dragon eye" fruit in the Pantry (sort of lychee type thing I've never seen before).

Miss the almond soup in the Bridge though - sure the food selection in there has been drastically reduced.

secretplantofightinflation

I adore the Pier F, stunning lounge.

With that and also the QF lounge, HKG is a great airport for oneworld elites.

FlightDetective

I'm flying out of Hong Kong next week and I'll have several hours at the Pier. After reading some of the reviews, I'm quite looking forward to the experience.

dodgeflyer

My partner hates lounges as an overall part of travel. However, he absolutely loves the Pier and was very happy that I built in some extra layover on our last flight through HKG.

That said, I do not think the new LHR Pier will give access to emeralds. Simply the volumes will be too great and they will re designate the lounges to ala CCR.