Just out of curiosity, why did you ask? If you checked your bag with the check person/room and got one of those round little metal numbered tags in an envelope, you could just have held on to it and retrieved your bag when you returned from the city. They would never have known. If they were actually checking and did manage to match the bag to you, they would see that you had several hours before departure and assumed that you were out and about shopping in the Duty Free.

I did a bit of research yesterday. I was transiting HKIA for 11 hours, arriving at around 23:40. I had a landside airport hotel booked. The CX Arrivals Lounge would be closed, so a visit to a departures lounge for about an hour would have been very nice.

I asked Cathay Pacific transit desk staff and 2 x HKIA transit entrance security officials.

Result: No-one wants a passenger to easily exit the HKIA departure area. But it seems, if it has to be done, the airline needs to assist the passenger with the process. In other words, you need a good reason that your departing airline will support.

Just exited transit security yesterday. I had a long layover in HKG, from 5am to 7pm. I first went to F lounge to catch a shower/nap since it was too early for most attractions in HK at 5am.

When entering the F lounge, I asked about going into HK town and the F lounge staff scheduled a time (10a) for a HKG airport staff member to escort me through transit security and to arrivals immigration. According to staff member, policy for this recently changed, before a person just needed a supporting form from their airline but now an airport staff member needs to actually pick up and escort the person through to immigration... at busy times there might not be a free HKG staff member for hours.

I was told similar by 2 x HKIA transit security staff yesterday and today in an email from the HKIA authority (that took over a week for a reply). But when pushed, the transit security staff admitted that it can be done - with the assistance of the airline.

Here is part of the email from Customer Service at hongkongairport.com:

If travelling on CX, it seems they have to arrange it.

I read the whole chain, thank you for all of this information. I have a slight twist on this situation. I would want to visit the Wing and then go to Macau. Same situation? Do I need an escort for that as well? Just wondering if it plays out the same way or not.

In alternative can I use Arrival Lounge and then go to Macau, I assume that is simplest option. Right?

Thank you,

PedroNY

This is interesting because a week ago, I was in the Wing and I asked if I could go landslide to ticketing (to pay for two up coming itineraries), they insisted I had to cancel my existing ticket before they could have someone take me.

So I guess they lied to avoid the hassle of doing this process? This is was six in the morning, so perhaps they just didn't want to do it? I of course did not know if it was possible or not; I can call over the phone to do it, but I realized every time I need to verify my credit card at the counter which is a hassle.

That sounds so patently absurd. What if it's a nonrefundable ticket? What if it's refundable but with a cancellation penalty? What about your prereserved seating assignment? Your special meal?

If you plan on going to Macau through the Sky Pier, since the Sky Pier is located in the arrivals area before HK immigration, it's the same process as if you are in the Wing and wanted to go to Hong Kong city.

I am pretty sure you can't use the Arrival lounge and then go to the Sky Pier though since the Arrival is after immigration and Sky Pier is before immigration. But you could pass through immigration, use the Arrival (which is not a very good lounge but does have showers and very basic snacks), go to the HK macau ferry terminal in Hong Kong, and go to Macau from there.

Sky Pier is the most straight forward route going from HK airport to Macau but sometimes the ferry timings mean you'll need to wait for a couple hours for the next macau ferry whereas the HK - Macau ferries run like every 20-30min.

I think the "can't" is right

http://www.hongkongairport.com/leaflet/skypier.pdf

Skypier is not available for landside customers to use.

You'll get on the people mover, and go the other way *to* skypier. Unless they let you backtrack on the skypier side (I've never used it but I assume they will not board outbound passengers unless people mover empty) I don't see how can you use any CX lounge.

I appreciate your response, thank you.

So, if I want to go directly to Macau via ferry, my options are even more limited. Arrival Lounge is not an option and Wing is only an option if I want to go through the hassle of getting the CX employee escort me down, or take the elevator down by the Disney Store and sweet talk to the security guard to let me go to Skypier. Right?

Thank you,

PedroNY

You can't access the departure level (where the CX departure lounges are located) unless you have an onward flight boarding pass.

Does anyone know if a OneWorld Emerald flying AA into HKG would be able to use the CX Arrival lounge?

From the website, it looks like I can't because I'm not flying with CX. However, does anyone know anything different?

No

You can try the Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge opposite CX Arrivals, it's run by the same company and has similar offerings.

Sadly I'm not sure you have any of the following cards to get in:

http://www.hongkongcard.com/forum/fo...hp?id=9701&p=6 #55

One recent experience on United Airlines.

I landed at HKG and wanted to use the UA Lounge to take a shower. Since I had an onward boarding pass for the same day (albeit 17 hours later), I could access the departure level and the lounge.
However, after the shower I planed to clear immigration in order to travel to HK Island. Initially that was not possible, since there is no advertised exit. Airport security and immigration personal could not help me.
I had to contact a gate agent from UA.
I did so and waited for them to finalize the boarding process for the UA flight to SFO.
After that the UA agent and I took a public elevator from the departure to the arrival level.
After exiting the elevator there are two ways:
1) taking the stairs up to the departure level again (no check)
2) passing a glass door, which led into the arrival hall (there was a security person present, guarding this door)

That security person wanted to see my boarding pass, my passport, the airport ID card from the UA agent and an oral verification by the UA agent. After that I was allowed to pass the door into the arrival hall, where I could then go on towards incoming immigration.
Actually all airport and airline personal, working in the departure area, have to use that glass door to exit the airport.

Basically the exit policy probably states that in case of irregular operations and sudden cancellations, it is the responsibility of the operating airline to escort the passengers out of the departure area.

For me this complicated exit policy makes no sense.
Passengers in the departure area have already undergone security screening. And if the Hong Kong authorities do not want these passengers back in their country, they can easily stop that at the incoming immigration checkpoints.

Thank you for this clarification. I do have an onward flight boarding pass, but it is 22 hours later. I just wanted to stop by a lounge to freshen up after 16h flight, but it looks like I will have to wait till I get to my hotel in Macau.

Thank you,

PedroNY