Alright I finally finished writing something very long out i did over a few days. All my content, but thanks to ChatGPT (or maybe no thanks depending on what you think) for the organization / bullets / numbers. Otherwise it was a mess, but saved me some time!

A few points to add to the good ones above:

General Mindset: You Probably Don't Need to Hustle

• You probably don't need to "hustle," in the sense of the term as I believe you're using it.
  
• Your fate will mostly already be decided by CX by the time you arrive. (My meaning isn't to drag CX—just that you don't need to be too stressed, CX is really good at this.)
• I used to live in N America and am v familiar with what you're thinking, I believe. In N America basically you can just get screwed and miss your flight because of bad luck in the terminal or gates far apart or something like that. Here, it's really hard to miss a CX to CX tight connection at HKIA since the staff are watching it and escorting you if tight. You'd basically have to arrive with a comfortable amount of time, and monkey around yourself to miss it. HKIA / CX are quite remarkable and once you live here long enough you really become thankful for it compared to what can happen transiting elsewhere.
  

How CX Handles Tight Connections

• If CX deems your connection is tight, CX staff will be waiting for you at the jetbridge of your arriving flight and will escort you all the way to your departing flight, along with anyone else on your inbound who shares your itinerary. This is usually for tighter connections.
  
• If they deem your connection isn't too tight, or if transit security has no issue, they’ll simply post your next flight number on the board as you exit your flight.
  

What You Can Do If You're Nervous

• If you are really nervous and no escort is waiting for you, there are always uniformed CX staff upon deplaning each flight.
  
• You can talk to them, tell them your itinerary, and ask them to radio ahead about your presence. (In practice, this won’t change anything—they already know—but it might make you feel better.)
  

In a Nutshell

• Yes, 60 minutes is tight in the sense that if you get a 90-minute delay on your inbound, you're probably missing your connection—but that's life.
  
• It’s not tight in the sense that if your flight is on time (or even a little late), you’re probably going to be fine.
  
• You're likely to be fine even if you land 20-30 minutes late. At that point, CX staff will definitely be waiting for you.
  
• If you do miss your flight, CX staff waiting at your arriving jetbridge will tell you.
  
• You’re not going to have to do a mad dash through the airport wondering “Will I / won’t I?!?!”
  

Airport Logistics: Simple Flow

• The flow is very simple:
  1. Arrive downstairs.
     
  2. Walk to the transit point.
     
  3. Check your travel details and clear security.
     
  4. Go upstairs to departures.
     
• There are many transit points at HKIA.
  
• Occasionally, depending on your arriving and departing gates, it may be slightly wiser to use a different transit checkpoint than the arrows are pointing you toward.
  
• But you’ll be fine regardless of the one you choose.
  

Useful Tip: Familiarize Yourself with the Terminal Layout

• HKG is basically a long spine from Gates 10–35, with four spokes in a symmetrical pattern.
  
• You can ignore:
  • Gates 200+ (non-CX flights)
    
  • Gates 12–21 (narrowbody only, not you)
    
• Here's a good image of the terminal layout (source credit: Checkerboard Hill):
  https://www.checkerboardhill.com/wp-...ruary-2023.jpg
  https://www.checkerboardhill.com/wp-...ruary-2023.jpg
  

Taxi Times: A Small Variable

• Although taxi times have slowly improved since the center runway reopened as part of the 3-runway system, HKG introduced mainland China-style super looooong taxis ever since the opening of the new north runway a few years back.
  
• It can be up to 20 minutes in the unluckiest scenario (north runway arrival, taxi around the north end of the center runway, waiting for a few planes along the way, and getting an arrival gate like #1-4).
  
• It’s frequently more than 10 minutes of taxi time.
  

Context: Cathay’s Transit Game is Strong

• Cathay (and HKIA) have a near-perfect blend of O&D and transit business.
  
• Cathay “quietly” (versus an obvious suspect like EK in DXB) runs a huge transit business at HKIA.
  
• There are massive long-haul to short-haul transfer banks:
  • Early morning: ex-Europe / ex-North America / ex-Oceania
    
  • Late afternoon / early evening: ex-North America / ex-Oceania round 2
    
  • Late night: to Europe / North America / Oceania
    
• Throughout the day, there are continuous intra-Asia transfers starting from late morning through early evening.
  
• HKIA’s lucky geography—northeast corner of Southeast Asia and southwest corner of East Asia—is super convenient, net-net, for passengers with a lot of itineraries to/from/within Asia
  

Truly an amazing answer and covered any questions/concerns I might have. Cheers QRC!

Just a quick note on these transit points – the E and W points are always super-reliable, but have the others all reopened and returned to the operating hours indicated on this pre-pandemic diagram? I mention this because for a long time only E and W were open, so I'd hate to see somebody make a beeline for a transit point that's closed.

Some add-ons for the transit process, with regard to those additional checkpoints:
* if you don't have an onwards boarding pass, only the E and W transit points have airline desks which can issue this (which is of course needed to move for departures to arrivals)

* if you do have your onwards boarding pass, you can go straight to one of those secondary (non E/W) transit checkpoints, assuming they're open of course – and that move makes sense if your arrival gate is closer to one of the secondary transit points or if you arrive in a peak period in which E and W will be chockers

* again, if the secondary transit points are open, it pays to have a copy of this map (or a text list of which gates the secondary transit points are at) on your phone, and also to not be on autopilot and just follow the crowd when you get off the plane. Many's the time I have had a flight arrive at say gate 25-29, or gate 60-61, and instead of 'going with the flow' to E or W I'd know to double-back and head in the other direction to a secondary transit point which is less crowded. Bonus points if you can use the secondary transit point between gates 61-63 because this brings you up almost directly outside The Pier lounges, so while everybody else is still in the W1 queue you'll be relaxing in the lounge!

I have finally found the timetables of the transfer points

Transfer Points at Terminal 1 Operating Hours (With effect from 27 May 2025)

E1 (East Hall) Closed
E2 (East Hall). 24 hours
W1 (West Hall). 24 hours
T3 (Near Gate 27) 05:00 – 23:59
T5 (Near Gate 44). Closed
T6 (Near Gate 65). 06:00 – 23:00

Brilliant, thanks – great to see the Gate 27 and Gate 66 transit points are back!

ditto. Gate 66 is esp useful for CX pax given CXs reliance on the high 60s gates, and the fact the Pier F and J are out there.

I’m not sure precisely when they fully reopened it, but ive noticed it open for many months now finally. Was annoying when it was closed.

Long Layover at HKG - short check bags?
 

I will have a 15 hour layover between flights at HKG. I have a room booked at the Marriott Sky City. Is it allowable to through check my bag and just have an overnight bag with a change of clothes for the next day or should I short check the bags to HKG and collect them & recheck the next day?

I think that through-check of bags is available only for a same-day connection – that was what I wad told some time back when I did SYD-HKG-TPE with an overnight at the airport hotel – but I'm sure somebody here will have the definitive word.

You can check through your baggage and just carry a overnight bag with you, there won’t have any problem.

I have made many overnight connections in HKG and always checked luggage through. As long as the connection is less than 24 hours there is no issue.

awesome - thanks!

So the family and I are arriving HKG from FRA on LH next week (16h00-ish arrival). We have an onward flight to HAN with HK Express the next morning 07h45 (UO550). Separate tickets.

My plan was to enter HK, pick up our luggage, and then go up to departures where we can self-checkin and self-drop the luggage for the UO flight. Then go to the Sheraton Tung Chung with only our carry-ons. Next morning go back to the airport, clear security and immigration, and be on our way.

amidoingitright?

Considering this will be a Friday a.m. flight to HAN, how early should we be back at the airport?

Yes, that should work. HKExpress officially closes the boarding gate 30 minutes before scheduled departure. So I would say 06:30 at the airport to be safe, but 06:45 should be OK if you're comfortable getting around airports.

You would need to check directly with UO whether they will accept baggage for next day's flight

According to this https://www.hkexpress.com/Plan/Guide...n-and-Bag-Drop they do 24h before departure. We are well within 24h for our connection.