Thanks for the info. I'll be prepared to wait.

Am hoping to get some more early morning data points before my trip at the end of this month as to which checkpoint is best. Just don't want to walk down to another one if it's going to be the same situation.

U-connect is for pax connecting from one UO flight to another UO flight in HKG.
UO website explicitly state that the UO transfer desks are only for U-connect pax. This is basically a service for checked bags when you cannot have checked them through at your departing airport.

If you have already obtained your electronic BP at OLCI, all you need to do is pass security and proceed to your gate. They will do document verification there. No need to go to a transfer desk. The same applies to pax starting their trip in HKG and without checked bag.

Virginia Emery does raise an interesting question though - what if the onward destination requires a doc check to obtain the BP, or you're otherwise unable to get the mobile BP?

I've never done such an itinerary, but curious nonetheless as to the answer. Does UO really deny people access to the transit desks?! Perhaps they never considered such an itinerary.

(Practically, of course bruno is correct. And you don't need a paper BP to use CX's transit lanes. Just your passport and BP scan.)

Recall that story some while back, of the person traveling from Japan to Qatar (?) with UO on the first leg. I'm vaguely remembering but have at least the first sector right. And UO denied them the right to board in Japan because they lacked visa / entry rights in HK, even though they showed proof of an onward journey and had visa/ entry rights at the destination of their second leg. Although it sounds onerous, the issue I raised elsewhere is that backtracking pax (the ones who enter HK intsead of transiting, visiting the departure lounge first, etc.) invariably are stupid sometimes and try to enter HK without proper visa privileges. And then the airline gets fined. UO isn't really designed architecture-wise, for transit pax, even though it's not that intuitive. Maybe SOPs for checkin agents really only designed to interpret "can/cannot enter HK" from outports and "can/cannot enter destination" at HK checkin only. Meaning they see the transit desk - who also presumably do the same procedures - as some kind of luxury above their target cost basis which must be charged for.

Very esoterica. Interested to know how it works out.

Have a upcoming flight SFO-HKG-CKG.
Arriving at HKG about 6am and leaving around 13:30.
What will you recommend for that time other than stay in the lounge?
I guess it is probably not a good idea to go to city center.
Is there anything nearby that worth visiting?
Thanks!

https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/free-layover-tour.page

Edit: Nevermind, doesn't work with your times

You have plenty of time for that

If it's a 30min wait is it faster to "do a LHR T5" by going landside then back airside?

Some HKG locals in this forum think that it is not faster to do the traditional LHR T5 manoeuvre . I have not yet tried it here in HK, but plan to do it if the occasion arises (i.e. I land in a gate near the border).

However, in order to be fully sucssful for that you would need to be able to use the e-gates, as the lines for manual passport control are also very significant at that time in the morning (e-gates are available for HK and Chinese citizens, HK residents and some frequent visitors).

Not sure when you travel, but CX flights to CGK typically depart around 9:05, 15:45 and 19:05.
Therefore I assume that you are on an award.
Of course, trying to get on the 9:05 would be an attractive option.

I would never wish to spend 7 or 9h in a lounge, especially after a very long flight.. But going into HK depends on what you like. Walking is not fun if you have heavy hand luggage, but you could put them in storage at airport.
Walking/jiking in HK is fun especially is you are not familiar with HK.

Morning,

Landed at 0650, among the morning bank arrivals from Europe and West Coast, parked at gate 35 and closest transit point W1 had no queue....

Is 514 a bus gate? From W1 I walk to Deck/Qantas? Thank you!

Didn't know CX uses bus gates....got A10ed (LHR T5)

On Tuesday 17th February, I'm flying SGN-HKG on CX 766 arriving at 3:20 pm and leaving on CX 251 for London at 11:00 pm. I have a uni friend that I'm going to meet in the city for dinner and a drink before returning to the airport. I was wondering what time I should head back at the airport to catch my flight. I realise that it's Chinese New Year so this might throw a bit of a spanner in the works?

Plenty of time

Just don�t walk into departures Pier/Pier F before dinner then expect staff to walk you back into arrivals after you�ve used it - as you said, they�re busy, and you have a dinner appointment to keep.

Do you have access to the priority security channel? (CX DM, basically; or else elderly / injured / pregnant or w young kids / VIP). And do you have a HKID card or passport that can go through e-gates? And are you familiar with HKIA? If yes, you can show up 45 minutes before. If no, I'd say arrive at least 70 mins in advance.

Worst case scenarios
Priority security can maybe save 10 mins.

Epassport/HKID could maybe save another 10.

Familiarity with the airport maybe 5. (Signage is excellent at HKG, hard to find a better airport in the world; indeed many major global airports, especially in Asia seem to have learned from and adopted HKIA signage techniques in the last 15 years).

Both 45 mins and 70 mins times above assume zero lounge time and just go straight to gate. It's like a minimum. CX gate closes 10 mins prior to departure and they don't pull stunts like close gates close randomly before the cutoff time. You can bank on 10+ minutes before departure being okay.

I know my numbers won't be attractive to many. But I think if you're really gun to your head, those are the numbers and you'd be safe with them. I regularly arrive at HKIA with 50 minutes or less before my flight and feel like I'm forever reminding myself I could cut even tighter next time, even for the far our (40+ and 60+) gates. I was at HKiA yesterday, start of the rush, and the airport was v busy but also heavily staffed to compensate and everything worked very smoothly. Visitor line for passports was maybe a 5-10 min wait and security line similar.

Sorry, should have said, travelling on a UK passport in Y/Y+ with no status. Not bothered about the lounge access via PP as I rather see my friend. This is very helpful information, thank you, very, very much!!

I thought someone had posted a map on here but I cannot find it here or on the HKIA website.

Anyway, I recall there was some time restriction on some transit areas but I docked at Gate 41 the other week and the transit area there was open despite it being in the late evening.