HKG: Exiting the airport after going to the lounge
#151
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: LHR GVA HKG TLV PVG JFK
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,945
It is not difficult to leave the airport if you have a long connection. You just go through immigration and use the arrival lounge as thats what its intended for. Its just that people have to bend rules just to be able to use the (better) facilities at the departure level.
And in case of irrops etc. Im sure that if its a cancellation or very long delay, they will still accommodate you to leave the departure side again if needed.
edit: it actually makes me sad how people have to go out of their way to bend the rules just to be able to use CX (or other airlines') facilities. If you are flying J/F or you are GO/DM on CX it shouldn't be an issue as you get access to the arrivals lounge. If you are on a J/F ticket of another OW airline (or any other airline for that matter) im sure people should have the money to dish out for paid facilities be it at the airport (premium plaza) or in the city (hotel day-room etc.). Especially if you are on company dime - why be so cheap and bend the rules just to be able to use the CX dept. lounges?! People paying 100+k HKD for J/F tickets but too cheap to pay 2000 HKD for a decent day-room....
And in case of irrops etc. Im sure that if its a cancellation or very long delay, they will still accommodate you to leave the departure side again if needed.
edit: it actually makes me sad how people have to go out of their way to bend the rules just to be able to use CX (or other airlines') facilities. If you are flying J/F or you are GO/DM on CX it shouldn't be an issue as you get access to the arrivals lounge. If you are on a J/F ticket of another OW airline (or any other airline for that matter) im sure people should have the money to dish out for paid facilities be it at the airport (premium plaza) or in the city (hotel day-room etc.). Especially if you are on company dime - why be so cheap and bend the rules just to be able to use the CX dept. lounges?! People paying 100+k HKD for J/F tickets but too cheap to pay 2000 HKD for a decent day-room....
#152
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,188
You are missing the point. This is not about CX or their lounges (necessarily) people who don't fly CX nor have lounge access need to sometimes leave the airport. They arrive on a connection. Go to departures, sit at starbucks and then get an email that necessitates them to leave.
#153
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: HKG, TXL
Programs: CX DM
Posts: 566
On another note, they (CX) could really make it bigger since the PP is nearly triple the size of the CX arrivals lounge.
You are missing the point. This is not about CX or their lounges (necessarily) people who don't fly CX nor have lounge access need to sometimes leave the airport. They arrive on a connection. Go to departures, sit at starbucks and then get an email that necessitates them to leave.
On the other hand, If someone might get an email that necessitates them to leave (so Im saying if you expect this to probably happen): Theres a Starbucks, Mcdo, 'Yam Cha' and many more restaurants landside! So I don't see the problem, especially if your luggage is checked through to the final destination, going through immigration takes way less time than going through transfer.
#154
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Interesting to note it's only quite recently that some posters started projecting a very negative view of the "departure lounge then exit through transfers" process.
Until a year or so ago, the response to questions on this topic simply used to be "ask for an escort", not "how dare you even consider such an idea?" that is prevalent now.
Funny how the general mood can shift over time.
Until a year or so ago, the response to questions on this topic simply used to be "ask for an escort", not "how dare you even consider such an idea?" that is prevalent now.
Funny how the general mood can shift over time.
#155
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
You are missing the point. This is not about CX or their lounges (necessarily) people who don't fly CX nor have lounge access need to sometimes leave the airport. They arrive on a connection. Go to departures, sit at starbucks and then get an email that necessitates them to leave.
Interesting to note it's only quite recently that some posters started projecting a very negative view of the "departure lounge then exit through transfers" process.
Until a year or so ago, the response to questions on this topic simply used to be "ask for an escort", not "how dare you even consider such an idea?" that is prevalent now.
Funny how the general mood can shift over time.
Until a year or so ago, the response to questions on this topic simply used to be "ask for an escort", not "how dare you even consider such an idea?" that is prevalent now.
Funny how the general mood can shift over time.
my main rationale is occasionally we actually need the "service". i think in my 8+ years of CX, I have departed HKIA on average once every 7-10 days, and except for a handful of situations i've used the commercial terminal each time. I'm probably in the neighborhood of 300-500 departures since moving here. I've needed (and executed) this "strategy" three times to my memory; twice for business and once for a serious emergency. I ended up returning to fly in 1/3 cases; 2/3 I skipped my flight.
My main fear if this gets abused in ever increasing #s is that this legitimate need - say 1% of pax or so who actually go airside but then must return landside - will be delayed. Fwiw, I come into contact with the airport authority from time to time. One proposal I heard was delaying passengers who need this escort 30-60 minutes, which would be an utter disaster if you actually have an emergency. And the reason would be straightforward: pax abusing this concept in ever-increasing #s. I last saw the folks a few months ago, right before the CY Leung / family situation that put the airport under way more scrutiny. Even then, I was asked jokingly why so many Cathay passengers are heading the "wrong" flow (they mean airside to landside). They jokingly asked if passengers are just using the lounges....my takeaway is this is totally an unintended flow from the airport authority, yet they don't *yet* realize it's precisely the joking reason they proposed - a bunch of lounge crashers basically abusing the spirit of the system, which is technically supposed to avoid movements like this but can't completely. I just laughed it off. But the second they realize people are abusing this, and ask CX for the numbers, bye bye it will be a pain in the butt. I can guarantee that.
And the pain in the butt will fall hardest on those of us who actually use HKIA frequently. For the infrequent award traveler, maybe flying via HKA for leisure 1, 2 or 3x annually, who cares? They've got a 12 hour layover anyway. If they are delayed 30-60 minutes but can crash Pier J for a few hours before heading to the city, I think they still might be up for it.
So all in all, I wish it wouldn't happen because selfishly I stand to lose...if some draconian measure gets put in place due to the lounge crashers, and then we lose the legitimate ability to exit airside in a hurry should the genuine need arise.
#156
formerly gemini573
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: LAX, HKG, and BKK
Programs: CX Emerald, WOH Globalist, Marriott Platinum, AA Lifetime Platinum, Virtuoso, Prive, STEPS, STARS
Posts: 2,233
I think the only time that lounge is packed is in the morning. On the rare occasions that I've gone in during the afternoon and evening, the place is dead.
#157
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MNL
Programs: CX MPO DM, Le Club Accor Platinum, World of Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,284
Interesting to note it's only quite recently that some posters started projecting a very negative view of the "departure lounge then exit through transfers" process.
Until a year or so ago, the response to questions on this topic simply used to be "ask for an escort", not "how dare you even consider such an idea?" that is prevalent now.
Funny how the general mood can shift over time.
Until a year or so ago, the response to questions on this topic simply used to be "ask for an escort", not "how dare you even consider such an idea?" that is prevalent now.
Funny how the general mood can shift over time.
while it is not a big hassle for the passenger, it is a big inconvenience for the CX staff in the lounge to make arrangements to take you back to the arrivals level.
the lounge staff cannot tell you how to do it, they must get another ground staff from outside the lounge to escort you to the arrivals level, which could take 1-2 hours or longer if they are short of staff or there is some irrops at the airport. this is different than in the past when they would just issue a 'transit advice' form.
the lounge staff cannot tell you how to do it, they must get another ground staff from outside the lounge to escort you to the arrivals level, which could take 1-2 hours or longer if they are short of staff or there is some irrops at the airport. this is different than in the past when they would just issue a 'transit advice' form.
#158
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: HKG, TXL
Programs: CX DM
Posts: 566
I've needed (and executed) this "strategy" three times to my memory; twice for business and once for a serious emergency. I ended up returning to fly in 1/3 cases; 2/3 I skipped my flight.
...I last saw the folks a few months ago, right before the CY Leung / family situation that put the airport under way more scrutiny.
...I last saw the folks a few months ago, right before the CY Leung / family situation that put the airport under way more scrutiny.
Also, please elaborate on the CY leung / family situation? I don't read local news / apple daily news so Im not up to speed on the CY drama...
Absolutely true, so there must be a way to fix this. The only real problem is the shower situation. You can actually still manage to grab a seat even during the morning rush for your breakfast/coffee but the shower wait times are ludicrous!
#159
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,188
Im curious to what happenes to your ticket? Say its a fully flexible Y/J fare ticket and you go to the airport, use check-in, use the lounge and then leave. Does it still get refunded? Maybe you could comment on it since you've skipped twice. Did you get it refunded?
Also, please elaborate on the CY leung / family situation? I don't read local news / apple daily news so Im not up to speed on the CY drama...
Absolutely true, so there must be a way to fix this. The only real problem is the shower situation. You can actually still manage to grab a seat even during the morning rush for your breakfast/coffee but the shower wait times are ludicrous!
Also, please elaborate on the CY leung / family situation? I don't read local news / apple daily news so Im not up to speed on the CY drama...
Absolutely true, so there must be a way to fix this. The only real problem is the shower situation. You can actually still manage to grab a seat even during the morning rush for your breakfast/coffee but the shower wait times are ludicrous!
For the arrivals lounge,I think CX should offer vouchers for PP lounge next doors when their own lounge is full. This is what they used to do,giving vouchers for Louis Tavern when their own lounge was too busy.
#160
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
I was at JFK BA lounge (flying CX) in Feb and decided to change my final destination and was told to exit to the CX counter which I did without any escort in 2 minutes. After re-ticketing, I came back to the lounge after going through security again. Not sure why it is such a big deal to exit to the landside at HKIA that escort is required.
#161
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
So for those who have long layovers at HKIA and decide to spend sometime in HKG, there shouldn't be any problem going straight out to the city (wo going though transfer) and then 8 hrs later going through security/custom and continue their flights, right?
#162
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Some hole
Posts: 2,783
I was at JFK BA lounge (flying CX) in Feb and decided to change my final destination and was told to exit to the CX counter which I did without any escort in 2 minutes. After re-ticketing, I came back to the lounge after going through security again. Not sure why it is such a big deal to exit to the landside at HKIA that escort is required.
#163
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,991
Correct. That is the SOP, and I would like to think that everyone reading this thread understands such by now.
#164
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,635
I was at JFK BA lounge (flying CX) in Feb and decided to change my final destination and was told to exit to the CX counter which I did without any escort in 2 minutes. After re-ticketing, I came back to the lounge after going through security again. Not sure why it is such a big deal to exit to the landside at HKIA that escort is required.
#165
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Maybe it's time for CX to have a better arrival lounge so frequent flyer will not even consider going to Pier/Wing and come back out.