Leave luggage in lounge, leave airport, return for evening flight?
 

Hi,

We are flying to from London to Taiwan via HKG next week, on CX/KA. Arrive in HKG first thing in the morning, and leave for Taiwan in the evening. I need to get out and about to do a few things but want to leave most of our hand carry luggage at the airport.

Do I have to go via transfers to get to the CX lounges? Presumably once I reach the lounge, there will be no problems dropping off our things. But how do I leave the airport from there? In the evening, is there any problem in getting back into the airport via immigration/security even though I entered via transfers then left the terminal?

The alternative would be to just leave the airport and go to left luggage, but it would be handy to be able to drop off at the lounge if possible.

And do all of the cx lounges have lockers/luggage drop off? I've used before but can't remember which one now.

thank you!

The lounges are intended for departing passengers; there are left luggage services on level 3 in the departures lobby (several threads on this).

I will indeed be departing in the evening....

I understand you will be departing, but you stated you would like to leave the airport first. If so, you can use the left luggage facility I mentioned.

The basic problem is that once you enter the departures area it is very, very hard to backtrack out of the airport.

Just use the landside facilities.

It'll be significantly easier and quicker to just leave the luggage with the left luggage service as you leave the airport. Once you transfer onward through departures, it's a huge hassle to get security/personnel to walk you back through security, etc.

Another option is just to use the manned luggage storage facilities in either HK or Kowloon Station, since you'll like be taking the Airport express. It's really cheap, like $10 usd for 24 hours. I usually do this when I have a layover, especially since with the return trip is free if you use an Oct card.

I'd suggest you to exit HK immigration after landing in HKG in the morning, go to the departure floor, check your suitcases at the CX counter, then head to the city.

If check-in luggage is not an option for you, then use the luggage storage facility which @Visconti mentioned.

Going through transit security and then to the CX lounge, and then leave this area to go out of HK immigration to go to the city is inconvenient and may take you up to 2 hours for someone to escort you out. All that just to say USD $10 ? Hmm I think not.

Also there is a risk that if you leave your luggage airside in the lounge, and you leave the airport, it will end up being considered unattended luggage and be considered a security risk and removed and destroyed.

Yes - PriorityPass gets you into the Plaza Premium Arrivals lounge which is landside in the arrivals area: https://www.prioritypass.com/en/loun...premium-lounge

Note one must bring their own towel.

Well, that kills it for me. I've never brought my own towels anywhere in my life, and sure ain't gonna start now. Do they at least sell or loan out towels?

Regarding the PP arrival lounge, the wait during the morning rush can be as much as 60 or 90 minutes, but it isn't too bad, though they can do a better job at cleaning & prep. Sit down, have some coffee & breakfast, and the time will pass soon enough.

Don't have firsthand experience of those showers, but I recall other posters on this forum mentioning that towels are available on vending machines. This thread should contain more information. CX HKG Arrival Lounge Closing 5 Nov 2018.