GodAtum

I was hoping to go and visit Hong Kong but just found to my horror there are no premium security or immigration lanes Is this true? Surely CX cannot have a fantastic lounge but no premium lanes?

stargold

No premium lanes of any sort.

Holders of certain FFP elite tiers can register for the e-Channel service which essentially reduces immigration queueing to zero. Registration is available at two offices located just after clearing arrival passport control (and before proceeding through the glass doors for the baggage claim).

KenJohn

Always a long queue to enter Hong Kong. Having said that it does feel faster moving than any US immigration queue I have been in.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, this is the key to it. HK residents don't have a queue for immigration or emigration, nor do regular visitors and various other luminaries who get access to the e-channels on arrival and departure. They hand out access fairly freely. I'm usually on the train out of HK within 30 minutes of doors open, even from the far end of the airport, and I only arrive at HK airport an hour before departure.

Security inbound and transit has no priority lanes except for very senior VIPs (a handful a week). Even Sir Donald Tsang has to use the same security the rest of us use. There is a bit of a knack to knowing whether to go East or West Security (sounds familiar?!) and the transit security wait can be reduced by avoiding the ones near immigration. However HK security is extremely swift and efficient, even with a long queue, in my experience.

Marcusm

The frequent visitor scheme allows non residents to register to use the "residents" line and e-channels. A number of hotels also have arrivals service which includes guidance through immigration - I have experience of such passengers being brought to the head of the line but equally have seen them guided to the back of the queue. The epitome of this service is The Peninsula's green Rolls-Royce service which, in Kai Tak days, met you at the steps of the plane.

cysyuen

Oh how I wish I can use the e-gates at LHR like what I do in HK!

bbmatt

i've been escorted thru transit security before by cx and hx on tight connections in the past. Usually the case when flights have been delayed.

HX did this for me once which i was really surprised seeing that I didnt even book the entire trip thru them. I had checked my bags all the way thru to HKT from LA and had a pretty tight connection due to a delay. Unbeknownst to me, they had someone wait for for me at the gate w/ a sign w/ my name on it and took me to the front of the lines at transit security!

Chinatrvl

Yes, that's the key for to avoid long lines at immigration when arriving and departing. However, it doesn't help "occasional" visitors that can't be bothered with lining up for the registration (lining up for the re-reg of my new passport took almost an hour last month!). Moreover, you cannot avoid the long lines at security. Together with ICN, HKG is some of the worst airport for "premium" passangers in Asia.

tentseller

Since you are from UK you are 18 years too late!

:D!

I always go through security in T2. It is often empty, and if it is not, then security in T1 would be much worse.

stargold

I must have been just lucky, but I can't say that I've ever encountered truly horrible departure security queues in HKIA. They usually open enough lanes to clear people pretty quickly, so I can't remember ever waiting much more than 15 minutes tops.

Iamhappy

Wouldn't it be great if they can arrange for separate queues so that those who know the drill can have separate lines for security checks and immigrations. I have seen too many people who
- haven't got a clue where to insert their HKID at the e-channels
- haven't had their passports/other travel documents registered trying to use the e-channels
- needs more than a minute to take out their laptops/pads for the x-ray machines.

tentseller

All you need is get stuck behind a tour group and ....

moondog

Clear instructions on the machines (with pictures) would be a good start. I travel with a passport through various checkpoints, and sometimes bar code up works while bar code down doesn't, sometimes vv is the case, and some machines can only scan the info page.

Iamhappy

Agree with providing more/better/easier to understand instructions.

I mostly go through the HK airport with my passport and haven't had an issue with the bar code facing down (regardless of the orientation).