Which airline are you flying with? Not all airlines allow you to check in the day before ( only same day check in)?

There's a paid luggage storage service at HKIA. Follow the signs for arrivals lounges after you clear customs, it's in the same hallway.

I fly with Cathay Pacific and as per their website they do allow me to check in the day before. I would like to check in at HK station and at the same time drop off my luggage, so I will save time at the airport the next day. My only question is what kind of ticket I need to be able to enter the check in zone at the AEstation in Hong Kong. If I buy 2 single tickets ( 1 for my ride from and 1 for the ride to HKIA) will the ticket I plan to use the next day, give me access to the check in zone? Or will that ticket lose it’s validity?

What you propose is fine.

Why not just visit the CX counter at the airport when you arrive and drop the baggage and get the BP and go to town?

My flight arrives at 7 am and I depart again the next morning at 11 am. It is my understanding that bagage drop off at the airport is only possible from 24 hours in advance. Or is this not correct?
I know for sure that the bagage drop off in town does allow bagage drop off more than 24 hours in advance.

CX will accept you for check in at HKG starting from the moment the counters open (around 5AM at the airport and around 7AM at AE stations) on the day before the flight. The only exception is the US bound flights, for which check in opens 24 hours before the flight ( both at the airport and in town).

I checked with Cathay via social media and they confirmed I can’t check in and drop bags at the airport more than 24 hours in advance. I can however check in in-town at an AE station the day before.
The only thing that is not clear to me is how I can access the check in zone at the AE station in my day 1 when I travel out on day 2. I understand I need a ticket for the AE to enter the zone. But what if I use this ticket on day 1 to access the check in zone, will the ticket still be valid to travel to the airport the next day?

P
 

Well the CX social media folks apparently don't know what they are talking about.

The check in area contoreary to the popular belief is not linked to the platform , so whether you want to check in and immediately take the train, or check in and take the train the next day, you will have to scan the ticket/octopus twice : once at the check in area and then exit ,take the escalator down and scan again at the platform entrance.

to make it absolutely clear,
rephrasing from Rami Tamimi, the CX social media folks apparently don't know what they are talking about. (I agree)

At HKIA (the Airport) and Hong Kong AND Kowloon Station You can checkin your bags the day before. except is USA that is only within 24 hours.

Did anyone use free shuttle to Hong Kong or Kowloon station from city to either do check in or take express? any proof to show when boarding the shuttle? Thanks.

In principle yes, but in general not in practice.

Note that you cannot use the in-town check-in without paying for the airport express.

Agree with christep!

There used to be agents who had a portable validator for Octopus, which would verify if you have taken the AE (when transitting from AE to the shuttle bus), but I have not seen them for ages. Going back, you technically have to provide an ETKT/ BP or airport ID, but again no one cares and I have never been asked.

I am back from my trip, so here is a follow up. Apparentely the Cathay social media team did now what they were talking about, because I could NOT drop off my luggage for my flight the next day. I arrived at 6am on November 4 and my onward flight to Fukuoka, Japan was November 5 at 11:15. I had already checked in online, so I just wanted to drop my bag. I first tried the bagage drop desks at HKIA. The agent at the desk was helpful, but she could not check in my bag because my flight was not yet released in the system. It was not released because it didn't leave within 24 hours. Rather than waiting at the airport until 11:15 I took the AE express to Hongkong Station. I proceeded to the check in area there. Another very helpful agent, but I was told the same story; you can drop your bag at 11:15. It was only 9AM by that time, so I took my bag to my hotel. Luckily my room was ready, so I dropped my bag and headed into town.

Okay, for those with paper tickets (e.g., online purchases), you need it to get to online check in, but until scan the ticket for the platform it's not considered "used"? (or you can use the same ticket multiple times to get to the check-in level, but only once for the platform?