Can I buy an Octopus card airside at HKIA?
 

Have been to Hong Kong in 2016 for 9 days but stayed on Hong Kong Island and bought my Octopus card after exiting immigration.
Next time I visit I will be transiting though HKGIA and on to PEK on CX before meeting up with a tour there. Hate to have to go landslide to get an Octopus card as I want to by it before we return to Hong Kong at the end of our group tour. I have a 4 hour layover and my flight arrives around 5:15am. Might as well use that time to buy it then I guess.
Is it possible to buy an Octopus card airside at the airport? If not, any suggestions on how to buy it landslide in an efficient way? I will have access to the First class lounge at HKGIA so perhaps I can leave my carryon bag there to expedite back through security if necessary?

Also, can I use the card if I decide to take the ferry to Macau? Since I have seen the "tourist" sites in 2016 I am hoping to get out to Macau on the "tour day" and also want to hit the markets again-that is why I want the card-for MTR travel. Our group is staying at the Ritz Carlton for 2 nights.
Thanks in advance for any advice, and yes I know to use cash to buy the card!

You can not use Octopus card for the ferry to Macau. Just buy your Octopus card on your return to Hong Kong.

Yes, its not like you are saving a bunch of time. Buying an Octopus card once in HK proper has never taken me more than 5 minutes.

With a layover of 4 hours, you have enough time to go landside to buy an Octopus card after your 5:15am arrival. I think the Airport Express station opens at 6am. I don't know if that is worth your time going through immigration twice and security once just for that card though.

Enjoy the First Class Lounge.

It's as good as impossible to go from the lounges to landside now - I'm not au fait with the whole story, but just forget about that.

Also, if you're on a tour, presumably you'll have transport from the airport to the hotel sorted. Yes there can be queues at the desk in the airport, but buying an Octopus card will take a matter of minutes in Kowloon Station underneath the RC.

Too much effort just to get an Octopus card. Just wait until you get back to HK.

Why do you buy multiple times (instead of buying once and adding value when necessary)?

+1 I still use my old Octopus "student" Octopus (Personalised, with my picture on it). The discount is long gone, but the card works perfectly.

And agree with fellow posters above. The Airport Express counter is literally IN the way and the OP will have to pass past it on their way to a bus or AEL.

I still have my first Octopus card from the original batch in 1997. Wow - it's now over 20 years old! It still works, but makes a funny beep at the turnstile to tell me that I should trade it in for a newer one. I see now that they have a website where you can check the details of old cards (https://www.octopuscards.com/onlinef...y/en/step1.jsp). It says that mine will stop working as of 21 July 2018.

I have to agree. Buying an Octopus card is only slightly more involved than buying a Coke from a vending machine. Going through Immigration control twice, plus security, plus finding a place to stash your luggage, all to do this a few days early?

A few of my friends still use their very old cards, which have their child pictures on them. Well, we change the Bank Cards what, every 5 years and Passport and IDs every 10 years, so I guess it's reasonable to change the Octopus after 21 years of service :D I would keep the old one for memory and buy a new one if I were you :D

Also in my experience, as a HK resident that they seem to not work as well over time or in my case, the frequency of usage (ave monthly top up over $3000).
A newer card will read through my billfold's exterior pocket while a older card does not read at all. Some older "cards it is more than just a casual tap but hold on the reader for a few seconds for the "dood".

If it is the first batch I would hold onto it as an investment in collectables.

I wasn't happy when I had to surrender my original card, which had money on it to be transferred to a new one. If you want to keep it, don't have the money on it transferred to a new one.

?? if you wanted to keep it, why bother transferring it to a new one at all instead of just buying a new one?

You can use an octopus to -$35, so keeping it only costs you $15 (and it's not difficult to take the right number of buses or buy something appropriately priced from a supermarket if you really want to get it down to exactly that)

Answering the original question - no, you cannot get an Octopus airside