Actually, adult Octopus is $150 minimum to start a card. ($50 deposit + $100 stored value).

Child Octopus is indeed $70 minimum ($50 deposit + $20 store value).

whoops.... there you go for the right 'answer'

AE fare cards...
 

is the fare a set dollar amount based on where you are going and coming from?

I am flying in to HKG and need to go to the Renaissance Kowloon Hotel and then coming back on some ferry from Macau. I think the ferry takes off from the Hong Kong island area (but I could be wrong). regardless, it might be a different station I get back on coming back, will this make a difference?

You can get ferries from Macau to both HK Island (very frequent) or Kowloon (less frequent). Neither is actually at the AE station; the HK one is probably the easier walk, or either would be a HK$15 cab ride. If all you actually want is the AE and you don't plan on using the MTR, trams or buses to get around then you might as well buy two one-way tickets on the AE when you need to travel. You'll only be down HK$10 or so anyway and it saves worry. The fares are here: http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/train/ae_ticket.htm

I followed the link, but did not see this listed currently, Is there still a promotion to get an Airport Express return for HKD100 with a CX boarding pass? If so, this is a better deal than the Travel Pass.

Cheers.

I am using an O card that was purchased a few months ago. Re-charged it up at the airport on arrival. Been using it the last 3 days. I did not take advantage of the online discount. But I really like the convenience of it b/c I don't have to line up to buy tickets.

Other Discount options
 

This was mentioned elsewhere in this forum...there was a CX promotion that ended in April 2007. Need to look for other discount options. There are discounts when 2 or more people are traveling together that you can purchase. From Airport-Kowloon, it is HK$140 for two people travelling together and only HK$220 for 4 people. If travelling with more people, this is almost cheaper than the CX deal was.

I took advantage of the tourist option with the Octopus and unlimited travel for 3 days for HK$220 per person on my recent trip. This included the fare from the airport and three days unlimited on the subways. You also get HK$50 back if you return the card, which is easy to do at the airport express stations. Because travel is so cheap in Hong Kong, you really have to take numerous trips for it to pay off. Next time, I think that I would just get a regular Octopus.

One other benefit of the Octopus which I didn't take advantage of until my last day in Hong Kong, you can pay with is in so many stores. It is convenient to load money onto and then pay for stuff in stores so you don't always have to keep taking out your wallet. Since it is all refundable, you can get any money leftover on it back upon returning the card for its deposit.

Not sure if anyone posted this previously. If you keep the Octopus card for more than the minimum period (forgotten the time) there is no handling fee upon return. Also they remain valid for quite a while when not used (2 years I think) so if you plan to go back just hang onto the card and use it next time. Saves the hastles of reordering and queuing etc.

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! :D

How true! And SFO is one of the better US airports too!

We have 5 days in HK. Will probably use the AE both ways. Can we use a regular Octopus card to pay or do we get a regular Octopus and then buy a separate AE ticket?

Tourist Octopus change
 

I was in HKG last month and purchased a Tourist Octopus. It's pretty much the same as described earlier in this thread except that there is no longer HK$20 credit for use on other (non-MTR) modes of transport.

Which means if you want to use your Tourist Octopus on any of the ferries or the basi, you'll have to put some money on your Octopus. Just go to any of the ticket machines that handle Octopus cards and perform your recharge transaction there. When you leave HKG, you should be able to get your unused value back plus your card deposit that was part of the initial purchase price. ^

During your 5 days in HKG, do you plan to play tourist on the MTR? If so, I'd buy the Tourist Octopus with the AE round trip. You'll get three days unlimited use on the MTR and once those three days are done, your Tourist Octopus can be recharged and used like a standard Octopus everywhere that the Octopus is accepted.

Which is a LOT of places! :D

Thanks for the speedy replies. We do plan to use public transport a lot. Usually the tourist ticket options prove more expensive than buying a regular ticket, which is why I asked which to buy. I have looked at the MTR website but am no wiser!

The regular Octopus Card works just fine for the AE.

We must remember that the costs of the public transport (in HK) when converted to $US is quite cheap so if one way costs a little more than another then it really is a minor loss.

To get your money's worth out of the Tourist Octopus, you have to travel a LOT. I think it's meant to be kept as a souvenir.

I always get the regular Octopus since it represents a better value for regular use and have no desire of keeping one as a souvenir.