alect

Yet another excellent experience with the Wing/Pier in HKG recently. Got me wondering....

Why do QF/BA bother having their own lounge in HKG? With the excellent standard of CX lounges and their already liberal access policy (most knowledgeable FFs would always use the Wing/Pier over the BA/QF lounge), why not close it down and come to a commercial arrangement with CX - surely that would be cheaper - and possibly better for customers?

The only group I can think of currently who would not have access to CX lounges would be QP members who are not OW Sap/Emer......these can be accomodated by CX (as a contracted lounge if nothing else). Posters have indicated that CX already allows access to J/F pax on QF/BA who do not have elite status (very generous of them).

mikalee

I can think of three reasons why they don't do as you suggest;

1. CX don't want those QF/BA customers (that can't access the Wing/Pier using OW) in their lounge.

2. QF/BA don't want their customers in the lounge showing what a far superior product CX have - they may even think about "trying" them out in the air.

3. Cost - With 2 or 3 departures to LHR a night for BA, the upcoming QF flights to LHR ex HKG and the 3+ QF/AO departures a night, that is a decent volume of pax in an 8 hour period, it might actually be cost efficient having your own lounge.

and to be frank, CX is not really that close with BA or QF. Just look at the little number of codeshares between CX and these two airlines - there aren't that many.

Globaliser

I've heard it put less coyly. Despite them all being in oneworld, CX hates their guts, and vice versa.

NM

And the Wing and Pier lounges a long way from the gates used by QF. The QF lounge is much closer to the QF gates. If QF was to send their passengers to the Pier and Wing lounges, they would have problems egtting them all to the gates on time.

David Kung

Sorry if I am side tracked. Do QF and BA J class lounges in HK have shower facilities? Thanks!

GibSpmuh

Indeed they do! If you want to know what facilities are contained within any of the QP Lounges, just take a look at http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying...oungeLocations for information on those with showers, business centres, and internet access.

MrsDrD

Sorry, NM, I have to beg to disagree on one small point ..

While the Pier is far far from gates 16 - 19 that QF normally use, the Wing is really hardly further than the QF/BA lounge, if you take into account walking to the centrally located escalator... just my 2c And that's with a baby in tow, even

willyroo

It's time to gang up on NM

What she said.

NM

That assumes you take the long treck back to the escalator and not just jump over the open balcony . Its always fun leaning over balcony with beer/scotch in hand watching the unwashed masses below wandering aimlessly when waiting to board the aircraft you can see through the window opposite.

But if flying by myself, I'll take the longer walk from the Pier - the exercise is good for me. And that's my A$0.02 worth and that's with wife and baby-to-be in the next room (the kitchen of course) .

NM

Then you owe me a beer ... 45 mins to go!

MrsDrD

Hope you're not feeling too burised and battered

How is that bub-to-be? Behaving him/herself? Certainly hope so!

And to keep this more OT - a tip for those using lounges in HKG with bubs - the Pier's Daybreak rooms are great for a quiet feeding/sleeping spot for bubs too. Highly recommended, tried and tested.

edited to add: now I admit it's been a while since I bothered to use the QF lounge in HKG (usually only when flying with DrD and we're on some other airline e.g. KA, so exercising Plat rights). But I really do think the distance from the front door of both the Wing and the QF/BA to the escalator is the same, and in both cases is a very short walk. Of course, that is assuming one is using the 1st class part of the Wing...

NM

No more battered and bruised than usual .

Mini-NM#4 is doing well. 34 weeks down, so things are getting a little less comfortable for Mum, but you probably never got to that stage . We don't breed them big, and this one is no different - extrapolated birth weight expected to be around 6lb9.
Will keep that in mind . Looks like Mrs NM is going to need such facilities in BNE and PER before #4 is a month old. Then probably BNE, LAX and ORD not too long after that.
In that case don't forget to add the extra 30m for those using the QF/BA F lounge which is down the back of the J lounge . Of course that 30m can turn into 130m if one has had too much time in the F lounge and is a little disoriented upon leaving .

Globaliser

I was beginning to feel like I'd lost the plot here, as I always remember the walk from the business class entrance to the Wing being miiiiiiiiles away from the BA/QF gates.

There is one other advantage of using the QP at HKG if you're running late. At least the agent in the QP knows you're there if you are leaving it until the very last minute before heading downstairs, and can if necessary phone down to the gate when it's hysteria-for-the-last-pax time.

mcsmcs

As a FF that spends most of my time at CLK I have to say that there is no comparison between the distance from QF lounge to QF gates and The Wing.

They are bloody miles apart.

If you sit in the F section of the QF lounge you can peer over the railing and almost see gates 16+

If you did the same at the Wing J lounge you would see gates 1-2.

Therefore they are at completly the opposite ends of the airport!!!!!!!!

On my last trip I went to the F QF lounge to have a gander then decided to go the CX F lounge to have dinner. I cheated and walked along the staff only corridor and it still was a long way.

All that said I estimate the Wing even through F entry is 4 times as far away from the QF gates as the QP

MCS

mcsmcs

Some extra info:

There two sets of customs check points - North and South.

If you went through the North section, came out and looked directly to your right you see the entrance for the QP. If you look to the left you see a tiny walkway for staff only.

If you went through the South section, came out and looked directly left you would see the F entry to the wing - and to your right the tiny walkway.

In between the two customs halls is about 100m