One of the highlights of my 2-week trip to Asia was flying Cathay Pacific First Class from Hong Kong to New York JFK, and part of the excitement of the trip was getting to stop at the recently opened The Wing First Lounge at HKG.
I made a point to head to the airport early for my 9:05am flight, as sleep was less important than spending time at the lounge. When I completed my First Class check-in at the CX desk, I received an invitation card to The Pier First, which the check-in agent promptly crossed off and told me to instead go to The Wing.
The Wing First currently does not follow standard Oneworld Emerald entrance policy, and is only available (at the time of this post) to Cathay Pacific First Class passengers and Cathay Pacific Diamond elite members on a CX flight. Oneworld Emeralds are instead directed to The Pier First Lounge for now, though Cathay is claiming that they will eventually open The Wing First to Emeralds.
Getting to the lounge was straightforward, as the entrance is essentially right after Terminal 1 security. I was greeted warmly by the lounge agents and allowed to proceed. You enter the lounge directly to the Atrium Bar (the main bar in the lounge) and its seating area.
At 6am, the lounge was essentially empty, so I felt like I had the run of the lounge. One of the staff greeted me and let me know I could have breakfast in the Atrium Bar (which has a smaller menu, but also some unique items), or I could also go to the Dining Room, which ended up being my choice.
At the Dining Room, I had a very delicious breakfast of fresh fruit and Dan Dan noodles. Service was friendly and professional, and the dishes were served very quickly. There was only one other guest in the Dining Room, so it was very quiet.
As I finished my coffee, Shaw (not sure if I spelled this correctly), one of the lounge ambassadors greeted me at my table and offered to give me a tour of the lounge, which I quickly accepted. Besides the Atrium Bar and Dining Room, there is a sitting area next to the Dining Room with tarmac views, a couple of buffet areas with self-serve drinks, including Cathay’s signature Betsy beer (only available in their lounges and flights). I’m not much of a beer drinker these days, but I mentioned to Shaw that one of my good friends back home loves beer, and she told me I should take one to go for him!
Shaw also showed me the shower rooms (which I did not make use of, having showered before heading to the airport) and the spa area — you can prebook a 15-minute treatment 48 hours before your flight in the Cathay app (I had a neck & shoulder massage booked for later in the morning). Before walking out, I was handed a buzzer by the spa staff to let me know when they were ready for my appointment.
Finally, Shaw showed me an area of the lounge that is exclusively available to First Class and invitation-only Diamond Plus elites. As part of this exclusivity, I was asked to not take photos or videos of the area, nor to really discuss any details (I may be saying too much as it is), but this is where I spent the rest of my time in the lounge. I will say, if you’re eligible, you should absolutely spend some of your time in the space.
I did step out when it was time for my massage appointment. I’ll say the pressure for my neck and shoulder massage was excellent, and 15 minutes was too short.
I elected to enjoy the lounge until most of the plane had boarded, but before I left, I made sure to grab a couple Betsys from the fridge to take home with me. The lounge was decidedly busier by the time I left around 8:30am, though there was still plenty of space available.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Qatar’s Al Safwa Lounge DOH and Emirates’ First Lounge DXB (Concourse B) this year, but I would certainly say (in my opinion) Cathay Pacific’s The Wing First Lounge HKG tops both lounges overall (though I will say Al Safwa is a more aesthetically pleasing space). I will certainly hope Cathay does open the space up to Oneworld Emeralds, but if not, I will certainly try my luck scoring a First Class seat out of Hong Kong in the future!
Great review. The lounge itself looks fantastic, but I think the little service touches are what would stick with me: the unsolicited tour, being told to grab a Betsy for your friend, and a very good massage. Those things probably cost Cathay very little but make the experience feel much more personal. Although now I’m mostly intrigued by the secret First Class area that apparently follows Fight Club rules…
@seat1a I’m hoping Cathay can maintain the high standard they set…will be hard, especially if they do eventually open to OWEs. Regardless, it was a very impressive lounge and would still be a great visit even if some of those standards drop a bit.
Well done, @Samar! This is definitely a highlight! Have really enjoyed the updates from your trip (onemileatatime.com/community/samar-2-week-asia/). This newly-renovated The Wing First Lounge at HKG is indeed awesome. Was there earlier this year, though only on a regional 773 in F (still counts!) I know some will lament the loss of the Cabanas, but the new shower rooms are tastefully designed (Dyson hair dryer!) Of course, the 15-minutes massage is always nice. Not sure why...
Well done, @Samar! This is definitely a highlight! Have really enjoyed the updates from your trip (onemileatatime.com/community/samar-2-week-asia/). This newly-renovated The Wing First Lounge at HKG is indeed awesome. Was there earlier this year, though only on a regional 773 in F (still counts!) I know some will lament the loss of the Cabanas, but the new shower rooms are tastefully designed (Dyson hair dryer!) Of course, the 15-minutes massage is always nice. Not sure why they're so secretive about the speakeasy; got the same spiel about 'no-photos.' Bah!
@ Samar -- Amazing review, thank you! Looks great, and you beat me to this... I really do need to get to this lounge!
I can't help but chuckle at how secretive they try to be about the bar area that's exclusively for first class passengers. I had heard of the no photos policy, but you're not even supposed to talk about it?!?! Damn, what's going on in there? :p
Sounds like I need...
@ Samar -- Amazing review, thank you! Looks great, and you beat me to this... I really do need to get to this lounge!
I can't help but chuckle at how secretive they try to be about the bar area that's exclusively for first class passengers. I had heard of the no photos policy, but you're not even supposed to talk about it?!?! Damn, what's going on in there? :p
Sounds like I need to check it out, and do some of my Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan-style undercover work. ;-)
@Ben - The secrecy was amusing, but I will say getting into the area is actually kinda fun (and unique as far as lounges go). I was tempted to sneak a pic (just for my own collection) but the bartender was very attentive my entire time there, and mentioned there are cameras inside.
Was also surprised to not see another passenger ever enter either...though I guess drinking at 7am isn't normal?
@ Samar -- Hahaha, they literally threaten people with the presence of cameras? Is it just special drinks, or is there any food in there? Yeah, I'm guessing the lack of crowding is a function of it being the morning, plus there being very few first class flights (I think in the morning there's just JFK and PEK).
@Ben - I think he was kidding about the cameras, but I didn't scrutinize hard enough to find out if they were actually there. I don't know if there was actually any food in the bar since I had already eaten, but there are drinks that I don't believe are available at the Atrium Bar (but to be fair I didn't check). They served Bollinger Le Grand Annee 2015 (of course I had some) and couple of drinks that are CX exclusive.
Awesome review.
It's an airport in China... pretty sure there were an abundance of cameras! Whether someone was watching the cameras at that moment in time to see if you were taking a picture - well, that would be quite something.
I suppose fun speakeasy entrances are amusing (the "go through the phone booth at the hot dog place" to get into PDT in NYC, etc.) but at the end of the day I just...
Awesome review.
It's an airport in China... pretty sure there were an abundance of cameras! Whether someone was watching the cameras at that moment in time to see if you were taking a picture - well, that would be quite something.
I suppose fun speakeasy entrances are amusing (the "go through the phone booth at the hot dog place" to get into PDT in NYC, etc.) but at the end of the day I just want a comfortable chair, a view of the planes, people around me using headphones, good food and the highest quality drinks the lounge will pour!
@Peter_ but, but… it’s ‘Please Don’t Tell’… (glad someone else has been!)
Ha. I mean, it's 20 years old, I think the secret might be out. Also, Resy kind of gives it away (and it qualifies for the Resy credit!): This pioneering East Village speakeasy is as famous for its (in)accessibility as its cocktails: To get in, you have to call from a payphone inside Crif Dogs, the subterranean hot-dog stand next door.
I'll be honest, it's been over 7 years since I've been (pre-pandemic); though, I doubt it's changed much. Nearby is a another classic, Burp Castle, if you're into beers, but it's not on Resy. (Ok, now I feel like this is becoming Bill Hader's Stefon character from SNL... This lower, lower east side dump... finally answers the question, 'Do I have to?')