Cathay Pacific's Arrivals Lounge Is Closing

Sad!

Are you going to Tapiei Pride this weekend?

Sad cos I am flying to HKG in Cathay biz for the first time in December and I was kind of looking forward to trying it out. Guess I'll have to go for the plaza premium lounge with my priority pass (shame cos mine's just a basic membership so I have to pay the guest visit fee)

This is sad- although nothing special, it was still nice to grab a bite and shower.

Noooo...I am sad to this lounge go. It was indeed a nice facility to use especially after a long haul flight with a long connection and you want to pop into the city or outside for the few hours - grab a shower , a small bite and best was that you can leave your bags there and collect it on your way back to the terminal without storage charges.

Hopefully CX will find an alternative but I doubt with all the cost cutting going on at the airline.

Cheers!

So if you are connecting to another Cathay business flight does this affect lounge access?

@Kate no. If you're connecting, head towards transfer security when you get off your flight and you'll b e back airside on the departures level where you can get into any CX lounge

They would let you store your luggage there if you wanted to hop into Hong Kong for a few hours.

Hi Ben,

The lounge is closing because the whole Terminal 2 will be closed for reconstruction. Eventually the premium plaza arrival lounge will close as well. You will notice sooner all the check in counters in Terminal 2 will be also moved back to Terminal 1.

It's always sad to see less lounge options. The priority pass accessible lounges at this airport have been much busier recently.

Worth mentioning it's part of the mega expansion that includes revamp of that area in preparation for Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030

Meh. Hot, small and overcrowded. No big loss.

Are arrivals lounges still much of a thing?

Air Canada got rid of theirs at Heathrow when they moved to the new terminal... My understanding of arrivals lounges is that they were always mainly meant for a quick shower and bite to eat after an over-night flight so you could head straight to the office and get some work done even after flying in from a long-haul flight.

Indeed, Terminal 2 will close in 2019 for 4 years

The expansion on the north side of terminal 1 is due to open next year before t2 closes. and will include 40 new check in counters I assume L and M since the current checkin islands are A - K

It’s a shame, but unlike the US Big 3, I actually trust that Cathay will reduce the resources to something else passengers might want at Hong Kong.

It was a Dog of a lounge let’s be honest worst on the circuit next to HA’s offering HNL.. Big-Meh .. 🙂

Sad , was a good shower and drink after a long flight.

I’ll echo everyone saying it’s a shame it’s going, a great place to store luggage and get a shower, although like many lounges the shower ventilation was inadequate.

Disappointing. But @Ed Re shower ventilation nothing I've experienced is as awful as the shower rooms in emirates first lounge at dxb . Awful, hate them.

Very sad to see it go. I hope they can come up with some sort of replacement when the T2 renovations are finished.

I usually arrive in HKG on an early flight, have a shower, get them to press my shirt, and head straight for the office. Not sure that's really feasible anymore. I do have a limited number of Priority Pass visits which I could use on the Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge, but I'm not even sure if they will press a shirt?

Basically this means I have to fly in the evening before and costs me a few extra hours I could be spending at home with my family.

I won’t miss this lounge... I visited once and would have never been back again! A massive disappointment.

If I'm not mistaken, HKG (and TPE, among others) has free shower rooms available for all passengers pre immigration. Should have looked into that, as when I flew into HKG from EWR (5 am arrival) I had to wait almost an hour in this (tiny) lounge to get a shower.

Overall not going to miss this lounge. Would rather hop right on the airport express and spend the HK$30 for comparable food at 7/11 in the city.

Having come off a F FRA-HKG flight recently, the Arrivals Lounge was the biggest letdown ever! A total waste of time. Dark, crowded, airless and tired looking, with indiscriminate entry policies, it is something to be avoided. An hour wait for a shower, with nothing to do in the meantime, and not the least bit hungry, seemed pointless, so I took my chances and headed off to my hotel in Kowloon. Despite an early arrival my room was available in 30 minutes, allowing me the sumptuous relaxation (with daylight) the Lounge had no hope of providing.
So, I say good riddance to the Arrivals Lounge. It is an embarrassment for Cathay.

Those who use this sad lounge as a temporary luggage storage facility (it is hopelessly cluttered with luggage) should know there is a far more secure dedicated luggage storage, for a small fee, nearby.

I had just reached MP Gold status and used it last week for the first time last week, while not phenomenal, it definitely was a great place to relax for a while or maybe have a meal after a flight, I hope CX may somehow come up with a alternative, cause it's quite a shame to see it go (although i see why others disagree).

Definitely a sad one - always appreciated the shower and a bite to eat before moving onwards, but I just moved back to HK so as a resident, less useful now maybe.

This makes me sad, it was the perfect place to grab a cappuccino before leaving and they had decent made to order food.

I also thought it was very cozy feeling, especially at the bar area. It didn't feel like you were at an airport

@glenn t curious what you meant with indiscriminate entry policies?
It was always pretty clear to me:
- OW emerald
- from a Cathay flight only
- no guests

@ vand. Plenty of O/W Emeralds flying Y (cursory check of bag tags on luggage lying everywhere) . From other airlines too. I know they can, before you jump in and tell me, but it contributed to the vibe of a zoo. I was also told you can pay to get in, no matter who you are.

Man, this is a big loss in my book, specifically for the luggage storage. I just used it a couple days ago, for the second time this month. Anyone know if Plaza Premium offers luggage storage?

Lucky - The landside Plaza Premium lounge at HKG T2 is no longer open. I guess that means no place to freshen up upon arrival early in the morning now?