It's almost time to fly to Manila, so I wanted to provide a quick update of the ground services Cathay Pacific offers here in Hong Kong. I had low expectations from the beginning despite Cathay's top five ranking in first class airline lounges, and my expectations weren't exceeded either. Let's start with first class check-in…
Continue reading: Hello from the Cathay Pacific first class lounge in Hong Kong!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
As you say the showers are great! It makes a big difference when you need to go for a meeting straight away. And if you like asian food the freshly made noodles are great.
My only experience with F lounges is the oneworld one in LHR, old Concorde Room in LHR T4, oneworld F lounge in SIN, Qantas F lounge in SYD, and the new T5 Concorde Room in LHR (in that order and all visited on the same trip last fall).
Forgive my ignorance, but how do those lounges stack up against the ones you mentioned (especially compared to Thai's in BKK or LH's in FRA)? That might help me understand where you're coming from.
Er, sorry, first lounge mentioned should have been the oneworld one in LAX, not LHR. Silly iPhone... :p
jackal, to be honest I haven't been to any of those lounges. I'm a OneWorld newb. I have heard great things about the Qantas lounge at SYD, though.
Nowadays it takes more than a spacious lounge with good food to "wow" people. Take the Thai lounge in BKK, for example. First class passengers arrive at first class check-in and porters help them with their bags. You sit down, are given towels to cool off, and in minutes you have your boarding pass. Then you are driven through immigration and to the lounge in a golf cart. In the lounge you get your own private "room," sort of. They also have a spa, where first class passengers can get a 1.5 hour massage. They then escort you to the gate. It's simple a seamless experience.
The First Class Terminal doesn't need a whole lot of explaining, I think. It revolutionizes the concept of first class lounges, and allows you to totally avoid the typical airport experience. The lounge has five course meals, sleep rooms, great showers. You're also driven to your plane in either a Porsche or a Mercedes.
Good food and nice showers don't make a first class lounge excellent anymore, IMO.