Cathay Pacific’s long had the best hub lounge game out of any airline that I’ve flown. While their flagship business class lounge The Pier is one of my few favourite lounges around the world, the true selling point about Cathay Pacific’s lounges is that The Pier is only one of many lounges that you can access, the others including The Wing, The Cabin and The Bridge.
Cathay Pacific is about to add another lounge to the list, The Deck. This will replace the G16 lounge that was shuttered shortly after I’d visited in March 2016, and is located by gate 16, next to the Qantas Lounge.
Cathay Pacific The Deck Lounge Hong Kong Airport
Cathay Pacific The Deck Lounge Hong Kong Airport
The lounge will be designed similarly to The Pier, implementing their new Studiolise design concept that I really like. It’s warm, homey, and fits their branding well (whereas I can’t say the same about their airplane cabins). That said, the seating on the terrace looks rather bland from the above photo, though I won’t be able to truly tell without paying a visit myself.
Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Class Lounge Hong Kong
This lounge had been announced for quite a while, though the latest announcement from Cathay Pacific suggests that the lounge will open on March 22, 2018. I’m bummed that I’m not flying oneworld business class anytime in the future, or I’d have been very excited to check out the lounge. However, in the meantime Jason will be happy to provide a full review shortly after it opens.
The G16 lounge was located here before the lounge was shuttered, and it was drab and boring. Qantas opened their new lounge next to G16, which, prior to The Pier’s opening, was my favourite oneworld business class lounge at Hong Kong Airport.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong Seating
However, Cathay Pacific is now utilising the outside space that they have and creating a “terrace” with views over the terminal, with additional features including an “indoors” area (pictured above), a noodle bar, and six shower suites.
Now that there are two great oneworld lounges side-by-side at Hong Kong Airport, those flying out of gates 1-30 will be spoilt for choice – I’d predict that the Asian food options will be better at this lounge, though Cathay Pacific will also switch their catering company to Sodexo, a French catering company that used to cater for Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse at Hong Kong Airport before that lounge closed early March last year. Apart from the noodles, though, the Qantas Lounge continues to have a bar, as well as specialty plates such as char siu with rice, so I’d be sure not to miss out on these features as well if arriving early or laying over at Hong Kong Airport. (While The Pier has a bar, The Deck will not.)
The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong Bar
Bottom Line
Hong Kong Airport is really becoming a haven for oneworld flyers with lounge access. The Pier was already a world-class business class lounge, and The Qantas Lounge was already a world-class outstation lounge. Now there’s one extra addition that will be very nicely designed, and will be yet another option for Cathay Pacific flyers.
At the same time it’s not all good news – Cathay Pacific believes that The Cabin, by gate 23, has outstayed its welcome, and will be closing the lounge on April 30th, 2018. While it was a nice lounge that was quiet at times, The Cabin wasn’t really special for anything, so I don’t consider that to be a big loss for Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific The Cabin Lounge Hong Kong Seating
I’m going to try and book a oneworld business class ticket out of Hong Kong sometime this year or early next so I can try out the new The Deck business class lounge.
What’s your favourite oneworld lounge at Hong Kong Airport?