After my short flight on Cathay Pacific’s A350-1000 from Taipei, I had 3 1/2 hours to kill in Hong Kong. My onward flight to Doha departed from Gate 35 – smack in the middle of the terminal. Since my flight arrived at Gate 9, I decided to head to the close-by “The Wing” Business Class lounge near Gate 2. The verdict: while starting to show its age, it’s still a solid choice when traveling through Hong Kong.
Note: this is part of my trip report series covering my around-the-world trip to Taiwan in January, 2024. Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.
Cathay Pacific “The Wing” Business Class Lounge Hong Kong
Access
The following passengers can access Cathay Pacific’s The Wing Business Class Lounge
- Cathay Pacific Business Class passengers
- Oneworld Business Class passengers
- Cathay frequent flier Gold (+1 guest), and Diamond (+2 guests) members when traveling on a Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight in any class
- Cathay frequent flier Silver members when traveling on a Cathay Pacific flight only
- Cargo Clan elite members (+1 guest) when traveling on a Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight in any class
- Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire members (+1 guest) when traveling on a Cathay Pacific or oneworld flight in any class
- Certain Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard card holders
Location
The lounge entrance is on Level 6 of Terminal 1, near Gate 2. However, the actual lounge space is one floor up on Level 7. (Previously, the lounge occupied both floors, with dedicated workspace and showers on Level 6.) Hours are 5:30 am until the final Cathay Pacific departure of the night daily.
Cathay Pacific The Wing Business Lounge Hong Kong – Review
Date of Visit: January 28, 2024
The current, slimmed down version of the lounge consists of three main areas. Upon entering, the first section is a large, open seating area with a variety of options to sit. Bear in mind, though, that this is also by far the most congested area of the lounge, so keep heading back if it’s too busy. Granted, during my visit in the late afternoon, the lounge wasn’t particularly crowded anywhere.
This first section further divides into two distinct sections. The first is to your left, with a buffet and beverage station along the wall. I must confess, compared to the sleek Cathay Pacific Lounge in Taipei, the decor in this section is starting to look dated. And frankly, kind of Admirals Club-ish. There’s nothing wrong with it, per se, but the furniture could use a refresh.
There’s also a departures board in this area if you need to track your departing flight.
If you need extra room for a large group, along the wall is a large (and comfy looking) loveseat.
As mentioned, this area contains a small buffet area, with a handful of Western hot dishes. However, if you’re hungry, I strongly suggest heading back further to the noodle bar, which I’ll cover later.
The buffet also includes a handful of cold items, including cheese and crackers, salad, and cold noodles.
Beverage options include coffee machines, juices, and a well-stocked soft drinks refrigerator.
Heading back to the seating area, the right side of the lounge has a very, very different look. This section appears much sleeker, with a mix of regular lounge seats and work pods.
The work pods somewhat resemble a business class seat, albeit circular in shape. Each of these pods has a small laptop table, and a power outlet. Note, however, that these pods do not include USB ports.
The main attraction here, though, is the famous “Long Bar”. As the name implies, it’s a…long…bar that runs from one end of the lounge to the other. In reality, there’s two sections of bar seating, one facing inwards towards the seating area, and another facing outwards towards the large windows. You can planespot from the window-facing seats, but you’re not exactly up against the window, and the large pillars get in the way. So, getting some planeporn for your collection isn’t terribly easy without a good zoom lens.
Personally, I also find the backless stools kind of uncomfortable, so I preferred to sit in one of the lounge chairs.
In the above photo, you’ll notice two corridors heading back, one on the far left, and one tucked away between the two walls. I’ll start with the corridor on the far left, which heads to The Noodle Bar. If you’ve visited a Cathay Pacific lounge, you’re probably familiar with the concept. It remains a must visit if you’re visiting The Wing.
As with other Noodle Bars, this one offers a selection of freshly-cooked noodles and dim sums. The house specialty here are the spicy dan dan noodles. You simply place your order at the counter, and you are given a buzzer that summons you back when it’s ready.
I ordered the wonton noodles, but sadly, apparently forgot to take a photo. I can testify that the noodles were delicious, though.
If you aren’t in the mood for noodle or dim sum, there’s a buffet station next door with a variety of Asian hot dishes, juices, soft drinks, and coffee.
The Noodle Bar features an expansive seating area, which remained largely empty during my visit. While most is open eating, there are some smaller seating clusters along the wall.
Remember the second pathway between the walls behind the Long Bar? It takes you to the “Coffee Loft”. Supposedly, you can obtain barista-made drinks here, but during my visit, I didn’t see one. Nonetheless, from what I’ve gathered, if the rest of the lounge is crowded, it’s a pretty good bet this section will be empty. Indeed, I observed nobody in this area during my visit.
Most of the seating area consists of wicker-type chairs, with some large loveseats along the wall.
At the very back is a rarity these days – a magazine rack with actual paper copies of magazines and newspapers. From back here, you can also see a few common-use computer workstations with printers. (I did try to use the printers, but neither worked.) You’ll also find a couple of jars of biscuits and some fruit.
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Regardless of where you settle in the lounge, the large windows let in plenty of natural light during the day. That, along with the high ceilings, makes the lounge feel quite a bit more spacious than it is. WiFi is fast, free, and password protected. There are cards throughout the lounge with the password.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t the lounge it was, say, 10 years ago, and has fallen behind both The Pier and The Deck in the pecking order. In particular, the decor has gotten decidedly outdated and worn in parts of the lounge. However, even a below standard Cathay Pacific lounge is still better than most, and it’s fine to spend a couple of hours here. I have another transit through Hong Kong coming in July, and will check out The Pier for comparison purposes.