Your guide to Cathay Pacific, Oneworld lounges at Hong Kong

Hong Kong has long offered passengers on Oneworld airlines an enviable choice of airport lounges, thanks mainly to the city being Cathay Pacific’s home hub.

The flag carrier intends to have all its Hong Kong lounges reopened by the middle of 2023, 

Of course, Cathay’s lounges welcome first and business class passengers and top-tier frequent flyers on the many Oneworld member airlines which fly to Hong Kong – a roster which includes British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways.

Meanwhile, the imminent return of the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge will add another option for those flying to or through the Asian metropolis.

Here’s a snapshot of the Hong Kong loungescape for Cathay Pacific and Oneworld travellers.

Tip: Cathay’s Hong Kong lounges are ‘silent lounges’ where no boarding calls are made, so check how long it’ll take to walk to your departure gate and set an alarm on your watch – you can also download the Cathay Pacific app or Hong Kong Airport app or sit near a departures screen to keep a watchful eye on your flight.

The Wing First

Open from 5.30am until the last CX departure

One of Cathay’s two flagship lounges, The Wing First is handily located barely a minute’s stroll from Hong Kong Airport’s immigration and security checkpoint nearest the Cathay Pacific checkin desks.

Cathay Pacific's The Wing First lounge.

As a first class lounge, The Deck welcomes

• Cathay Pacific and Oneworld first class passengers
• Cathay Diamond and Oneworld Emerald frequent flyers

Most visitors head to The Haven restaurant for a meal from the à la carte menu, which is why the dining room becomes very busy – and rather noisy – during peak hours.

Other favourite spots of frequent flyers include the Champagne Lounge and, if you can snare a booking, the spacious Cabana private suites with a ‘rainforest’ shower, full-sized bath and a divan where you can stretch out and relax.

Cathay Pacific's The Wing First lounge.

Tip: If you have access to The Wing First and arrive at the airport before a departure gate is assigned to your flight, park yourself at The Wing to wait in comfort and style until you know you flight’s gate number and can then decide if you need to relocate to another lounge such as The Pier.

The Wing Business

Open from 5.30am to 12.30am

The sprawling business class section of The Wing, which encompasses two floors – including a section adjacent to The Wing First – is also back, and remains the best choice for eligible flyers ahead of Cathay and Oneworld departures from the ‘top’ of Terminal 1 up to around Gate 30.

The Long Bar takes advantage of the 'open air' design with views to the airfield.

As a business class lounge, The Wing Business welcomes

• Cathay Pacific and Oneworld business class passengers
• Cathay Diamond and Oneworld Sapphire frequent flyers

Familiar offerings include the lounge’s signature Noodle Bar, along with a buffet selection of Chinese and Western dishes plus self-service drinks, and The Loft cafe with its coffee, tea and pastries.

Dining at The Noodle Bar.

The Deck

Open from 5.30am to 12.30am

The Deck is the newest member of Cathay's Hong Kong lounge family, debuting in March 2018 and quickly becoming popular to the point of over-crowding, especially for morning departures to mainland China.

As a business class lounge, The Deck welcomes

• Cathay Pacific and Oneworld business class passengers
• Cathay Gold and Oneworld Sapphire frequent flyers

Of course, travellers in first class or holding Cathay Diamond or Oneworld Emerald status can also visit The Deck.

Cathay Pacific's The Deck lounge.

Wrapping around the northern corner of T1 (and thus at the opposite end to The Wing), The Deck overlooks Gates 6 through 9.

The standout feature is an open L-shaped verandah with views of the airport’s apron, taxiways and northern runway.

Cathay Pacific's The Deck lounge.

Like all Cathay Pacific business class lounges, The Deck features a Noodle Bar serving freshly-prepared Asian delights – the dan dan noodles and wonton noodles are reliable go-to dishes.

When we most recently visited the menu also included chicken congee and a range of dim sum (such as chicken siu mai, steamed BBQ pork buns and steamed custard buns); the Champagne on hand was Piper-Heidsieck.

The Pier Business

Open from 5.30am until the last CX departure

The Pier Business is Cathay Pacific’s largest lounge and easily rates among as the world’s best business class lounges.

And at the time of writing, it’s the only Cathay business class lounge at the ‘bottom’ end of Terminal 1, meaning it’s the destination if your Cathay Pacific flight departs from a gate in the 30s or higher (below that, The Deck is probably closer).

Cathay Pacific's The Pier Business lounge.

As a business class lounge, The Pier Business welcomes

• Cathay Pacific and Oneworld first class passengers
• Cathay Diamond and Oneworld Emerald frequent flyers

Travellers in first class or holding Cathay Diamond or Oneworld Emerald status can also visit The Deck, where they’ll even find a roped-off area reserved for them and serving a better class of pre-flight Champagne.

The deli-style Food Hall is currently in Mediterranean mode, serving up slices of pizza alongside antipasto, a charcuterie of cold cuts and assorted deli delights, although at the self-serve buffet you’ll find local treats such as BBQ pork buns.

Cathay Pacific's The Pier Business lounge.

Just past that is the signature Noodle Bar – a familiar mainstay of all Cathay business class lounges – where roasted and BBQ pork have been added to the menu of noodles and dim sum.

The Pier Business also has a unique Tea House serving up varieties of Jing tea and sweet treats in a calm and relaxing atmosphere; and for something stronger, there’s an always-buzzing tended bar.

Cathay Pacific's The Pier Business lounge.

If you’d prefer to really wind down, especially during longer stopovers, head for one of the 14 shower suites and then stretch out on a low upholstered lounger in the relaxation room.

The Pier First

Currently closed

The Pier Business’s upscale neighbour is this elegant first class lounge, which Cathay tells Executive Traveller will reopen by the middle of this year.

Qantas Hong Kong Lounge

Officially reopening May 4 but currently in ‘soft opening’ mode

After being ‘permanently’ shuttered during the pandemic, this long-time favourite of Qantas passengers has made a welcome comeback.

The Qantas Hong Kong Lounge.

Located across from gates 5-6 and adjacent to Cathay Pacific’s The Deck, the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge is near the gates typically used by Qantas’ evening flights back to Australia.

In Qantas’ parlances this is a ‘premium’ lounge, meaning it’s a single lounge for everyone from first class travellers (at those times when the Airbus A380 is on the Sydney-Hong Kong route) down to Qantas Gold-grade frequent flyers (and Oneworld Sapphires) plus Qantas Club members.

Althoughn flagged for an official ribbon-cutting on May 3, at the time of writing the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge is welcoming passengers as part of its ‘soft opening’ phase.

As before, highlights include a char siu Chinese barbecued pork bar, a tended bar and a yum cha trolley of local pre-flight delights such as dumplings and mango tarts.