Qantas to reopen its Hong Kong lounge on May 4
Qantas is bringing back its Hong Kong lounge with the popular char siu Chinese barbecued pork bar.
By David Flynn, March 24 2023
Executive Traveller exclusive
Barely two years after the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge was shuttered and gutted in the midst of the pandemic, the popular haunt of business class travellers and frequent flyers is set to make a triumphant return after being declared permanently closed.
Executive Traveller can confirm the Qantas Hong Kong lounge will once more swing open its doors on May 4, in a move which reflects continued growth for travel to the Asian metropolis.
Visitors will see the same familiar space, which has sat eerily empty since March 2020, although a refresh is now underway because most of the furniture was sent back to Australia when Qantas decided to scrap the lounge.
The original Qantas Hong Kong Lounge.
Qantas is therefore taking advantage of the lounge’s current ‘clean slate’ to give it a fresh new look, Phil Capps, Qantas’ Executive Manager of Product & Service, tells Executive Traveller.
That work “is primarily the furniture and some of the carpet, and we’re taking the opportunity to do some repainting,” Capps explains.
“Some of the fixed furniture was still there, and a lot of those pieces are quite timeless and very classic,” adding that “by and large, the lounge was in excellent condition” when he visited it some months ago.
The original Qantas Hong Kong Lounge.
When it reopens on May 4, travellers will delight to the familiar char siu Chinese barbecued pork bar and the yum cha trolley of pre-flight delights such as dumplings and mango tarts.
The Qantas Hong Kong Lounge is located across from gate 5 and adjacent to Cathay Pacific’s The Deck, which may well tempt some Qantas passengers across to sample the delights of its Noodle Bar.
Cathay Pacific's The Deck lounge.
When Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce announced the closure of the lounge in mid-2020 he remarked the airline had “looked at everything that we needed in individual markets” in planning its post-pandemic recovery, and “in Hong Kong we've come to a relationship with Cathay to use their premium lounges there… and we think that's the best arrangement.”
As a result, since the January 30 restart of Qantas flights to Hong Kong, the airline has been sending business class passengers, top-tier frequent flyers and Chairman’s Lounge members to Cathay Pacific lounges, with Qantas Club card-holders heading to the independent Plaza Premium Lounge.
Of course, Qantas has to pay a per-passenger fee to Cathay Pacific and Plaza Premium – and as its flights to Hong Kong ramp up, so will those costs.
Executive Traveller understands that reduced leasing rates at Hong Kong airport have become a positive factor in balancing the books to support what is only a handful of daily Qantas flights.
However, in the years since it first opened in April 2014 the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge was also patronised by contracted airlines such as Finnair, Japan Airlines, Air France and KLM, amounting to an extra revenue stream for the Flying Kangaroo.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 359
As airlines were dealing with an unknown quantity in covid, many had put in place and planned for worst case scenario (a long time to recovery).
Airlines are now scrambling to add capacity, re-lease/buy planes and reopen lounges that they did not believe they would require for many years.
Thankfully, we are all as eager as ever to travel again and do our bit to get us back to 2019 levels of travel. Let’s just hope the airlines can keep adding capacity to achieve this.
03 Aug 2020
Total posts 11
This is great news 👏👏👏👏
03 May 2013
Total posts 663
I hope Qantas uses more carpet to create a quieter experience and warmer ambiance. Hard concrete floors turn a few of their lounges into noisy cheap feeling cafeterias.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 414
It's actually not up to Qantas, it's up to the airport operator and in turn local safety laws regarding issues such as the coverage range of sprinklers in case there's a fire. Hard surfaces are of course safer than carpet. The Qantas lounge is largely uncovered so the sprinklers have to reach all the way down from the airport's vaulted ceiling, similar to outdoor parts of The Deck, while most of the CX lounges have their own ceiling so the sprinklers have a shorter 'throw' and can cover more area, hence why those CX lounges can have more carpet. My source is a mate who used to do contract building work for HKG.
03 May 2013
Total posts 663
Doesn't explain SIN which is terribly noisy and a bit of a cold ambience, esp when full because of its floors. I still think there is a design choice element to the reason as well.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 414
Maybe because the Singapore business class lounge faced the same issues with the airport authority not permitting carpet for some reason?
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 414
Great news indeed, even for those like me who favor The Pier First and The Wing First, because I usually liked to cap off my time before a QF flight back to Australia with a visit to the QF lounge, and sometimes I just didn't have the time to go lounge-hopping so I would just stay put in the QF lounge for the limited time I had.
The lounge has remained empty so I guess the airport hasn't been able to find another tenant and so Qantas was able to get a much better deal on rental.
The other thing is that I think the decision to reopen this lounge reflects that Qantas expects more flights to Hong Kong in the future, beyond SYD MEL and BNE. I think we can count on A321LR or XLR flights from Adelaide and Perth, maybe even a few days a week from Canberra.
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 155
Finally a positive move from QF post Covid.
With so much cost and service cutting from the airline, along with price gouged airfares, passengers on QF HKG services can now enjoy a Qantas benefit, rather than being huddled into secondary lounges, especially Qantas Club members who somehow seem to be last on the list these days.
Lets hope the lounge stays and is not just a temporary teaser!
29 Jan 2012
Total posts 155
Neglected to add, HKG is one of QF's nicest lounges and great to see it's return.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1463
More lounges is always better. We will see what they going to offer, but I suspect that it would be VERY difficult to beat The Pier one.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Jun 2019
Total posts 10
Meanwhile Sydney domestic & international lounges are a disgrace....old stained carpet and furniture, a laughable food offering and sullen unsmiling staff....
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 413
Hopefully it's an opening very early in April.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
12 Apr 2017
Total posts 206
Great news, I am there in May, I shall sample both the Cathay Pacific lounge as well as the Qantas one which I have never tried. How is the Emirates lounge at Hong Kong? Is it close to these two?
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1191
It was a very good lounge and great to see it back. The only area I found less satisfactory were the toilets which gave the feeling that you were walking into temporary demountables.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
12 Apr 2017
Total posts 206
I am flying out of HK on 5th May. Great timing! I shall try both the Qantas and Cathay lounges for the first time and compare the two.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 May 2018
Total posts 56
I was there with a close friend in 2017.. parked at the bar in the photo..the pork char sui was great. The bar staff were chatty and my friend told them that it was my birthday (wasn't there then - loo break).. anyway when I got back the club manager and 2 staff were there with an oversize cup cake with candle and champagne.. they sang happy birthday. it was a great night before the flight back to Brisbane. In opinion this lounge is on a par with London and Sydney and Melbourne first lounges. ENJOY!
09 May 2020
Total posts 541
I know this is a side queries but an interesting observation nevertheless
A bit surprised that QF decided to ship back the lounge furnitures as suggested by the article when they decided to close the HK lounges permanently in the height of the first pandemic wave in 2020.
Unless they have exotic style, near brand new condition or dirt cheap shipping options (and sufficient storage space in Australia or space for deployment in Australian lounges) otherwise the usually way to deal with permanent closures is to sell them by auction or commercial outfitters.
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