Of all the airline lounge reopenings post-COVID-19, there are a few standouts we’ve been longing to see return to the fold, and an exciting upcoming reopening by Cathay Pacific of its prestigious The Pier First Class in Hong Kong is certainly up there on our list.
The 231-seat facility, with its New York apartment-style decor and furnishings, à la carte restaurant, intimate cocktail bar, day beds and spa facilities, will once again welcome those departing in First Class and holding top-tier Cathay or Oneworld frequent flyer status from Wednesday 19th July, as confirmed by Executive Traveller.
That day will mark the first time in over three years passengers have had access to this lounge, following its abrupt closure in mid-February 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and passenger numbers plummeted.
This is welcome news for our readers travelling in First Class on Cathay or a Oneworld carrier from Hong Kong, with The Pier First Class ranking as our personal favourite at the airport.
Best of all, those holding Oneworld Emerald status and departing on any Oneworld flight from the airport can also access this great space.
About The Pier First Class
The Pier First Class lounge is located in Terminal 1, near Gates 61 – 63 in the northwest concourse of Hong Kong International Airport.
That makes it well suited for those catching flights departing from Gate 30 and above, but even those with Gates 1 to 29 on their boarding card still often make their way here to enjoy the facilities.
That said, The Wing First Class lounge near Gate 1 is a great facility too, and includes private Cabanas, so there are solid benefits at both locations.
Opening hours for The Pier First Class lounge will be:
- Daily from 5.30am to 12.30am
This replicates the lounge’s full pre-COVID opening window.
The decor and finish here follows the beautiful “living room” design concept by Studioilse, the London-based studio led by Ilse Crawford.
That gives the lounge a fantastic warm and welcoming ambience, despite its subterranean location one level below the main departure concourse.
The restaurant here is a big draw, with à la carte dining on offer.
A total of 14 spacious shower suites are also available, including Aesop toiletries, as are private day suites overlooking the aircraft gates.
Another great inclusion for a post-dinner tipple is the cocktail bar, where bartenders are on hand to mix your perfect drink, including vintage Louis Roderer Champagne.
For full details of The Pier First Class lounge, see our extensive review of this facility from 2018.
Lounge access
This lounge is available to passengers departing on a Cathay Pacific flight, or on a Oneworld member operated flight:
- in First class (+1 guest permitted); or
- in Business, Premium Economy or Economy class and holding Cathay Diamond status (+2 guests permitted), or Oneworld Emerald status (+1 guest permitted); or
- in any class of travel provided they are connecting between Oneworld marketed and operated flights on the same day of travel having arrived in First Class with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours (e.g. British Airways First Class LHR-HKG followed by Cathay Pacific Economy Class HKG-SIN, admittance is permitted).
Any accompanying guests must be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a Oneworld airline. Admittance based on arrival in Oneworld First Class from your previous flight requires you to retain your previous boarding pass.
Hong Kong Cathay lounges
Next week’s reopening of The Pier First Class lounge represents the final Cathay Pacific facility to reopen at Hong Kong International Airport.
Unfortunately the carrier permanently shuttered “The Bridge” lounge in Hong Kong during COVID-19, so it does mean there will be fewer options overall for Oneworld passengers to choose from, though the good news is that Qantas saved its own lounge, recently also extending its opening hours, having originally planned to close it.
As you can see, all eligible departing and transit Cathay Pacific and Oneworld passengers will soon have two First Class lounges to choose from, The Wing and The Pier.
Sadly the Singapore Airlines SilverKris lounge in Hong Kong remains shuttered, but as we revealed in June the good news is that this nine-year-old facility is ‘under the knife’ with a full renovation ongoing, which should be completed soon.
Our most recent information from SIA airport staff suggested that a late September 2023 reopening is pencilled in, and we will of course be eager to see how the revamped facility looks inside once the shutters are raised.
Overseas Cathay lounges are reopening
Cathay Pacific has also been reopening its network of international lounges, with the following facilities once again welcoming eligible travellers.
- Bangkok
- Beijing
- London Heathrow
- Manila
- Shanghai Pu Dong
- Singapore
- Tokyo Haneda
- Tokyo Narita
- Vancouver
That leaves only two lounges left to reopen, with the carrier planning for this process to be completed by September 2023.
- San Francisco (Q3 2023)
- Taipei (Q3 2023)
Only the the Cathay Pacific lounge in Paris has not been included in the reopening lineup. That facility is at Charles De Gaulle’s Terminal 2, which is in the midst of a revamp, meaning the carrier is currently operating from Terminal 1. It will be interesting to see whether this lounge ever makes a comeback.
Summary
Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class is one of our favourite lounges in the world, and it’s great to be able to report that Oneworld First Class passengers and eligible status holders will once again be able to use it from Wednesday next week, after a hiatus of more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This also represents Cathay’s final Hong Kong lounge reopening, with only two outstation facilities in San Francisco and Taipei yet to open their doors.
(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)