Australian Oneworld carrier Qantas reopened its dedicated lounge at Hong Kong International Airport back in early May 2023, after a closure of more than three years due to the pandemic, with the facility coming ‘back from the dead’ – originally killed off in the midst of COVID-19, only to make a surprise resurrection 18 months later.
Opening hours for the lounge were initially limited to the airline’s own departures from Hong Kong, meaning a relatively limited 3.30pm – 8pm opening window in June, extended to 12pm – 11pm from 1st July, but now there’s a new morning extension to boot.
Qantas Hong Kong lounge new opening hours
Effective from 1st August 2023 the Qantas Hong Kong lounge is now open from 7.30am to 11pm every day, a 15-hour opening window that sees it able to cater not only for the airline’s own departures but also those of many more Oneworld and partner carriers.
These include the likes of British Airways, Emirates, Finnair, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines, not to mention Hong Kong’s own Cathay Pacific – for those who want a scenery change from the carrier’s own lounges.
This extended opening almost returns the lounge to its pre-COVID roster (an impressive 7.30am to midnight each day), but it’s still great news for many travellers even if that final hour before midnight thwarts you.
The Qantas lounge is located on Level 7 at Terminal 1, near gate 5, which is a right turn after the North Immigration clearance gate, adjacent to Cathay Pacific’s recently reopened The Deck lounge.
During the mornings there are currently very few non-Cathay Pacific Oneworld departures from Hong Kong, so the Qantas lounge should probably be your go-to if you’re eligible to enter, since it should be a tranquil experience.
About the lounge
The Qantas Hong Kong lounge has always been one of our favourites on the carrier’s network, and it picked up a revamp earlier this year with new seats and tiling installed, finished in what the airline describes as a “warmer colour palette” by Australian designer David Caon.
Features and facilities include:
- Seating capacity for 290 guests, with a mixture of dining and more relaxed lounge chairs in an ‘open-air’ terrace concept above the departure concourse, with views of the new Sky Bridge
- A tended bar with premium Australian wines, beer and spirits poured alongside “Neil Perry mixologist designed cocktails”
- A Yum Cha dumpling trolley in the evenings, and perennial menu item char siu Chinese barbecue pork, alongside other local and regional dishes by Neil Perry
- Power outlets and high-speed Wi-Fi
- 12 private shower suites, with Li’Tya amenities
Access policy
The Qantas Hong Kong lounge is available to passengers flying on a Qantas or Emirates flight, or on a Oneworld member operated flight:
- in First Class or Business Class; or
- in Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding Qantas Platinum One, Platinum or Gold status, Emirates Platinum or Gold Skywards status* or Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status**.
* Qantas or Emirates flights only
** Qantas or Oneworld flights only
If you are a Qantas Club member flying on a Qantas (QF) flight number, you are also permitted access.
Guest policy
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their Qantas Frequent Flyer status can bring one guest into the lounge with them. The guest must be travelling:
- on a QF or oneworld flight number, if the member is flying Qantas or oneworld; or
- on the same flight as the member, if the member is flying Emirates.
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their Oneworld status can bring one guest into the lounge with them. The guest must be travelling on a oneworld flight number.
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their Emirates Skywards status can bring one guest into the lounge with them. The guest must be travelling on the same flight as the member.
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their eligible travel class can bring one guest into the lounge with them, provided the passenger is travelling:
- Qantas or Emirates First Class; or
- Qantas Business Class
The guest must be travelling on the same flight as the passenger in these cases.
Which flights now benefit?
The extended opening of the Qantas lounge now allows many more travellers to use the facility. We’ve crunched the schedules and here’s how the list looks, based on August 2023 departures from HKIA.
Note that we haven’t included the plethora of Cathay Pacific departures between around 9.30am and midnight, with eligible passengers on all of these flights also able to benefit from access to the Qantas lounge if they wish.
Oneworld and Qantas partner departures from HKG
August 2023
9.30am – 1am
| Flight | Departs | To | Days | |
 |
JL736 | 10:40 | NRT | Daily |
 |
MH73 | 14:35 | KUL | Daily |
|
JL26 | 15:15 | HND | Daily |
 |
QR817 | 19:30 | DOH | Daily |
 |
QF128 | 19:30 | SYD | Daily |
 |
AY100 | 20:35 | HEL | Daily |
 |
EK385 | 21:30 | BKK | Daily |
|
QF30 | 21:55 | MEL | Tue, Thu, Sat |
 |
BA32 | 23:10 | LHR | Daily |
|
BA28 | 23:20 | LHR | Daily |
|
QR815 | 00:25 | DOH | Daily |
|
EK381 | 00:35 | DXB | Daily |
Do note that your airline may direct you to another contract lounge. For example, Finnair Business Class passengers are still directed to the Plaza Premium First lounge in Hong Kong at the time of writing.
Those passengers can still use any Oneworld lounge if they wish, including the Qantas lounge and the Cathay Pacific lounges, which are much better propositions in our opinion.
Qantas is hiking its Hong Kong – Melbourne flights from three times per week to daily from late October 2023, while the daily Sydney service will see Airbus A380 service five or six days per week from October to December 2023, and every day from 1st January to 23rd February 2024, over the peak Chinese New Year season.
Summary
The popular Qantas Hong Kong lounge is a nice Oneworld alternative to the Cathay Pacific options at HKIA, and this significantly extended opening window from 7.30am to 11pm each day now allows many more eligible passengers to pay a visit and sample the revamped facility.
That list includes passengers departing on Malaysia Airlines, JAL, Finnair, Qatar Airways, BA and Emirates, in addition to Cathay Pacific and Qantas itself.
Qantas already reopened its excellent lounges in Singapore, with the Business Class facility available since December 2021 and the fantastic First Class counterpart since June 2022.
Sadly there’s still no morning opening for the Singapore lounges, as with pre-COVID times they open their doors only at around 2pm each day.
Cathay Pacific also reopened its much-loved The Pier First Class lounge in Hong Kong last month, as part of the carrier’s plan to have all global lounges back in action by the end of September 2023.
(Cover Photo: Qantas)