Customers will still have access to two business class and one first class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.

Cathay Pacific has taken yet another measure in the face of Covid-19: lounge closure of half its lounges at Hong Kong International Airport.

This came not too long after it announced that it will be reducing flights worldwide.

The lounges that will be closed until further notice are:

• The Deck (near Gate 6)
• The Bridge (near Gate 35)
• The Pier First Class Lounge (near Gate 63)

Customers, Marco Polo Silver members and above, as well as oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members can still access the remaining three lounges:

• The Wing business and first class lounges (near Gate 2)
• The Pier business class lounge (near Gate 65)

First Class passengers now have only one lounge – The Wing, located near Gate 2. This is directly accessible right after immigration, on the left side.

Cathay Pacific is one of the few airlines that offer an excellent lounge experience in their home port. For First Class passengers and Oneworld Emerald members, they had the option of two lounges, one nearer to the immigration counters (The Wing) and one that’s at the other end of the terminal (The Pier).

With the closure of The Pier first class lounge, these top tier passengers can only use The Wing, which means a very long trek to the other end of the terminal if their flight departs from there.

Changes to lounge operations

Along with the closure of the three lounges, there will also be slight changes to the operations at the other three lounges, as well as lounges in Shanghai and Beijing.

While the noodle bar will continue to serve cooked-to-order meals, the buffet spread will now be replaced with disposable food packs. This is obviously not the most environmentally friendly option, but given the current climate this is probably the best way forward.

Final thoughts

Well, given the increasing number of countries that does not even want to admit passengers who transit through Hong Kong, it’s no wonder their passenger numbers are plummeting, so closing some of the lounges is definitely a right move.

I’m just wondering what does this mean for the number of staff employed at these lounges, given that the lounge operations is outsourced to SATS.

This is definitely a bummer for elite Oneworld members and premium cabin customers, but even with the reduced number of options, I would certainly expect significantly less people in the remaining lounges.