The Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business Airport Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport is simply a joy to visit. I have visited this airport lounge multiple times, and it truely is one of the best oneworld Sapphire lounges in the world. Flooded with natural light, and stunning views over the apron, this airport lounge makes up one of the three signature and flagship Cathay Pacific Airport Lounges at Hong Kong International Airport.
In my opinion, compared to The Pier, Business, I would say this particular airport lounge is more suited to business travellers rather than leisure. However, The Wing, Business is still fantastic for leisure travellers nevertheless.
Below, I will cover all the features of this fantastic oneworld airport lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, across my multiple visits here.
Entrance: Where is The Wing Lounge?
The Wing, Business and The Wing, First are located near Gate 2 at Hong Kong International Airport. Follow the signs for the Cathay Pacific Lounge and Gates 1-4. When you see the Plaza Premium and Plaza Premium First lounges, keep walking.
If departing from Hong Kong, Gates 1-4 are tucked down the pier on your left, down the escalators, after clearing immigration and security.
If you wish to visit The Wing and are transiting, head to the transit channel next to E1 from the arrivals level. You will need to clear security to re-enter the departures level. E1 is the closest transit point to The Wing, Business and The Wing, First.
You will see the sign for The Wing, Business on white marble next to the entrance to the lounge.
After checking in with the friendly lounge staff, upstairs, The Wing, Business is situated to the left, and The Wing, First is situated to the right.
Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business Seating Options
There are fantastic private seating options to get some work done, and plenty of nooks to get work calls done around the lounge.
For business travellers, I love the booths (picture above) for seating as they are private and feature a desk, perfect for getting some work done or sending emails.
There is also bar stools along the long bar, and more bar stools on the other side.
In the Coffee Loft and Noodle Bar, there are booths perfect for getting some work done in privacy, or for enjoying a meal or coffee and pastries with your family or travel companions.
Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business Tarmac Views
The Wing, Business and The Wing, First are located on the mezzanine above Gates 2-4. As the lounge is located above the main departures level, it boasts floods of natural light, and panoramic views of parked aircraft at gates 2 to 4. On a clear day, you should also have excellent views of aircraft taxiing to and from the runway from gates 23 to 35 (odd) and gates 41-49 (odd). A great lounge for plane spotting indeed, and much better for plane spotting than The Pier, Business.
Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business Food Options and Menu
The Wing, Business is a more compact lounge when compared to The Pier, Business or The Deck. However, most of the food offerings are similar. There are a few unique touches though.
The Wing, Business food is separated into three main areas:
- The Buffet
- The Noodle Bar
- The Coffee Loft
The Buffet
The Buffet features an assortment of cold salads, sandwiches, small cakes and desserts, charcuterie and a cheese platter as well as various accompaniments. There was also a selection of hot food too. Some of the highlights were:
- Wild Mushroom Soup
- Chicken Meatballs with Tomato and Basil Passata
- Haricot Beans
- Baked Potato with Garlic and Cream
- Farfelle with Green Peas, Zucchini and Garlic
- Cauliflower Rice with Chickpeas, Pickled Red Onions and Citrus Dressing
- Green Papaya Salad
- Gruyere, Ham and Mustard Ciabatta Sandwiches
- Egg Mayonnaise Sandwiches
Drinks wise, there was an in-built soft drink dispenser, hidden behind marble to blend in with the rest of the lounge. The attention to detail truly is top-notch.
The Noodle Bar
The Noodle Bar has an array of dimsum and noodles options (although smaller than the selection at The Pier or The Deck), as well as a hot buffet with various Cantonese specialties. The following dishes were available:
- Wonton noodles with prawn and pork dumplings, egg noodles and chicken broth
- Dan Dan Mien Noodles with spicy and fragrant peanut sauce
- Braised vegetable noodles
- Flat noodles with fish ball
- Steamed creamy custard bun
- Chicken bun
- Fried Rice with Minced Beef and sweetcorn
- Sautéed Fried Jade Melon with Miso
- Fried Chicken with Lemon Sauce
- Mixed Vegetable Dumplings
- Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai
In all, an extensive selection of some fantastic Cantonese dim sum and hot dishes. The Noodle Bar is Cathay Pacific’s signature experience at all their airport lounges globally, and the attention to detail really shows. The signature is the Dan Dan Noodles, which you must try if you eat pork.
Sadly some of the vegetarian labelling was incorrect (and has been consistently like this at multiple Cathay lounges in my experience), so I hope Cathay Pacific updates this. I am vegan, so it would also be nice to see vegan labelling too. Staff were reluctant to customise dishes (such as switching rice noodles for egg noodles) so it would be great to see little improvements like this to help dietary-restricted passengers.
The Coffee Loft
The Coffee Loft is a great little quiet section of The Wing, Business that offers barista coffee, a variety of delicious pastries and cakes, and ice cream. It’s always been fairly quiet on my multiple visits to this lounge, and has some quiet booth seating, dining tables and bar seating with great views of the tarmac, power points and lots of natural light. In my mind, this spot is the perfect place to get some last-minute work done, with a coffee and croissant in hand.
Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business Bar
As you enter the Wing, Business Class Lounge upstairs, to your right, is the long, sweeping marble bar with panoramic apron views. There is also more bar seating opposite, which is also handy if you need to do any work on your laptop.
The extensive bar menu is similar to that found in The Pier, Business and The Deck:
Some highlights of the The Wing, Business Bar include:
- Thiénot Brut NV Champagne
- Albert Bichot Viré-Clessé, Burgundy 2017
- Babich Black Label Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2022
- Chateau Dazauc, D De Dausac, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, France 2016
- Hong Kong-style Milk Tea
- Cathay Delight
- Ginger Forest
- Orange Dream
- Aperol Spritz
- Cosmopolitan
- Espresso Martini
- Dry Martini
- Daiquiri
- Manhattan
- Margarita
- Mojito
- Negroni
- Pina Colada
- Blue Hawaii
- Bloody Mary
- Pimms No.1
- Betsy Pale Ale (Cathay Pacific’s own beer)
- Hong Kong Amber Ale (local and delicious)
- Lemon Lime and Bitters
At the oneworld Sapphire airport lounge level, this is a very high-quality and very extensive bar offering. The Bar at The Wing, Business having champagne, cocktails and a variety of top-quality wines, beers and spirits already puts them well ahead of most oneworld airport lounges in the world. As I mentioned above, this list is the same as The Pier, Business and The Deck so there is no edge in the bar offerings between the different airport lounges at Hong Kong International Airport.
Bathrooms and Showers
The bathrooms here at The Wing, Business is kitted out in typical Cathay Pacific luxury, filled with marble, and featuring gold tapware. Consistent with the onboard experience and all other Cathay Pacific airport lounges around the world, Bamford toiletries are featured throughout.
The Wing, Business does not have shower facilities, so if you are wanting to have a shower, in this area of the airport, you are best heading to The Deck near gates 6-9. The Deck is located at the airport pier on the other side to The Wing.
If your flight is departing from gates 60 to 71 or 40 to 50, you are best to head to The Pier, Business for an incredible shower experience.
How to Access The Wing, Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport
Cathay Pacific has a fairly concise list of travellers eligible to access The Wing, Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. This list includes:
- Cathay Pacific First Class Passengers (can access The Wing, First)
- Cathay Pacific Business Class Passengers
- oneworld First Class Passengers (no guests) (can access The Wing, First)
- oneworld Business Class Passengers (no guests)
- oneworld Emerald Elite Status Holders (+1 guest) (can access The Wing, First)
- oneworld Sapphire Elite Status Holders (+1 guest)
- Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge Pass
- Cathay Pacific Silver Status (flying on a CX marketed and operated flight)
- Cathay Pacific Gold or Diamond Status (+ 1 guest) (can access the The Wing, First)
Travellers who receive a complimentary upgrade to business class with Cathay Pacific are ineligible for lounge access, unless they hold oneworld Sapphire or oneworld Emerald elite status.
Cathay Pacific The Wing vs. The Pier: Which is best?
The answer is: both. Both are fantastic in their own right, and each very different. The Wing, Business and The Pier, Business Class Lounges are flagship Cathay Pacific lounges at Hong Kong International Airport, so it’s unlikely you will be unsatisfied.
The Pier, Business
The Pier is larger, has more food options, is more spacious, and has that fantastic teahouse, incredible showers and relaxation room.
The Wing, Business
The Wing is more compact, but is above ground on the mezzanine level, so is flooded with natural light, apron views, has the great Coffee Loft, a fantastic long bar, great seating options for working and more. A great airport lounge option for working, or if you are short on time.
My Thoughts: The Pier vs The Wing
I would try get to the airport early and visit both or opt for a flight with a longer stopover. Do note that The Pier, Business is near Gate 68, and The Wing is near Gate 2. This means they are at opposite sides of the airport.
Using the travelators, it’s about a 10-15 minute walk between the lounges.
If I had a short stopover or limited time and could do only one airport lounge, I would pick whichever airport lounge is closer to your gate. The same applies for any readers with mobility issues. Cramming in both The Pier and The Wing isn’t worth the hassle of missing your flight.
Leave the Airport Lounge closest to your Gate until last
Boarding is fairly prompt at Hong Kong International Airport, so if you are further away from your gate, make sure to allow enough time to walk there. This is especially true if your flight departs from Gates 13-21, as you will need to take the skybridge to the Satellite Terminal. In all, this takes roughly 10 minutes from the skybridge entrance in the main terminal, so you will likely need to leave roughly 20 minutes before boarding from The Pier, Business. I have been caught out by this before, and nearly missed my flight, which was on final call when I got to the gate. This also applies for passengers departing from gates 201 to 219, which depart from the Midfield Concourse, which you have to get the Skytrain to. Know where your flight leaves from, and leave plenty of time to get there.
The TLDR is:
- If you are visiting multiple lounges, start with the airport lounge furthest away from your gate, and finish at the lounge closest to your boarding gate.
- If you are visiting just one lounge, visit the Cathay Pacific airport lounge closest to your gate.
- The Pier has showers, but The Wing does not.
- The Pier has a more extensive food offering.
Other oneworld lounges to consider also include the fantastic Qantas Lounge and equally great Cathay Pacific The Deck airport lounge which are right next to each other. Another great option to consider if your flight departs from Gates 5 to 9. The Qantas Lounge has a secret exit, so its easier to visit the Qantas Lounge first, then The Deck last before your flight from Gates 5 to 9.
Conclusion
The Cathay Pacific The Wing, Business Class Lounge is an excellent airport lounge option for oneworld frequent flyers and oneworld Business Class passengers at Hong Kong International Airport.
This is definitely my oneworld airport lounge preference at Hong Kong International Airport if I have work to do before my flight, however it’s a perfect quiet haven for leisure travellers as well.
If you are lounge hopping, try make a stop to The Wing, Business. The Coffee Loft is lovely for coffee and a pastry, and ice cream. The bar here has fantastic apron views. Some of the food options from the Noodle Bar and buffet are exclusive just to this lounge, compared to the The Pier or The Deck.
Make sure to also check out my review of The Pier, Business Class Lounge here.
What’s your favourite Cathay Pacific Airport Lounge at Hong Kong Airport? Let me know in the comments below.