“The Wing” is the older of the two first class lounges that Cathay Pacific operates at its hub, Hong Kong airport. While it’s been around for quite a while, the airline most recently opened it in 2013 after an extensive renovation.
This review was originally published in 2017 after my first visit to the lounge. However, since I visited the lounge again last month, I decided to update and republish it.
While most of the photos are from my original visit (not much has changed in the lounge since then), I added – among other things – some extra information and photos about features that I had missed before.
Location, Opening Hours & Access
Cathay Pacific’s “The Wing, First” lounge can be found airside at Hong Kong Airport Terminal 1.
It’s located not too far from security and immigration, near gates 1 and 2. As such, if your flight is departing from one of the gates in the main part of the terminal, it’s much more convenient to access than the arguably better “The Pier, First” lounge.
The lounge is in the exact same location as “The Wing, Business” lounge. In fact, nothing on the exterior of the two lounges’ shared entrance indicated that there is a first class lounge inside as well.
More specifically, the first class section is on the right side of the lounge’s second floor.
“The Wing” first class lounge is open every day from 5:30AM until the last departure of the day.
It admits passengers traveling in Cathay Pacific or its oneworld partners’ first class. Oneworld Emerald status holders eligible for access if flying on a oneworld flight, regardless of their travel class, as well.
Lounge Tour
Since the business and first class lounges are right next to each other, it was possible for passengers in the first class lounge to access “The Noodle Bar” and other features of the business class lounge easily.
Below, however, I will only focus on the first class section itself.
Right past the reception, there was a cafe-like seating area with a long counter overlooking the terminal and the apron, as well as with about half a dozen individual tables and three communal tables.
There were also a flight information display and a rack with a fairly wide selection of newspapers and magazines.
Finally, there were buffet counters with a selection of drinks as well as light bites to eat. I will talk more about the details of that further in the article.
Continuing further, there were areas like a bar, an a la carte restaurant, and the Cabanas – my favorite feature of the lounge.
Let me mention here that the lounge’s marble walls gave it a very luxurious feel.
Now, let’s take a look at the rest of the lounge area by area.
“The Haven Bar” featured a bar counter with five counter-height chairs.
Besides that, there was also plenty of large leather sofa chairs and Cathay’s original Solus chairs which offer a lot of privacy and which I find great for getting some work done.
Right behind the bar area was a small, library-like area with a selection of reading materials and four Solus chairs.
The newspapers and magazines in this area were constantly being “refilled” by the staff.
Next, there was a champagne bar with massive elegant leather sofa chairs and a selection of three bottles.
While the lounge felt luxurious throughout, this was the part of the lounge that, I believe, did so more than any other part of it.
In the same general area, there was also a small business center. It included a pair of iMacs as well as printers.
While there was also an empty desk available, I preferred working in one of the Solus chair in the more “open” and “airy” parts of the lounge.
All of the above were located in what could be considered the “main” part of the lounge. However, there were also two separate, noteworthy areas on the right side (when walking from the reception) of the lounge.
The first of those was “The Haven,” a sit-down restaurant with both an a la carte menu as well as a buffet section.
In terms of seating, there were dozens of tables (mostly) for two – most with a pair of chairs, and some with a chair on one side and a bench on the other.
Finally, the lounge, of course, featured shower suites.
While most of those were similar to what you would find in other lounges, there were a couple of “Cabanas” as well. Those were more like luxury hotel bathrooms than regular shower rooms.
While regular shower suites were readily available during each of my visits, getting a Cabana involved some waiting. In each of the three cases I used one, my buzzer rung about 45 minutes or so after I “signed up” at the Cabanas’ reception.
The maximum usage time of a Cabana was restricted to 90 minutes.
The centerpiece of the “Cabana” was a showering and bathing area. That included a (too) large bathtub, as well as three different showers placed at the far end of the room.
Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap – as well as plenty of towels – were, of course, provided.
Across from the bathtub, nearer to the entrance, there was a large daybed and a counter with a sink. Amenities like cotton buds and a toothbrush were prepared on the counter as well.
There was also another counter, this time with a chair, along the Cabana’s left wall. That one was placed under a large mirror, and also included a power outlet.
Finally, right near the Cabana’s entrance, there was a toilet room on the right side and a pair of closets on the left side.
One of the closets contained a bath mat, a bathrobe, and a pair of slippers. The other one was more interesting.
Inside that one, there was a hanger, and a button.
One could hang a shirt (or other pieces of clothing) on the hanger, press the button, and close the door. After that, the lounge’s staff would take the clothes from the closet’s other side, iron them, and hang them back.
Food and Drinks
The main place where one could get something to eat in the lounge was, of course, its sit-down restaurant, “The Haven.”
During my first visit, the breakfast menu was on offer, while during my second visit, I was presented with the lounge’s dinner menu. In either case, it was a toned down version of what is offered in the restaurant in “The Pier” first class lounge.
During my visit in 2017, I had the full English breakfast which was excellent. During my most recent visit, I went with the green chicken curry which was tasty, but nothing to write home about.
Besides the a la carte items, there was also a decent selection of both cold and hot items in “The Haven’s” buffet area.
During my dinnertime visit, there was a selection of six different salads, of cold cuts including salami and smoked salmon, as well as of tarts, cakes, brownies, and fruits.
Hot items included yellow curry with seafood, sweet and sour pork, chicken stew with bacon and beans, and braise mushrooms.
While one could order virtually any drink from the restaurant’s servers, there were also pitchers of orange, grapefruit, carrot, and watermelon juices available in the buffet area. I really liked the watermelon one.
For drinks and lighter meals, one could also go to the “cafe” near the lounge’s entrance.
There, one could order a cup of coffee or tea. Soft drinks including water, juices, and canned soda were available in this area as well.
The food offered in this part of the lounge included some tarts, fruits, cereals, bread, salads, appetizers, and sandwiches.
Finally, alcoholic drinks could be had at “The Haven Bar” as well as in the Champagne bar.
While I like the newer “The Pier” first class lounge more overall, “The Wing” lounge is still excellent. In fact, the two Cathay Pacific lounges are by far the best airport lounges I have visited to date.
Not only was there plenty of seating in the lounge, but there was also a nice variety of seats to suit any mood or purpose. Personally, I liked the large sofa chairs in the Champagne bar for lounging and the Solus chairs for getting some work done.
The feature that I liked the most were, of course, the Cabanas. While on some level, they are a gimmick, I still loved the fact that I could relax in a bathtub before taking (and after arriving on) a long-haul flight.
Learn more about this lounge:
