The Wing, First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport [Review]

The Wing, First Class Lounge is perhaps the more famous of the 2 first class lounges operated by Cathay Pacific at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

While there are similarities between The Wing, First Class Lounge and The Pier, First Class Lounge, there are a number of differences as well.

The Wing, First is definitely one of the most epic first class lounges out there, so here’s the inside scoop. If you’re flying first class, you also have the option of entering The Wing, Business Lounge, and The Pier, Business Lounge, to make for one amazing experience at HKG.

Location

Cathay Pacific operates 6 departures lounges in Terminal 1 and one of them is The Wing, First. The lounge is very conveniently located just after the main security area in the south departures hall, and is a short walk after turning left from security. It’s is open from 5:30 a.m. until last departure every day.

Unlike The Pier, First and The Pier, Business, which are both located underground, the Wing is located on the 7th floor, known as the Balcony level.

The Wing is near gates 1-4 and has a shared check-in area — The Wing, First to the right and The Wing, Business to the left.

To denote the difference in the 2 lounges, there is a large vertical sign.

Gaining Entry

In order to gain entry into The Wing, First, you must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Traveling in Cathay Pacific first class (passenger + 1 guest allowance)
2. Traveling in Oneworld carrier first class (passenger + 1 guest allowance)
3. Marco Polo Diamond member on a Cathay Pacific, Oneworld carrier, or codeshare flight regardless of cabin class (passenger + 2 guests)
4. Oneworld Emerald members on a Cathay Pacific, Oneworld carrier, or codeshare flight regardless of cabin class (passenger + 1 guest)

Design, Arrangement, and Seating

The Wing, First has a drastically different personality from The Pier, First, its sister lounge located on the other side of Terminal 1. The Pier, First is very elegant and understated, while The Wing, First is more extravagant.

This lounge is an above ground, open-air lounge. By contrast, The Pier, First is underground and very homely. There was tons of seating available in brightly colored leather chairs.

There were a lot of monitors with flight displays around the lounge.

Just past the main seating area was a wide selection of literature.

In the literature aisle, there were also some interesting, bright-red chairs.

Bottom Line: The seating is quite generous in the lounge, and the open-air feel lends to a grand appearance. The seating is quite spread out comfortably. All in all, the design elements give The Wing, First a lot of personality. It seems like Cathay Pacific intentionally designs their numerous lounges to have unique characteristics and amenities, which is impressive. 

Food and Drink

There are 4 main food and beverage areas in this lounge, and we’ll begin with the a la carte option.

The Haven Restaurant

The Haven is The Wing, First’s a la carte restaurant, and is nestled away from the main seating area. The food and drink selection was similar to that of The Pier, First with less choices.

The Haven’s seating options were much smaller than The Dining Room at The Pier, First, and the views weren’t as nice.

I won’t go into that much more detail on The Wing, First, but suffice to say that the a la carte dining at The Dining Room at The Pier, First is superior to The Haven in The Wing, First.

Champagne Bar

One of the main highlights of The Wing, First was the Champagne bar. There were giant, red leather armchairs and loveseats surrounding the Champagne bar.

The Champagne bar is self-serve, and there are 3 choices of Champagne next to the Champagne flutes.

If you like a variety of Champagne and enjoy nuanced glasses of bubbly, hanging out at the Champagne bar might be a great choice.

Hot Tip: Want to check out more Hong Kong lounges? See how one of our writers used his 9 hour layover to lounge hop at Hong Kong International Airport.

The Atrium

The third area is located by the entrance. There’s a lot of table seating along with bar counter seating.

The food choices start off with pastries such as red bean sweet buns, mushroom puffs, bacon quiches, and BBQ pork puffs.

Next, you can pick between various wraps and finger sandwiches.

There was also a good choice of cookies available for snacking.

Various bread choices were complemented by a diverse jams and preserves selection.

Cheeses, meats, and fruits followed shortly after the bread selection.

Pistachio cookies and chocolate almond cookies rounded out the main snack section.

A pot of mushroom soup concluded the main food selection in The Atrium.

JING Tea is the brand of choice when it comes to Cathay Pacific. A seasonal favorite offered at the time of visit was White Peony, which is produced in Yunnan.

Shown below are gold rectangular containers, each with different types of loose-leaf teas.

A tea menu was displayed at the tea station so it’s extremely easy to find the taste for you.

If tea is, well, not your cup of tea, then there’s an Elektra espresso machine next to the tea steeping station.

Illy coffee espresso drinks are prepared by professional baristas.

The drink selection continued with a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices.

Strawberry mint-infused water concluded The Atrium’s offerings.

Bar

At the end of the main lounge is a beautiful, marble-clad bar. This full-service bar offers a variety of soft drinks, spirits, beer, wines, Champagne, and cocktails.

Bottom Line: All in all, the first class dining experience is great at The Wing, First. There’s an excellent variety of food choices, though I’d have to say that the dining experience at The Pier, First is better than The Wing, First. The Champagne bar is a welcome novelty, but The Haven actually has slightly fewer food choices than The Dining Room in The Pier, First. 

Amenities

As you’ll find out shortly, the amenities in The Wing, First are staggering. I have never had a first class experience like this, and I find it to be something I will never forget. Let’s have a look!

Cabanas

Cabanas — a buzz word known only to Cathay Pacific enthusiasts in the frequent traveler world. Simply put, The Wing, First cabanas are one of the most sensational experiences you can have.

I immediately went to reserve a cabana and the desk attendant gave me a beeper. The beeper went off around 30 minutes after I requested one, and I couldn’t walk fast enough. The staff member directed us to one of only 5 cabanas in the entire suite. Simply put, it’s a luxurious sanctuary.

Oh. My. God. This space was… ours? As said above, there are only 5 of these, and the wait for 1 can get ridiculous, so reserve it as soon as you enter the lounge. Users are limited to ~90 minutes, but this was more than enough time to enjoy everything.

Each one of these cabanas is temperature-controlled and comes with a large bath and rain shower, an oversized leather day bed, a side table, and much more.

The showers were located to the left of the huge soaking tub, and there actually isn’t a partition that keeps the water in the shower. This does well to promote a naturalistic vibe to the cabana and personally made me feel closer to nature, especially with the rain shower.

A pampering area is located just beside the shower and comes with a vast wooden counter and chair overlooking a gigantic mirror. The pampering area is well-lit to promote great cosmetic care.

In all seriousness, this is probably the best bathing and shower facility at an airport lounge in the world. Period. 

There were 3 modes for the shower — a rain shower, a handheld shower head, and a waterfall shower head that delivers water in a single sheet of laminar flow.

Jurlique amenities were provided, along with various toiletries and clean, soft towels. I relaxed with a bath and shower, and it was amazing.

There was also a private and secluded en-suite toilet.

A complimentary ironing service was available at the push of a button.

The cabanas at The Wing, First left an everlasting impression on me, and it was one of the most relaxing ways to spend an hour and a half. I truly wish I had more time to revel in the opulence of the cabanas, but I’m glad I had the privilege to try it.

Shower Suites

If you aren’t able to reserve a cabana, don’t fret.

There are also 12 shower suites available. Each of them have large, 2-way wardrobes along with the same complimentary pressing service.

Business Center

The business center consists of work desks located along the edge of the lounge furnished with comfortable office chairs, iMac desktops, phones, and high-speed internet.

Additionally, travelers who need access can utilize the printers next to each computer.

Final Thoughts

My time at The Wing, First was one for the ages. The cabana is the single-most memorable amenity in this lounge. I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw it.

There are only 5 cabanas in this lounge, and they are an absolute must-try. If you’re limited on time and can’t seem to reserve a cabana for 1.5 hours, go ahead and book the shower suite, which offers great amenities and an awesome ironing service.

The Champagne bar is a classy move, the bar offers craft cocktails, and The Atrium satisfies any immediate hot food and snack cravings. The Haven also offers an a la carte experience similar to The Dining Room at The Pier, First, with fewer food options and subpar views.

All in all, Cathay Pacific put together unparalleled experience at The Wing, First.