Cathay Pacific starts refurbishment of its Hong Kong lounges

It’s no secret that my favourite airline lounge in the world is Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First lounge in Hong Kong (review here). In my conclusion, I described it as “the perfect confluence of style, food, service and amenities.”

The lounge opened in 2015 and was designed by London-based Ilse Crawford. Located one floor below the main terminal, the space Cathay used is nothing to write home about with low ceilings and narrow views.

What the airline and the design studio were able to achieve was nothing short of exceptional, with a central corridor clad in green onyx and a clever artificial skylight transforming what could otherwise have been a dark and dingy lounge.

The lounge also benefits from a fantastic a la carte restaurant in collaboration with Mott 32, a famous Hong Kong restaurant, free spa treatments and even day rooms.

It’s no surprise that Cathay Pacific wants to roll out this lounge concept further, including to the Norman Foster-designed The Wing First Lounge, which features an entirely different design aesthetic of open-air ceilings, hard marble surfaces and a dark colour palette.

Whilst The Pier First is more to my personal tastes, I still liked The Wing First lounge. It was less cosy and more architectural than The Pier, with gleaming surfaces and iconic burgundy Chesterfield sofas.

There’s also something to be said about offering a variety of lounges at your home terminal catering to different tastes. Creating a number of ’boutique’ lounges with different styles and offerings is something I’ve long thought should be more common. After all, one size doesn’t fit all.

Nevertheless, I’m not complaining. Cathay’s lounges in Hong Kong are world-leading and it’s great to see continued investment before they are old and tired, unlike what is happening in Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

The Wing First lounge closed last week and will reopen next year with a new look inspired by the warm, residential design of The Pier lounges (also on show in the airline’s London Heathrow lounges). Hopefully some of its best features, such as the cabanas with gigantic baths, remain in one shape or another.

Whilst The Wing First is closed, and to facilitate the transition, Cathay Pacific has spent the last six months fully refurbishing its The Bridge lounge, whilst the already re-opened The Deck lounge is being turned into an interim First Class lounge.

The Bridge has been closed since covid but has been brought out of retirement and completely refurbished in the style of The Pier lounges. It’s almost impossible to distinguish them. It is a huge lounge – 2,700 square metres and with capacity for over 500 passengers. Here’s how Cathay describes the new look:

“The cherry wood, framed screens and black granite and travertine at The Bridge, along with carefully selected plants, furniture pieces, and original artworks from the airline’s award-winning “Gallery in the Skies” concept, come together to foster a residential, cohesive and harmonious environment.”

In addition to the classic Noodle Bar The Bridge also introduces an additional dining concept called ‘The Nook’ which will serve Chinese small plates such as savoury filled bao, crispy scallion pancakes and steaming rice rolls as well as a dim sum cart.

So, to summarise:

• The Wing First has closed for a full refurbishment and will re-open mid-2026
• The Bridge is now open after a full refurbishment
• The Deck has been converted into a temporary First Class lounge until The Wing First reopens

Meanwhile, the business class section of The Wing will also undergo a facelift once The Wing First has reopened in mid-2026.

The lounge refurbishments in Hong Kong aren’t the only investments Cathay is making in its ground experience. It is also opening its first lounge at New York JFK airport and refurbishing its Beijing lounge. It seems Cathay Pacific is not an airline to rest on its laurels.

PS. Don’t forget Cathay Pacific is now flying its new Aria suite business class to London – full review here.

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (June 2025)

Here are the six options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

Your best value option (but no points):

The cheapest route to a Priority Pass airport lounge card is via the Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard.

The credit card has a fee of £15 per month, and comes with a Priority Pass which gives unlimited free access for the cardholder. If you add a free supplementary cardholder, they will also receive unlimited free access.

Unlike the version of Priority Pass you receive with American Express, the Lloyds Bank version also lets you access £18 airport restaurant credits.

Even better, the credit card has 0% FX fees and comes with 0.5% cashback. Full details are in my Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard review.

Lounge access via American Express cards:

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our in-depth review of The Platinum Card from American Express is here.

You can apply here.

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card review here.

Lounge access via HSBC Premier credit cards (Premier account holders only):

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider The American Express Business Platinum Card which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card which has a lower fee and, as well as a Priority Pass for airport lounge access, also comes with Radison Rewards VIP hotel status:

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.