Lounge Review: Cathay Pacific “The Bridge” Business Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport

I took Uber from the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong to the airport. The driver was super friendly even tho he didn’t speak a lot of English. As we arrived at the airport, he got out to organize a luggage cart for me and brought it over to the car. I only head a backpack, my Laptop roller carry-on and a regular suitcase for which I never used a luggage cart. Because he was so helpful I couldn’t ignore this nice gesture and used a luggage cart this time.

Hong Kong’s check-in hall is pretty amazing. You will walk down a ramp to the main check-in aisles for all the airlines. There is a directory to help you find your aisle. I was flying Cathay Pacific and went to the Business Class check-in. Once I got there, they asked me about my destination and I told them that I would be flying to the US and they have dedicated check-in counters for passengers flying to the US. Because of the increased security procedures, they will ask you some random questions. Mainly about your luggage if it was always with you and if everything in there belongs to you and therefore…

With my boarding pass, I also received an invite to the lounge. There are no premium security lines at HKG. There is a south and north security checkpoint and that’s it. The line was pretty short and it took me only a few minutes to get through security. From there I followed the signs towards my departure gate, which would be close to Cathay’s “The Bridge” lounge. I went down a set of escalators to get to an automated train, which dropped me off at the end of Terminal 1 before it splits like a “Y”. From there it took a set of escalators to get to the departure level and from there you just follow the signs or walk towards the big glass windows at the end of the terminal building. You will see the sign for the lounge entrance which is right in front of an escalator which will take you down to the lounge check-in.

The Bridge has probably one of the most prestigious entrances to a lounge I ever have seen. You will ride down the escalator to level 5. In front of you the big glass windows of the airport with a good view of the tarmac and if you look down you have the check-in counter of the lounge right in front of you. The Cathay staff was awesome and greeted me with a smile. I gave them my invitation card for the lounge which I got during check-in and was welcomed to The Bridge. This is one of the fastest check-in experiences ever. No need to show boarding pass, ID or anything else. Just present your invitation.

The Bridge is divided into north and south wing from the check-in counter. Besides regular seating, they offer different amenities to the guests.

I was very impressed with the overall size, design, and amenities of “The Bridge”. There is no other lounge I could compare it to. There was enough seating everywhere in the lounge and no need to wait to get a spot or squeeze yourself between others.

The food at the bakery was amazing. I loved their freshly baked pizza and sandwiches. The bakery is divided from the lounge and has a “darker” setting which I enjoyed for being a dining area. There were plenty of dining tables and open spots to sit down and enjoy a meal. Service was quick as well and tables got cleaned quickly.

I really liked the big windows with the amazing views of the tarmac. This is just so different to everything else I know. Plenty of seating was available throughout The Bridge lounge. The long bar at the end of the north wing lets you relax with a drink and great views as well.

The Bridge is one kind of a lounge. Hard to beat and I will miss it for sure. Access to the lounge is very limited as well, as you have to fly Cathay Pacific basically, even as oneworld top tier. For example, American Airlines invites you to the Plaza Premium Lounge in Hong Kong. I really want to come back here, but I also want to check out their other lounges here in Hong Kong, which I am sure will be amazing as well. I guess that means a lot more trips to Hong Kong.