Hong Kong - EK lounge may be best F&B bet for QF J/WP/SG these days

[boomy]

That's the standard theme of the middle East....

It looks nothing like the lounges in the Middle East, at least the ones I’ve been to.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Currently sitting in the EK lounge. As Serfty said the food is good, definitely a step above QF lounge. Is it better than Pier F? Hard to compare different concepts buffet vs a-la-carte but if this was my only lounge choice in HKG I wouldn’t be unhappy with that.

Alcohol variety is as good as J lounge gets although they downgraded champagne from Veuve to Moët, one of my least favourites.

One thing that puts me off is the decor, there’s no nicer way to say it, it’s revolting! The amount of brown and beige here makes Air China lunges look state of the art modern. For that reason when I fly QF next week and have choice of lounges I’ll go strait to Pier.

I'll be back in HKG in a few weeks so I'll definitely hit up EK ( I have six hours after all ). Before my previous, extremely average, experience of Pier F food I wouldn't have considered EK, but now.... I can put up with the beige considering Mrs 340 is a Kiwi *ducks for cover*

The wine in Pier F is poor, very poor. It's a shame though because if you only go to the restaurant you won't get the great bartenders mixing really good coughtails at the marble bar.

If anyone has never guessed from this and previous posts Pier F has always been my favourite OW lounge, excluding lounges outside OW rules (QR F and BA CCR). I do despair at the declining standards of a lounge that used to blow away QF SYD F in my opinion.

 

[ellen10]

We will have a 6 hour transit in HKG in August. We are flying CX J. We have no status.
Can we only visit the CX lounges? Or are their other options?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

We will have a 6 hour transit in HKG in August. We are flying CX J. We have no status.
Can we only visit the CX lounges? Or are their other options?

You can visit the QF lounge as well.

 

[ellen10]

You can visit the QF lounge as well.

Thanks @GoldCanyon340 with plenty on time on hand it will be good to try somewhere else. We will probably like to have a shower, any recommendations?

 

[boomy]

Wine selection in EK lounge.



Spirits selection.



Sample of the food, Salmon and lamb chops.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Thanks @GoldCanyon340 with plenty on time on hand it will be good to try somewhere else. We will probably like to have a shower, any recommendations?

It's a close call between the showers at QF and CX J. I'd do a tour of the lounges you can go to (CX has multiple J lounges) and shower at the most appropriate time before your flight. I transit through HKG a lot and usually shower the closest I can before boarding.

 

[serfty]

Wine selection in EK lounge.

That's it - the "Twinwoods" 2013 Cab-Sav - for mine a cut above any other airline wine I have had this year.

After a glass or three of that, I wandered off to the Pier F, had a bloody mary before heading to my gate (where after boarding I found I had a row of four economy seats to my self - no 'supper' just slept in a pleasant Twinwoods dream until breakfast 7 hours later ...

 

[GoldCanyon340]

That's it - the "Twinwoods" 2013 Cab-Sav - for mine a cut above any other airline wine I have had this year.

After a glass or three of that, I wandered off to the Pier F, had a bloody mary before heading to my gate (where after boarding I found I had a row of four economy seats to my self - no 'supper' just slept in a pleasant Twinwoods dream until breakfast 7 hours later ...

EK cops criticism, some of it justified, but lounge and onboard wine selection is not justified. That's a decent wine to have before boarding.

 

[boomy]

EK cops criticism, some of it justified, but lounge and onboard wine selection is not justified. That's a decent wine to have before boarding.

One thing EK can’t be criticised on is their onboard alcohol selection. They spend more than any other airline on that and the quality, especially in F is very high. Similar things can be said about their DXB lounge where fine wines can be found on self serve.

 

[pauly7]

Sample of the food, Salmon and lamb chops.

View attachment 166041

Personally that looks like grey stodge heart attack to me But everyone is different!

I’m disappointed to hear the CX lounges may have gone down hill in terms of catering, I didn’t honestly notice last time but I’m there again in a few weeks and will be paying closer attention!

I’m quality over quantity, clearly don’t eat as much as fellow AFF friends so I’m less concerned about smaller portions just hoping variety and flavours are still good!

 

[GoldCanyon340]

One thing EK can’t be criticised on is their onboard alcohol selection. They spend more than any other airline on that and the quality, especially in F is very high. Similar things can be said about their DXB lounge where fine wines can be found on self serve.

EK wine is simply outstanding. Until recently there were reports of the 1986 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou still being served in the DXB lounges, running down the stock. I had a bottle in F when it was on rotation onboard. A slight understatement to say it beats the 3-year-old stock standard Shiraz served up by QF in F.

 

[JohnK]

EK lounge is OK, but seen one and you've seen them all (DXB excepted).
I don't bother with it unless I'm on the EK flight.

I'm not sure I agree.

We met in the BKK EK lounge a few years ago. The food there beats what's on offer in the CX lounge. More variety not just noodles.

The SIN EK lounge again has better variety and quality of food.



And the same goes for the HKG EK lounge.

 

[boomy]

A bit OT but the EK BKK lounge is pleasant surprise.
Similar F&B as in HKG with nicer decor in the dining area.



Worth visiting when flying EK/QF.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Is there a link to a QF page which details when you can access EK lounges? I feel I have underutilised them and understand there are some exceptions like LHR.

 

[Kangol]

Is there a link to a QF page which details when you can access EK lounges? I feel I have underutilised them and understand there are some exceptions like LHR.

Generally QFF elites can use all EK lounges except for USA services/itineraries because the QF-EK relationship excluded the USA.

For LHR. Note they use the term "should", which is merely a suggestion.

Frequently Asked Questions | Help | Emirates Australia

www.emirates.com

If I’m eligible for both Emirates and Qantas lounges, can I choose either?
We recommend that you use the lounge of the operating airline to ensure you’re close to the correct gate, and have access to boarding calls and other flight information.
The only exception from this rule is lounge access at London Heathrow (LHR):

• If the flight is operated by Emirates and you’re eligible to use the lounge, you should visit the Emirates Lounge.
• If the flight is operated by Qantas, First Class passengers can use the Emirates Lounge. Other passengers eligible to use the lounge should use the Qantas lounge.
• Qantas Club members should use the American Airlines Admirals Lounge.